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The President of Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Mawuko Afadzinu, has charged public relations practitioners and upcoming practitioners to always learn and be abreast of the current trends to be relevant in the current ecosystem. 

He indicated that public relations had in recent decades evolved from the traditional public relations to a digital one with the dominant presence of technology and social media.

Mr Afadzinu was speaking at the first New Year Public Lecture organised by the University of Media, Arts and Culture (UniMAC) last Friday via zoom and moderated by Dr Etse Sikanku, a Senior Lecturer at UniMAC.

It was on the theme: "Public Relations: Current Trends, Challenges and 21st Century Opportunities".

Mr Afadzinu explained that although the principles of public relations remained the same, the influx of social media had changed the terrain and field of public relations, as practitioners did not only rely on traditional media any longer.

The influx of social media, he said, could lead to a chaotic situation with a single social media post, if not well managed by practitioners, although it came with a lot of advantages. 

Challenges of PR
The President of IPR indicated that a tacit challenge public relations practitioners faced was development of data analytics skills.

Most practitioners, he said, were not abreast of data analytics which had consequently become a key part of the practice in understanding specific audiences, creating value and equitably distributing the value created in the audience ecosystem or with stakeholders.
 
He said the evolution of public relations in recent decades demanded that practitioners also became masters of all trades in the communication space and added that public relations practitioners must be knowledgeable about advertising, sales and marketing as their job was central to these fields.

He warned that with current trends, practitioners might become obsolete and be at risk of losing out to professionals with other backgrounds that had mastered the craft and science of data analytics, and other relevant fields in public relations. 

Modality
On modality, Mr Afadzinu said the use of dialogue would be at an all-time high more than persuasive communication, going into the future.

He added that the purpose of public relations was to create value and equitably distribute this value in the ecosystem.

That, he said, must be mutually beneficial to all parties.

Mr Afadzinu also remarked that although a number of public relations practitioners were taking advantage of social media and learning new trends and skills, a lot more of them needed to also embrace technology and consistently learn to bridge the gap between the traditional and digital public relations.