Semarang – How crucial is media monitoring for professionals in the field of media relations? To address this question, the Information and Public Relations (Inhum) Study Program at Universitas Diponegoro (Undip) organized a public lecture specifically aimed at the class of 2024 students. Irene S. Bumi, MIkom, the event’s committee chair, explained that the event aims to provide in-depth insights, along with additional tips on effectively utilizing media in the digital era.
The public lecture was inaugurated by Dr. Sri Indrahti MHum, the head of the Information and Public Relations program, who presented two keynote speakers: Dr. Hudi Santoso, S.Sos, M.P. from IPB University, and Dr. Ummi Salamah, S.Psi, M.Si, a psychologist from UI. “After eight semesters, students are expected to master practical skills and collaborate with various stakeholders as applied bachelor’s degree graduates,” Sri stated.
In his presentation, Dr. Hudi Santoso discussed “Adaptation and Media Relations Information in the Digital Era.” He emphasized four crucial competencies that Public Relations (PR) professionals must possess: effective public communication, efficient media management, professional interaction with stakeholders, and proficient event organization. “The tasks of media relations (MR) include gathering media databases and understanding the intricacies of media editorial processes,” he explained.
The ability to effectively monitor media and analyze issues also emerged as a key point in this discussion. Dr. Hudi added that one of MR’s responsibilities is to predict and manage developing issues to mitigate potential negative impacts on the company or institution they represent.
The second speaker, Dr. Ummi Salamah, shared insights on “Media Strategies for Strategic Communication.” She highlighted that media relations (MR) is one of the essential functions within a corporation. “MR acts as a ‘servant’ that manages issues and engages with the media, processes information, and communicates it back to the media. The public relations job is complex and ongoing due to the multitude of issues that must be monitored as an integral part of MR’s responsibilities,” Dr. Ummi noted.
Dr. Ummi stressed the importance of digital literacy for public relations professionals. “Competent media relations will be able to present news content that can be shared across various media platforms, both mainstream and social media, thus becoming viral and creating a significantly positive impact for the corporation they work for,” she concluded.
Source : Liputan6.com