A Study On Journalists' Assessment Of Public Relations Practitioners And Public Relations Practice In Malawi

This study attempted to investigate journalists' assessment of Public Relations practice (specifically Media Relations) and practitioners' performance in Malawi. A7-point Linkert scale questionnaire was used to collect data from practicing journalists in print and electronic media as well as in public and private sectors. The questionnaire covered journalists' assessment of the importance of Public Relations to their work, Public Relations practitioners' professional conduct, their ethics, communication abilities, personalities, quality of information materials and management of media relations events.The study found that journalists in Malawi regard Public Relations as important in news production. However, the findings show that the journalists are not satisfied with the manner in which the Media Relations function of Public Relations is practiced.The results of this study corroborate findings in other studies that reveal journalists' negative assessment of the performance of Public Relations practitioners in terms of their professional abilities, their ethical practice, communication skills and personalities. The findings also show that information materials that organisations produce for the media are not media friendly and media relations events are not managed in the most convenient way for news journalists. However, this study found that the assessment did not correlate with journalists' work experience and the type of media that they worked for as previous studies have shown.The data from the survey suggest that lack of relevant training and sensitization account for the low quality of Public Relations practice in Malawi.The study therefore proposes that there is need for established Public Relations studies at degree level and that managers in Malawi be sensitised on the role of Public Relations practitioners in their organisations. The study also recommends the creation of a professional body for Public Relations practitioners in Malawi to provide a platform at which issues affecting the industry, especially those relating to the mass media, are discussed with the view of attaining best Media Relations practices.