Photo: PRPLI President Jeff Morosoff presents Debra Scala Giokas with the Mentor Award in 2012. (Photo courtesy of Bill Moseley/BBA Photography Corporation)
By Debra Scala Giokas
The memories of my colleagues have inspired me to share my thoughts on PRPLI as we celebrate 30 years.
I joined the group in 1990, and had the privilege of serving on the board and enjoying the hospitality of Louise Cassano with laughter and smiles around her dining room table as we planned out the year. My task was the newsletter committee, and after I married George Giokas, a journalist, the group reached out to us to ask if we would write a “He Said/She Said” column. We took different points of view on the same subject, but we also showed that journalists and public relations people could actually have a marriage of sorts.
That is how it should be. Journalists search for the truth, and they do need ethical public relations professionals to provide them with resources in a timely and responsible fashion. We are the gatekeepers for our organizations and to earn our stripes in this field we need to do things the right way.
Now more than ever before, we see how the abuse of communication, handled in irresponsible ways can have detrimental effects. A smart phone and the ability to post anything at any time does not make one a communicator.
Our group made and still makes a concerted effort to teach us the fundamental principles of our profession. As we grow and change with the technological advances, we need to make sure that our hearts evolve at the same pace as our minds. We need to remain ever vigilant and pride ourselves on the true relationship between reporters and public relations professionals. It’s a dance, and PRPLI teaches us the steps.
“I will be forever grateful to this group for the friendships I made, the lessons I learned, and the opportunities afforded me to grow in a field which I will always love.”
Happy, happy 30th, PRPLI.
Debra Scala Giokas
