Where will PR be in 5 years?

It’s one of those cringeworthy interview questions that's asked when there’s little left to say. But in this case, for PR, it seems to have some relevance. PR is changing, and fast. In no particular order, I can think of the following things that are influencing what PR is about: • Digital media – the volume of media has increased exponentially in recent years. All this media requires content, be it text, audio or video. • The decreasing prominence of print – the fall in readership of printed media is changing the priority for clients. • How consumers access news/information – first it was newspapers, then radio, then TV, then online, now it’s through an App on your phone. • The decreasing number of journalists – and the ones that are left are time poor and arguably not as experienced or knowledgeable as their higher paid predecessors. • Technology – has increased accessibility for PROs to target worldwide journalists, bloggers, thought leaders and consumers. • Social media – from journalists being the primary target for PROs, they now share PROs’ attention with social media providers and the networks of people within those providers. What does it all mean? It’s a good time to be in PR. The next few years should be exciting and armed with some enthusiasm, some time and half a brain, PROs will be innovators within social media, meaning they are in a good position to advise clients. Where will PR end up? You tell me!