What should I read?

An interview question lots of PR recruiters ask me is ‘what do I read?’ – what should I say?

By Chris Cooke

When recruiters ask you this question it’s really an opportunity to show that you have a genuine interest in current affairs, the business world and the PR industry at large, all important interests to have if you want to work in corporate communications – so please don’t just say “well, I read Heat magazine most weeks”.

That said, if the only publication you do read on a regular basis is Heat, don’t just make up a list of impressive sounding newspapers and business journals just to look good in the interview. There is always a chance your interviewer will be an avid reader of one of the newspapers you mention and want to talk about it – and that’s not a situation you want to get into.

Therefore, in order to properly answer this question you not only need to name-check the right kinds of media in the interview, you need to actually read those media in your everyday life. So, Heat reader, you better start widening your weekly reading list.

But what to read?

Well, you really should make an effort to check out a daily newspaper a few times a week, because while newspapers may be in decline they still set the nation’s news agenda on many issues. Remember, broadsheets will always impress more than tabloids, so decide which you like best – The Times, The Independent, The Telegraph or The Guardian – and try to scan through a copy every few days, or at least keep any eye out for interesting articles on their websites.

Of course there are other ways to keep abreast of current affairs these days, and if you find broadsheet newspapers hard work – in print and online – then you might prefer to use other web news services like BBC News, Google News or Reuters.

If you’re going for a more corporate PR job then you should also make an effort to keep up with developments in the business world. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need an indepth knowledge of the world of stocks and shares, but you should keep up to to date on who’s hiring, who’s firing, who’s expanding, who’s merging and which sectors are performing best. If you make your daily newspaper of choice the Financial Times then you will have this information aplenty, but most of the broadsheets and news websites also have good general business news sections which you should both read and mention in your interview.

To keep up with the PR industry the most obvious regular read is PR Week, the primary trade magazine for the industry, which will definitely keep you up to date on which agencies are winning which accounts, who’s moving jobs, and what big issues are impacting on the industry right now. A full subscription is pricey, but many of their stories are accessible on their website for free.

There are other sources of PR industry news though. For a start, we round up some of the big stories here in esPResso. And we also feature two different PR blogs each week. There are a growing number of blogs written by PR practitioners, and they can be really good sources of information of what’s going on in the industry. Follow the links to blogs from esPResso, then look for links to other blogs on those websites.

In addition to that, some areas of PR also have their own trade magazines – like Public Affairs News for the lobbying sector. And you will find occasional PR stories on the Media Guardian and Brand Republic websites.

Both of those sites bundle PR in with the other communication industries – marketing and advertising. But that’s no bad thing, with business communications increasingly integrated both in-house and in agencies, it’s good for a PR professional to have an understanding of what their colleagues in marketing and advertising are up to.

Of course time is of the essense, we know that, and we don’t want to eat into all your Heat reading time. But do explore the current affairs, business and PR publications that are out there – in print and online – decide what works best for you and then make an effort to regularly check them out.

For a start, doing so will make you a better PR person, plus you’ll never struggle when you’re asked the “what do you read” question ever again.