Versatility of PR: Industries and Student Involvement

How Different Industries Use Public Relations and Ways That Students Can Get Involved With Them

Written by: Alexandra Garcia

Every field uses public relations in some way, making Ad/PR degrees extremely versatile. Even though the ways PR is used vary by industry, the intention remains the same: to manage the information that shapes how brands are perceived by their audiences.

Internships are a graduation requirement in some degree programs here at the University of Central Florida, like Ad/PR. Applying to internships regardless of your major can be an overwhelming and stressful experience. In regard to public relations, there are so many opportunities within it that can make it difficult to find something that aligns with your interests. Here is a brief overview of how different industries use PR and some examples of internship opportunities they have for students.

Hospitality & Tourism

Hospitality and tourism make up a big chunk of the Orlando job market due to the city being one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country. One of the goals of PR professionals in this industry is to use storytelling in hopes of building a positive brand reputation that results in customer loyalty. For example, in theme parks, publicists use storytelling to emphasize the interactive and immersive elements of certain themed areas of the parks in order to make guests feel as if they are part of the story. Another function of PR in this field is using relations with the media to make sure word of new hotel, restaurant and attraction launches gets out.

Popular theme parks in the area, like Disney World, Universal Orlando and Legoland, all offer PR internships. Another great opportunity is with Visit Orlando, which is the city’s destination marketing organization. Hotels, restaurants and convention centers also tend to offer internships, so it is worth looking into those as well.

UCF has strong connections with hospitality and tourism brands in the area, so if you are interested in this field, take advantage of the opportunities and resources at your disposal! For example, when Universal Orlando was looking to hire people ahead of the grand opening of Epic Universe, they recruited many UCF students for both part-time positions and internships.

Healthcare

PR plays a crucial role in the healthcare industry. In addition to managing a brand or organization’s image to build public trust, PR professionals in this sector also work to educate people through public health campaigns. Crisis communications is also very important here to prevent misinformation from spreading and to share crucial information with the public when emergencies occur (like during COVID-19).

When looking for PR internships in this sector, healthcare systems like Orlando Health and AdventHealth are great options. For example, Quotes Director of Ambassadorship Bailey Newcomb and Quotes Ambassador Alexa Linderman have both completed internships with AdventHealth! The Florida Department of Health also offers communications internships in different counties across the state. 

Government

The main function of PR in the government is to establish and maintain positive relationships between citizens and their representatives. PR professionals in this field recognize how important it is for the public to trust their own government. To foster that connection, they encourage transparency and effective communication in PR campaigns. Another responsibility of publicists in this sector is to efficiently release important updates to the public to keep people informed of the government’s actions and address any controversies that may occur.

There are many PR internship opportunities in the government at the federal, state, and local levels. Federal agencies like the Department of Justice and the Department of State offer many student programs. On the state level, Florida has a Communications and PR internship that is located in several cities throughout the state, including Orlando. County and municipal governments also offer their own internships. For example, Quotes VP Andy Ayup completed one with the City of Oviedo! The Orange County Government also has opportunities of its own. Another great way students can gain experience working in government PR is by interning or volunteering for political campaigns during election season to help with their communications efforts.

Entertainment

In the entertainment industry, PR is used to manage the reputations of talent, companies like film studios, streaming services, and record labels, and the products those companies put out. Building relationships with the media is especially important to secure press coverage for clients and events such as film/TV premieres, award shows and festivals.