Working in public affairs often entails working ‘in house’ for an organisation, offering practical political advice based on past experience. Public affairs practitioners often work for a public affairs firm, and can undertake a vast array of tasks for their clients, such as media relations, campaign management, etc. There are many skills and activities that a public affairs practitioner is expected to learn and perform.

Lobbying:
This involves influencing stakeholders on specific policy or legislation proposals at either a local, national or international level. It is the job of a public affairs practitioner to strategise with their client, exactly who to lobby, which issues to persuade them about, and when the optimum time is to get involved.

Monitoring: 
Public affairs practitioners should always be working with the most current information available in order to make the most well informed and successful decisions. It is for this reason that political monitoring is essential. Each practitioner will have their own preferred sources of media, however they will all regularly monitor statements and releases from a variety of sources such as Parliament, Whitehall, Political parties, Local government, Public bodies, Think tanks and more.

Media management: 
Public affairs workers carry out traditional PR activities with a political focus. This political focus can make the media a significant stakeholder. In order to effectively manage the media, a public affairs practitioner can manage press releases and write articles, conduct research, produce annual reports, and build up relationships with media contacts. Public affairs practitioners may even take part in media interviews.

Finding a capable public affairs company to manage your business can be a challenging task. With a limited number of public affairs firms on the market, it can be difficult to find a good practitioner that isn’t already in high demand. Fortunately, a new player has joined the market. DPBell & Associates, headed by Desiree Peterkin Bell, is a boutique public affairs firm with team member situated in Philadelphia; Washington, D.C; Los Angeles and Tel Aviv. To find out more about the services provided by public affairs company, DPBell & Associates, visit Desiree’s website.

Working in Public Affairs (Part 2)