In the broader sense, though part of the same word called "media", journalism and corporate communications/ public relations are two opposite sides of the spectrum. Both the jobs are fundamentally different and having experienced both sides of the world, I have observed some interesting/funny differences between how each one functions. I am sure there are exceptions, but by and large, this holds true. The idea is also not to undermine or appreciate one over the other as I can assure you that each one has its own pros and cons. Hope you will be able to relate to some of them, if not all.
| JOURNALISM | CORPORATE COMMUNICATION |
|---|---|
| You go to office on Monday and start working immediately. No one really cares to ask about your weekend gone by | Monday begins with "Hey dear! How was your weekend, what did you do" and the most common reply is "Awesome" |
| Editor calls you up at mid night and asks you to finish that article in 1 hour. I don't know the meaning of next month or quarter | Manager does a meeting/concall with you at a planned time slot of the week and says "We need to think about publishing an article in the next quarter or so" |
| Afternoon: Finish off this work and then that work. The list goes on. | Afternoon: Let's take a tea break, how about some coffee? |
| Editor: Go and cover the event tomorrow | Manager: We need to think about doing an event soon |
| Weekend: What is that? | Weekend: Saturdays and Sundays are so much fun. Let's go for an outing |
| A lot of time is spent outside office but what is an office outing really like? | Let's go out for an office outing, an off-site or a CSR activity |
| Friday: So what? There's a deadline tomorrow | Friday: What are your weekend plans? Happy weekend |
| Journalist: But, how does it matter? I am happy, I am the king, I get to do what I like, I also get all the VIP treatment | Corp Comm: I like the comfort of my job but there is no deep satisfaction. It's all part of the work and we have to do it |
