How to Learn Public Relations and Communications

Introduction

Public relations and communications have changed considerably as organizations communicate across websites, social media, email, digital publications, video platforms, and traditional media. But the fundamentals remain remarkably consistent: organizations need professionals who can communicate clearly, understand audiences, develop compelling messages, build relationships, and protect their reputation.

That makes PR and communications useful skills for far more than traditional public relations specialists. Marketing professionals, business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, HR professionals, and communications teams all need to understand how organizations communicate with employees, customers, journalists, partners, and the public.

Learning these skills online can be a practical way to build communication capabilities without committing to a full degree program. Online PR and communications classes can cover subjects such as media relations, public relations strategy, press releases, storytelling, pitching journalists, audience engagement, and business communication.

This guide explains what PR and communications professionals actually do, which skills are worth developing, how to learn them online, and how Skillshare can fit into a broader professional development plan.

What Are PR and Communications?

Public relations is broader than simply getting a company mentioned in the news.

The Public Relations Society of America defines public relations as a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. That includes communicating with customers, employees, investors, journalists, communities, and other important stakeholders.

Communications is closely related. It encompasses the ways an organization develops and delivers information to the audiences that matter to its goals.

Depending on the organization and role, PR and communications professionals may:

• Write press releases and other communications
• Develop messaging for an organization
• Communicate with journalists and media outlets
• Prepare executives for interviews
• Develop social media communications
• Monitor public conversations
• Help manage an organization's reputation
• Create speeches and presentations
• Develop communication campaigns
• Respond to public or media inquiries
• Build relationships with external audiences

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics specifically identifies public relations specialists as professionals who create and maintain a positive public image for the organizations or individuals they represent. Their responsibilities can include media releases, social media programs, media responses, speeches, interviews, and public communication.

That makes PR and communications a combination of writing, strategy, relationship management, research, and business judgment.

Why Are PR and Communications Skills Important?

Organizations can have excellent products and services and still struggle if they communicate poorly.

A confusing announcement can create unnecessary questions. An ineffective media response can damage credibility. A poorly written message can create misunderstandings. And an organization that fails to communicate during a crisis can quickly lose trust.

Effective communications help organizations explain what they do, establish credibility, communicate changes, respond to problems, and build relationships with important audiences.

The career opportunity is also broader than traditional public relations agencies.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were approximately 315,900 public relations specialist jobs in the United States in 2024. Employment is projected to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, with approximately 27,600 openings projected each year over that period.

The median annual wage for public relations specialists was $69,780 in May 2024, although compensation varies substantially by industry, experience, location, and responsibility.

Workplace Communication Is Part of the Skill Set

PR professionals may communicate externally with journalists and the public, but strong communication skills are equally important inside an organization.

Clear workplace communication helps professionals explain ideas, collaborate with colleagues, manage expectations, present information, and handle difficult conversations.

The ability to communicate clearly is therefore useful whether you're working directly in PR or using communications skills as part of another business role.

What Skills Do You Need to Learn?

Learning PR and communications involves much more than becoming a better writer. The strongest professionals combine communication ability with strategic thinking and an understanding of their audiences.

Professional Writing

Writing is one of the foundations of communications.

Professionals may write press releases, media pitches, executive communications, website content, social media posts, newsletters, speeches, reports, and internal announcements.

The goal isn't simply to write grammatically correct sentences. Effective professional writing communicates the right information to the right audience in a clear and appropriate way.

Media Relations

Media relations involves developing relationships with journalists, editors, producers, and other media professionals.

That requires understanding what makes a story relevant to a particular audience and identifying the right person to contact.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that PR specialists write press releases, respond to media information requests, and contact media professionals who may cover their organizations or clients.

Storytelling

A good story can make an organization's message easier to understand and remember.

Storytelling doesn't mean exaggerating or turning every announcement into a dramatic narrative. It means identifying the human, business, or practical significance behind information.

Professionals need to understand what makes a story interesting and why a particular audience should care.

Public Relations Strategy

PR should support broader organizational objectives.

A communications professional might need to increase awareness, strengthen reputation, support a product launch, communicate organizational change, attract attention to an initiative, or respond to a developing issue.

Understanding the objective helps determine the appropriate audience, message, channel, and timing.

Media Pitching

Getting media attention requires more than sending a generic email to a large list of journalists.

Professionals need to understand why a particular story would interest a particular publication or journalist.

Skillshare's PR classes include practical topics such as developing media lists, writing pitches, identifying journalists, and approaching media outlets.

Reputation Management

Organizations don't completely control how the public perceives them.

PR professionals monitor conversations, respond to questions, communicate important information, and help organizations maintain credibility.

This is particularly important in an environment where information can spread rapidly through social media and digital news channels.

Digital and Social Communications

PR increasingly overlaps with digital marketing and social media.

Professionals may need to understand how organizations communicate through social platforms, websites, email, video, and other digital channels.

The BLS specifically notes that social media has created opportunities for public relations specialists as organizations seek to communicate with consumers and the broader public through new channels.

How to Learn PR and Communications Online

You don't need to learn every area of communications simultaneously. A practical learning path starts with the fundamentals and gradually moves toward application.

Step 1: Learn the fundamentals

Start by understanding what public relations is, how it differs from advertising, and how communications supports an organization's goals.

Step 2: Develop professional writing skills

Practice writing short announcements, press releases, pitches, executive messages, and other forms of professional communication.

Step 3: Learn how media relations works

Understand how journalists work, how to identify relevant media outlets, and what makes a story worth covering.

Step 4: Practice storytelling and pitching

Take a real or hypothetical business and develop a newsworthy story around it. Then identify the journalists who would potentially cover that story and create a concise pitch.

Step 5: Learn digital communications

Expand your skills into social media, online publications, email, and other digital communication channels.

Step 6: Build a portfolio

Create examples of your work. A portfolio might include a press release, media pitch, communications plan, social media campaign, executive announcement, or crisis communication example.

A portfolio gives potential employers evidence of what you can actually do.

PR and Communications Career Opportunities

PR and communications skills can lead to a variety of career paths.

Potential roles include:

• Public relations specialist
• Communications specialist
• Media relations specialist
• Public affairs specialist
• Corporate communications specialist
• Communications coordinator
• PR account executive
• Content communications specialist
• Social media communications specialist
• Internal communications specialist
• Communications manager
• Public relations manager

These skills are used across industries including technology, healthcare, education, government, financial services, entertainment, nonprofit organizations, professional services, retail, and manufacturing.

The BLS reports that public relations specialists work across a wide range of industries, with significant employment in educational services, advertising and public relations services, government, healthcare and social assistance, and social advocacy organizations.

PR and communications skills can also complement other careers. A marketing manager who understands media relations, for example, can communicate more effectively with journalists. An entrepreneur can use PR skills to promote a business. An executive can use communications skills to present ideas and manage organizational messaging.

PR and Communications Learning Path

The learning path can be adjusted based on your career goals.

Someone starting a PR career may need broad foundational knowledge. A marketing professional may want to focus on media relations and storytelling. An executive may benefit more from strategic communications, reputation management, and media interview skills.

Best Online Classes for Learning PR and Communications

Online classes can be particularly useful for PR because many of the skills are practical.

Rather than only reading about public relations theory, learners can practice writing pitches, developing media lists, creating communications plans, and thinking through how to approach journalists.

Skillshare currently offers several classes that address different parts of PR and communications.

One example is Public Relations: Use Your Networks to Build Buzz, taught by Peter Shankman. The class covers networks, public relations, audience interaction, social media and reporters, media outlets, and newsjacking. Its project involves creating a PR strategy to grow a business.

Another is DIY Public Relations: Craft Your Press Release, which covers determining what is newsworthy, writing a press release, building a media list, pitching journalists, and contacting media.

Skillshare also offers Publicity 101: How to Pitch, which focuses specifically on pitching media outlets. The class covers timing, cold pitches, examples of effective pitches, follow-up, and creating a pitch email.

These different approaches illustrate why PR learners may benefit from choosing classes based on the particular skill they need to develop.

Explore PR and Communications Classes on Skillshare

If you want to build practical public relations, media relations, storytelling, and communications skills, Skillshare provides classes that can be explored based on your particular learning goals.

Explore PR & Communications Classes on Skillshare

Which PR and Communications Classes Are Right for You?

The right class depends on where you are in your development.

Best for building a PR strategy: A class focused on public relations strategy, networks, audience interaction, and media relationships can help you understand how the different pieces fit together. Skillshare's Public Relations: Use Your Networks to Build Buzz is one example.

Best for learning media outreach: If your immediate goal is learning how to approach journalists, a focused pitching class may be more appropriate. Publicity 101: How to Pitch specifically addresses pitch emails, timing, examples, and follow-up.

Best for learning press releases: A class such as DIY Public Relations: Craft Your Press Release focuses on creating press releases, building a media list, and contacting journalists.

The advantage of taking this approach is that you can focus your learning on the skill most relevant to your current role instead of trying to learn every aspect of public relations at once.

Is Learning PR and Communications Worth It?

PR and communications can be worthwhile skills for professionals who want to work in communications, marketing, media relations, public affairs, or related fields.

They are also valuable beyond dedicated PR positions.

Organizations need people who can explain complex subjects clearly, communicate with different audiences, develop compelling messages, and respond professionally when circumstances change.

The field does have challenges. Communications professionals often work under deadlines, deal with rapidly changing news cycles, and may need to respond quickly when an organization's reputation is at stake.

PR also requires strong judgment. A message that works for one audience may be inappropriate for another, and a communication mistake can sometimes create more attention than the original issue.

That is why developing communication skills alongside strategic thinking is important.

Building Your PR and Communications Skills

The best way to develop PR and communications expertise is to combine learning with practice.

Start by improving your writing. Then learn how media relations works and practice identifying newsworthy ideas. Create sample press releases and media pitches. Build a small portfolio that demonstrates what you can do.

As you become more comfortable, expand into digital communications, social media, reputation management, executive communications, and strategic planning.

You don't need to become an expert in every area.

Instead, build a strong foundation and then develop the specialty that aligns with your career goals.

Online classes can provide structure, but practical experience is what turns those lessons into professional skills. Whether you're preparing for a communications career, promoting a business, or expanding your existing marketing skills, the most valuable learning happens when you apply what you've learned to real communication challenges.

Explore PR & Communications Classes on Skillshare

Continue Your Professional Development

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About the Business Training Media Editorial Team

This article was researched and written by the Business Training Media Editorial Team. We publish expert content covering business strategy, leadership, workplace skills, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, compliance, career development, online learning, professional certifications, business software, and organizational excellence. Our goal is to provide practical, research-backed insights that help professionals, business leaders, and organizations make informed decisions.