Attitudes of Public Relations Practitioners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia towards Knowledge, Skill, and Competence.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assist Professor of PR - Faculty of Communication Depart of PR -College of Comm and Media King Abdulaziz University-Jeddah

2 Assist Professor of PR Depart of PR -College of Comm and Media King Abdulaziz University-Jeddah

Abstract

The experience of public relations in its contemporary form began in Saudi Arabia after the establishment of the Kingdom in 1932 AD, and the real beginning was in the mid-1950s in Aramco Oil Company through the creation of a special department in public relations. In the 1970s, there was expansion in the opening of public relations departments in institutions, as well as providing scholarships, education, and media training programs for students.
Public relations activities need individuals with special specifications so that they can work to achieve the goals set accurately for public relations programs, and those in charge of public relations practice in private institutions often suffer from defining the characteristics required in the practitioner. With this, the study posed a major question: What are the attitudes of PR practitioners in Saudi Arabia towards knowledge, skill, and competence? This study is descriptive that used a quantitative method to collect and analyze data. The study sample consisted of 172 individuals, including public relations practitioners, supervisors, consultants, and managers of both genders and from all sectors. The study ended with a set of recommendations.
The necessity to start surveys at the national level to determine the current level of practical capabilities of public relations practitioners, to develop educational and training programs in the field of public relations that focus on information, theories, and specialized models. Finally, researchers in the future should go towards studying several necessary topics such as the effects of artificial intelligence on the level of professional competence.

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References

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