Introduction
A professional public relations consultant with nearly three years of work experience with ABC, one of the world’s largest PR Counseling agency, I have found myself deeply absorbed with the role of media in many aspects of modern society. Engaged in coordinating with media people in carrying out various job duties, such as corporate image design, crisis management and promotion scheme planning, I discovered in myself the potential talents of running media business that I’ve never explored till this day. Today, writing this profile, I am preparing myself for the beginning of new era in my career, one that will take me to enter for the fascinating world of media and mass communication, this time as a professional player in the core of the circle. All this starts with “the first push” of systematic and rigorous training provided by your extraordinary MSc program in Global Media and Communications.
Campaign for Shanghai in World Expo 2010: Power of Media Experienced
As the youngest senior associate in ABC(China), I felt honored to be appointed the leader of a 25-people team working around the world to collect the comments and feedback of foreign media toward Chinese media campaign of Shanghai as a candidate city for World Expo 2010. One of my tasks was to analyze all the information I received from my team members and forecast the potential positive and negative effects of foreign media’s actions and responses on the public attitude toward Shanghai Expo’s campaign and more importantly, the standing of the judge panel in making their decisions. Although I possess abundant experience in working with domestic journalists, reporters and media correspondents, this project still turned out to be an eye-opener for me, for it revealed to me many aspects of efficient execution and operation of Western media and its interaction with the public.
As a terminal of media information from around the world, I was excited to witness the process of modern society being influenced by and acting upon media transmissions that help to generate a collective conscious. Meanwhile, I also discovered that the notion of the media being a neutral commentator could sometimes be rejected. Rather than stating the facts in a disinterested manner, news in many western countries is very often selected and transmitted in a framework pre-determined by the communicator who scans the environment for information and selects what he believes will be of interest to the audience. This brings about some long-standing public bias toward a developing country like China as our negative points may be magnified or even exaggerated in daily news releases, which spells the biggest challenge in my work.
In order to cope with this challenging situation, I designed the format of third party endorsers to reveal from a more objective perspective the social reality of Shanghai and its economic progress over the last twenty years. My excellent idea and execution won me the appreciation of not only my boss, but also Shanghai Municipal Government. As a result, I was assigned to write a series of media program in handling focus interview with Mayor Chen during his trip in Monte Carlo, the city where the host city would be voted. It is from this experience that I witnessed the power of media. However, the intriguing nature of this area was revealed to me back in the fall of 2000.
SPACE Training: Interest in Media and Mass Communication Spurred
In April 2000, one month after my probation period, I felt that I was running short of expertise in Public Relations and advanced professional training would be necessary to upgrade myself to assume responsibilities of more complex and specialized nature. SPACE, a college held jointly by Fudan University and HK University, was the unique one to offer the first-of-this-kind program of International Public Relations with its all-English lectures and in-depth instructions.
Media Analysis, one of the core courses in this program, soon became my favorite, with its easily accessible theories that perfectly pointed out the important part media plays in building the image of a business and promoting a concept to the public. Among other things, while learning this course, I see through many cases that the media is to a great extent responsible in societies for developing public images of a product, an enterprise, a group of people or even a government. While the media has inevitably distorted some of the facts due to a variety of reasons, it is still the media that has the power to correct the imprecise portrayal.
However, in China today, social awareness to this issue is still in a developing stage, and the involvement of media in business crisis management is still a quite revolutionary idea. To me, this means a great chance in my professional career, but the fact that in China till this day, there is little successful experience or few mature cases for us to share the systematic methodology and draw inspiration from necessitates my plan to study abroad in pursuit of higher learning in the area.
Previous Studies and Work Experience: Solid Groundwork for Further Research Laid
From the broad range of training I have received in my undergraduate studies majoring in English and many courses related to international trading were taught. I believed I have acquired the necessary theoretical framework and research experience for advanced studies in areas of humanities and social science. My successful work experience has already proven that, equipped with the ability to teach myself and conduct independent research, as well as to coordinate well with my colleagues in teamwork, I will be able to attain competence quickly in areas that I may at first know very little about.
Till this day, in my job with ABC, I have worked for clients in various lines of businesses, which enables me to comprehend the diverse needs of different consumers whether in marketing or in public relations. At the same time, I’ve established strong media relations with the key media both in tier one and tier two cities throughout China. The nationwide media include CCTV, Phoenix, Bazzar, Sina.com, etc. The well-established relations have almost paved the road for me in running my own media distribution, purchasing and advertising business in the future.
I am proud of my solid academic and professional background for it has shown me the way to prepare for my proposed career. What I am short of is a more systematic study of advanced concepts and methodologies of media and mass communication, and a graduate position at which I can work creatively. The prestigious university with unique taught program is from you:
LSE: my First Choice for Higher Studies Secured
Ideally, I would like to enter a graduate program that would lead me into a professional media operator’s career later on. That’s exactly what your program can offer. With its strong competence in media research and prominent faculty in this field, LSE has attracted student from many countries. It will be very exciting to receive instruction from the prestigious professors and exchange my opinions and my motivation, previous training and practical experience will be very helpful to my learning at your institution, in interaction with everyone in the program. I am sure that your program will not only provide me with knowledge I need in my chosen disciplines, but will set a new start in my career as well. What also attracts me is your close partnership with USC in providing an Anglo-American joint program that allows the students to further their learning in Annenberg, one of the best media schools in US. This multiple mode in your training has given rise to a well- balanced curriculum befitting my academic goal very well.
Future Plan: a Willing Heart to be Accepted
I do enjoy my present work at ABC, which is challenging and desirable. However, I am very eager to prepare myself as a more qualified player in media circle where I have aimed as a lifetime career. After completing my overseas studies, I will return to China. Cherishing what I have learned at your university, I will play a leading role in operating media resources to provide solutions to many problems, business and public alike. I believe in an old Chinese adage: There is a way where there is a wish. I am excited about my future that starts at your graduate program, and I am dreaming of studying under you soon.
You’re faithfully
Lily ZHANG
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