{"id":5838,"date":"2015-02-26T07:00:54","date_gmt":"2015-02-26T12:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=5838"},"modified":"2018-08-20T14:17:53","modified_gmt":"2018-08-20T18:17:53","slug":"city-series-examining-the-bustling-public-relations-industry-of-nashville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2015\/02\/26\/city-series-examining-the-bustling-public-relations-industry-of-nashville\/","title":{"rendered":"City Series: Examining the Bustling Public Relations Industry of Nashville"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"CityseriesNashville\"<\/a>
Photo from Thomas Hawk and modified by Laura Daronatsy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dynamic. Robust. Diverse. This is the public relations industry in Nashville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

The city is well deserving of its nickname, \u201cMusic City<\/a>,\u201d inspired by its recording industry and the bounty of live music performances all around town every night. Nashville is music and so much more, and its public relations industry reflects this. It\u2019s also a foodie city and known for its friendliness. Other industries successful in Nashville include business, entertainment, hospitality, sports, health care, non-profit, publishing and education.<\/p>\n

The Nashville public relations landscape has changed in many ways since the chartering of the PRSA Nashville Chapter<\/a> in 1957. The 10 founding Chapter members were all male. Now, the Chapter includes almost 200 members, including an impressive number of promising recent graduates as well as experienced professionals. Chapter members include professionals from more than a dozen public relations firms, national and international corporations, utility companies, insurance companies, publishing houses, architectural firms, law firms, entertainment media, hotels, retail and six universities. (See why Nashville is also called the \u201cAthens of the South<\/a>?\u201d)<\/p>\n

Public relations majors in Nashville are blessed with a variety of internship opportunities and mentorship opportunities with these professionals. We have more internship opportunities in Nashville than we have public relations majors to fill them. This makes it possible for public relations majors here to secure internships early in their studies and complete several before graduation. At Belmont University, where I teach, the record is held by Sarah Norton, who\u2019s had seven internships.<\/p>\n

Some of our graduates go from here to Orlando, Dallas, Denver, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., etc., and some stay in Nashville, where they are often hired full time by companies where they interned.<\/p>\n

Danielle Hopkins, a May 2014 Belmont graduate, is a project coordinator at the Lampo Group<\/a>, as well as a broadcast journalist for the Tennessee Air National Guard<\/a>. She joined PRSA as an Associate Member when she graduated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s delightfully refreshing to be involved in PR in a town with so many different social issues and products,\u201d said Hopkins. \u201cNot only are we the home of country music, but we also enjoy many interesting conversations driven by fashion and good food.\u201d<\/p>\n

My quick list of advice to new professionals wanting to break into the public relations industry in Nashville:<\/p>\n