Daniel

Cody Daniel
14 November 2016
Business 1010
Briggs
Public Information Officer
All governmental agencies have an individual or an office who works as a contact
point between the agency and the public. It is comparable to a Public Relations Officer,
with one major difference. Governmental agencies are not for profit, marketing is not an
integral part of the job duties. Day to day job responsibilities are diverse and many. The
primary responsibility is to ensure the public is aware of all services offered by the
entity represented by the Public Information Officer. Starting on page 20 in An
Overview of the Public Relations Function it lists many of the duties a public relations
officer could have: media relations, community relations, marketing communications,
public affairs, and internal communications just to name a few. The Public Information
Officer acts as a mouthpiece. In todays world, social media is a very acceptable medium
of communications. A Public Information Officer must manage twitter and Facebook
accounts. Soonhee Kim and Karen Layne state this point eloquently [Electronic
government refers to government's use of technology, particularly [W]eb- based Internet
applications to enhance the access to and delivery of government information and
service to citizens, business partners, employees, other agencies, and government

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entities. It has the potential to help build better relationships between government and
the public by making interaction with citizens smoother, easier, and more efficient.
While some occupations only require an employee to work during business hours, a
Public Information Officer can be called into work at any point in the day. As PIOs work
on outreach to the stakeholders (members of the public) they reach out to various news
outlets. Scheduling interviews to be showcased on nightly news can an effective
medium. One of the harder aspects of the position can include crisis management.
When an event occurs that places negative light on public entity it the duty of the Public
Information Officer to help gain control of the situation. Often times a emergency can
happen at any point in the day. Here recently in Utah, the Department of Alcohol and
Beverage Control has had some negative press regarding some of their policies and
practices. The contact point for the agency was contacted and required to participate in
many interviews to help explain the misunderstanding. An example of a mission
statement for a PIO can be found under Media Relations, the Labor Commissions
website states: One of our main objectives is to educate Utahs diverse communities
and increase awareness about legal rights and responsibilities for Utah employers and
their employees.
It would be hard to become a Public Information Officer from an entry level
position. Education will be mentioned later on, but experience is an important piece to
the qualifications required to become a Public Information Officer. In most entry level

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positions there are opportunities for outreach. A patterned, history of professional

experience working as a point of contact for any types of program will be a good base
layer of experience. Public Information Officers are employed by governmental agencies;
the hiring process can be more structured. In the private sector, often times, the
recruiting process can be more relaxed. While often times employees can enter the
public sector to gain experience, with the only goal of later moving to the public sector
for a higher salary. It could be a very viable career route to enter the private sector to
gain the experience necessary, then later, pursue a career in the public sector as a Public
Information Officer.
The general education to become a Public Information Officer can be varied,
depending on experience. The minimum education required to become a PIO would be
a Bachelors degree. The undergraduate degrees that apply to this profession include
Communications, Business, Management, Public Relations, or Human Resources. A
Masters degree would help improve ones chances at becoming a Public Information
Officer. A postgraduate degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or
Communications. Obviously, experience factors into the hiring process, but higher
education extremely important.
Using the website Utah States Right to know I was able to look up the Labor
Commissions Public Information Officers salary. It was close to $55,000 a year. The
average salary for a Public Information Officer, here in Utah, is anywhere between

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$48,000 to $75,000 a year. This salary is dependent on applicable work experience and
appropriate education.
The outlook of Public Information Officers here in Utah is extremely positive.
Even within the Salt Lake Valley, there are countless county, city, and state
governmental entities. Over the next ten to fifteen years, many of the individuals in
these positions will either be moving on to other opportunities or retiring. All of these
positions will need to be filled. As public relations continue to transform with
technology it will be important to have a matching skill set. The number of students
pursuing a career in public service and a career as a PIO are extremely low compared to
the number of students working towards law, medical, and/or engineering degrees here
in Utah. Public service does not make an employee rich financially, but the rewards
from serving and protecting the citizens of our State are countless.
I recently contacted the Public Information Officer of the Utah State Labor
Commission, Mr. Jacob Barnhart, and requested some time to interview him about his
position. The first portion of my interview was dedicated to Mr. Barnharts back story
and what prompted him to pursue a career, not only in public service, but a career as a
PIO. He completed an associates degree in general education and a bachelors degree in
History. Originally, Mr. Barnhart wished to enter law school, but reconsidered after
taking the LSAT. He went to Washington D.C. and interned for Congressman Ken
Calvert. After completing his degree, he worked in his California office as a district

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representative. Mr. Barnhart was enticed down the road of public information as a
result of his experiences with the Congressman. He worked for the US Chamber of
Commerce doing outreach for the Africa Business Initiative. He is going to get a
certificate in social media. Regardless of the type degree attained, Mr. Barnhart
counseled to study social media. He comments that people will turn to the Facebook
page of the Commission before using the official website. Most organizations are judged
by people on social media long before any other way. He runs a Labor Commission
Facebook, twitter, and is going to start a LinkedIn profile. It was not difficult to find a
job in public service (government). There are many opportunities to help the public, but
it is very difficult to find employment as a PIO. Most companies or agencies only have
one PIO, so it is rarer and sought after. He always has wanted to be a public servant.
When asked if he would ever run for public office Mr. Barnhart said, Nothing is out of
the cardsbut at this time he is focusing on the Labor Commission. Often times
individuals in public information do end up running for office, they learn how to talk to
people, make coalitions, and correlate messages. Even before his internship Mr.
Barnhart always wanted to work to help those around him. Mr. Barnhart has worked at
the Labor Commission for just over two years.
The role of Public Information Officer has many, many negatives. It is not
appealing the hours that have to be worked. While the average pay period is only 80
hours long for a two-week period, a PIO can be working at all hours of the night.

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Another negative includes how stressful and difficult the position can be. For example,
in the case that your agency is in the news (with bad press) a PIO can be called upon to
help manage the crisis. Often times a PIO will need to respond to questions or
circumstances that are a result of another individuals mistake(s). I cant imagine it is
easy to be put in the hot seat for someones comments/actions. Mordecai Lee writes
due to their responsibilities, spokespersons are in a unique position in government
agencies. For example, how do they view the activities occur- ring within their own
agency and the decisions of their agency director? Instead of working closely with a
small team, a PIO often works spends more time working alone. Perhaps working with
more people a limited basis, but working with less people (within the organization) on a
more consistent/everyday basis. A concern that I have from a metrics perspective, is
how can a PIO demonstrate he/she is being successful? During annual review time,
how can a PIO proof their worth? One concern is that each entity usually only has one
Public Information Officer. That means lots of applicants for a limited number of
possible positions.
There are also many positives to the position of Public Information Officer. The
freedom to work outside of the office would be wonderful. It would be extremely
rewarding to be called upon during a time of crisis and be one of the individuals who
was able to resolve or work as a mediator to improve the problem. Deborah Wardsworth
writes greater give-and-take, understanding, and responsiveness are called for

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Public Information Officers need to be able to manage relationships. They have the
unique challenge of rebuilding relationships that have deteriorated over time. This role
is not one that is monotonous. Some positions can be very mundane and process
oriented. The role of PIO would be very challenging, but in a good way. Each day a PIO
could be faced with a different challenge or task. It would be hard to be burnt out of
such a diverse position.
The interview with Mr. Barnhart has really opened my eyes to some of the
challenges a PIO faces. I dont think I would enjoy a job that never stops. He explained
that a PIO is often in the eye of the storm and that sometimes things become extremely
hectic. He also counseled that a Public Information Officers must really pay attention to
any criticisms received. If someone doesnt understand or has an opinion, it needs to be
heard out and improved. A Public Information Officer must also have very thick skin. It
is common that stakeholders will not like what the PIO has to say or the format or the
medium that it was said. I really like how much PIOs help the public. Especially in
public service they work as a mouth piece and a mediator between the government and
the public. This interview has had a slight impact on my career plan. I plan on learning
more about many aspects of public service, not just PIO. Perhaps as I learn more I will
be able to eliminate job types that seem less appealing to me. I do believe many aspects
of this job highlight my abilities. I would like not being tied down to an office every day,
with the freedom to work with many outside of the agency/governmental entity. I

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believe I would be very well suited for this position, however, I do not envy the
individual that receives calls at midnight on a regular basis.

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Works Cited
Barnhart, J. (2016) personal communication,
"Bensor M." (2016) Utah's Right To Know.
Bowen, Shannon A., Thomas R. Martin, and Brad Rawlins. An Overview Of The Public
Relations Function. New York [N.Y.]: Business Expert Press, 2012. eBook Collection
(EBSCOhost). Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
"Community Relations." (2016). Utah Labor Commission.
Kim, S., & Layne, K. (2001). Making the Connection: E-Government and Public
Administration Education. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 7(4), 229-240.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libprox1.slcc.edu/stable/40215538
LEE, M. (2001). THE AGENCY SPOKESPERSON: CONNECTING PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION AND THE MEDIA. Public Administration Quarterly, 25(1),
101-130. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libprox1.slcc.edu/stable/40861830
Wadsworth, D. (1997). Building a Strategy for Successful Public Engagement. The Phi
Delta Kappan, 78(10), 749-752. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org.libprox1.slcc.edu/stable/20405921