The stunning lack of writing skills among many of today’s college graduates seeking careers in PR made us harken back to a “PR Week” article written by Alan Hirsch, president of G&A Communications of New York, who identified this serious and enduring problem two decades ago.

“We wonder how a student can get a degree in PR or just aspire to getting into PR without ever having been on the school paper or any other publication. We wonder why no one told them that writing is still a basic tool in this game, like skating in the game of hockey.

“But no one ever told these young people. And when I tell them writing experience is important, some get mad and some are puzzled. Some wonder why they didn’t learn that sooner. I have to tell them, ‘I don’t know why.’”