I’d forgotten how important it is to be around people who get what you do.

When you work as a journalist in a newsroom of other journalists, there’s a collective understanding and respect for the craft. You are united in a healthy mistrust of other professions, particularly the sales team and anything beyond your editorial fiefdom.

That unity flies out the window when you cross to the dark side of communications in any business that focuses on something other than what you do, be it superannuation, transportation, or accounting. When you’re outnumbered and everyone has their lane, people don’t necessarily understand (or care) what you bring to the table.

So, spending time recently refreshing issue management skills in a crisis communications course was a tonic.

Hosted online, with participants spread across Australia, it was hardly a social gathering, and that was fine. As Comms and PR professionals we deal with similar issues and business structures. We speak a shared language. We know what it’s like to be ‘the comms team’ in a bigger business where few get what you do beyond ‘write stuff’ and make others and the business look good.

Bravo to the newly formed Communication and Public Relations Australia (CPRA) for adding Communication professionals to its remit. The transition to CPRA from the Public Relations Institute of Australia opens a new door for comms pros looking for a tribe.

Those of us who’ve crossed from journo to other finally have a place.