Recent Graduate Clancy Smith Returns to The Meek School Shares Insights into Career in Government Relations

Clancy Smith (left), a 2015 graduate of The Meek School, returned to campus to speak to Senior Lecturer Robin Street’s (right) public relations class about her job as House Information Officer for the Mississippi House of Representatives. Photo by Taylor Lewis.

Communicating is hard enough. But try communicating on behalf of 122 different personalities.

That’s the situation facing Clancy Smith, a 2015 graduate of The Meek School of Journalism and New Media, in her new job as House Information Officer for the 122- member Mississippi House of Representatives.

Smith returned to campus Oct. 20 to speak on working in government communications to the Public Relations Case Studies class taught by her former instructor Robin Street.

 “Clancy is one the best students I have ever taught,” Street said.  “She excels in journalism and communication skills. The Mississippi Legislature is lucky to have someone with her talents.”

 Smith, who was a print journalism major with a PR emphasis, uses her journalism degree daily in her job. She may take a photo and send it to a representative’s local newspaper, write a news article, or compile a digital newsletter for the internal public of representatives.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t make use of the writing and communications skills I acquired at Ole Miss,” Smith said. “Applying those skills in my role as House Information Officer allows me to be more confident and effective in my job.” 

She provides information to members of the Capitol Press Corps, responds to local news outlets on matters relating to legislation, sets up news conferences for representatives and writes weekly summaries of legislative proceedings.

Courtesy of Taylor Lewis and the Meek School of Journalism and News Media

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