We've come to the end of our journey through the vast realm of Public Relations. But there is still a bit more to go. Before we leave, we have one last reading to get through.
This week's chapter focuses on asian public relations management.
Now, as we've seen in week 3's chapter on theoretical contexts, there are many theories, and they do not necessarily apply equally to all cultures. One theoretical model cannot cover all aspects of public relations in Asia. Different practices and management strategies need to be employed in different circumstances in different countries because cultural differences result in different responses from the public of that culture.
Culture is one variant that requires PR practitioners to come up with new strategies, but another barrier to overcome is language. The language barrier is most evident, as least to English-speaking MNCs, in countries where English is not a native language. Worse still, where English is not even a commonly spoken or encountered language, especially in rural places. It is in these situations and environments that developing relationships and framing issues become most important.
Public relations can play key roles not only in business organisations, but also in government bodies, where they support nation-building and issues management in those contexts.
Therefore, we can see that public relations can be involved in all manner of organisations, and can play many different important roles within them. Public relations is a vast, wide world, with many players and many avenues for play.
And we have only just begun.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Facebook's Blue
This week, it's all about New Media and its implications within the field of public relations.
Now, public relations concentrtes heavily on communication. With the advances of technology and the rise of new media, relationships can be built differently, and organisations can now communicate along more paths to their audiences and the public. For example, the internet allows PR practitioners to cast their net wider and faster. Many types of people use the internet, spanning the variants of age, race, countries, education, geographical location and socioeconomic factors.
But this rapid advancement of technology can hinder the progress of PR practitioners as well. For example, when using digital software or internet services, one must take into consideration the different systems, not all of which may be compatible. And with technology advancing so quickly, new technology often becomes old too soon, and PR practitioners have to keep up with this everchanging treadmill.
Another minefield that PR practitioners have to wade through is the legal and ethical arena. The new realm of new media comes fraught with areas for legal and ethical challenges. As such, PR practitioners should always disclose both their professional and personal interests.
Now, public relations concentrtes heavily on communication. With the advances of technology and the rise of new media, relationships can be built differently, and organisations can now communicate along more paths to their audiences and the public. For example, the internet allows PR practitioners to cast their net wider and faster. Many types of people use the internet, spanning the variants of age, race, countries, education, geographical location and socioeconomic factors.
But this rapid advancement of technology can hinder the progress of PR practitioners as well. For example, when using digital software or internet services, one must take into consideration the different systems, not all of which may be compatible. And with technology advancing so quickly, new technology often becomes old too soon, and PR practitioners have to keep up with this everchanging treadmill.
Another minefield that PR practitioners have to wade through is the legal and ethical arena. The new realm of new media comes fraught with areas for legal and ethical challenges. As such, PR practitioners should always disclose both their professional and personal interests.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Issues, Crises, and Reputation Management
What is the difference between an issue and a crisis?
No, it's not the letters 'u', 'e', 'c' and 'r'.
In short, an issue is something that arises when the company does something that doesn't match the public's expectations of the company. A crisis, on the other hand, is what happens when an issue (or multiple issues) are not adequately addressed and spiral out of control.
So, how does one deal with issues that crop up? One must first identify that the issue(s) or concern(s) are. This involves the company deciding if the issue in mention will hinder them in achiving their strategic goals. Next is issue scanning, which involves the monitoring or "scanning" of media for content. The advent of online media has both helped and obstructed this process. Issue monitoring follows, and is self-explanatory. It allows the organisation to monitor the issue as it progesses.
Heath (1997) states that an issue should be included in an organisation's issue management system only if:
- The journalists covering the issue believe it is legitimate and should be discussed in the public scope
- The issue threatens the organisation's reputation, operations, or provides the organisation advantages in the contested space.
- The issue is of concern to one or more key publics for the organisation and said key publics are able to motivate legislative agenda.
Issue analysis measures the impact of the issue on the organisation. Steps to take in issue analysis are:
- Describe the issue and come up with a definition.
- List all publics affected by the issue, and whether they have positive or negative responses to the issue.
- Decide on the possible timing and impact of the issue for the organisation.
- Provide the resources to undertake a thorough analysis of the situation.
So know that we know what an issue is and what to do when one occurs, what about crises?
What makes a crisis a crisis is that it must affect the organisation and prevent the organisation from functioning properly, and that it threatens the organisation's reputation and public's or audience's perceptions of the organisation.
There are many types of crises that run the gamut from technical or economic crises, to human or social crises, and they can be regular, relatively 'everyday' crises, or severe ones. Pauchant and Mitroff (1992) have a chart compiling and categorising the various types of crises.
Crises often follow a 'lifecycle', if you will.
Phase 1: Prodromal, signal detection, and detection stage.
Phase 2: Preparation, probing, and prevention stage.
Phase 3: Acute and containment stage.
Phase 4: Chronic, learning, and damage containment stage.
Phase 5: Resolution and recovery stage.
So, since a crisis has to be severe enough to impact an orgnisation's reputation, what is involved in managing said reputation?
Corporate reputation managemnt is multidiciplinary. There is no one way. Rather, it is based on the skill set of ethical corporate PR practitioners, but also involves the cooperative and coordination efforts throughout the entire organisation. This includes support and understanding from the organisation's CEO.
In focusing on the reputation of the organisation, as well as the relationships and communication involved in building it, a PR practitioner has to recognise that multiple aspects of what an organisation says and does contribute to reputation, and that organisations must have a clear vision of the reputation they want and the nature of the relationships they would like, and this vision must be clearly communicated wihin the organisation.
No, it's not the letters 'u', 'e', 'c' and 'r'.
In short, an issue is something that arises when the company does something that doesn't match the public's expectations of the company. A crisis, on the other hand, is what happens when an issue (or multiple issues) are not adequately addressed and spiral out of control.
So, how does one deal with issues that crop up? One must first identify that the issue(s) or concern(s) are. This involves the company deciding if the issue in mention will hinder them in achiving their strategic goals. Next is issue scanning, which involves the monitoring or "scanning" of media for content. The advent of online media has both helped and obstructed this process. Issue monitoring follows, and is self-explanatory. It allows the organisation to monitor the issue as it progesses.
Heath (1997) states that an issue should be included in an organisation's issue management system only if:
- The journalists covering the issue believe it is legitimate and should be discussed in the public scope
- The issue threatens the organisation's reputation, operations, or provides the organisation advantages in the contested space.
- The issue is of concern to one or more key publics for the organisation and said key publics are able to motivate legislative agenda.
Issue analysis measures the impact of the issue on the organisation. Steps to take in issue analysis are:
- Describe the issue and come up with a definition.
- List all publics affected by the issue, and whether they have positive or negative responses to the issue.
- Decide on the possible timing and impact of the issue for the organisation.
- Provide the resources to undertake a thorough analysis of the situation.
So know that we know what an issue is and what to do when one occurs, what about crises?
What makes a crisis a crisis is that it must affect the organisation and prevent the organisation from functioning properly, and that it threatens the organisation's reputation and public's or audience's perceptions of the organisation.
There are many types of crises that run the gamut from technical or economic crises, to human or social crises, and they can be regular, relatively 'everyday' crises, or severe ones. Pauchant and Mitroff (1992) have a chart compiling and categorising the various types of crises.
Crises often follow a 'lifecycle', if you will.
Phase 1: Prodromal, signal detection, and detection stage.
Phase 2: Preparation, probing, and prevention stage.
Phase 3: Acute and containment stage.
Phase 4: Chronic, learning, and damage containment stage.
Phase 5: Resolution and recovery stage.
So, since a crisis has to be severe enough to impact an orgnisation's reputation, what is involved in managing said reputation?
Corporate reputation managemnt is multidiciplinary. There is no one way. Rather, it is based on the skill set of ethical corporate PR practitioners, but also involves the cooperative and coordination efforts throughout the entire organisation. This includes support and understanding from the organisation's CEO.
In focusing on the reputation of the organisation, as well as the relationships and communication involved in building it, a PR practitioner has to recognise that multiple aspects of what an organisation says and does contribute to reputation, and that organisations must have a clear vision of the reputation they want and the nature of the relationships they would like, and this vision must be clearly communicated wihin the organisation.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
I Manage to Manage the Management
Drumroll, now. This week's reading is...on management~ To be precise, public relations management within organisations.
If you're going to work within an organisation, management is always going to be part of work, and your working relationship. Week 3's reading on theories comes back to haunt us again, because an integral part of understanding the role of public relations management in organisations is systems theory.
Oh come now, stop sighing. Systems theory is useful in providing a way to view organisations and the relationships they have with the environment. It explains the role public relations plays in helping to understand and manage the relationships between an organisation and its investors and public.
Now, in previous weeks we've seen the important roles that PR practitioners play within organisations. To help their clients achieve their goals, PR practitioners with the internal department must be aware of the relationships between their function and that of others within the corporate structure. One of the tasks that a PR practitioner must perform is that of building relationships between employees, to enhance the communication within the organisation and to maintain organisational culture.
Besides playing a key role in organisational relationships, a PR practitioner must also build and mantain relationships with the public, as they are the ones who have the power to affect the organisations, especially during time of upheaval.
As the public is so important to the future of an organisation, it is therefore imperative that the organisation change with the expectations of their audiences and the public.
If you're going to work within an organisation, management is always going to be part of work, and your working relationship. Week 3's reading on theories comes back to haunt us again, because an integral part of understanding the role of public relations management in organisations is systems theory.
Oh come now, stop sighing. Systems theory is useful in providing a way to view organisations and the relationships they have with the environment. It explains the role public relations plays in helping to understand and manage the relationships between an organisation and its investors and public.
Now, in previous weeks we've seen the important roles that PR practitioners play within organisations. To help their clients achieve their goals, PR practitioners with the internal department must be aware of the relationships between their function and that of others within the corporate structure. One of the tasks that a PR practitioner must perform is that of building relationships between employees, to enhance the communication within the organisation and to maintain organisational culture.
Besides playing a key role in organisational relationships, a PR practitioner must also build and mantain relationships with the public, as they are the ones who have the power to affect the organisations, especially during time of upheaval.
As the public is so important to the future of an organisation, it is therefore imperative that the organisation change with the expectations of their audiences and the public.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Is this deja vu?
Whoa, another 2-chapter week! Luckily, one of this week's chapters has already been covered in a previous week. eek 5, to be exact. ;D I'll refer to it from time to time, but I'll be concentrating more on the other chapter, which is chapter 9: strategies to proactively manage activity
Firstly, what is 'strategy'? Strategies identify what needs to be done to tackle problems and how to go about doing them in a way that the goals are met. Strategies are key in the effective functioning of an organisation, and PR practitioners have to come up with strategies that put their organisations or clients at an advantage over their competitiors.
One way to come up with a comprehensive strategy is to play "devil's advocate". By anticipting problems and critiqueing one's own strategy, a PR practitioner is able to work out the issues that an exisiting plan may face under scrutiny of the public and/or competitors. In doing this, a PR practitioner is able to ward off potential problems before said problems can affect the organisation.
Melanie James provides some simples steps to follow to create, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive strategic public relations plan in the course text.
Step 1: Research (I believe I've emphasized the importance of research in the public relations sphere in week 5)
Step 2: Analysis (Again, as part of the post-research practice, I must repeat how important it is to analyse the data gathered from one's research. How else will one determine if there is an issue that has to be faced?)
Step 3: Goal setting (How do you determine the success of the organisation and the strategies employed if there are no goals to measure it by?)
Step 4: Setting objectives (Objectives provide a neat framework that ensures that the goals can be met.)
Step 5: Identifying publics or audiences (By being able to focus on specific groups of people, one is able to construct a strategy that caters to the individuals within that group.)
Step 6: Developing strategies (Strategies put one's organisation within the space that is being contested, and a good strategy will put the organisation ahead of the competition.)
Step 7: Devising and implementing tactics (Tactics indicate how the strategies are to be implemented. There are tactics to interact on a more personal basis with fewer people or small clusters of people, and there are tactics to interact with largr groups of people.)
Step 8: Monitoring (Monitoring keeps PR practitioners in the loop, where they are able to act to change things if things seem to be progressing towards a negative outcome.)
Step 9: Evaluation (Evaluation allows one to see if the tactics and strategies have been effective, and if the objectives and goals set have been met. Analysis of the evaluation can also yield results that can indicate how one might improve on future strategies and tactics, and if certain goals or objectives are not realistic or too simple.
Firstly, what is 'strategy'? Strategies identify what needs to be done to tackle problems and how to go about doing them in a way that the goals are met. Strategies are key in the effective functioning of an organisation, and PR practitioners have to come up with strategies that put their organisations or clients at an advantage over their competitiors.
One way to come up with a comprehensive strategy is to play "devil's advocate". By anticipting problems and critiqueing one's own strategy, a PR practitioner is able to work out the issues that an exisiting plan may face under scrutiny of the public and/or competitors. In doing this, a PR practitioner is able to ward off potential problems before said problems can affect the organisation.
Melanie James provides some simples steps to follow to create, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive strategic public relations plan in the course text.
Step 1: Research (I believe I've emphasized the importance of research in the public relations sphere in week 5)
Step 2: Analysis (Again, as part of the post-research practice, I must repeat how important it is to analyse the data gathered from one's research. How else will one determine if there is an issue that has to be faced?)
Step 3: Goal setting (How do you determine the success of the organisation and the strategies employed if there are no goals to measure it by?)
Step 4: Setting objectives (Objectives provide a neat framework that ensures that the goals can be met.)
Step 5: Identifying publics or audiences (By being able to focus on specific groups of people, one is able to construct a strategy that caters to the individuals within that group.)
Step 6: Developing strategies (Strategies put one's organisation within the space that is being contested, and a good strategy will put the organisation ahead of the competition.)
Step 7: Devising and implementing tactics (Tactics indicate how the strategies are to be implemented. There are tactics to interact on a more personal basis with fewer people or small clusters of people, and there are tactics to interact with largr groups of people.)
Step 8: Monitoring (Monitoring keeps PR practitioners in the loop, where they are able to act to change things if things seem to be progressing towards a negative outcome.)
Step 9: Evaluation (Evaluation allows one to see if the tactics and strategies have been effective, and if the objectives and goals set have been met. Analysis of the evaluation can also yield results that can indicate how one might improve on future strategies and tactics, and if certain goals or objectives are not realistic or too simple.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
There a ME in Media. Actually, there an I too.
This week's reading is "Engaging with the Media".
The media plays an important part in any PR practitioner's job. After all, the media is what PR practitioners often use to reach out to the public. In week 3, I mentioned some communication theories that formed the basis of PR theories. Again, I'll bring them up, because they can be used to communicate with the many media outlets that are available for PR practitioners to use these days.
The theories include: agenda-setting theory, uses and gratification theory, spiral of silence theory, 2-step flow theory, framing theory, and sociological theory and social reality (which is an extension of framing theory).
Agenda-setting theory proposes that people look to the media for direction on what is considered important and should be paid attention to. Because the media plays such an important role in people's everyday lives, being able to effectively communicate with the media provides an advantage.
Uses and gratification theory opposes the agenda-setting theory by claiming that people have many ways to use the media and reasons for doing so and make their own choices regarding those matters. This theory says that even with repeated exposure, people are not always neccessarily influenced by the media. While it may seem counter-productive, it highlights the need for PR practitioners to be able to communicate with the public, because if indeed they are making their own choices without external influence, then all the more there is an importance to be able to appeal to them directly.
The spiral of silence theory states that peer pressure and group influence are what predispose people to accept or support a popular view or opinion, or ideal that is supported by the majority. This is out of the need to 'fit in', to be accepted, or to not be different. In this way, if the media presents one view, opinion or perspective as being the popularly accepted choice, people will be more likely to adopt that choice for themselves.
In the 2-step flow theory, Lazarsfeld states that the first step is to convince "opinion-makers" that audiences listen to and respect, such as celebrities or spokespersons such as the popular Singaporean blogger Xiaxue. This theory puts these opinion-makers in a position of influence, as they are supposed to be the ones that the public look to for direction on what to do and believe.
Framing theory suggests that audiences can be influenced by the way something is presented to them. Using the media to frame something can therefore influence the public to perceive it in a certain way.
Sociological theory and social reality venture into the topic of what is real and what is fabricated, or constructed. A reality presented by the media, say television, is "socially-constructed". In this way, the media can construct realities to be presented to the public.
And because this topic is about the media, there's also the clichd statement of 'any publicity is good publicity'. Is this true? Is bad press still considered beneficial to an organisation? Well, this is where the various theories can be put to use. ;D
Of course, there's always the reminder that these theouries are dependent on the cultures they are used in. Like I've mentioned before, theories impact different publics differently, as there may be cultural values and beliefs affecting them.
The media plays an important part in any PR practitioner's job. After all, the media is what PR practitioners often use to reach out to the public. In week 3, I mentioned some communication theories that formed the basis of PR theories. Again, I'll bring them up, because they can be used to communicate with the many media outlets that are available for PR practitioners to use these days.
The theories include: agenda-setting theory, uses and gratification theory, spiral of silence theory, 2-step flow theory, framing theory, and sociological theory and social reality (which is an extension of framing theory).
Agenda-setting theory proposes that people look to the media for direction on what is considered important and should be paid attention to. Because the media plays such an important role in people's everyday lives, being able to effectively communicate with the media provides an advantage.
Uses and gratification theory opposes the agenda-setting theory by claiming that people have many ways to use the media and reasons for doing so and make their own choices regarding those matters. This theory says that even with repeated exposure, people are not always neccessarily influenced by the media. While it may seem counter-productive, it highlights the need for PR practitioners to be able to communicate with the public, because if indeed they are making their own choices without external influence, then all the more there is an importance to be able to appeal to them directly.
The spiral of silence theory states that peer pressure and group influence are what predispose people to accept or support a popular view or opinion, or ideal that is supported by the majority. This is out of the need to 'fit in', to be accepted, or to not be different. In this way, if the media presents one view, opinion or perspective as being the popularly accepted choice, people will be more likely to adopt that choice for themselves.
In the 2-step flow theory, Lazarsfeld states that the first step is to convince "opinion-makers" that audiences listen to and respect, such as celebrities or spokespersons such as the popular Singaporean blogger Xiaxue. This theory puts these opinion-makers in a position of influence, as they are supposed to be the ones that the public look to for direction on what to do and believe.
Framing theory suggests that audiences can be influenced by the way something is presented to them. Using the media to frame something can therefore influence the public to perceive it in a certain way.
Sociological theory and social reality venture into the topic of what is real and what is fabricated, or constructed. A reality presented by the media, say television, is "socially-constructed". In this way, the media can construct realities to be presented to the public.
And because this topic is about the media, there's also the clichd statement of 'any publicity is good publicity'. Is this true? Is bad press still considered beneficial to an organisation? Well, this is where the various theories can be put to use. ;D
Of course, there's always the reminder that these theouries are dependent on the cultures they are used in. Like I've mentioned before, theories impact different publics differently, as there may be cultural values and beliefs affecting them.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Public Relations Research and Practice
Before doing anything else as a public relations practitioner, one must first do some research, because it is only through knowledge that one can gain understanding.
Before taking on a project, a PR practitioner must first find out if it is something that he/she can and wants to take on. It may be of interest to research the company or individual requesting PR services. After all, that company or individual may operate or have practices that he/she as a person (or as a PR practitioner) may not be comfortable with. Or the job that is required might be too much to handle.
After taking on a project, research also comes into play because one must first find out more about the situation before being able to come up with an appropriate PR strategy.
And after implementing a plan, research is still required to find out how well that plan is being carried out. Are the goals being met? How can it be improved? How are people reacting to the strategy? Answering all those questions requires research.
But after researching and gathering all the information, what is one to do with it? McElreath (1993: 79), describes that step using the Heirarchy of Effects model. It provides tiers of goals that need to take place before another tier can be reached.
6: Changing reinforcing behaviours
5: Changing/reinforcing attitudes/opinions
4: Comprehending the message/campign/program
3: Receiving the message/campign/program
2: Disseminating the message/campign/program
1: Formulating the message/campign/program
The PR practitioner begins at the bottom (stage 1) and must complete that objective before being able to move on to the next objective.
Each objective has issues that must be addressed. For example, to promote a healthy eating programme to phase out the consumption of instant noodles because prolonged consumption causes cancers in the digestive tract, one must first address the fact that not everyone may know that information. If the public does not understand the reason behind a message/campaign/programme, it will not be as effective.
There are also different methods of carrying out research that is specific to the problem to be investigated. For example, if a bakery wanted to find out how many people liked their new bun, it would be more useful to use a method that quantifies. But if they wanted to find out why customers liked or disliked the new bun, a method that qualifies might be more useful. A combination of methods can also be useful. If the bakery wanted to know how popular the new bun was and why, a method that both quantifies and qualifies data would be more useful than a single method.
But another question would be why is Public Relations even important?
Public relations helps to bring people together as a group, to provide better understanding of things that are hapening around us, so that everyone can work together to a greater outcome.
The job of a PR practitioner is to help their clients communicate better with their target audience, communities within the public in general, and investors. They help create better working relationships btween these groups of people. This is also why public relations is needed in most fields of business.
After all, everyone could do with a good public image. ;D
Before taking on a project, a PR practitioner must first find out if it is something that he/she can and wants to take on. It may be of interest to research the company or individual requesting PR services. After all, that company or individual may operate or have practices that he/she as a person (or as a PR practitioner) may not be comfortable with. Or the job that is required might be too much to handle.
After taking on a project, research also comes into play because one must first find out more about the situation before being able to come up with an appropriate PR strategy.
And after implementing a plan, research is still required to find out how well that plan is being carried out. Are the goals being met? How can it be improved? How are people reacting to the strategy? Answering all those questions requires research.
But after researching and gathering all the information, what is one to do with it? McElreath (1993: 79), describes that step using the Heirarchy of Effects model. It provides tiers of goals that need to take place before another tier can be reached.
6: Changing reinforcing behaviours
5: Changing/reinforcing attitudes/opinions
4: Comprehending the message/campign/program
3: Receiving the message/campign/program
2: Disseminating the message/campign/program
1: Formulating the message/campign/program
The PR practitioner begins at the bottom (stage 1) and must complete that objective before being able to move on to the next objective.
Each objective has issues that must be addressed. For example, to promote a healthy eating programme to phase out the consumption of instant noodles because prolonged consumption causes cancers in the digestive tract, one must first address the fact that not everyone may know that information. If the public does not understand the reason behind a message/campaign/programme, it will not be as effective.
There are also different methods of carrying out research that is specific to the problem to be investigated. For example, if a bakery wanted to find out how many people liked their new bun, it would be more useful to use a method that quantifies. But if they wanted to find out why customers liked or disliked the new bun, a method that qualifies might be more useful. A combination of methods can also be useful. If the bakery wanted to know how popular the new bun was and why, a method that both quantifies and qualifies data would be more useful than a single method.
But another question would be why is Public Relations even important?
Public relations helps to bring people together as a group, to provide better understanding of things that are hapening around us, so that everyone can work together to a greater outcome.
The job of a PR practitioner is to help their clients communicate better with their target audience, communities within the public in general, and investors. They help create better working relationships btween these groups of people. This is also why public relations is needed in most fields of business.
After all, everyone could do with a good public image. ;D
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Have You No Ethics, Sir? D8
And the topic du jour is...public relations ethics!
Why is it important to be ethical in public relations? Well, I think I've covered part of this issue in my week 2 post, but the gist of it is this: a PR practitioner communicates with the public on behalf of an organisation or client. If a PR practitioner is not ethical, or does not do things in a ethical way, this reflects back negatively on the company or individual the practitioner represents. And, really, who is going to hire or reccommend someone who preject a negative image on them?
Morals aside, it's just poor business practice.
Furthermore, as public relations becomes an increasingly key part of organisations, it moves more and more into the public's eye. The more the public notice it and note it as important, the more they are likely to keep an eye on it for wrongdoings. Once upon a time, when PR was low-key, the public may not have been as stringent about the doings of a PR department or practitioner. However, this is not the case today, and PR departments and practitioners no longer have that shroud of public ignorance to hide behind.
And as I've mentioned behavioural sciences in the previous post, it is important to note that a public would be less predisposed to support a company that is unethical than one that is ethical in its doings and beliefs. Therefore, Lee's statement (as quoted in the course text) that "a purely selfish policy is not a good policy" makes sense.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. For starters, what are ehics?
Ethics are said to be a standard of behaviour that is concerned with "good" behaviour and attitudes, as well as the consideration of how one's behaviours as an individual or a group affect the wellbeing of others' or society. It involves one's sense of what is considered good or bad, just or unjust, right or wrong, and the values and beliefs that are supported by the above system.
Ethical behaviour in an organisation might be where the organisation takes steps to be environmentally-friendly by recycling its corporate waste, using engery- and environmentally-friendly products or machinery in its everyday function. Or perhaps providing employees with health benefits, maternity benefits and packages for its female employees, special leave circumstances or emotional wellbeing services.
Unethical behaviour can constitute poor environmental awareness, lack of caring towards employees, lying to the public, or supporting (be it direct or indirectly) corporations or individuals thought to be unethical in the public scope, just to name a few.
So, how does one be ethical? Well, there are several schools of thought on the subject, which answer the question depending on the direction you want to be headed in, as there are many ways to be ethical.
The course reader lists the following:
- Virtue theorists would consider "what kind of person should I be?"
- Deontologists would consider "what are my duties?"
- Consequentialists would consider "how should the world be?"
The answer, therefore, depends on which question you ask, which in turn depnds on which areas of ethics you subscribe to.
And as I've mentioned already in my week 2 post, what is more important than being ethical is to remain ethical. It's no use to put up an ethical front when you first start business, only to lapse into unethical behaviour shortly after. Consistency is key.
Why is it important to be ethical in public relations? Well, I think I've covered part of this issue in my week 2 post, but the gist of it is this: a PR practitioner communicates with the public on behalf of an organisation or client. If a PR practitioner is not ethical, or does not do things in a ethical way, this reflects back negatively on the company or individual the practitioner represents. And, really, who is going to hire or reccommend someone who preject a negative image on them?
Morals aside, it's just poor business practice.
Furthermore, as public relations becomes an increasingly key part of organisations, it moves more and more into the public's eye. The more the public notice it and note it as important, the more they are likely to keep an eye on it for wrongdoings. Once upon a time, when PR was low-key, the public may not have been as stringent about the doings of a PR department or practitioner. However, this is not the case today, and PR departments and practitioners no longer have that shroud of public ignorance to hide behind.
And as I've mentioned behavioural sciences in the previous post, it is important to note that a public would be less predisposed to support a company that is unethical than one that is ethical in its doings and beliefs. Therefore, Lee's statement (as quoted in the course text) that "a purely selfish policy is not a good policy" makes sense.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. For starters, what are ehics?
Ethics are said to be a standard of behaviour that is concerned with "good" behaviour and attitudes, as well as the consideration of how one's behaviours as an individual or a group affect the wellbeing of others' or society. It involves one's sense of what is considered good or bad, just or unjust, right or wrong, and the values and beliefs that are supported by the above system.
Ethical behaviour in an organisation might be where the organisation takes steps to be environmentally-friendly by recycling its corporate waste, using engery- and environmentally-friendly products or machinery in its everyday function. Or perhaps providing employees with health benefits, maternity benefits and packages for its female employees, special leave circumstances or emotional wellbeing services.
Unethical behaviour can constitute poor environmental awareness, lack of caring towards employees, lying to the public, or supporting (be it direct or indirectly) corporations or individuals thought to be unethical in the public scope, just to name a few.
So, how does one be ethical? Well, there are several schools of thought on the subject, which answer the question depending on the direction you want to be headed in, as there are many ways to be ethical.
The course reader lists the following:
- Virtue theorists would consider "what kind of person should I be?"
- Deontologists would consider "what are my duties?"
- Consequentialists would consider "how should the world be?"
The answer, therefore, depends on which question you ask, which in turn depnds on which areas of ethics you subscribe to.
And as I've mentioned already in my week 2 post, what is more important than being ethical is to remain ethical. It's no use to put up an ethical front when you first start business, only to lapse into unethical behaviour shortly after. Consistency is key.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Context of Theories OR Theoretical Contexts
Why is it important to understand theories? I mean, theories are often quite commonsensical to begin with, occasionally convoluted, and always pretty boring. Well, at least from a student's point of view, I suppose.
However, having a good knowledge of academic theories provides one with a solid foundation upon which to build a more meaningful understanding and practical relationship with a subject. In this case, Public Relations.
Originally, theorists of public relations drew their understanding and inspiration from psychology, sociology, social science and management fields and, most obviously, the realm of communications. A PR practitioner is, after all, at the core of it all, a communicator.
The above areas of understanding all contribute in many ways to the understanding of public relations. For example, psychology allows a practitioner to understand the cognitive behaviours and attitudes of people they may wish to target in their messages. By understanding their target audiences, PR practitioners can more effectively communicate with them. Sociology and the study of the social sciences helps a PR practitioner understand their target audiences as a group (as opposed to the more personal or individual perspective that psychology may give). As PR practitioners usually have to communicate with the public as groups or a whole, understanding human behaviours in social networks and situations also allows for more effective communication. And as PR practitioners have to work together with other practitioners within an organisation as well as with their clients, the understanding of organisational management is key in helping a practitioner communicate well with each other and with their clients.
Need I elaborate on how important the understanding of comminication is to a PR practitioner? ;D
However, as Public Relations has grown into a field of its own, it no longer needs to borrow solely from other diciplines. PR now has theories of its own that are specific to this field of study.
These theories are made of various fields of understanding that include: systems theories like cybernetics, requisite variety, and boundary spanning; communication theories such as information transmission models, persuasion, attitude vis-a-vis behaviour change, source credibility, 2-step and multi-step flow, emotional appeals, coorienttion theory, agenda setting, and framing. Together they create the framework upon wich to build public relations theories.
The PR theories mentioned in the course text include: the excellence theory, Grunigand Hunt's 4 models and variations to it, situational theory of publics, and relationship management. From these theories, a purer and deeper understanding of public relations can be had.
Of course, all theories are subject to an individual's perspective of it. Different people may view the same thing or concept differently. And especially in different ultural settings, one culture may view something differently from another culture. An example may be of multi-national corporations employing different market strategies, promotions, and advertising for the different countries they are situated in. A good MNC will not employ the same strategies and advertising images and concepts for both its western (home) country and an international branch in, say, an asian or islamic country.
These issues highlight the importance of theoretical understanding, and the role it plays in effective public relations.
However, having a good knowledge of academic theories provides one with a solid foundation upon which to build a more meaningful understanding and practical relationship with a subject. In this case, Public Relations.
Originally, theorists of public relations drew their understanding and inspiration from psychology, sociology, social science and management fields and, most obviously, the realm of communications. A PR practitioner is, after all, at the core of it all, a communicator.
The above areas of understanding all contribute in many ways to the understanding of public relations. For example, psychology allows a practitioner to understand the cognitive behaviours and attitudes of people they may wish to target in their messages. By understanding their target audiences, PR practitioners can more effectively communicate with them. Sociology and the study of the social sciences helps a PR practitioner understand their target audiences as a group (as opposed to the more personal or individual perspective that psychology may give). As PR practitioners usually have to communicate with the public as groups or a whole, understanding human behaviours in social networks and situations also allows for more effective communication. And as PR practitioners have to work together with other practitioners within an organisation as well as with their clients, the understanding of organisational management is key in helping a practitioner communicate well with each other and with their clients.
Need I elaborate on how important the understanding of comminication is to a PR practitioner? ;D
However, as Public Relations has grown into a field of its own, it no longer needs to borrow solely from other diciplines. PR now has theories of its own that are specific to this field of study.
These theories are made of various fields of understanding that include: systems theories like cybernetics, requisite variety, and boundary spanning; communication theories such as information transmission models, persuasion, attitude vis-a-vis behaviour change, source credibility, 2-step and multi-step flow, emotional appeals, coorienttion theory, agenda setting, and framing. Together they create the framework upon wich to build public relations theories.
The PR theories mentioned in the course text include: the excellence theory, Grunigand Hunt's 4 models and variations to it, situational theory of publics, and relationship management. From these theories, a purer and deeper understanding of public relations can be had.
Of course, all theories are subject to an individual's perspective of it. Different people may view the same thing or concept differently. And especially in different ultural settings, one culture may view something differently from another culture. An example may be of multi-national corporations employing different market strategies, promotions, and advertising for the different countries they are situated in. A good MNC will not employ the same strategies and advertising images and concepts for both its western (home) country and an international branch in, say, an asian or islamic country.
These issues highlight the importance of theoretical understanding, and the role it plays in effective public relations.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Oh-so-TRENDY~
So, for week 2, the readings were on understanding 21st century public relations and trends. I as particularly interested in the chapter on trends and development.
It covered mainly the shaping of PR and the various influences that are involved in said shaping of the industry, and the roles people have in creating these influences.
Harris and Fleisher, in the course text, mentioned the sticky push-pull ideal that the public wanted: they wanted governments to be involved in public policy, but at the same time did not want them to be too involved. This point, I felt encapsulates the problem of trying to please a mass public. Often, they desire something, or for things to be done a certain way, but are too difficult to please. They may lobby for greater government aid in public health, and then complain when taxes have to be increased to support a ublic healthcare system. Or like Harris and Fleisher's example states, they want the government to be more involved in public policy-making, but yet kick up a fuss when the government steps in, claiming that they are being to "powerful", or overly-regulatory.
Public relations (especially in organisations like governments) often have to straddle this fine, finicky line.
Another point they mentioned was on organisational transparency and ethics. Enron and its subsequent corporate collapse was given as an example of a company with poor organisational transparency. Their PR department had little knowledge of the company's doings and therefore were not able to perform their duty as communicators betweenc ompany and public efficiently. Especially after the finacial crisis and the collapse of certain key stock market players, corporate transparency is at an all-time importance. The public, and investors, is especially keen on making sure they know what is going on, and they are less likely to trust a company whose PR department's statements cannot be wholly trusted.
Furthermore, these departments must maintain their trustworthiness to the public. Ethics is another fine line that PR practitioners have to straddle. It is tough to maintain a client's confidentiality while simultaneously being transparent and truthful to the public. Where and how does one draw the line between protecting a company's interests and witholding vital information from the public?
I think that in the future of PR, these issues are especially important and have to be continually addressed. It is easy to start off addressing these issues, but often, they can get forgotten. In order for a company to remain trustworthy and of good repute and reliability in the public's eye, I believe that one must be dilligent and consistent.
It covered mainly the shaping of PR and the various influences that are involved in said shaping of the industry, and the roles people have in creating these influences.
Harris and Fleisher, in the course text, mentioned the sticky push-pull ideal that the public wanted: they wanted governments to be involved in public policy, but at the same time did not want them to be too involved. This point, I felt encapsulates the problem of trying to please a mass public. Often, they desire something, or for things to be done a certain way, but are too difficult to please. They may lobby for greater government aid in public health, and then complain when taxes have to be increased to support a ublic healthcare system. Or like Harris and Fleisher's example states, they want the government to be more involved in public policy-making, but yet kick up a fuss when the government steps in, claiming that they are being to "powerful", or overly-regulatory.
Public relations (especially in organisations like governments) often have to straddle this fine, finicky line.
Another point they mentioned was on organisational transparency and ethics. Enron and its subsequent corporate collapse was given as an example of a company with poor organisational transparency. Their PR department had little knowledge of the company's doings and therefore were not able to perform their duty as communicators betweenc ompany and public efficiently. Especially after the finacial crisis and the collapse of certain key stock market players, corporate transparency is at an all-time importance. The public, and investors, is especially keen on making sure they know what is going on, and they are less likely to trust a company whose PR department's statements cannot be wholly trusted.
Furthermore, these departments must maintain their trustworthiness to the public. Ethics is another fine line that PR practitioners have to straddle. It is tough to maintain a client's confidentiality while simultaneously being transparent and truthful to the public. Where and how does one draw the line between protecting a company's interests and witholding vital information from the public?
I think that in the future of PR, these issues are especially important and have to be continually addressed. It is easy to start off addressing these issues, but often, they can get forgotten. In order for a company to remain trustworthy and of good repute and reliability in the public's eye, I believe that one must be dilligent and consistent.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
So, let's get started~
This week, I had my first Intro to Public Relations class.
As far as introductory lectures went, it was typical, but interesting nonetheless. Tanya gave us a brief overview of what public relations was. It was a nice surprise to find out that some of the things we see in publications (think magazines and newspapers) are actually part of public relations.
The example she used in her lecture was that of magazine features like "Editor's Picks" and other product recommendations. The items showcased in features like these aren't actually "handpicked" by the Editor, but rather products sent in to said Editor by PR reps behind those products.
I believe her explanation for it was that it was like advertising, but free, as opposed to having to pay advertising fees for product ad placement.
Perhaps I feel somewhat cheated by this revelation. Now when I read my beauty magazines, I know I'll be wondering whether or not Cleo's Editor really tried out that facial masque or deep-conditioning shampoo, and if the new revolutionary exfoliant mentioned by Cosmo's journalists really perform as described by them or if it's just a marketing line created by a product PR executive.
Tanya also mentioned that protesters often contact media companies prior to their demonstrations so as to have their protest covered. That, at least, wasn't new to me, as I've had a friend--a Political Science major--tell me about how to distinguish real protesters in the Middle East from those who are government-back. (The government-backed "protesters" have neatly printed banners and flyers, have proper news coverage, and aren't the ones arrested by the law enforcement officers, he said.) While unsurprised, it does leave a somewhat odd feeling. Vague dissatisfaction, perhaps. It feels like a lie, like consumers of products and of the news are being, if not lied to, then led to make certain conclusions. To think in a certain way.
Public relations is supposed to be how organizations communicate with the masses with regard to current situations, using the media as a communications tool. There are so many different definitions of the term "public relations". However, entering this course, I cannot help but enter with the bias that PR is about spinning stories to suit a certain angle--one that benefits, certainly, the parent company, and doesn't always reveal the truth to the public.
Perhaps as I venture through this course, I will be further enlightened and I will gain and clearer, less biased view of public relations.
As far as introductory lectures went, it was typical, but interesting nonetheless. Tanya gave us a brief overview of what public relations was. It was a nice surprise to find out that some of the things we see in publications (think magazines and newspapers) are actually part of public relations.
The example she used in her lecture was that of magazine features like "Editor's Picks" and other product recommendations. The items showcased in features like these aren't actually "handpicked" by the Editor, but rather products sent in to said Editor by PR reps behind those products.
I believe her explanation for it was that it was like advertising, but free, as opposed to having to pay advertising fees for product ad placement.
Perhaps I feel somewhat cheated by this revelation. Now when I read my beauty magazines, I know I'll be wondering whether or not Cleo's Editor really tried out that facial masque or deep-conditioning shampoo, and if the new revolutionary exfoliant mentioned by Cosmo's journalists really perform as described by them or if it's just a marketing line created by a product PR executive.
Tanya also mentioned that protesters often contact media companies prior to their demonstrations so as to have their protest covered. That, at least, wasn't new to me, as I've had a friend--a Political Science major--tell me about how to distinguish real protesters in the Middle East from those who are government-back. (The government-backed "protesters" have neatly printed banners and flyers, have proper news coverage, and aren't the ones arrested by the law enforcement officers, he said.) While unsurprised, it does leave a somewhat odd feeling. Vague dissatisfaction, perhaps. It feels like a lie, like consumers of products and of the news are being, if not lied to, then led to make certain conclusions. To think in a certain way.
Public relations is supposed to be how organizations communicate with the masses with regard to current situations, using the media as a communications tool. There are so many different definitions of the term "public relations". However, entering this course, I cannot help but enter with the bias that PR is about spinning stories to suit a certain angle--one that benefits, certainly, the parent company, and doesn't always reveal the truth to the public.
Perhaps as I venture through this course, I will be further enlightened and I will gain and clearer, less biased view of public relations.
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