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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.