week 9

Week nine

Public relations:

points to emphasize from textbook

- the reputation of public relations
- how it has different parts and layers, hard to define

- pseudo-event
- evolution to two-way communication (use of polling, advertising, promotion)

Shaping the character of public relations:
advances in technology
growth of middle class
growth of organizations

Better research tools

Professionalism

Different publics: employees, stockholders, communities, media, government, investment community, customers

Activities: community relations, counseling, development/fundraising, employee/member relations, financial relations, government affairs, industry relations, issue management, media relations, marketing communications, minority/multicultural affairs, public affairs, special events and public participation, research

Difference between PR and Advertising:
advertising is controlled communication, typically this group does not help set policy for the company

PR less controlled, advertising can be public relations in building an image

Spin and embedded journalists – ethics

Trends: globalization – most PR companies are global

Specialization – will be focused on a particular issue (greenwashing) or will provide media for media (Video news releases) or use the internet with integrated marketing communications (IMC)

Number of PR people exceed the number of journalists in the US, 40% of what we read and see appears virtually unedited

The best PR is invisible

VNR – looks like real news report, narrated by speaker, carries voice-over in separate channel, accompanied by a script, free of titles or graphics that can be added both local station

Info from Toxic Sludge is Good for You

Tree map: four categories

Public relations tactics, past and present: Ivy, Bernays, corporations seek media as a delivery system

Local news: VNRs, dwindling resources, what to look for

Third Party Advocacy: experts, save journalist a step, distance message from source, group with special name, Gulf War

Managing Crisis: Tylenol, Exxon, risk = hazard + outrage, short term damage control, long term preemptive strategy, Alar

Silencing Debate: genetically modified food, trumpet tests about efficiency not about safety

What role does PR play in a democracy?
How have new technologies facilitated the growth and success of this industry?

How might public interest groups compete with public relations?

How does corporate ownership of mainstream journalism interact with the big players in public relations industry? Does this work against the interests of smaller public relations efforts?

What’s the most ethical approach to practicing public relations?

- a lawyer in the court of public opinion, all parties have a right to tell their side
- but legal setting is a controlled environment under the supervision of an expert judge who enforces groundrules