Week 10- Research- Unearthing gems of information.

Week 10

Research- Unearthing gems of information.

Halo...Greetings to all public relations enthusiasts.....

The readings made me think about public relations practice in that despite the intricate task of research, it serves as a valuable tool in providing public relations practitioner with digested and critical information for intelligent decision making purposes.

The readings made clear of the need for research in different stages of a public relations programme. I garnered from the readings that a research process involves the extraction, examination and scrutiny of relevant information.

More importantly, I believe the real value of such undertaking stems from the conversion of these data into conclusive findings to support the formulation and implementation of different public relations activities. In addition, a research outcome may also offer insights into the degree of success or failure of a public relations pursuit. This might then be employed to justify further investment in a particular project. Even during the implementation stages of a public relations campaign, research findings assist in fine- tuning and steering public relations actions.

The readings have put forth a prospective view of the research process in terms of inputs, outputs and outcomes model. The attachment of this model with the cyclical public relation process projects a simple yet comprehensive digestion of the communication relationship between the two.

Having read the chapter, I decided to view a completed research report to further my understanding on the concepts discussed.

I noted that a research report contains a well defined research objectives and an overview of the research methods used. As highlighted in the text, these are necessary components in the research process.

Prior to the commencement of research study, public relations practitioners needs to identify the goals and objective of the research task in facilitating the decision making process. I would consider this leaning towards a decision orientated research objectives.

Research objectives address information gaps and set direction for the research process. It assists in the selection of research methodology to effectively extract relevant sources.

Input research may involve the practitioner to clarify the organisations’ past information, resource constraints, environment isolation, and the analysis of variables. The readings have suggested the use of exploratory research and the use of secondary data.

As an initial approach, I would consider the employment of exploratory research useful in formulation of hypothesis, which are statements describing speculated relationship among two or more variables prior to commencement of research study. Economically, secondary data provides a quick source of information, background information, and a broad avenue of answer.

The identification of key issues through exploratory research paves way for development research where priorities of public relations campaign could be initiated. The readings highlighted a host of possible methodologies that could be employed in accordance to the research requirements.

Qualitative and quantitative research

I think qualitative research generates greater understanding in terms of the rich insights and depth of information it offers. Quantitative research, in my opinion could be equally rich in terms of statistical data in verification of “beliefs, thoughts and opinions”.

In retrospective, I observed that previous readings covered in this course contain underlying allusion to research. The various research techniques were reflected in different aspects of public relations functions.

Among techniques employed are:

Media relations- Media monitoring provides information on media coverage. It gives an idea on the number of target audience exposed to a particular programme. In media relations, practitioner may use this information to effectively allocate their budget to the selected medium.

Strategy and tactics- Environmental monitoring could serve as an initial step in strategic management process in problem areas identification. Environmental monitoring also involves ongoing observations of societal trends and the macro environment. This facilitates understanding on how these factors affects the organisation and provides strategic management directions.

Sponsorship- An organisational culture study could be employed to understand the firm in terms of its image perception, management style, and communication policies. An example would be research conducted for the purpose of finding the right fit between a firm’s specific associations and a sponsored cause.

Ethical considerations in research

The readings made brief mentioned of ethical guidelines for research. I believe that ethical considerations are necessary as many issues pertaining to research integrity arise during the research process and its presentation.

Apart from ensuring confidentiality of respondents interviewed, I think a more serious issue pertains to the interpretation and presentation of research document. An unethical practice may deviate to deliberately misusing statistics and misinterpreting results with the intention of supporting a particular view or position. In essence the researcher should deal with such issue by accurately and fully disclosing the details of all procedures and findings.

I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that research imparts meaning to multi variations of information. Ultimately, the research process requires accurate interpretation of information gathered and converted into inputs for public relations planning and implementation. This would require the practitioner to have an intimate knowledge of research methodologies, statistical methods, and the research limitation discussed in this week readings.

(828 words)

Week 9- Strategy and Tactics- Public Relations in the battlefields.

Week 9

Strategy and Tactics- Public Relations in the battlefields.

Halo...Greetings lecturers and fellow classmates.....

Man’s obsession with power and their determination to have control over others, dates back to the pre historic times. To exert their willpower over women, cavemen tied them up and deprive them of food. News... Today they still tie the women up. Only difference is- it’s with a small and expensive wedding ring.

Strategies and tactics may have evolved since, but the motivation remains the same.

The Art of Warfare has found their influence in business management literature. Many Japanese companies make Sun Tzu, Art of War books a required reading for their key executives. Western businesspeople draw inspiration from Art of War for strategic directions in the competitive marketplace.

Strategy and tactics have been interchangeably used most of the time, and sometimes confused not just by students but by professionals. This has been reflected in numerous business literatures that I came across on the subject matter.

The readings mentioned that “strategy is the overarching plan that allows the public relations practitioner to help ensure that organisational goals and objectives are achieved”.

Meanwhile, tactics are the chosen types of activities needed to achieve the objectives – to implement the strategy.

I would be tempted to see strategy as the main recipe and tactics as the ingredients to achieve a delicious result. But this may not suit to the universal taste buds.

Regardless, I believe that strategy is not merely a collection of vision statements. My point of contention would be of the top down approach of strategy imposing its decision on tactical directions.

Where do we draw the line between what constitute strategy and tactics?

How do we ensure that strategy entity correspond to the tactic entity?

A military commander has to understand the disposition of tactical manoeuvres prior to the creation of a military strategy. Similarly, a chef has to appreciate the collision of different ingredients and spices before drawing up a recipe.

I would consider that the 'what' of objectives should go hand-in-hand with the 'how' of execution.

This week readings made me think about public relations practice in that the transformation of a public relations strategy into flesh, requires the deep understanding of existing tactics, its potential and their implications on the targeted audience. Strategy should not hibernate itself from the conscientious selection process of tactics.

Application of public relations strategy

Whilst the readings made clear the importance of strategy and laid out several tactical approaches, it fell short of analysing in detail, the joint application of strategies and tactics.

I refer to an academic article titled “Exploring strategy: what public relations strategy means in practice”. (ASIA PACIFIC PUBLIC RELATIONS JOURNAL)

I consider this article an excellent attachment for this week readings.

1. This article explores the application of strategy and provides an empirical base by examining the way practitioners operationalized strategy in public relations campaigns.

2. It brings to attention that contemporary definition of strategy perpetuates the traditional linear view of strategy in corporate communication as a logical sequential process, providing little more than a framework for public relations tactics”.

3. More importantly the article challenges the notion that good strategic planning equates to a good strategy.

Personally I felt that this article invites public relations practitioners to unearth a second level conceptualisation of strategy. It zooms into various components of strategy and place an emphasis on the application aspects of strategic planning. It reinforces the prospect of synergising the strategic component and the elements of tactics.

Tactics

The armoury of tactics meted out in the readings ranges from traditional envelope mail, glossy brochures; to a showcase of tactical vehicles of media relations, sponsorship, and community meetings.

Another area of discussion relates to new technology and message delivery. Information and communication technology has been a reoccurring focus in strategies and tactics, not just in public relations but other fields of study. Personally, I feel it is ill advised to disregard technological advancement as it is equally dense to be obsessed with it. Leveraging on this tool carries with it the same obligation and tactical considerations.

Of greater significance, I think that public relations practitioners should recognise the increase sophistication in thinking by the modern dwellers. The readings mentioned of an environment where its people suffer from information overload. The reaction has been “culture jamming” where people responded negatively to marketing advertisements through defacing public sites.

As such, practitioners should devise equally effective strategies and tactics to overcome this situation, in their attempts to influence the general population. I believe this may compel the practitioner to exercise a creative mixture on existing tactics or to exploit other forms of subtle influencing techniques.

I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that the basis of a public relations strategy is invariably link to a transparent understanding of tactics. In addition, incorporating the application aspects in the strategy framework, facilitates a smooth implementation of a plan. The profound comprehension on the function of strategy and tactics may also pilot practitioners towards further innovative means to transmit their intended messages.

(838 words)

Week 8- Sponsorship- Investing top dollar in the “goodwill” assets.

Week 8

Sponsorship- Investing top dollar in the “goodwill” assets.

Halo...Greetings Public Relations investors.....

This week readings made me think about public relations practice in that it may to a certain extent entails the practitioner to function as brokers, plotting strategic purchases of goodwill stocks through sponsorship. Unlike financial acquisition, investment in sponsorship is not a straightforward business of obtaining X amount of goodwill for Y amount of investment.

The intangible nature of goodwill involves greater risk, especially without a comprehensive Public Relations strategy. As such it becomes necessary to synergise the creative elements of development and logical aspects of implementation.

Ambush Marketing

Apart from meticulous planning, public relations professionals ought to anticipate rogue tactics deployed by “ambush marketers”. It was interesting to note that ambush marketing was not solely carried out by Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) guerrillas, but also other big corporations.

Case study 13.4: Qantas and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games

The readings highlighted the exigency of coming out with a fortified sponsorship programme. It requires more than an enormous war chest for a sponsorship campaign to be successful. Defensive arrangements have to be incorporated within a sponsorship set up.

Despite Ansett forking out 40- 50 million dollars to be the official airline sponsor of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, polls revealed that significant amount of people surveyed were certain that Qantas had signed up as the main sponsor.

Qantas had shrewdly invested in the use of high- profile athletes for advertising campaigns three years prior to the Olympics Games. This illustration provided me with a fresh perspective and revealed the importance of taking into account the timing factor. Public relations practitioners, who are too fixated on planning for the major event, may overlook the larger context and risk being outwitted by their competition.

Finding the right fit

Before embarking on an expensive sponsorship deal, the readings made a brief mention of finding the right fit between a firm’s specific associations and a sponsored cause. I found this to be an important subject matter that warrants more exploration. I discovered that failure to recognise this issue may squander huge investments and lead to a detrimental outcome, especially in terms of reputation.

To exemplify my point, I refer to an academic article titled “Achieving Marketing Objectives Through Social Sponsorships”. (JOURNAL OF MARKETING). The article highlighted that sponsorship is not the simple transfer of positive affect from sponsored causes to sponsoring firms.

The article discloses:

1. The fit between a firm’s specific associations and a sponsored cause can reinforce or blur the firm’s positioning, influence liking for the sponsorship, and bolster or undermine the firm’s equity.

2. Sponsorship effects can persist for as long as a year despite day-to-day exposure to other brand communications.

3. Communications decisions can mitigate the negative effects of low fit.

I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that the mammoth task of undertaking a sponsorship deal requires a gigantic overview of events. The readings has covered much on the creation, implementation and monitoring of a sponsorship roadmap. As public relations practitioners sought to shape public perception for their organisation, it is necessary for them to raise critical questions to merit the investment. I personally felt that that sponsorship is multi- layered and its complexity lies not merely in the planning and implementation stages but is compounded in its implication.

(551 words)

Week 7- Catering to the whims of Journalists

Week 7

Catering to the whims of the Journalists.

Halo...Greetings ladies and gentlemen and (anyone in between).....

To contact or not?.... This is not the question....

How to contact most effectively?... That is the question...

This week readings offer an answer to the above question which I personally condensed into a single word- Listen

The readings made me think about public relations practice in that beyond their personal desire to reflect overtly self-serving information, public relations practitioner should listen to the voices and sentiments of the “gatekeepers”. Listening is quessential in a two-way symmetrical approach. More importantly it provides public relations practitioner with defined awareness to trim and package their information in manner that most appeals to the media. This may be the key to unlocking the gate that stand between the flow of public relations information and the masses. Furthermore, it increases the chance of penetration whilst maintaining the core of the intended message.

Public Relations officers should realise that in their attempts to influence the general population, it is imperative to win over the media.

The ability to sway the media and gain their trust is of greater significance when confronted with the result of the readings which reveals:

“In 107 of the interview reports, journalists estimated the percent of news content in the United States that involves contact with public relations practitioners to range from 1% to 100% with a mean of 47%; a third of the estimates ranged from 60% to 100%.”

This represents an excellent opportunity for public relations professionals to induce their information into mainstream media as the results shows that the media rely on public relations practitioners for materials which eventually translate into a large percentage of the journalists’ publication.

Hence, the ability to influence the media would assist the flow of intended message from public relations to the community. I wish to highlight that it would be possible for public relations professional to influence news agenda.

Research on agenda-building suggests that public relations activities are crucial to the formation of the media agenda (e.g., Berger, 2001; Curtin, 1999; Gandy, 1982; Kaid, 1976; Turk 1986a).

Through the use of information subsidies, such as news conferences, news releases, and interviews, public relations programs and campaigns can have a profound impact on shaping news content. (Kiousis, Popescu, & Mitrook, 2007).

Despite being constantly treated with much suspicion by the members of the press, Public Relations professional of any organisation should move away from the siege mentality and embrace the possibilities of winning over the media through skilful interaction.

To that same extent, Public Relations officers should avoid reinforcing the negative notion by submitting sloppy, poorly written information, often littered with errors which journalist so often lament about.

Power struggle

This week readings revealed that journalist found that non- profit Public Relations practitioners to be more appreciative. This implies that other public relations practitioners do not show or even pretend to demonstrate their appreciation for journalists.

In my previous blog (week 6), Grace posed an interesting comment.

Who holds more power-The media or public relations?

If you would allow me to quote myself, I responded that this line of thought was responsible for the uneasy relationship between PR and the media.

Real power is creating the illusion of control for the other constituent whilst maintaining control of the invisible strings that concede very little.

In relation to public relations, I personally believe it is passable for public relations practitioners to recognised the power status of the media and show due recognition for their influence. By the same token through accommodating the whims and fancy of the journalists, public relations should seek to maximise their intended objectives.

I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were the necessity of understanding the psychological nature of the journalists. More importantly, this comprehension should be moulded and injected into public relations efforts. This would require the changing of mindset and projection of humility by public relations professionals. PR practitioners should tactfully act upon factors that might ease public relations messages to the general population and not carry on with business as usual.

The Debate

Ethics, not economics should drive public relations professionalism.

This week saw my group acting as the role of the proposition for the above-mentioned statement.

As the first speaker to officially cut the ribbon for the first debate, I sharpened and frame the key definitions of the subject matter to reflect our collective stance in attempts to solidify our position.

I reminded the audience that professionalism, at its core, refers closely to the development of trust and reputation.

Subsequently, I went on a historical account to reflect that the pursuit of economics has resulted in the public relations being tainted and associated with negative notion.

I argued that it would be hard for Public Relations professionals to have a positive attitude about themselves if their work arouses negative sentiments.

Hence, the solution lies not with economics but the employment of ethics as the main driver and it is essentially a human problem.

In summary, ethics is not a state of stagnant passivity but offers an all encompassing view; with the emphasis of intellectual capital- the thinking process, the inclusion of intangible benefits- the human factor, the environment, cultural values and yes- economic considerations.

Overall, the debate provided an enriching learning experience and I was fortunate to have a cohesive group unit which enabled all of us conduct a well researched presentation.

(898 words)

Week 6- Public Relations and the Media- A marriage of convenience?

Week 6

Public Relations and the Media- A marriage of convenience?

Halo...Greetings from yours truly.....

The relationship between Public Relations and the media has long been understood as mutually interdependent of each other. Public Relations practitioners had always relied on the media as a platform to launch their materials to their audiences. The evolution of Public Relations practices, as described in earlier readings, have resulted in journalists being increasingly funnelled to Public Relations outlets to obtain their sources of information.

As both professions mature, I wonder whether this relationship is changing and whether the media views towards Public Relations has grown more positive or more negative.

Personally I suspect that negative perception persists among the media about the underlying intentions of the Public Relations practitioner. Interestingly, I discovered this in my Journalism Module. We were constantly reminded not to base our news story on the crafted versions of media releases as they merely reflect “their” agenda. I believe this notion of applying a dose of healthy scepticism applies to all sources (including government sources) for a good journalist.

Nonetheless, in my course of doing the Annotated Bibliography Assignment, I encountered an academic article titled “Newspaper Editors' Perceptions of Public Relations: How Business, News, and Sports Editors Differ”. (JOURNAL OF PUBLIC RELATIONS RESEARCH)

This article mentioned that according to research spanning 15 years, journalists' negative views of public relations served as a key deterrent to productive working relationship between journalists and public relations professionals.

Hence, this serves to illuminate a key challenge facing public relations practitioners in respect to dealing with the media.

The readings made me think about Public Relations practice in that an intimate understanding on the workings of the media may assist PR operators in overcoming media related situations. Public Relations practitioners have to be mindful of factors that may determine whether their materials receive the attention of the media. In other words, public relations officers have to think like a journalist and realign their publications to accommodate the news style format, among other things.

Furthermore practitioners have to be sensitive to media deadlines and gain comprehension on what constitute as news worthiness for different news organisation. (Ex: Tabloids, magazines, financial newspaper, etc....)

Envelope Journalism

I wish to add another consideration that was diluted in the readings. There was no mention of the cultural dimension that Public Relations have to deal with in relation to the media. This relates to the envelope journalism culture that is still prevalent in many developing countries.

In Africa it is known as the brown envelope, in China the red envelope, and in Indonesia they just call it “amplop”. Regardless of the colour, the envelope contains money meant as an incentive for journalists.

Before accusing me of promoting bribery, I would like to highlight that this represents a stark reality of life in many developing countries. Plague by ridiculously low wages, journalists demand money for their transportation and other needs. In many instances, journalists refuse to attend media conferences without such incentives.

In Indonesia, even the government was not spared from such practices. “According to a survey by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) on "envelope journalism", most regional governments budget some money for regional media coverage and for an annual contribution to a particular journalists' association”.

This week’s readings have devoted much discussion about media conferences and the factors necessary to set it up.

When and why hold a media conference?

Who and How to invite them?

By including my thoughts on envelope journalism, I hope it would give an added dimension to the discourse.

Some thoughts on Presentation...

The Article from "The student skills guide", discusses 8 oral presentation as part of basic preparation which is applicable for any form of discussion, presentation or debate. Whilst some believe that talking to a large audience hinges upon the characteristic of an individual, I believe presentation skills could be nurtured, not by mere reading of manuals, but through actual practice. I think that this degree course provide an excellent avenue for students to hone their mastery of presentation skills.

Secondly, the Article from “Presentation skills for students, speaking as part of a group”; reveals group dynamics and provides excellent suggestion; from the selection process of group members to handling the complexities of group function. It would prove useful especially to a person undertaking leadership role in a group.

I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that despite the expanded role of Public Relations and its growing importance, PR practitioners still have to battle the deep rooted negative perceptions of the media. The readings emphasises the need to accommodate the media through understanding its role and workings in society. Personally, I gain a higher level of appreciation in studying Public Relations alongside Journalism. I believe that Journalism and Public Relations can develop from a superficial alliance to one which is based on mutual respect and professionalism.

(796 words)

Week 5- When Mr Legal meets Ms Ethics.

Week 5

When Mr Legal meets Ms Ethics.

Halo...Greetings fellow classmates.....

This week’s readings convene two contrasting principle of Law and Ethics with Public Relations acting as the match- maker. In my opinion, Law uses case based reasoning to solve complex problems through analysis and diagnosis of an agreed social framework. On the other hand, ethics lean their case on inductive arguments based on human personality and principles of the marketplace.

Mr Law is staunch and argues by a set of regulations laid out that had been formulated and encrypted in the gigantic books. Ms Ethics dances to the tune of philosophy, embracing diverse chorus of opinion on what constitute as right or wrong.

Public Relations in the Legal Environment

The readings made me think about Public Relations practice in relation to law as something necessary for the practitioner to be acquaintance with to protect reputation. The understanding on the workings of law would help PR professionals to avoid pitfalls and blind spots whilst navigating through their work.

I think that the 3 main areas covered, mainly tort of defamation, intellectual law and contract law, whilst not mutually exclusive may be more relevant to different specialisation area of Public Relations.

Tort of defamation may concern PR technicians churning out publications that may directly or indirectly expose other parties to “hatred, contempt or ridicule”. This would include the use of words, pictures, graphics and cartoons which could be summed up by the use of semiotics.

Intellectual Property law comprehension helps PR practitioner protects their creative works through copyrights and patents. In addition, it reminds PR designers to the respect creative work of others before effortlessly displaying items such as logos or pictures.

Contract law reminds PR strategist to deliver good on what is promised. It is important to come to a clear agreement with their clients on specific terms and definition. In the articulation of contracts, the focus should then be on outcomes and its measurement rather than on its process.

Generally, PR professionals should be aware of the legal environment from which they operate. But I believe that the complex nature of law requires PR practitioners to seek advice and work hand in hand with specialised lawyers in different field when they are handling different projects. By familiarising themselves with at least the basic concepts of law, PR operators would be better equip to communicate effectively with the lawyers.

Public Relations and Ethical Practice

The readings made me think about Public Relations practice in that the circularity of ethical issues emphasises the thought process of the decision maker rather than the importance of the conclusion. It involves questioning everything with a non- guarantee of gaining anything concrete.

Hence I became interested in attempts by thinkers to provide a scientific approach to at least set a framework or methodology to dole up such a subjective subject.

To sum it up, I believe that:

An ethical issue requires choosing the right logic from different premises in the real life context.

The Potter Box provides an analytical tool to resolve conflicts but I am not surprised by the mention that applying it would not necessarily result in the most ethical decision.

The use of other ethical doctrines- deontology, teleology and Aristotle’s Golden mean while differ in perspective approach, I believe is rooted in religious and moral ideologies.

The ‘declaration of principles’, issued by Ivy Lee in 1906 makes me ponder on the use of ethics to churn out reasoning for support of one’s profession.

In retrospective, I see the development of ethical codes as a contributing factor to the role of Public Relations as the corporate conscience. The emergences of corporate governance witness the PR practitioner in leadership position to guide organisation through their policies.

I would like to add about the growing acceptance in the West of triple bottom line reporting social, environmental, as well as economic performance as an encouraging development.

Nevertheless, the Opinion piece: Ethical issues in practising public relations in Asia, made me contemplate about the importance of recognising the dynamics of business practices in different setting before drawing up of ethical guidelines. The article provided 10 defined categories in classifying ethical issues.

I believe that if an ethical code is too idealistic, it risks being reduced to slogans and not action.

I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were the importance placed on the legal aspects of Public Relations and its implications that would follow in failure to recognise it. Unlike the constraints of law, ethics requires a more disciplined approach in the process of arriving to a conclusion and call upon personal moral judgements instead of an imposed rules.

(768 words)

Week 4- The mechanics of Public Relations

Week 4

Bolts and nuts- The mechanics of Public Relations

Halo...Greetings fellow PR strategist.....

I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were the key elements associated in the formulation, processing and execution of a Public Relation strategy. In addition, a strategic collaboration between the PR practitioner and top executives is critical for its success. To facilitate this, it becomes necessary for PR managers to be involved in strategic decision making process or at least have direct access to CEO in the organisational chart.

It is also important to note that PR operators understood the workings of businesses and not merely bound themselves as the role of ‘technicians’.

I have summarised the key terms from Ch 7 readings.

Vision Statement	determination of the organisation's future state
Mission Statement	formulated to reign in on the 'unsatisfactory present'
KPI	Yardsticks to measure progress
Strategic Planning	possible adoption of 1. Lester Potter's 'ten- step strategic communication
	2. Zawawi- Johnston strategic PR plan
Budgeting	Management of resources & expenses
Scheduling	Implementation of plan through scheduling
Checklists	flowcharts, calenders, and Gantt Charts

I found the readings on A typical PR programme from ‘The new Australian and New Zealand public relations manual’ to be quite comprehensive outlining a step by step process illustrating various stages and its rationale and methodologies. This article would certainly prove valuable in the preparation for the PR plan and presentation assignment due towards the end of this course. I also found it useful that generally a template could be used in the formation of a PR plan in the form of Lester Potter's 'ten- step strategic communication and Zawawi- Johnston strategic PR plan.

However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results. - Winston Churchill

In the discussion about strategic communication and planning which has been mentioned as being parallel to a marketing plan, I was brought to attention that the measurement for success for a PR strategy would differ greatly from a marketing plan. This as discussed in the readings could be attributed to the intangibility factors associated with Public Relations. Hence, the deployment of qualitative methodologies as benchmark.

The readings made me think about Public Relations practice in that as one progress steadily into senior management roles in the PR industry, it becomes necessary to adopt a ‘bird eyes view’ on varied management issues including finance, operations and communications. As suggested strategy is manifested in the role of a military commander who would naturally requires the PR practitioner moving away from the constraints of specialisation to an overseer.

Overall, I drew conclusion that a comprehensive Public Relations plan would require substantial amount of resources, time and effort from various departments working in a coordinated fashion. I would consider the setting up of a clear vision as the most important step towards success for such a plan. For that it requires a Master Artisan to lay the foundations to a well structured construction.

Week 3- Internal Affairs

Week 3

Internal Affairs

Halo...Greetings twice again.....

The readings made me think about Public Relations in that it injects itself as ‘gel’ coagulating within organisational functions and performing varied managerial roles. The contents of Chapter 11 could easily be found in any Human Resource Management textbook.

Internal Public Relations

The realisation on the importance of maintaining employee relationship have seen organisation adopting a proactive approach. This explains the investment in efforts to build trust amongst its employee. This inevitably involves a two way communication channel to facilitate mutual understanding and promote a healthy relationship.

From the organisation perspective, it is common business sense to maintain a harmonious relationship among its workers and to contain the powerful trade unions. I would be inclined to view it as a necessary illusion for control and significant to the company’s bottom line.

Nevertheless, I am lighten by the notion of organisational activists put forth by Holtzhausen and Voto (2002), which suggests practitioner could indeed serve as conscience in the organisation by resisting dominant power structures. This in my opinion paves way for a balanced relationship and offers a more genuine attempt towards mutual benefits.

However for such approach to be realised, I believe that Public Relations executives undertaking such role should be bestowed upon them certain decision making authority and not merely performing advisory roles, subsidiary to management departments.

Internal tools of communication

Among the varied channel of communications mentioned, with some leveraging on technology such as video conferencing, I concur that interpersonal or face to face communication would function most effectively. This is especially so for conveying important information that has direct implications on the employee such as decisions to cut wages during an economic crisis. To explain such decisions and seek their understanding on such matter, a human face is needed to demonstrate a certain level of respect for the workers. Imagine if such news was simply conveyed through email. It certainly does not reflect well on the management attitudes towards their employee.

Community Relations

In a contemporary context where information could be obtained and disseminate on the instant, companies could no longer ignore their external environment from which they operate from. The ability to garner support from the masses on certain issues such as environmental concerns meant that organisations have to take the effort to engage the community to ensure the public of its intentions and in the long run protect its reputation.

It is no longer enough for a company’s operation stick within the parameters of the legal barricade. The perception of the public is important because they are also active consumers of their products. Any perception of wrong doings may result in a boycott and tarnish the image of the organisation.

By maintaining an open channel with its surroundings, organisations could prevent such occurrences. Goodwill could be forged by contributing back to society in the form of sponsorship and community building. I believe such measures are necessary especially in the age where corporations are being viewed negatively.

Having read the case study 11.1: Breakout and cultural transformation at ANZ, I could see that adopting such measures requires a cultural transformation within the organisation itself. It is certainly not an easy task to change the mindset of management which traditionally view the success or failure of an organisation based on its financial health. The case study however demonstrates the possibilities by realigning its company’s mission statement and values which its operation is based upon.

I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were the importance of internal communication which translates into tangible benefits for the firm. The move towards corporate governance could be mutually beneficial for both the public and the organisation. The manner in which organisation choose to carry out this relations may varied but ultimately requires a paradigm shift from employing financial data as a yardstick for success to deploying other measurements–one which accounts public sentiments and employee relations as important components for the organisation.

Week 2- Theories- Viewing with different sets of glasses at varying shades & angles.

Week 2

Theories- Viewing with different sets of glasses at varying shades & angles.

Halo...Greetings once again.....

Theories provides framework and stimulate intellectual rigour in the knowledge marketplace.

Whilst discussing different theories, I couldn’t resist but hijack some thoughts from Aristotle’s Dialectic inquiry pertaining to unravelling of theories.

A theory is:

(1) Tested by questions designed to refute it , and

(2) Defended by answering those questions as truthfully as possible.

If the dynamic of dialectic is effective, a theory may be refuted (or not) regardless of the initial convictions of the participants.

This may prove useful, especially for Public Relations theories which draw its inspiration from a diverse body of knowledge involving cross disciplinary studies of communication, sociology, culture and organisation.

In expressing my personal thoughts, I could sketch a mental parallel between Habermas’ s critical theory and the methodology from which Aristotle’ Dialectic inquiry functions with regards to the use of rationality- the use of reason rather than emotion(pp52).

Nevertheless, Habermas mentioned of the need for equal footing in terms of power relations for such favourable conditions to be met. With regards to Public Relations, Habermas provides a bleak assessment of Public Relations expressing “it is a concept for theorising how to manipulate democracies in ways that serve the people who hold financial power”. This in my humble opinion discounted PR activities arising from other contextual settings such as promotion of health and social issues.

Grunig’s four models approach

As mentioned in “Public Relations Research at the Crossroads” by Karla K. Gower, the four models stems from traditional view of the historical development of Public Relations. The evolutionary progression of the PR industry has indeed contributed towards a more accommodating nature as seen by the model of two-way asymmetric and symmetric approach. (the other two being the press agentry and public information model).

This begs the question. Whether this shift reflects a natural progression towards professionalism or caved out of necessity in response to contemporary realities?

I suspect it’s a bit of both but leans towards the expanded role of Public Relations in the modern context. As mentioned in the abovementioned article, “one of the apparent goals of the early theorists was to professionalize public relations and to promote the field as a management function”.

The readings made me think about theories in that it would not be prudent to flatly categorised PR efforts conveniently into certain prescribed model or theory. The influence of agenda setting theory, relationship management approach and the use of semiotics should also be taken into consideration.

Secondly, I was made to realise that theories may not measure up when mounted against the realities and practicalities of the world.

For example two-way symmetrical approach, which considered by some to be an ideal model, has been criticised of ignoring the power disparities between the public and the organisation (Curtin & Gaither, 2005).

Regardless, in the readings on the SARS crisis by Mark Chong, it was mentioned that “public participation in risk management is akin to the two-way symmetrical approach”. The fact that Singapore’s handling of the crisis was widely praised by the international community was discussed in the tutorial lesson.

A student had pointed that Singapore’s relatively small geography, contributed to its success and added it would not be as effective if it was applied in a bigger country with larger population size.

I would not disagree with the point made but would tend to view it from an organisational perspective. In addition to political willingness, efforts by various governmental departments in a coordinated fashion contributed to a swift response to the situation. I believe, given the same resources, a bigger country might be able to replicate this at provincial, state and national level. Of course, the role of health spokesman could not be discounted as described in the article where physicians took on the role of media spokesman hence, developing a high level of trust amongst the community.

I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were the comprehension on the development of theories with regards to Public Relations. Appreciation of its origins and its development could shed light on the expanding role of Public Relations field. It is also worthy to note that Public Relations research being at this “crossroads”, offers excellent opportunities for academia to shape its future direction.

(706 words)

WK 1- Spin Doctors or Maybe Not

Week 1

Spin Doctors or Maybe Not

Halo...Greetings Public Relations students..(and potential spin doctors)

If a lawyer revealed that in his line of work, he tell lies all the time... How do you know he is telling you the Truth when he said that?

Short of starting a philosophical discourse... I am hypothetically expressing my initial impression of a Public Relations practitioner..

Prior to this module, I had harboured a generally negative notion about the role of Public Relations. Just like corporate lawyers dressed in sharp suits, dangling sharper tongues... ( I meant sharper bow tie), I had viewed a Public Relations person working for gigantic Corporations as men/ women in black deploying their trade with the sole purpose of serving the interest of a few.

Like many, I am unsure of this source of prejudice... (Maybe too much Noam Chomsky and Michael Parenti or Boston Legal)

Having read Chapter 1 and 2 of Public Relations Theory and Practice, and Except from “Public Relations”, certainly there are attorneys who could be defending the rich and powerful and sometimes guilty, but there are also Civil Rights lawyers striving for justice. Similarly, in Public Relations one could be serving dictators or Human Rights organisations. There are lobbyists and there are fundraisers. The wide spectrum of possibilities in the PR industry unravelled with each turning page. The readings highlighted the multi faceted nature of Public Relations.

Except from “Public Relations”, seemed more about conveying to students about what they could expect if they had been contemplating about being a PR practitioner, revealing the less glamorous side of the industry. More than that, it gives an overarching picture of the industry and provides an interesting introduction to the course. (Honestly, I skip the part where they illustrate the mathematical graphs and statistics). But overall a good first “Hello”.

Moving on to the Chapter 2 of Public Relations Theory and Practice, a historical story- telling of the development of PR industry in Australia was served on the plate. Digesting the facts, I realised the close association of Public Relations had with the press and advertisement. Interestingly, it was in one of the Journalism tutorial that ignited my thoughts on the overlapping bonds of the press and public relation. The lecturer highlighted that a trained journalist could in fact cross over as a Public Relations spokesman by advising their clients about potential questions that might be posed by journalists and providing them with what is deemed as an appropriate response.

The readings made me think about PR practice as a historical process with the evolution of newspaper in Australia- what is termed as “Depoliticisation” of newspaper. This cumulated in the increasing partnership with advertising elements for the purpose of hawking products. This profound shift resulted in the emergence of promotion and publicity- considered to be the earliest form of public relations (pp 25).As such, I suspect this created the misconception that public relations is essentially marketing.

Closing of my first Public Relations blog, I believe the key points to remember from this week’s readings relates to understanding the diversity of Public Relations and its important function as a communication channel. Through a brief historical account of Public Relations and the identification of key terms, one could relate to the inter- connectivity and cross function of Public Relations being a component of mass communication.