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.