J201Lecture: Public relationsEver hear of the firm “Altria”?“Public relations has terrible public relations.”Public Relationsaka “public affairs” or “public communications”•mass communication + organizational management•building relationships + persuasive communication•issues, crises, changes, brands•assumes that the effective functioning of the organization depends on the continued goodwill of the public•feedback to gauge effectiveness: surveys, focus groupsthe audiences of PR: not one “public” but many “publics”e.g. who does Altria communicate with?the audiences of PR: not one “public” but many “publics”•consumers•government policymakers and regulators•non-governmental activists and watchdogs•workers and managers (internal publics)•clients and vendors•shareholders and potential investors•residents of local communities•media outlets themselves (reporters & producers)connections between PR and other media processes•advertising: a tool for PR campaigns to use•political communication: PR lobbying efforts•journalism: issue news releases and “spin” stories•PR professionals may move through all of these other roles and organizations during their careers•“the best way to defuse a big story? tell it yourself”the benefits of PR?the benefits of PR?•helps non-profit, non-state public service organizations survive in a capitalist marketplace•helps for-profit, non-state firms counter negative stereotypes and misinformation•helps government organizations explain and build support for existing and proposed policies•helps organizations of all types respond quickly to crises which may put the public in danger•brings the voice of the public to the organizations•corporate philanthropy and the “reservoir of credibility”the risks of PR?the risks of PR?•“spin doctors”: PR professionals take any story and find a positive view of it even if it is a negative development•“flaks”: anti-aircraft fire which is inserted between hostile aircraft (news media) and vulnerable ground targets (firms)•“pseudo-events”: an event created and staged simply to attract media attention to a particular cause•“propaganda”: “ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause”•“no amount of PR can overcome a poor management decision”Ivy Lee and the birth of corporate PR•former reporter for the New York World•1906 Pennsylvania RR: admit responsibility for accident•1913 Colorado Mine Strike: Rockefeller jr., sr., and the UMWWWI and state PR•1917: Wilson’s Committee on Public Information•Former editor George Creel•Advertising for “Liberty Loan” war bonds•$5 million “Uncle Sam wants you!” campaign•film, posters, newspaper/magazine articles, and speechesEdward Bernays and brand PR•Press agent on Creel Committee•Wife & partner Doris Fleischman•1923: Crystallizing Public Opinion and Freudian psychology (his uncle)•Coined the term “public relations”•PR as morality•1929 Lucky Strike campaignEdward BernaysWalter Lippmann on public opinion•Harvard-educated journalist and editor•Propaganda writer in WWI•Feared the public was too easily manipulated and prone to stereotyping•Public Opinion (1922)•“manufacture of consent”And what about
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