Chapter One Defining Public Relations Social media and PR have revolutionized the way organizations communicate to their constituent publics around the world PR answers how one can cut through the clutter of non step messages and deliver an argument that is persuasive believable and actionable PR is a growing field expected to grow 21 by 2020 PR is a multi million dollar business practiced by 320 000 professionals IPRA holds membership 80 countries The world s largest PR firms are owned by media conglomerates PR is strategic process Its fundamental mandate communications Focus building relationships PR is most effective when based on ethical principles and proper action Research R Action A Communication C Evaluation E Key to process is action performance must precede publicity PR should stand for performance recognition ROSIE adds objectives strategies and implementation RPIE stresses planning and implementation Every org has PR whether its good or not A good PR department is only as good as its access to management There are several publics a PR firm must adhere to Internal and external Primary secondary and marginal Traditional and future Proponents opponents and the uncommitted Marketing Advertising promote a product or service PR promotes an entire organization Some of the functions of a PR firm are writing media relations social media interference planning researching marketing communications government affairs publicity crisis communications etc Spin putting a positive slant on a negative story benign form Spin confusing distorting or even lying about an issue virulent form Cardinal rule never ever lie Technical Skills a PR professional must possess Knowledge of field Communications knowledge Technological knowledge Current events knowledge Business knowledge Management knowledge Pro communications Advocacy Counseling orientation Ethics Attitudes a PR professional must possess Willingness to take risks Positive outlook Chapter Two The History of PR Society trends that have influences the evolution of PR theory and practice Growth of Big Institutions Business confidence suffered most in Great Depression Corporations sought public support by telling their stories Best companies know that proper actions results in best PR Heightened public awareness and media sophistication Publics have become much more fragmented specialized and Companies obligated to consider social issues Coporate Social sophisticated Responsibility or CSR Increasing incidence of societal change conflict and confrontation Large corporations desperately needed professional communications help due to social and political upheaval in the 1960s Globalization and the growing power of global media public opinion and democratic capitalism Dominance of the Internet and growth of social media Ancient examples of PR Bulletins in agriculture found from 10 BC Iraq Sophists ancient form of lobbying Catholic church used PR to propagate the church Early American examples of PR Boston Tea Party a media event meant to disseminate ant British fervor stunts Thoman Paine wrote essays and pamphlets to band colonists together Later American examples Federalists Amos Kendall first White House press secretary developed the Globe P T Barnaum master publicist and circus owner Big on publicity Ivy Lee The Muckrakers journalists against American business enterprise operations i e Upton Sinclaire s The Jungle on the meatpacking industry Wanted public to be honestly accurately and forcefully informed strived for public confidence and goodwill Worked with Rockerfellers and tried to humanize them so that the public could relate to them Unfortunate involvement with Dye Trust an agent for the policies of Hitler The Real Father of PR Growth of Modern PR Government Counseling WWII needed to sell war bonds encourage national support and sentiment Saw growth in practitioners Watergate scandal brought new criticism of PR Ed Bernays giant in PR for nearly the entire century Ivy Lee s most significant counselor taught first course in PR in 1923 transformed the practice to one underpinned by psychology and sociology Corporations Chapter Three Communication Goals of Communication To inform To persuade To motivate To build mutual understanding Traditional Theories of Communication Two Step Flow Theory An organization would beam a message first to the mass media which would then deliver it to the mass readers listeners etc problem Gave media too much credit people are influenced by a number of factors Concentric Circle Theory Ideas evolve gradually to the public at large moving in concentric circles from great thinkers to great disciples to great disseminators to lesser disseminators to politically active to the politically inert Pat Jackson s Five Step Process 1 Building Awareness 2 Developing a latent readiness stage where people form an opinion based on knowledge relationships intuition etc 3 Triggering event 4 an event that makes you want to change your behavior Intermediate behavior an individual learns how to best apply a desired behavior 5 Behavorial change S E M D R Dissonance Theory Source Encoding message decoding receiver Suggests people seek messages that agree with or are consonant to their own attitudes Ex conservatives watching FOX news is an example of cognitive dissonance Contemporary Theories of Communication Constructivism Suggests that knowledge is constructed not transmitted Important to have knowledge is receiver s beliefs and background Coordinated Management of meaning Theory based on social interaction Grunig Hunt Public Relations Models 1 Press Agentry publicity 2 Public Information 3 Two way asymmetric 4 Two way symmetric The content is the message the media is the message and the person is the No two people perceive a message identically Personal biases are nurtured message by many factors Stereotypes Symbols Semantics Chapter Four Public Opinion Attitudes Opinions Actions Opinion expression of an attitude on a particular topic They can lead to verbal behavioral actions if string enough Attitude evaluations people make about specific problems or issues Attitudes based on a number of characteristics Personal Cultural Educational Familial Religious Social class Race Social Judgement Theory people may have a range of opinions on a certain subject anchored by a clear attitude People have a range of opinions called latitude of acceptance Communicators can work within he range to modify a person s opinion Example If many people
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