Investigating journalists’ assessments of public relations (Week 7)

To contact… or not?

This week’s blog assessment is captured from a journal article which investigates journalists’ assessments of public relations and their contact preferences.

I think the key points to remember from this week reading were that public relations practitioners and journalists have always had an uncertain relationship till date. The mutual caution disseminates around, where it doesn’t lead to a trusting atmosphere or both parties pushing the blame and responsibility around. However, I think that the fact is that both parties still have a mutually dependent relationship. The press cannot do its job without PR and PR also needs the press.

Journalists frequently regard that PR are there to obstruct their way to the important people whom they really want to talk to. Furthermore, journalists do have the perception that PR people don’t really tell the whole truth and are always out to “spin” a story to the advantage of their own rice bowl or organisation. Time and again, journalist felt that if they takes them at their words and writes a story based on the PR materials which turn out to be less than the whole truth, it actually made them feels let down or so called manipulated.

On the side note, the perception of PR practitioners differs with the above stand. They feel that the press/journalists often treat them with suspicion. Yes indeed, PR practitioners may try their utmost to provide full information and represent their organisation’s case honestly as they see it. However, I guessed they would also feel the intense disappointment if the article that appears on the newspaper the next day having to be twisted what they have said and their openness has been ‘used against them.’

The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that the above results can be an unhelpful state of conflict and withdrawal of co-operation that does not serve either profession or the public well. Therefore, an understanding of the pressures on both sides may help to bring some light to the situation. Public relations practitioners often work under great pressure, just like their journalist colleagues, especially in crises or when they are trying to meet a press deadline. Therefore, I think that such pressures on the press and the effectiveness of the PR practitioners and journalists provides great opportunities for organisations and also being ethical of their personal mindset.

In conclusion, I felt that representatives of both the journalists and the PR industry should have a serious discussion about the rules of engagement before planning to do anything (eg. PR practitioner practicing good framing theory as mentioned in the journal). I felt that it is not advisable for the public that the critical faculties of the press are being blunted. Nevertheless, neither it is good that the genuine contribution of PR to the public goes unrecognised. Therefore, a mutual responsibility is encouraged, for a respectful distance to be kept between both professions and an equal responsibility for both to act respectfully towards the other. This means that honesty and integrity must abound, since both parties are catering news to the public.

It take two hands to clap. :)

P.S: Attached is a video I found on YouTube of Mac vs. PC Spoof Commercials personifying the battle between Public Relations (PR) and Journalism (and the Media/Press). Funny and interesting! Enjoy! :)

Media Relations (Week 6)

I think the key points to remember from this week’s reading were that a positive media relation is only one part of a public relations plan. However, it can be the most valuable and efficient tool, if one have a good plan and make right use of it. As professional PR practitioners, I guessed, once they know how to get their message not only accepted, but valued, as important news by their local media (let’s say in Singapore’s context), they have make a big step towards the success of their program planning.

Media relations involve understanding the needs of the media you wish to deal with and meeting those needs, wants and demands. It includes meeting deadlines, making your news releases newsworthy and easy to use, and maintaining good relationships with reporters, editors and news directors.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that publicity through proper media relations tactics is information supplied to news medium. Nevertheless, the decision to use it and its final form are controlled by the different specific medium.

Publicity is not only low cost but has high return. Placing a news story about your event or your organization gives your message credibility and recognition, whether printed or broadcast. However, editors and news directors in the newsroom appreciate well-written, timely and well-organized news or media releases written in news style and will use them appropriately when in time to come. On the other hand, I believed they also like story tips that they can be follow up on their own time.

Last but not least, despite frequent edgy coalition between the public relations practitioners and the media, there is still a budding interdependence in these two aspects. This can be enhanced and developed hand in hand together through mutual understanding of each other’s role playing, to execute out a successful event or campaign.

The Legal Environment & Ethical Practice (Week 5)

The word legal, by definition refers rules or regulations that are relating to the law or to courts of law. On the other hand, it could be a legal subject that was established under the permitted law or by common legislation of law and most importantly, allowed under the law within different circumstances.

Public relations decisions must be construct in the context of ‘legal environment’. However, when legal threats are being examined, strategies to decrease harm must be taken into consideration of the professional and commercial risks surfacing from the legal action.

I think the key points to remember from this week’s reading were that conflicts can exist between the public relation and the legal with responses to crises. Hoger and Swen (2003: 3) these divergences into four sectors namely: understanding of time and timing; strategies and traditions; approaches to message construction and audience relationships. Therefore, PR practitioners must play a positive role in responding and evaluating to legal rights and risks. They must also negotiate with lawyers on the approaches to be engaged to minimize harm towards organizations or the publics. Public relations practitioners should also practice to follow and abide to the contract that they had signed which in turn ensure the clients and their own personal reputation as well.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that with the above discussion on the legal environment, this could be interlinked to the ethical and professional responsibility PR practitioners. Codes of ethics provide a basis for the shared values and acknowledged duties of PR professionals and set the moral standards with which they are expected to comply. In the Grunig’s theory, it views public relations as "an essential management function because of its contribution to the long-term, strategic management of the organization." Among the many benefits associated with improving the sense of social responsibility and ethical behavior and practices is that it will increase both their personal credibility as well as the profession as a whole.

Additionally, I felt that public relations practitioners should carefully examine whether ethical practices are commonly adopted within a culture or are considered to be ethical by the majority of local professionals. This is because a practice is not necessarily ethical just because it is widely adopted in one or more countries, as different cultures of different countries differ in its moral standards and ethics.

Therefore, public relations professionals should follow honest practices to build a fundamental trust between publics and organizations. This transparency requires ethical decision-making and an increasingly influential role at the table where decisions are made.

Strategy, Planning and Scheduling (Week 4)

I think the key points to remember for this week’s reading were that for every company, having strategic PR plans have its benefit and its important values over them. Good PR strategic planning is extremely valuable which contain positive reputation and professional credibility. This could be based on the public's trust, perception and confidence created and sustaining it through positive PR messaging of individual businesses or companies.

On the other hand, it came to my surprise that actually, even before a company starts to rack their brain and think how to write how a strategic PR plan, the best starting point for the above is to review the organization's mission statement and goals initially. These documents indeed have their importance and necessities. They actually summarize what the organization’s business is and what the company is trying to accomplish. This should be especially genuine for the public relations practitioner’s efforts. The next element of a strategic PR plan include is a mission statement for the public relations department, which points out what that department does and how it assists and supports the organization in carrying out its mission.

Therefore, I felt that PR practitioners should work hand in hand with the specific personnel, while writing out a strategic PR plan as it can reflect how well the internal of a company is working through effective communication. Essential communication foundation for clear and consistent PR is built on key messages. Effective strategic PR plans continually entrench and broadcast key messages into every company activity. Whether it's a corporate message, key product or services, I believe all the employees should know its ‘company line’. Employees and executives, especially PR practitioners should know, "Who we are, what we do, what we produce, where we are going and where we've been."

The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that a key performance indicator (KPI) can be reflect as an outcome. It describes what would happen if the staff member succeeded in fulfilling that particular role. A KPI is not merely a PR activity. It is an outcome for the business that is having its purposes to be delivered, internally and externally. Key performance indicators should also be review frequently to ensure they are still relevant, determine that the way of measuring them is still valid, determine how the staff member or the company itself performed in relation to the KPIs. From the above, it can determine whether any skills training are required or whether more resources could be applied to help the company or the employees to improve their KPI results.

I think it is important for a company or business to be equipped with the ability to identify the key challenges, after completing the above steps should the areas that are of below-expected performance be addressed. Companies or businesses, together with the professionalism of PR practitioners can then identify what factors are contributing to those problems and develop a better strategy plan for dealing with them.

Internal and Community Relations (Week 3)

Through a communication process, it reflects the capability of starting with the identification of the publics that will be addressed. Analyzing the potential interests on the issue of the communication helps to identify the publics. This week’s reading from chapter 11, ‘Internal and community relations’ described to us how simple principles can be applied to the corporate world to look in depth at one of its most important sector, its internal publics. The internal publics here were referred to two main groups: an organization’s employees and an association’s members.

I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were how strong internal relationships can serve to enhance the organization’s overall operations and outcomes. On the other hand, we also need to understand how and what are the tools and channels of communication are to improve or maintain the internal and community relations of a company, in PR aspect.

Time and again, organizations and companies tend to forget that some of their largest, most influential or important constituents are on the inside of the big, which are their employees, board members or association members. Essentially, companies should look into the judgments or opinions of the internal publics as they interact with those of the external publics as well. The combination of the above can possibly help to identify and help in framing of the enterprise's communication. Tools or channels of communication like for example: distribution of company’s newsletters, notice boards or the implementation of intranets etc might be able to boost up of getting valuable response through the internal publics. Intranet, for instance, could be a popular means of communication from the management. With an email access that provides facility for feedback, an email can prove a morale booster to an employee who feels he or she is getting a personal email from the corporate boss.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory or practice in that communicating with the internal publics could be reflect like an "economic link” between organizations and its publics must also be considered. This is like a linked bridge that caters to a “win-win” situation. Due to the intense economic link between an organization and its internal public, the internal public appears as the “easiest” or first public from which a response is highly obtainable both regarding the analysis and definition of the product perception (image) and on the whole communication process that is carried out by the organization.

Organizations do have the need to pay ample attention in its internal public’s environment, especially the higher position designations. For instance, when an organization is threatened by an external or internal issue that stands to ruin relationships and damage business, plans and programs can be design to manage communication effectively. Whether in the public eye, or behind the scenes, I personally believe that appropriate strategies can be identify to continue to handle the business properly.

This chapter’s readings indeed reflect to me that public relations have its dynamic field of work and to observe the importance of public relations practitioners’ role as corporate conscience. Objectives of internal and community relations or communication process can be balance up by maybe considering some of the objectives like:

• Encouraging cooperation, empowering and teamwork.
• Enhancing performance - individual and global.
• Developing effective connection between the different departments (internal publics) across the organization.