Week 11

This chapter let me know identify the different cultural issues that apply to the practice of public relations in Asia. Understand the importance of identifying variables in public relations.

In this chapter we are interested in how public relations is shaped and applied in the countries that comprise the region under investigation. First though, the region needs to be defined, then some of the theories that have been used to influence public relations practice considered. We will then look at particular examples from the primary entities in which public relations is most frequently applied: corporations, governments, and not-for-profit organizations. The question of why public relations is important in Asia is also of interest, given that most of the countries that comprise the region vary enormously in what Van Leuven describes as ‘the three stage process of development’: form nation building; through market development; to establishment and maintenance of a regional interdependence.

From this reading, one theoretical model does not cover all aspects of public relations in Asia. Different types of practice and management need to be applied in different circumstances in different countries. Culture and language play important roles in developing relationships and framing issues. Public relations have vast potential for all types of strategy developments from nation building to issues management. The contextual influences of government and culture are instrumental in defining how public relations operates in the countries studied in this reading.

Week 10

The ways we communicate have fundamentally changed in the last decade. Advances in digital technology have engendered a shift in communication patterns characterized by the shift from the ‘one to many’ broadcast paradigm of mass media to the ‘network paradigm’ of ‘many to many’ communication. Much writing about new media and public relations celebrates the interactivity or conversational nature of new media, which is considered to have the potential to develop relationships and build communities. This shift has major implications for traditional public relations practices and concepts. Not surprisingly, new media is cited by practitioners and scholars as one of the biggest challenges facing the public relations profession. As Katie Delahaye Paine writes: “the implications for twenty-first century practitioners are all at once far reaching, terrifying and enormously exciting”

Technological advances have the potential to transform the relationships and communication between organizations and publics, audiences and communities. Internet use varies between and within countries, with factors such as age, education, socioeconomic, and geographical location impacting on levels of access and use. The rapid development of digital technology makes it difficult to predict how publics, and audiences will use new software, and which applications may be useful for public relations professionals in even one year’s time. Public relations practitioners are beginning to use media in campaigns, but do not yet exploit their potential to promote two-way communication and dialogue. New media pose legal and ethical challenges; practitioners should always disclose their professional and personal interests. Social media offer opportunities for greater interaction with publics, but public relations may need to be reconceptualised in terms of the social relationships and connections between organization and publics.

Week 9

Corporate public relations offer outstanding career opportunities for those with the right blend of skills and experience. But it is highly demanding and requires practitioners of the highest caliber. Beginning public relations practitioners can build their expertise through gaining experience in such spheres as local community relations and employee communication. The most important driver of reputation is the quality of an organization’s relationships with its key stakeholders. The traditional, narrow emphasis of big business on making short-term profits at all costs to keep the shareholders happy is dangerously outmoded. Companies that build strong relationships with their other primary stakeholders not only enjoy a better reputation, but tent to be more financially successful in the long run as well. The corporate public relations practitioner, in focusing on reputation and the relationships and communication that build reputation recognizes the importance of these key things: that multiple aspects of what an organization says and does contribute to reputation, that organizations must have a clear vision of the reputation they aspire to and the nature of the relationships they would like to have, and that this vision must be clearly communicated within the organization.

This reading presents the view that issues management requires constant commitment from organizations and public relations practitioners to identify and understand issues, to monitor their growth, and to minimize potential impacts on the organization.

Diligence and awareness are essential characteristics of the role as a public relations practitioner. Issues management is an important component of proactive public relations programs. Organizations operate in an open environment; they must be responsive to the influence of public opinion and changing societal expectations. The process of attuning to audience and stakeholder issues and concerns, and being sensitive to the growth of public opinion on an issue of relevance to the organization, are key functions of the public relations practitioner.

Week 8

Public relations is uniquely placed to identify and understand the needs and expectations of the organization’s environment such as those related to climate change and filter these through decision making processes to generate a response or action that meets the combined needs of the organization and its environment. In the past, it might have been acceptable for public relations to simply create a favorable image of an environmentally aware organization, but today, publics and audiences are not satisfied with anything less than real action and real outcomes. This reading introduces us to the challenges facing the public relations management role in organizations and the employees’ role and position.

The public relations management role in organizations is grounded in systems theory. To achieve organizational goals, internal public relations practitioners must be aware of the relationships between the public relations function and other corporate functions. An important role is to build relationships with employees, with specific regard to communication channels and organizational culture. There is a need to build and maintain relationships with external publics, who have the potential to affect organizations during times of stability and change. Community engagement and corporate social responsibility are strong trends in current public relations practice. Contemporary challenges to the public relations management role are driven by changing expectations of publics and audiences. As operating environments change and new issues emerge, the public relations role will continue to change and to focus more on active involvement in organizational decision making and relational development at all levels.

Week 7

Public relations are an important job because of its ability to bring people together in improved understanding, mutual benefits, and joint action. The essence of the job, when practitioners understand the big picture and the operating context, is to use communication better communication to support organizations in the achievement of their objectives. Public relations aim to build good working relationships between organizations and their stakeholders and communities. Community relations and community engagement are important and growing facets of the job. Public relations skills are required across a range of different organizations.

This reading does more than introduce you to public relations strategy and the tactics important to the strategy; it also takes you into the contested space of public relations practice. It presents the public relations role as one that is highly strategic in the way that communication is planned to support achievement of the organization’s objectives.

Strategy is a key concept within the public relations field. Practitioners recognize that they are working to create intended meanings in an environment that is a contested space. Often, many others are also working to intentionally represent their organization’s interests and create meaning that may be at odds with your intentions. Public relations practitioners apply methods and processes of intentional representation in order to try to manage the way publics and audiences construct meaning around a particular topic or issue. Strategy is developed through analyzing the results of thorough research, including scanning the environments internal and external to the organization. Strategies emerge from the practitioner’s assessments as to how best to create intended meanings in a contested space. Goals and objectives are set to clarify what is trying to be achieved. Objectives are measurable so that campaign monitoring, tracking, and evaluation can take place.

Week 6

This reading discusses a wide range of traditional media- newspapers, radio, television, magazines, and newsletters. The public relations role involves looking for opportunities to publish newsworthy stories about your organization that will support your objectives to increase awareness, improve community relations, and attract people to an event, even to minimize concern about something that is not working well. In a crisis, you need journalists to be objective. Media strategists are valuable to an organization because they can anticipate the contested space, and can advise on the most effective strategy to achieve the desired media response.

From this reading, I know that the media set the agenda for message dissemination. Not all media are traditional media although they continue to be important. Uncontrolled media means that the media are gatekeepers; in controlled media messages are directed to the community, managed by the sender. News values frame how to work with and get the most out of media. Working with the media in its various forms is an art that takes skills, creativity and workable relationships that come from knowledge of how the media work and which media are important and appropriate to your organization or community program. The tools for effective media relationships are divers; you need good media releases, photos that add to the story and punchy headlines. Legal and ethical issues in media management need to be understood and respected. Media is managed differently in different cultures and political environments.

Week 5

Research is an important tool for public relations practitioners. Almost every communication problem or project calls for varying degrees of research: fact finding, opinion assessment, message testing, planning, execution, and evaluation. If done at the start of program, it enables us to create programs based on a better understanding of issues and with a better appreciation of context, which in turn gives us confidence in the recommended communication solution. Research carried out during a program to monitor progress allows us to fine tune the activity to ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved.

Research can make a real difference to the effectiveness of public relations because it provides information that helps to plan, implement, and evaluate. Research must be relevant and should lead to further action. At the start of a program, research enables the creation of programs based on a better understanding of the issues and with a better appreciation of context. Research done during a program to monitor progress allows the activity to be fine tuned to ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved. Research at the conclusion of a program allows us to test whether the desired results were achieved and to report these to management. Many different research methodologies are available: the most appropriate for what needs to be found out must be used. Sufficient time and budget need to be allocated for research. Armed with research and analysis, practitioners can present and justify public relations plans that are supported by evidence and theory. Without research and analysis, practitioners are guessing or making assumptions about the problem, issue, or opportunity, as well as about the solution.

The contemporary public relations practitioner is a multiskilled person with a values based approach to the job. The role requires strategic and technical competences such as: an understanding of the big picture and why an issue or a public is relevant for an organization; the ability to see an issue from a range of perspectives; the ability to uncover the real issues or problems to be resolved and the outcomes to be addressed; an understanding of the importance of relationships and the skills to build and strengthen relationships and dialogue; confidence in the communication solutions being recommended, based on relevant theoretical frameworks and a comprehensive appreciation of all aspects; the skill set to create and implement the communication solutions.