Chapter 11: Facing the Media.
I am pretty excited with this chapter because the media has always been an industry I wanted to understand. I learnt that the Public Relations role involves looking for opportunities to publish newsworthy stories about their organization that will support their objectives. That is to increase awareness, improve community relations, attract people to an event, and even to minimize concern about something that is not working so well.
“Presenting the public face of an organization is a key role of the public relations practitioner.” (Hamish McLean & Richard Phillipps, 2009).
I also read that most media relations work results in uncontrolled communication, in which the public relations practitioner cannot guarantee that the story will be used in what form. I remember Ms Tanya talking to us about this. When you are new in the PR industry, you should be very careful; journalists who have been working in the industry for a long time would take your story and make it something else. So good relations and follow-up is very important in knowing what will come out in The Straits Times front page tomorrow.
I learnt that gatekeepers, such as the editors, director of news, or chiefs of staff are the ones who make the decision on whether to accept or reject your story based on how interesting the story is, whether this story can win the competition at the newsstand, or whether it is more exciting than the news they have on hand already. They each have different ideas of what are the right news items to select, depending on the news values.
I found that media releases are the key tool in media relations, but to be effective they must contain news, not hype. And that in reality, the media relies on the PR practitioners as sources of news to a great extent. How’s that for journalists being so proud and bullying new PR professionals.
I am excited as I have the keys to success! Building relationships with journalists and editors, getting to know the journalists, know how newsrooms are organized, develop a media strategy, and always meet my deadlines.
Now am I ready to be a PR practitioner?
The Fourth Week - Part Two
Chapter 6: The Upcoming PR practitioner faces realities and challenges.
This chapter gave me a clearer idea of what a PR professional’s job is. I find out that public relations are one of the critical strategic tools used by an organization to help it achieve its objectives.
I learnt that the PR practitioner, who is part of the problem-solving and change process, draws on communication skills across a broad spectrum to help organizations solve problems, assist change, build relationships with key publics and audiences, communicate ideas, create dialogue, improve how the organization is perceived, manage issues, and improve understanding and awareness.
“Because public relations is a diverse profession in which practitioners deal with a range of issues for a range of organizations, it is sometimes difficult to see and appreciate the common elements. Yet the commonality exists.” (Gae Synnott, 2009)
And I thought that people working in the PR department only had to look good, speak well and meet up with the media if there was a problem in the hotel, like the recent suicide case of a guest in the hotel. Or send media releases to the hotel if there were any new promotions in the hotel, or just make brochures to be given out to guests. There really is a whole lot more to PR than what meets the eye.
I also found out that PR professionals take up a whole lot more if they were working for the non-profit sector as compared to the corporate sector, but it is ultimately a good training ground for PR professionals because it offers good opportunities to be creative and try new approaches of doing things. But I wonder, how much are they paid then?
Last but not least, the everyday challenges and pressures a PR professional faces.
It is the PR practitioner’s job to maintain good relationships, have good time management, have effective budgeting, keep good records, be proactive rather than reactive, keep clients and managers happy, build and maintain good networks, and keep up with changes.
Once again, I wonder how much they are paid.
“The contemporary public relations practitioner is a multiskilled person with value-based approach to the job.” (Gae Synnott, 2009)
This chapter gave me a clearer idea of what a PR professional’s job is. I find out that public relations are one of the critical strategic tools used by an organization to help it achieve its objectives.
I learnt that the PR practitioner, who is part of the problem-solving and change process, draws on communication skills across a broad spectrum to help organizations solve problems, assist change, build relationships with key publics and audiences, communicate ideas, create dialogue, improve how the organization is perceived, manage issues, and improve understanding and awareness.
“Because public relations is a diverse profession in which practitioners deal with a range of issues for a range of organizations, it is sometimes difficult to see and appreciate the common elements. Yet the commonality exists.” (Gae Synnott, 2009)
And I thought that people working in the PR department only had to look good, speak well and meet up with the media if there was a problem in the hotel, like the recent suicide case of a guest in the hotel. Or send media releases to the hotel if there were any new promotions in the hotel, or just make brochures to be given out to guests. There really is a whole lot more to PR than what meets the eye.
I also found out that PR professionals take up a whole lot more if they were working for the non-profit sector as compared to the corporate sector, but it is ultimately a good training ground for PR professionals because it offers good opportunities to be creative and try new approaches of doing things. But I wonder, how much are they paid then?
Last but not least, the everyday challenges and pressures a PR professional faces.
It is the PR practitioner’s job to maintain good relationships, have good time management, have effective budgeting, keep good records, be proactive rather than reactive, keep clients and managers happy, build and maintain good networks, and keep up with changes.
Once again, I wonder how much they are paid.
“The contemporary public relations practitioner is a multiskilled person with value-based approach to the job.” (Gae Synnott, 2009)
The Fourth Week.
Chapter 5: Theory and Practice on the job by doing Research.
I found this week’s reading rather interesting, since I would be doing research for my module in audience studies. I was to come out with methods on targeting a market and getting information from them. This would definitely come in handy for my research.
I learnt that there is always a reason for doing research, and the researcher has to be both clear about how the information will be used and sure that the research process will contribute in some way to the job at hand.
To find out that there is an increasing incidence of deafness among 20-30 years olds relating to long hours of iPod use and listening to loud music, it shocked me a little. I have an Apple iPod as well, and it’s true that I personally like to listen to loud rock music, especially if I’m in a foul mood.
This is all results found from research. But how is it related to PR?
Public Relations practitioners use research to plan, implement, and evaluate public relations programs.
“In simple terms, research is the process of posing questions and finding the answers. Knowing which questions to ask and how to get hold of the answers is a skill to be developed.” (Gae Synnot, 2009)
Quantitative and Qualitative research methods are useful to PR practitioners. Qualitative research provides an in-depth understanding of issues, whereas quantitative research provides statistics and trends.
To obtain reliable and relevant knowledge is very important as well.
I learnt that the PR plan is the practitioner’s working theory of what has to be done to achieve a desired outcome. So I am concluding that this applies to the PR plan for Organizing Chaos Daily that is to be done for this module as well. Research at the start not only provides good information to build an effective program, but it also enables you to set specific and measurable objectives that you will be able to evaluate against later in the program.
“Remembering that listening in research is important. Wait for and hear what is being said, felt, and understood – it is all part of meaning making and sense making.” (Kreps, 2008)
I found this week’s reading rather interesting, since I would be doing research for my module in audience studies. I was to come out with methods on targeting a market and getting information from them. This would definitely come in handy for my research.
I learnt that there is always a reason for doing research, and the researcher has to be both clear about how the information will be used and sure that the research process will contribute in some way to the job at hand.
To find out that there is an increasing incidence of deafness among 20-30 years olds relating to long hours of iPod use and listening to loud music, it shocked me a little. I have an Apple iPod as well, and it’s true that I personally like to listen to loud rock music, especially if I’m in a foul mood.
This is all results found from research. But how is it related to PR?
Public Relations practitioners use research to plan, implement, and evaluate public relations programs.
“In simple terms, research is the process of posing questions and finding the answers. Knowing which questions to ask and how to get hold of the answers is a skill to be developed.” (Gae Synnot, 2009)
Quantitative and Qualitative research methods are useful to PR practitioners. Qualitative research provides an in-depth understanding of issues, whereas quantitative research provides statistics and trends.
To obtain reliable and relevant knowledge is very important as well.
I learnt that the PR plan is the practitioner’s working theory of what has to be done to achieve a desired outcome. So I am concluding that this applies to the PR plan for Organizing Chaos Daily that is to be done for this module as well. Research at the start not only provides good information to build an effective program, but it also enables you to set specific and measurable objectives that you will be able to evaluate against later in the program.
“Remembering that listening in research is important. Wait for and hear what is being said, felt, and understood – it is all part of meaning making and sense making.” (Kreps, 2008)
The Third Week.
Chapter 4: Are you being ethical?
This chapter consists of how ethics play a vital role in a PR practitioner’s job today. It is interesting to see that since 1904, definitions of the profession have shifted to become almost entirely about ethics.
I would think that the changing in definition would have changed from much later on, watching the various documentaries on TV about corruption and unethical behaviors that are still portrayed in countries all over the world today.
It is further discussed later in the chapter that even with a list of ethical values, it does not make being ethical easy, and that with considering what is unethical will help us work towards understanding what is ethical.
I find it surprising that many public relations practitioners continue to get it wrong when assessing whether their actions will align with the public’ expectations for ethical behavior since they are human beings themselves.
I learnt that a poor decision on ethical matters, however, does not necessarily mean the professional is intentionally a bad person. And that it is often a result of ignorance of what is required for ethical behavior.
But really, since the main goal of our campaigns and advertisements is to gain attention and earn money, who cares about all of these? Why make the whole thing so complicated?
If you have a conscience, PR should help organizations be responsible for their effects on the social and physical environments. Or:
"A purely selfish policy is not a good policy." (Lee, 1925)
It is shown to me that some of the most fundamental steps in making ethics a mindful quality for the public relations practitioner are very easy and achievable. You can start with your own environment; take the first step out in being mindful of ethics in every situation. Simply making ethics a noticeable topic in the workplace so that people are willing to see it as important can be the very first step.
“Ethics should just be as normal and as unconscious as shaking hands.” (Howard and Mathews, 1988)
This chapter consists of how ethics play a vital role in a PR practitioner’s job today. It is interesting to see that since 1904, definitions of the profession have shifted to become almost entirely about ethics.
I would think that the changing in definition would have changed from much later on, watching the various documentaries on TV about corruption and unethical behaviors that are still portrayed in countries all over the world today.
It is further discussed later in the chapter that even with a list of ethical values, it does not make being ethical easy, and that with considering what is unethical will help us work towards understanding what is ethical.
I find it surprising that many public relations practitioners continue to get it wrong when assessing whether their actions will align with the public’ expectations for ethical behavior since they are human beings themselves.
I learnt that a poor decision on ethical matters, however, does not necessarily mean the professional is intentionally a bad person. And that it is often a result of ignorance of what is required for ethical behavior.
But really, since the main goal of our campaigns and advertisements is to gain attention and earn money, who cares about all of these? Why make the whole thing so complicated?
If you have a conscience, PR should help organizations be responsible for their effects on the social and physical environments. Or:
"A purely selfish policy is not a good policy." (Lee, 1925)
It is shown to me that some of the most fundamental steps in making ethics a mindful quality for the public relations practitioner are very easy and achievable. You can start with your own environment; take the first step out in being mindful of ethics in every situation. Simply making ethics a noticeable topic in the workplace so that people are willing to see it as important can be the very first step.
“Ethics should just be as normal and as unconscious as shaking hands.” (Howard and Mathews, 1988)
The Second Week.
Chapter 3: Theory, Theory, Theory.
In this chapter, we look at the core and the theories that make up PR.
“Take time to uncover the theoretical layers: in doing so you will be prepared for a deeper and more meaningful grasp of public relations and be taken from the ‘This is how we do it’ phase to ‘This is making sense’ phase.” (Marianne D Sison, 2007)
Part 1 – The organization is a system, made up of different parts such as manufacturing, marketing, finance, human resources, and public relations.
The Systems Theory is about how when an organization is a member of the environment, in order to survive, the organization has to adapt to its environment. At the same time, with the environment changing, the organization has to respond and adapt to it. An organization’s adaptability to change, especially within a complex and turbulent environment, is its key to survival.
One of the methods to do so is having variety, like having employees with different points of view to prepare the organization and withstand the effects of change. The reasoning behind this is that these diverse members will enable the organization to access information and insights that may provide competitive advantage.
Part 2 – Communication Theories
Looking at Shannon and Weaver’s mathematical model of communication, I am reminded about how much clear communication matters today. A message is passed through a medium, with ‘noise’ such as advertisements cause miscommunication. But it is only through this medium you can reach the mass media.
Talking about emotional appeal, the Persuasion theory suggests that using fear appeals in media messages is effective in making people change their behavior. This really caught my eye. There was a anti-smoking advertisement on TV once, it showed a really old lady all weak and tired with wrinkles. It then proceeded to tell us that the lady was only 28 years old, and that was what smoking could do to you. That advertisement really made the news and the local magazine, 8 Days. Till today, that image remains etched in my memory.
“Persuasion is a scientific persuasion with imbalanced effects, and manipulation of the publics for the organization’s benefit.” (Grunig & Hunt, 1984)
In this chapter, we look at the core and the theories that make up PR.
“Take time to uncover the theoretical layers: in doing so you will be prepared for a deeper and more meaningful grasp of public relations and be taken from the ‘This is how we do it’ phase to ‘This is making sense’ phase.” (Marianne D Sison, 2007)
Part 1 – The organization is a system, made up of different parts such as manufacturing, marketing, finance, human resources, and public relations.
The Systems Theory is about how when an organization is a member of the environment, in order to survive, the organization has to adapt to its environment. At the same time, with the environment changing, the organization has to respond and adapt to it. An organization’s adaptability to change, especially within a complex and turbulent environment, is its key to survival.
One of the methods to do so is having variety, like having employees with different points of view to prepare the organization and withstand the effects of change. The reasoning behind this is that these diverse members will enable the organization to access information and insights that may provide competitive advantage.
Part 2 – Communication Theories
Looking at Shannon and Weaver’s mathematical model of communication, I am reminded about how much clear communication matters today. A message is passed through a medium, with ‘noise’ such as advertisements cause miscommunication. But it is only through this medium you can reach the mass media.
Talking about emotional appeal, the Persuasion theory suggests that using fear appeals in media messages is effective in making people change their behavior. This really caught my eye. There was a anti-smoking advertisement on TV once, it showed a really old lady all weak and tired with wrinkles. It then proceeded to tell us that the lady was only 28 years old, and that was what smoking could do to you. That advertisement really made the news and the local magazine, 8 Days. Till today, that image remains etched in my memory.
“Persuasion is a scientific persuasion with imbalanced effects, and manipulation of the publics for the organization’s benefit.” (Grunig & Hunt, 1984)
The First Week - Part Two
Chapter 2 has brought to light how much the society matters to the organisation.
Organisations do not exist as individuals surviving by themselves on this planet with little need to respond to society and the community. This goes to show that the twenty-first century public relations has to take a critical role in proactively engage with society and the community. Public relations professionals of today have an ethical obligation to act responsibly because of their influence on society.
The expectations for these professionals are that they are to be timely, effective, and have creative programs who work hard to meet the requirements of project management and scheduling multiple PR activities while also acting ethically and responsibly. Talk about pressure.
"The most important stakeholder is society itself." (Stark Kruckeberg, 2003)
Talking about campaigns in my previous post, this is further discussed on chapter 2.
We are all part of an international communication network, the mass media. Talking about the anti-smoking campaigns that took part in Singapore, Australia and Canada, we are part of a wider network of public relations professionals managing a similar issue in many countries. Each of the campaigns reflected what was relevant to each country at the time of the launch. The aims of the PR campaign launches were similar as they intend to reduce smoking, but their goals and target groups were different.
This goes to show that different countries have different cultures and perspectives. To target different target markets and have different goals, it is important to understand about international – global perspectives.
“International is ‘a way of referring to communication activities that are performed in nations and multinational regions ‘suggests that international is ‘not the same as global’ as a global concept is broad and all encompassing and it includes myriad cultures and many different ethnic groups.” (Stephen Banks, 2000)
It is so that many multinational companies today that have spread through many regions, embracing many cultures find that they represent ‘multinational corporations at home’ and that they help ‘bridge the communication gap that inevitably exists between foreign operations and top management in the world headquarters.
Organisations do not exist as individuals surviving by themselves on this planet with little need to respond to society and the community. This goes to show that the twenty-first century public relations has to take a critical role in proactively engage with society and the community. Public relations professionals of today have an ethical obligation to act responsibly because of their influence on society.
The expectations for these professionals are that they are to be timely, effective, and have creative programs who work hard to meet the requirements of project management and scheduling multiple PR activities while also acting ethically and responsibly. Talk about pressure.
"The most important stakeholder is society itself." (Stark Kruckeberg, 2003)
Talking about campaigns in my previous post, this is further discussed on chapter 2.
We are all part of an international communication network, the mass media. Talking about the anti-smoking campaigns that took part in Singapore, Australia and Canada, we are part of a wider network of public relations professionals managing a similar issue in many countries. Each of the campaigns reflected what was relevant to each country at the time of the launch. The aims of the PR campaign launches were similar as they intend to reduce smoking, but their goals and target groups were different.
This goes to show that different countries have different cultures and perspectives. To target different target markets and have different goals, it is important to understand about international – global perspectives.
“International is ‘a way of referring to communication activities that are performed in nations and multinational regions ‘suggests that international is ‘not the same as global’ as a global concept is broad and all encompassing and it includes myriad cultures and many different ethnic groups.” (Stephen Banks, 2000)
It is so that many multinational companies today that have spread through many regions, embracing many cultures find that they represent ‘multinational corporations at home’ and that they help ‘bridge the communication gap that inevitably exists between foreign operations and top management in the world headquarters.
The First Week.
Apologies for missing out on my first entry of the week.
The very first lecture of Introduction to Public Relations Practice with Ms Tanya Wilson was very interesting.
I know the one thing that she does not like, namely tardiness.
Down to business, this is my first entry of the blog.
--
"Public Relations is big business."
Reading Chapter 1, I find out that public relations have come a long way from the past. Public Relations are developing in different stages according to social, political, and economic circumstances, and to the developments of countries and regions. It is all held down by ideologies that often reflect dominant cultures. People such as George Firzpatrick and Eric White were the first people to practice public relations.
When public relations first came in to place within organizations, the PR practitioners understood the job scope and contribution, but others in the same organization did not fully understand what the role offered to the organization. The profession needs to take its place in society before people can relate and understand the role of PR.
Another thing, the US, United Kingdom, and Asia all have differing perspectives and theories to PR. Going out to work in the society, you need to have knowledge and skill. You also need to rationale and understanding of why you manage in certain ways, so that you give meat to the skeleton of decision making and practice.
Ever since working at the Ritz Carlton Millenia for two years, I've thought that PR would be my way to go - with the passion and all the different people I meet everyday.Reading Chapter 1, it has stated that students frequently comment that they would like to go in to PR because they love working with people. But we have limited understanding that in PR, you have to be responsible for campaigns, managing events, and developing political papers.
This has definitely gave me a new prospect to PR. I have since re-thought why i want to move in to the PR industry, or what I would expect in my future career, since the role of PR practitioners have evolved so much over the years.
Watson and Noble's "assessment of public relations is that it is 'fragmented and not unique as a discipline' and that there is still a way to go in the theorisation of public relations."
Down to business, this is my first entry of the blog.
--
"Public Relations is big business."
Reading Chapter 1, I find out that public relations have come a long way from the past. Public Relations are developing in different stages according to social, political, and economic circumstances, and to the developments of countries and regions. It is all held down by ideologies that often reflect dominant cultures. People such as George Firzpatrick and Eric White were the first people to practice public relations.
When public relations first came in to place within organizations, the PR practitioners understood the job scope and contribution, but others in the same organization did not fully understand what the role offered to the organization. The profession needs to take its place in society before people can relate and understand the role of PR.
Another thing, the US, United Kingdom, and Asia all have differing perspectives and theories to PR. Going out to work in the society, you need to have knowledge and skill. You also need to rationale and understanding of why you manage in certain ways, so that you give meat to the skeleton of decision making and practice.
Ever since working at the Ritz Carlton Millenia for two years, I've thought that PR would be my way to go - with the passion and all the different people I meet everyday.Reading Chapter 1, it has stated that students frequently comment that they would like to go in to PR because they love working with people. But we have limited understanding that in PR, you have to be responsible for campaigns, managing events, and developing political papers.
This has definitely gave me a new prospect to PR. I have since re-thought why i want to move in to the PR industry, or what I would expect in my future career, since the role of PR practitioners have evolved so much over the years.
Watson and Noble's "assessment of public relations is that it is 'fragmented and not unique as a discipline' and that there is still a way to go in the theorisation of public relations."
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