This was in depth reading into the different phases of a PR program and the things which should be included.
The plan explains how the PR practitioner should initially identify the opinions, objectives and goals of the program. The process is then one of first setting the objectives, then planning and working out the budget, implementing the program, and finally evaluating.
The reading has an in depth explanation of the process, so it will inevitably be extremely useful for the project... however i have to say in its simplest form the concept of identifying what people think, and deciding what you want them to think, with an aim to create that change in perception, is a worrying thing. Noted as being appart of the "setting objectives" phase of a PR plan, i disagree in the ethics of a body, such as a corporation, with a clear access to more resources and persuasive power in comparison to the individual, being in a position of coercion to a different view point.
This is at the heart of an asymmetric approach to PR.
Instead we should be moving towards a symmetrical approach which aims to not only represent the interests of business but also the interests of the general public by giving them an opportunity to not only retain their own point of view but voice it if they see the need.
I realise that encouraging people to possibly disagree with you doesn't really comply with the general model for PR plans, but maybe it should. Because honestly if what you're trying to sell (be it a product, idea, story, person) doesn't have enough integrity to undergo criticism, then i think we need to ask why we're trying to sell it in the first place.
- Louisa
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Research, evaluation, sponsorship and event management!
This weeks reading included chapters 6 (Research and evaluation) and 10 (Sponsorship and event management) of the textbook.
The research and evaluation chapter was surprisingly useful, as through reading it the degree to which good research aids the planning and progress of a PR plan became much clearer. The chapter explained the concept of imputes, outputs and outcomes, and different approaches to research and gathering data.
The things i found most useful in the chapter include the questions which should be asked when researching the target publics, e.g. who are they? What are their characteristics? where do we find them? etc. I also found the references for contacts and data useful, specifically suggestions of organisations, e.g. the directory of Australian Assosiations.
Sponsorship and Event management was also an interesting chapter. Although i don't see much need for sponsorship in what i want to do, the event management information is highly useful.
Key points i gleaned from the reading include:
- Entertainment is the key to any successful event
- Failure can occur from: a lack of planning and promotion, problems with the organising committee, clashing of dates, no weather considerations.
- A media release should be issued before the event
- Planning and time are hugely important
Sponsorship was... interesting. As i have mentioned I'm not the biggest fan of corporations, so this concept in itself doesn't overly appeal to me. Of course its an integral part of PR, though, which means i shouldn't ride it off. I think although i may not utalise this kind of information and/or skills, its interesting to see how the concept of sponsorship and event management often walk hand in hand.
An example recently is the Coal to Coast festival (http://www.coaltocoastfestival.com.au/) which is a fairly shameless attempt by the coal industry to get the public onside. I think the thing to note about this example is that your "entertainment" for the event should be in accordance with the values and goals of the sponsors. For example, Aussie hip-hop band "The Herd" were scheduled to play at Coal to Coast but boycotted the event after finding out it was sponsored by coal companies, and this is an example of why research is an important.
- Louisa
The research and evaluation chapter was surprisingly useful, as through reading it the degree to which good research aids the planning and progress of a PR plan became much clearer. The chapter explained the concept of imputes, outputs and outcomes, and different approaches to research and gathering data.
The things i found most useful in the chapter include the questions which should be asked when researching the target publics, e.g. who are they? What are their characteristics? where do we find them? etc. I also found the references for contacts and data useful, specifically suggestions of organisations, e.g. the directory of Australian Assosiations.
Sponsorship and Event management was also an interesting chapter. Although i don't see much need for sponsorship in what i want to do, the event management information is highly useful.
Key points i gleaned from the reading include:
- Entertainment is the key to any successful event
- Failure can occur from: a lack of planning and promotion, problems with the organising committee, clashing of dates, no weather considerations.
- A media release should be issued before the event
- Planning and time are hugely important
Sponsorship was... interesting. As i have mentioned I'm not the biggest fan of corporations, so this concept in itself doesn't overly appeal to me. Of course its an integral part of PR, though, which means i shouldn't ride it off. I think although i may not utalise this kind of information and/or skills, its interesting to see how the concept of sponsorship and event management often walk hand in hand.
An example recently is the Coal to Coast festival (http://www.coaltocoastfestival.com.au/) which is a fairly shameless attempt by the coal industry to get the public onside. I think the thing to note about this example is that your "entertainment" for the event should be in accordance with the values and goals of the sponsors. For example, Aussie hip-hop band "The Herd" were scheduled to play at Coal to Coast but boycotted the event after finding out it was sponsored by coal companies, and this is an example of why research is an important.
- Louisa
Monday, September 7, 2009
tactics and PR in buisness
This weeks reading included two chapters.
Chapter 8 was about tactics, and was surprisingly useful.
I've had a lot of trouble doing this subject, as Public Relations is heavily based within a consumerist society, and i myself am not too big on consumerism. However, being fairly active within the local activist community i have to come to realize that community groups, activist groups in particular, are severely lacking in successful PR and media practices. As a result, I've found a really positive way to use the things i learn in this subject.
This weeks reading was particularly useful, outlining different tactical approaches to PR, mainly in relation to their method of delivery. These included mail, web, print etc.
The 2 main things i gleaned from this reading was a useful in site into how the internet can be utilised, for example through webpage, email etc. and also the importance of production consistency. Consistency in the visual depiction of information across a range of mediums has always made sense to me in relation to any kind of campaigning. This section of the chapter was therefor extremely useful in pinning down the specifics that should be taken into account.
Chapter 14 was about PR in business, and, as i mentioned above, I'm not the biggest fan of consumerism and capitalism.
With little interest in the topic, i found the chapter fairly dry, however i did enjoy reading about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
This is a term which has been coming up quite often for me and seems really cool. Although it no doubt benefits the organization through positive exposure, the concept of benefiting the community at the same time is a really positive thing.
Its also great to see the concept of CSR becoming more and more present. To me, it reflects well on the social climate we live in, indicating the public is becoming more aware. Its also great to see organisations are becoming more receptive to the views of the public.
- Louisa
Chapter 8 was about tactics, and was surprisingly useful.
I've had a lot of trouble doing this subject, as Public Relations is heavily based within a consumerist society, and i myself am not too big on consumerism. However, being fairly active within the local activist community i have to come to realize that community groups, activist groups in particular, are severely lacking in successful PR and media practices. As a result, I've found a really positive way to use the things i learn in this subject.
This weeks reading was particularly useful, outlining different tactical approaches to PR, mainly in relation to their method of delivery. These included mail, web, print etc.
The 2 main things i gleaned from this reading was a useful in site into how the internet can be utilised, for example through webpage, email etc. and also the importance of production consistency. Consistency in the visual depiction of information across a range of mediums has always made sense to me in relation to any kind of campaigning. This section of the chapter was therefor extremely useful in pinning down the specifics that should be taken into account.
Chapter 14 was about PR in business, and, as i mentioned above, I'm not the biggest fan of consumerism and capitalism.
With little interest in the topic, i found the chapter fairly dry, however i did enjoy reading about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
This is a term which has been coming up quite often for me and seems really cool. Although it no doubt benefits the organization through positive exposure, the concept of benefiting the community at the same time is a really positive thing.
Its also great to see the concept of CSR becoming more and more present. To me, it reflects well on the social climate we live in, indicating the public is becoming more aware. Its also great to see organisations are becoming more receptive to the views of the public.
- Louisa
Ethics Champter
This was a really interesting chapter to read.
It’s interesting the way in which Public Relations agencies and practitioners self regulate themselves, and the amount of thought which has gone into determining what constitutes ethical and unethical practices.
It seems that my trouble with PR stems from a lack of public voice within the forum of mass communication, but the interesting thing I learned from reading this chapter is that the role of a PR practitioner is not only to work in the best interest of the client, but also to “facilitate a flow of essential information in the public's interest” (page 109). This concept of providing the community with a service is a really positive thing, and the thought of putting more focus upon it really interests me.
I was also really interested to read about the specific theory surrounding ethical practices in PR. The three types of ethical approaches, Deontology, Teleology and Aristotle's Golden Mean, as outlined by Miyamoto (1996) gave me a lot to think about. It seems “ethics” are hard to define, and an ethical approach even harder to produce, so it’s interesting the different ideas that have been formulated in order to address these problems.
It was also good to learn that the industry is largely self regulating, and the degree to which trust and ethical behavior influence the way agencies and practitioners are viewed by the public, media, and their peers.
The concept of organisations having “a genuine right to present images of the world from their own perspectives” (page 118) is also a really important point I gleaned from this reading. I’d completely agree, as Noam Chomsky said "If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all." I think the key is making the communication of ideas as two way-symmetrical as possible.
- Louisa
It’s interesting the way in which Public Relations agencies and practitioners self regulate themselves, and the amount of thought which has gone into determining what constitutes ethical and unethical practices.
It seems that my trouble with PR stems from a lack of public voice within the forum of mass communication, but the interesting thing I learned from reading this chapter is that the role of a PR practitioner is not only to work in the best interest of the client, but also to “facilitate a flow of essential information in the public's interest” (page 109). This concept of providing the community with a service is a really positive thing, and the thought of putting more focus upon it really interests me.
I was also really interested to read about the specific theory surrounding ethical practices in PR. The three types of ethical approaches, Deontology, Teleology and Aristotle's Golden Mean, as outlined by Miyamoto (1996) gave me a lot to think about. It seems “ethics” are hard to define, and an ethical approach even harder to produce, so it’s interesting the different ideas that have been formulated in order to address these problems.
It was also good to learn that the industry is largely self regulating, and the degree to which trust and ethical behavior influence the way agencies and practitioners are viewed by the public, media, and their peers.
The concept of organisations having “a genuine right to present images of the world from their own perspectives” (page 118) is also a really important point I gleaned from this reading. I’d completely agree, as Noam Chomsky said "If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all." I think the key is making the communication of ideas as two way-symmetrical as possible.
- Louisa
Monday, August 17, 2009
week 2 reading
This weeks reading was about strategy and planning.
The two main points to remember about this weeks reading are that strategy and planning are very important for any successful project (whether is be PR or not) and that theres lots of theory behind planning and stratagy.
This week the reading was pretty dry, I'm not overly interested in the intricacies of the theory models, so it was a bit of a trial to get through.
The Five Principles of Strategy for Public Relations by Mintzberg and colleagues' was an interesting take on the idea, though. The tailoring of the principals specifically to PR was pretty interesting.
The two main points to remember about this weeks reading are that strategy and planning are very important for any successful project (whether is be PR or not) and that theres lots of theory behind planning and stratagy.
This week the reading was pretty dry, I'm not overly interested in the intricacies of the theory models, so it was a bit of a trial to get through.
The Five Principles of Strategy for Public Relations by Mintzberg and colleagues' was an interesting take on the idea, though. The tailoring of the principals specifically to PR was pretty interesting.
Week One reading
This weeks reading was mainly based around the different types of theories towards the practice of public relations.
I think the two key points to come out of the reading were that Public Relations is inherently asymmetrical in nature, and also that the only way to address this [some what unethical] power imbalance is by engaging and empowering the receiver. The way this point was addressed, though somewhat flawed, was touched on in the “Symmetrical/excellence” approach.
The Asymmetrical nature of Public relations means that its inherently unethical in how it is practised. Those with more resources, time and money have a distinct advantage over their audience, with the rhetorical theory giving an example of this practice in saying on page 70 “this theory suggests that these powerful players overwhelm the news media and dominate other means of communication and cultural expression.”
Although Jurgen Habermas identified such challenges in The Structural Transformation of the Pubic Sphere (1989), even an approach which tries to address this power imbalance through the “Symmetrical/Excellence Theory” is flawed in its realistic application. As Moloney (2006) suggests: “ It [public relations] is a promotional activity built on favorable, partial and self selected data, and has been and is much used by the resource rich'. He then goes on to point out that the very use of the word “symmetrical” acts in a “asymmetrical, semantic manner to divert attention away from understanding public relations as 'manipulation' and 'propaganda'.”
My ethical concerns within the PR industry are, in my opinion, well founded. The nature of the industry is such that the audience is bombarded with messages, to the point where they themselves do not have a voice, and are only able to act in the capacity of a “consumer”. The reading made me think about the clear imbalance that exists, and the realisation that we must activate the audience, that is to engage and encourage impute, in order to move towards a more ethical and fair approach.
An example I have noticed of such PR practices that clearly display an asymmetrical approach is the recent campaigning by the National Union of Students. The resource rich organisation have completely muted the voice of the opposition, through access to a level of money and manpower which is simply not attainable for the opposing side. The result of stickering around campus [using (expensive) materials that are not easily removed] and heavy postering [at a level which the Newcastle Students Association cannot compete with] has resulted in the student body being almost completely oblivious to any kind of opposing argument. The result will of course be that the general student body votes “yes to NUS” because they have not seen any arguments are to why they would vote “No”.
In a more ethical senario, both voices would have the capacity to present their arguments on a level playing field. However just as is the case with PR representing big business, their capacity for influencing opinion cannot be matched by those who do not have access to the same resources.
I think the two key points to come out of the reading were that Public Relations is inherently asymmetrical in nature, and also that the only way to address this [some what unethical] power imbalance is by engaging and empowering the receiver. The way this point was addressed, though somewhat flawed, was touched on in the “Symmetrical/excellence” approach.
The Asymmetrical nature of Public relations means that its inherently unethical in how it is practised. Those with more resources, time and money have a distinct advantage over their audience, with the rhetorical theory giving an example of this practice in saying on page 70 “this theory suggests that these powerful players overwhelm the news media and dominate other means of communication and cultural expression.”
Although Jurgen Habermas identified such challenges in The Structural Transformation of the Pubic Sphere (1989), even an approach which tries to address this power imbalance through the “Symmetrical/Excellence Theory” is flawed in its realistic application. As Moloney (2006) suggests: “ It [public relations] is a promotional activity built on favorable, partial and self selected data, and has been and is much used by the resource rich'. He then goes on to point out that the very use of the word “symmetrical” acts in a “asymmetrical, semantic manner to divert attention away from understanding public relations as 'manipulation' and 'propaganda'.”
My ethical concerns within the PR industry are, in my opinion, well founded. The nature of the industry is such that the audience is bombarded with messages, to the point where they themselves do not have a voice, and are only able to act in the capacity of a “consumer”. The reading made me think about the clear imbalance that exists, and the realisation that we must activate the audience, that is to engage and encourage impute, in order to move towards a more ethical and fair approach.
An example I have noticed of such PR practices that clearly display an asymmetrical approach is the recent campaigning by the National Union of Students. The resource rich organisation have completely muted the voice of the opposition, through access to a level of money and manpower which is simply not attainable for the opposing side. The result of stickering around campus [using (expensive) materials that are not easily removed] and heavy postering [at a level which the Newcastle Students Association cannot compete with] has resulted in the student body being almost completely oblivious to any kind of opposing argument. The result will of course be that the general student body votes “yes to NUS” because they have not seen any arguments are to why they would vote “No”.
In a more ethical senario, both voices would have the capacity to present their arguments on a level playing field. However just as is the case with PR representing big business, their capacity for influencing opinion cannot be matched by those who do not have access to the same resources.
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