Chapter 1: PR Roles and Responsibilities
Objectives and the International Scope of Public Relations
The primary quote of the chapter, provided by Robert I. Wakefield, states: "All public relations should exist to preserve a consistent reputation and build relationships."
Objectives for understanding PR roles and responsibilities include: - Understanding roles in public and private companies, nonprofit organizations, agencies, and firms. - Recognizing the difference between strategic planning and execution relying solely on tactics/techniques. - Appreciating the value of PR in problem-solving and policy-making. - Understanding why individual and institutional credibility is critical for practice. - Appreciating the international scope of public relations practice.
PR is an international occupation facilitated by technology, enabling instant interconnectedness.
Practices worldwide are diminishing in their differences due to shared research, joint projects, and educational opportunities.
The Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management: - Comprised of seventy countries formed at least a decade ago. - Produced "The Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management Accords Analysis." - The Stockton Accords were endorsed June 15, 2010, in Stockholm at the World Public Relations Forum. - John Paluszek (APR, Fellow PRSA) described the Accords as a "global call to action on the role of public relations in the evolving digital society."
The Stockholm Accords: Six Major Points
The Accords represent an agreement on several critical dimensions of modern public relations practice: 1. Sustainability: Balancing today's demands with future needs; involves interpreting societal expectations for economic, social, and environmental commitments. 2. Governance: Leaders (board members/officials) are responsible for stakeholder relationship policies; PR managers participate in defining organizational values and principles. 3. Management: High priority is placed on listening before strategic decisions; PR informs the organization's overall two-way communication abilities. 4. Internal Communication: Enhancing commitment and recruitment for a diverse set of internal publics (employees, retirees, consultants, suppliers, volunteers); reputation depends on actions taken by internal stakeholders. 5. External Communication: Adjusting policies and communications behavior to improve relationships as the "network society" expands; contributing to the development of products/processes that strengthen brand loyalty. 6. Coordination of Internal and External Communications: Overseeing implementation to ensure consistency of content and accurate presentation of organizational identity.
Definitions and Core Concepts of Public Relations
Lucien Matrat (Creator of International Code of Ethics): PR is part of management strategy. Its function is twofold: responding to expectations of those whose behavior influences an enterprise and motivating them. It harmonizes enterprise interests with stakeholder interests.
First World Assembly of Public Relations (Mexico City, 1978): Practice is defined as the "art and social science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organizational leaders, and implementing planned programs of action which will serve both the organization and the public interest."
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): A management function that involves anticipating, analyzing, and interpreting public opinion and issues; counseling management; and strategic planning.
British Institute of Public Relations (IPR): PR is about reputation—the result of what you do, what you say, and what others say about you; the aim is to earn understanding and support.
International Consistency: Efforts are being made to create an international core curriculum for PR education to ensure global standards and professionalism.
Professionalism and the Status of the Field
Criteria for a profession include: - Command over a body of knowledge. - General acceptance of a standard educational curriculum. - Control over entry and exit to the field.
Current Status: - PRSA has a body of knowledge for the USA only. - The Institute for Public Relations’ Commission on Global Public Relations is attempting to catalog literature globally. - There are no legal educational requirements to practice PR in the USA. - PRSA bylaws identify the society as a "not-for-profit trade association."
10 Basic Principles of Public Relations
PR deals with reality and facts, not false fronts or fiction.
PR is a service-oriented occupation where public interest is the primary consideration.
Public interest is the central criterion for selecting programs and policies; practitioners must be willing to say "no" to deceptive programs.
Integrity of communication channels (mass media) must be preserved; practitioners should never lie to the news media.
Practitioners must be effective communicators, acting as original "ombudsmen" to reach consensus.
Extensive use of scientific public opinion research is required to ensure PR is not a "guessing game."
Practitioners must employ social sciences (psychology, sociology, social psychology) to understand publics.
PR requires multidisciplinary applications, adapting work from political science, economics, and history.
Practitioners are obligated to alert the public to problems before they become crises.
Performance should be measured by only one standard: ethical performance.
Roles and Career Paths in Public Relations
The "Go-fer" Level: Frank Wylie notes beginners must bring back usable information, emphasizing reportorial and research skills.
Three Basic Roles: - Staff Member: Employees of organizations (commercial, nonprofit, government) sharing the institutional identity. - Agency Employee: Account executives (AEs) manage client accounts and bring in new business; involves diverse teams of writers, artists, and technology experts. - Independent Practitioner/Counselor: Often hired for specific tasks; paid via flat fee, fee plus expenses, or hourly charges. Counselors work at an advisory level, providing experience and specialized expertise.
Public Relations in Practice: The Gillett Amendment: An act of Congress (Oct. 22, 1913) often interpreted as precluding the US government from using the term "public relations." The statute states: "Appropriated funds may not be used to pay a publicity expert unless specifically appropriated for that purpose." Consequently, the term "public affairs" is often used instead.
The Smith-Mundt Act (1948): Initially banned domestic exposure to public diplomacy; now discussed in the context of increasing transparency and the Internet's ability to make international information accessible to domestic audiences.
Specific Areas of Specialization
Nonprofit Organizations: Also known as NGOs, CSOs (Civil Society Organizations), or PVOs (Private Voluntary Organizations). PR involves promotion, fundraising, and grant-seeking.
Educational Institutions: Involved in "institutional advancement" (fundraising and university relations).
Fundraising/Donor Relations: Involves identifying support sources through research, writing grant proposals, and soliciting gifts (via face-to-face, mail, or mobile texting).
International PR: Requires sensitivity to language nuances, customs, and laws; crucial for multinational companies and NGOs.
Financial/Investor Relations (IR): Developing annual reports and news releases for stockholders/analysts while complying with S.E.C. regulations.
Industry/Public Affairs: Dealing with government regulations, labor relations (internal PR), and product promotion.
Political Public Relations: Working with candidates and handling strategies like speech writing or publicity.
Lobbying: Persuading lawmakers to adopt specific points of view based on industry or special interest data.
Health Care: Translating medical science for publics and managing marketing components for HMOs and hospitals.
Sports and Leisure: Handling media relations for professional teams, resort promotion, and travel industries.
Functions and Theoretical Models of PR
Traditional Functions: 1. Control publics: Directing thoughts/actions to satisfy institutional needs. 2. Respond to publics: Reacting to developments and problems. 3. Mutually beneficial relationships: Fostering harmonious interchanges.
Stephen A. Greyser’s Models: - Manipulative Model: Consumer as victim. - Service Model: Consumer as king. - Transactional Model: Consumer as partner.
James E. Grunig’s Perspective: - Asymmetrical Practice: Feedback is used only to find better ways to persuade/get compliance. - Two-way Symmetrical Model: Ideal model involving negotiation for mutually beneficial policies.
Practitioner Self-described Roles (Broom & Smith): - Expert prescriber (authoritative). - Communication technician (skills-oriented). - Communication facilitator (liaison). - Problem-solving process facilitator (confrontational). - Acceptant legitimizer (yes-person).
PR as Social Responsibility and Communication Link
Hazel Henderson's Pattern of Business Response: 1. Ignore the problem. 2. Admit existence but portray business as a victim. 3. Lobby/Advertise against solutions. 4. Announce that business can live with the law.
Guanxi: A Chinese concept involving personal relationships with those in power to accomplish goals. It relies on reciprocity where the return must be greater than the deed, often viewed by Westerners as influence-peddling.
The gap between message and reality: A Burson-Marsteller study showed a gap between messages corporations present and what bloggers convey.
Philip Lesly on PR's Value: PR is a "bridge to change," adjusting to new attitudes and helping organizations see society as a whole.
PR Roles according to Lesly: - Dealing with people whose jobs are changed by efficiency. - Managing reactions to innovative products. - Persuading the best people to work for a company. - Dealing with investor attitudes. - Reaching the minds and hearts of the audience in advertising.
Spin Doctoring: A term from the late 1980s suggesting media manipulation through deceptive accounts. Modern PR focuses on transparency as messages can go viral globally in seconds.