Public Relations Blog – Week 13

WEEK 13: The Final Countdown

This week we spoke about the PR industry as a whole and how our digital footprint(s) can be used to either promote or tarnish the image of ourselves as professionals.

If someone were to google my full name, the only results they would come across are in relation to the old Social Media Relations role I held from 2008-2013;

(Click thumbnail for larger version)

If one were to google my first and middle names things start to get a little more personal, with my old google+ and myspace accounts (from around 6 years ago) being the only two results;

(Click thumbnail for larger version)

Being someone who has worked in management, I have seen first hand how job applicants can be googled and culled based on the results. Due to this, I have always been mindful of my digital footprint and the image I’ve displayed. As this particular PR course comes to a close, I will continue moving forward to further forge my reputation as a credible and knowledgeable professional, in any area I choose.

Thank you to Mike, Fae and David for sharing your industry knowledge with us!

Public Relations Blog – Week 12

WEEK 12: Campaigns, strategies, tactics and more

As the title suggests, this week we discussed the elements of analysing, preparing, implementing and reviewing PR campaigns. I’m afraid this particular blog entry will be a bit drier than my others because I wish to list the important information we obtained for future reference, as I’m sure I will be using it often in my professional and personal life.

The following acronyms were presented to us as tools to assist us in the above:

SOSTAC	PIE	RACE
Situation analysis	Planning	Research
Objectives	Implementation	Action
Strategy	Evaluation	Communication
Tactics		Evaluation
Action
Control

SMART	SWOT	PEST
Specific	Strengths	Political
Measurable	Weaknesses	Economical
Achievable	Opportunities	Social
Result orientated	Threats	Technological
Timeframe

In the tutorial we specifically spoke about Anti-Obesity campaigns and how we would go about analysing the issue itself, as well as our target audience. We came up with slogans such as “We don’t want to be fatter than Victoria, do we?”, and “South Australia; Fattest State in Fattest Country”.

Australian Anti-Obesity Campaign Examples:

Shape Up

Measure Up

National Obesity Awareness

Image from “swap It, Don’t Stop It” campaign (2011)

References:

Give Now, National Obesity Awareness Campaign, viewed 31 May 2014
<www.givenow.com.au/obesitypreventionaustralia>

Shape Up Australia, It’s Time to Shape Up, viewed 31 May 2014
<www.shapeup.gov.au>

Measure Up, About the Measure Up Campaign, viewed 31 May 2014
<www.measureup.gov.au>

Swap It Program, Swap It, Don’t Stop It, viewed 31 May 2014.
<www.swapitqld.org.au>

Gregory, A 2009, Public relations as planned communication, in Exploring Public Relations by Tench, R and Yeomans, L 2009 Pearson Education Limited 2nd edn.

Smith, RD 2005, Strategic Planning for Public Relations, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ, 2nd edn.

Smith, P, Berry, C, Pulford, A 1999, Strategic marketing communications: new ways to build and integrate communications, Kogan Page Limited

Public Relations Blog – Week 11

WEEK 11 – The Importance of Research in PR

In our tutorial we discussed how important research is to being successful in PR, and the potential consequences that can occur when one has not done enough research. The particular example we discussed in the tutorial was how PR professionals can work with a marketing team to collect data, which the PR professionals can then utilise to determine the best course of action that should be taken in a particular situation.

We discussed the topic of Generation Y workers and certain coverage in the media regarding Baby Boomers taking issue with the stereotypical “Gen Y work ethic”. We developed questions one may ask in a focus group, or via a survey, that would assist in determining what the consensus on a topic or issue may be.

Here is a rough example of what was discussed in the tutorial (please feel free to vote!)

Pubic Relations Blog Post – Week 10

Week 10 – New Media Management

This week we addressed the effect of online communities and the importance of contributing to these new medias, particularly social media and online blogging.

The most influential online community in Australian recent history has been the “March Australia” movement. With an extensive online presence that includes Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, this movement has been successful in communicating and organising a large and diverse area of our community in order to lead protests against the current government. Our country has not seen a movement of this magnitude in recent times and it seems to be growing in momentum and influence due to it’s prominent presence across social media and it’s ability to provide a forum to raise awareness quickly and effectively. I’ve linked their website (which includes links to all their social media profiles) and the Adelaide “March in May” Facebook event page below:

March Australia Website

March in May – Adelaide

Not only does it successfully utilise their online community, but has also gained enough momentum to be reported in print media, new bulletins and online news sources. There have been numerous articles and news reports regarding the “March in May” protests held all over Australia on May 18th, some of which I’ve linked below:

Sydney Morning Herald

SBS News

ABC News

A picture of myself and some friends participating in the Adelaide protest on May 18th

 

References:

Sydney Morning Herald, March in May Protests Swells on Budget Outrage, viewed 19 May 2014
<www.smh.com.au/nsw/march-in-may-protest-swells-on-budget-outrage-20140518-38hz3.html>

SBS News, Thousands Gather For March in May Rallies, viewed 18 May 2014
<www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/05/18/thousands-gather-march-may-rallies>

ABC News, March in May Rallies: Thousands Gather to Protest Against Federal Budget, viewed 18 May 2014
<www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-18/march-in-may-rallies-thousands-gather-to-protest-against-budget/5460482>

March Australia, March in May, viewed 14 May 2014
<www.MarchAustralia.com>

Public Relations Blog Post – Week 9

Week 9 – Media Management

This week we spoke about controlled and uncontrolled media, and the relationship between Public Relations and journalism.

In a controlled environment, when we are the ones releasing that information, we have the final say as to what information is being seen by the public and in what context it is presented. In an uncontrolled media environment a good relationship between an organisation and the media is paramount. This is because when we write and send out a press release, the receiving journalist then interprets that information and presents it to their readers in the style and context of their choosing.

As we can see from Tony Abbott’s relationship with Rupert Murdoch, the rapport between an organisation and the media can be highly beneficial for the parties involved. It can show a united front and consistency of information between the parties, which can be very appealing and persuasive to the audience it’s presented to. This was highly visible during the 2013 Federal Election;

References:

Words With Meaning, Australian Election 2013 Murdoch & Newscorp, viewed 9 May 2014
<www.wordswithmeaning.org>

Public Relations Blog Post – Week 8

WEEK 8 – The Media Agenda

This week we discussed the different types of media, what drives it, who owns it, and how audiences react to it in a passive or active fashion.

The thing that really struck me this week, though not something we discussed in-depth during the tutorial, is the utter dominance over Australian media by News Corp and Fairfax, with a combined total of 91% of Australian media owned by these two corporations. It’s something that I’ve been aware of for some time, especially during the 2013 Federal election when the Liberal party was constantly praised by Murdoch owned media outlets. This event (and those like it) have assisted in coining the phrase “we’re living in a Murdochracy” amongst some Australians. Urban Dictionary provides an excellent definition of this:

“The murder of democracy through misinformation – via Rupert Murdoch’s “news” outlets.
By framing the narrative through his tabloid and TV outlets in Australia, the US and UK, Rupert Murdoch manipulates the collective consensus, changing ostensibly democratically elected governments at will, to meet his commercial and political needs. Murdochracy is a hijacking of democracy by controlling, restricting and distorting the information on which people make decisions to vote.”

These displays of media power reinforce the importance of the media in communicating ideas and information to audiences. PR professionals have the chance to build trusting and mutually beneficial relationships with journalists so the messages and information from the organisations we represent may also be presented en masse to these audiences.

References:

Urban Dictionary, Murdochracy, viewed 01 May 2014
<www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Murdochracy>

ABC, Murdoch is but one player in the media junta, viewed 01 May 2014
<www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4105038.html>

Public Relations Blog Post – Week 7

WEEK 7 – Persuasion and Ethics

This week we addressed the art of persuasion and the concept of ethics when taking a persuasive approach. To be persuasive, one must understand who their target audience would trust and take seriously when speaking on behalf of an organisation. For example, a representative or spokesperson that presents PR information would need to be trustworthy, knowledgeable, and attractive for people to be persuaded to their line of thinking. There are also many different ways in which one can be persuasive. For example, the Australian government’s campaign regarding the health risks of smoking has been successful in lowering the number of people in Australia who smoke. They’ve done this by distributing information about the topic through health-care professionals and by providing statistics surrounding smoking vs health directly to the consumer. An example of this information in the form of an infographic on a cigarette pack is shown below:

I found the discussion in our tutorial regarding what constituted ethical work in the PR industry interesting, with questions such as “would you work PR for a tobacco company?” being presented to the group. The reaction of some students was of instant agreement, as long as the money was at a high enough level to compensate working in industries that some may call unethical. From there we discussed what we would need to consider before working for such organisations, with questions like, “Would we be OK promoting a product that gives people cancer?” and, “Would we find it difficult getting work for other organisations because they believed your past work to be unethical?” It really made me reflect on my own values and think about who I would be comfortable working with, and who I would never see myself supporting.

References:

The Department of Health, Set A health warnings – cigarette packs, viewed 11 April 2014
<www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/tobacco-warn-A>

Public Relations Blog Post – Week 6

WEEK 5: Community Engagement and the Third Sector

Community sectors and our relationships with them are paramount in Public Relations. Most importantly, I learnt that whether we’re gauging interest on a proposition, announcing industry-related news, or moving forward on a project within a community, we cannot do so smoothly and effectively without abiding by the following process:

1) Examine the demographic of the community (Gender balance? Multicultural? Socio-economic status?). From this we begin to gain insight in to the area and what we can do to address this particular target audience.

2) Look at the Virtual Community (Access to technology? Computer literate?) This can provide understanding on how to structure our information and how best to connect with this community.

3) Find out who we need to approach in order to gain the most sway/support within the community. Which community groups/leaders are prominent in the area? This could be the Mayor, political parties, and religious groups.

4) Community Consultation will help gauge community reaction and help get them on your side by providing a genuine way of giving the community a voice and feeling of involvement.

5) For our own needs, we must think in theory terms. What does the community have that we need? Do we need their approval to operate? Do we need locals to fill job positions?

6) Social License to operate. We operate within the community, but the community needs to accept it. We need to strive for a win-win situation by engaging with and working with communities.

7) How can we add to the social capital of that community? Supply jobs? Education (Indigenous scholarships)?

8) Strive for sustainable development. If we mine something then remediate the site when we’re done, provide equal opportunity in the workforce, and basically try to enrich the community instead of making it worse.

References:

Johnston, J. and Sheehan, M. 2014. Public relations. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. p 259-270

 

 

Public Relations Blog Post – Week 5

WEEK FOUR: Rhetoric, Language & Discourse

This weeks content revolved around the use of rhetorical theory, discourse and language. As someone who takes great pleasure in the English language and the deluge of meanings a single sentence can conjure this really struck a chord with me. By recognising that the media (in this particular context) uses language and semiotics to connect with, persuade and inform their audience, we are then able to break down individual pieces of information (articles, opinion columns, news reports) in to their ethos, pathos and logos elements. By doing so we can examine the credibility of the authors’/presenters’ sources, the emotion they are aiming to incite in their audience, and the logic they’ve used to justify their position. From there, we can make an informed and educated decision on what is being presented. On the other hand, we learned that the way we use these devices in our own work can swing our audience towards or away from the information we are presenting and, as such, we must always be aware of how we use language and the art of persuasion.

Dr Schultz’s lecture on the power of language reiterated that we come across the above not only in the media, but in our day-to-day lives as part of our culture. The part I found particularly fascinating was the use of fear discourse in the presentation of information to mass audiences. The power of words such as “illegal immigrants”, “obesity epidemic”, and “dole bludgers” that we see in the media on an almost daily basis have the power to shape public opinion through the use of the negative imagery these commonly used phrases evoke in our society. As these words have the power to persuade public opinion, it means they also have the power to ostracise and condemn members of our society. This was most apparent in the recent coverage of the “March in March”, with numerous articles depicting the activists as unemployed, uneducated, left wing extremists. Media Watch presented an interesting break down on this reporting style used in the March in March coverage, which I have linked to below:

http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s3970592.htm

 

References:

Johnston, J. and Sheehan, M. 2014. Public relations. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. p 405

Public Relations Blog Post – Week 4

WEEK ONE:

In week one we were explored the definition of Public Relations (PR), which is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation (or individual) and its (or their) publics. It’s the key to effective communication in all sectors of business, government, academic and not-for-profit (PRIA, 2013). It is important to note that PR is not propaganda, marketing, journalism or advertising, though it may overlap with them from time to time.

Since George Fitzpatrick, arguably the first Australian to officially work in the Public Relations field, was a registered practitioner in “public persuasion, propaganda, publicity” in the 1930’s (Macnamara & Crawford, 2010, p.3), there have been substantial political, social and technological changes that have given audiences the opportunity to pick and choose information they are exposed to and the method through which it is consumed.

WEEK TWO:

In week two we learnt more about PR theory. We were introduced to Sison’s ladder, with each rung outlining a different theory;

1st rung: Systems theory – How organisations are structured

“A system is defined as a set of interacting units that endures through time with an established boundary” (Cutlip et al 2000:229).

It is important to maintain balance between the organisation (system) and it’s environment to ensure a smooth cycle of information and feedback (seen below). It is also imperative to discern the workings of the organisations represented to properly convey their information and messages to the target audiences effectively, while also keeping the organisations overall company goals in mind.

2nd rung: Communication theories – How people communicate

This rung deals with: how we (the sender) encode our messages; how our messages are decoded and received; and allowing for responses and feedback from the receiver to the sender.

We must be mindful of this model when constructing our message(s), always taking in to account who our audience is (eg: CEO, consumer, employee).

3rd rung: Public Relations Theory – Frameworks for the PR role

Contained in this rung is Grunig’s Excellence Theory, outlining how public relations can make a positive difference within an organisation when PR is understood, embraced and valued by the organisation. It also ascertains that a two-way symmetrical model of communication be maintained for an organisation to be successful, as it encourages feedback from the audience. This allows us to adapt and change as needed, to avoid being out-of-date, obsolete and uncompetitive.

4th rung: Rhetorical and Critical Perspectives

The use of critical perspective in PR relates to the ethical presentation of information, taking in to account the implications of our message or actions. This is used in correlation with the rhetorical perspective, which outlines the art of communication and persuasion. The combination of the rhetorical and critical perspectives ensures that a PR individual can use creativity and style to get their information across, but is also aware that the information is not misleading.

WEEK 3:

In week 3 we explored the definitions of Publics, Sectors and Lobbying. We ascertained that PR develops and maintains the relationship between the sectors and their publics. We also discussed that part of PR may be to lobby the government on behalf of the private or not-for-profit sectors.

Publics:

A public is a group of people with a common interest, attitude or ideal towards a particular situation. This is slightly different from a stakeholder, who is a person with a vested interest in an organisation, or in an issue pertaining to an organisation. They are literally someone who holds a stake in that organisation or issue.

Publics can be:

A latent public: One that is not across current issues and therefore; does not know what current events or an organisations activities may be affecting them.

An aware public: Has knowledge of the issues, but takes no action to do anything to change them.

An active public: Effected by and aware of issues that need to be rectified and as such, are driven to fix these issues or make an impact on the issue itself.

Publics can also be broken down to their relationship to an organisation, such as:

• Primary: Very important, their opinions and actions can effect an organisation or their goals directly.
• Secondary: Still important, but their opinions and actions will have minimal effect on an organisation and their goals
• Internal and External: This relates to anyone who operates inside or outside of the organisation.
• Employees: As stated in Grunig’s Model of Excellence, empowered employees are an important element of success.
• Media: Very important as they hold the communicative gateway to the greater public.
• Government: Local, State and Federal. You must always be aware the level you’re dealing with.
• Investors: The individual shareholders
• Consumers: General public and consumers of organisations goods/services

Sectors:

Private sectors are organisations that are owned and operated by an individual, partnership or a corporation and not by local, state or federal government, although public relations role in the private sector can include the lobbying of government departments.

Public sectors are those owned and operated by the government at either a local, state or federal level, such as public healthcare and public education. Public relations in this sector can be referred to as ‘Public Affairs’ and may include roles such as Public Advisor or Campaign Manager.

Not-for-profit sectors are Non-Government-Organisations that do not operate for the profit of their members, but work together for a cause or ideology. This can include organisations such as the RSPCA. PR people can work towards many different outcomes in this sector, from securing relationships with key stakeholders, to Event Management.

Lobbying:

Defined by Doorley and Garcia (2006, p161) as, “the practice of advocating ones policy position to government officials with the hopes of influencing legislation, regulation or other government action”. This means anyone from a large organisation to a grassroots operation has the chance to change a situation or issue through lobbying and in doing so, would be considered part of the active public, mentioned earlier.

References:

Public Relations Institute of Australia 2013, About Public Relations, viewed 5 March 2014 <www.pria.com.au/aboutus/what-is-public-relations>

Macnamara, J & Crawford, R 2010, Reconceptualising public relations in Australia: A historical and social re-analysis, p.3, viewed 13 March 2014 <www.academia.edu/830348/Reconceputalising_PR_A_Revised_History_of_PR_in_Australia>

Grunig, J. E. 2009, Excellence in public relations and communication management, p. 1-28

Heath, R. L. & Coombs W. T. 2006, Usefulness of Theory, p.197-201

Mackey, S, 2009, Better use of rhetorical theory in public relations, in CIPR 2009 : Stirling 21 : CIPR Academic Conference : The Public Relations Professional Project, p. 1-36.

Grunig, J. E. 2005. Situational Theory of Publics, in RL Health (ed), Encyclopaedia of Public Relations, Vol 2. Thousand Oaks, CA Sage, p. 778-780