Public Relations
... is the management function that IDENTIFIES, ESTABLISHES, and MAINTAINS mutually beneficial relationships between and organization and its publics 4. My favorite- PR is the communication process of building Relationships and influencing behavior The purposes of PR: Outcomes of communication on 3 levels 1.Change/Impact in knowledge *making people more knowledgeable, aware 2.Change/Impact in attitude *becoming advocates, even through factual, objective, accurate release of information 3.Change/Impact in behavior *difficult to measure this non-linear, complex impact. Other factors are involved. Ultimate goal of PR Cognitive Keys to Writing Well PR practitioners/writers must have a broad and current awareness of the political, technological, and economic environment in which they work You must be able to make a realistic assessment of the extent which communication can contribute to behavioral outcomes MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS is what builds PR You are “orchestrating a conversation” between your organization or cause and your key publics Four Historical PR Models 1. Press agentry or publicity – The P.T. Barnum practice 2. Public Information - Based on gov./public affairs practice 3. Two Way Asymmetrical - To persuade publics to support your position 4. Two Way Symmetrical - Public input, involvement and opinion is critical in an ongoing discourse PR as a Management Function An ability to think critically about your client/organization’s relationship YOUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE A “BOUNDARY SPANNING”(being aware of issues surrounding you) ROLE TO UNDERSTAND ATTITUDES, OPINIONS, AND VALUES OF PUBLICS Proactively addressing potential crises through issue identification and monitoring Tensions and Turf in PR Tensions between communicating messages via media that you may not control (mass media, rumor mill. Etc) Turf battle over where PR is placed within the organizational chart Turf battle between academics and professionals Turf battle among PR, ADV, MARCOM Research and Planning Two major PR responsibilities 1. Research 2. Planning Management skills needed to implement PR program. Must manage publics, client, media, budget, etc RACE Model (Research, Action, Communications, Evaluation) ROPE Model (Research, Objectives, Program/Plan, Evaluation) PR Writing Style Vocabulary-Know your audiences language Use language you have mastered Remember active, not passive voice Grammar and sentence structure must be sound Simple, shorter sentence length help Vary sentence length, mix quotes, remember rhythm, and pace Edit wordy to concise Edit for appropriate writing style Edit for accuracy Edit for spelling, grammar, readability, understanding, and creativity Edit for utility (does your writer serve a purpose, meet an objective?) Resea...