I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that even though an event or public relations plan may look simple to those who view it from the outside there is actually a large amount of work that goes into each sector of its composition. One of the most important aspects of a public relations practitioners career, and possibly the most time consuming is that of research and evaluation. Research must be carried out at all section of the planning in order to be successful and have a basis of knowledge on what you are trying to achieve. As Singh and Glenny state in their chapter on research and evaluation,
“Research is an essential task within public relations, used to identify the requirement for a communication program, to assist in establishing that program, to check progress and to evaluate the effectiveness.” (Singh & Glenny cites in Johnston and Zawawi, 2004, p138)
Also, it is important to remember that when the event, campaign or set objectives have finished the research does not stop there, but that an extensive amount of evaluation and monitoring follows. This may be in the form of surveys, interviews or audits.The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that the section that a client or the general public sees is only a small portion of the work that it takes to be successful. It is also made me aware that this is an ongoing process which needs to be treated meticulously.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
week 10
Week 10
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that when putting together a public relations plan it is important to define your strategic approach to the task at hand. When considering strategy in regards to public relations many people often confuse strategy with tactics and vice versa. As Hudson asserts in chapter 8,
“Students often use the terms ‘strategy’ and ‘tactics’ interchangeably; however while the two are inextricably linked, it is important to understand the differences and how they fit together” (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004, 198)
This is defined by Allert and Zawawi in chapter 7,
“Strategy is not a series of campaign steps or tactics. It is the underlying rationale that guides the selection of these tactics or stages” (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004, p171)
Though it important to remember that even with a cohesive and well planned strategy for a company it is evident that without the support of the dominant coalition, or the main decision makers, the strategy is unlikely to succeed and may ultimately fail. It was stated in chapter 7 or the readings that the most successful public relations practitioners have a direct link to the person in charge of the company and that when decisions are made for the company they are made in correlation with the public relations officer. Thus when putting together your plan it is important to have a fluid relationship with your dominant coalition as this will consequently aid in your success.
The rest of chapter 7 goes on to explain how to structurally put together a public relations plan including what to consider when budgeting and scheduling.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that when deciding which tactic to use in regards to the strategy the practitioner must think about which one is most appropriate for the target audience whilst also taking into consideration the expenses that may incur. It is important to know that not all tactics have to be used when completing the public relations plan as this may lead to overkill and be detrimental to your overall success. Each tactic seeks to serve a different purpose and may be used at different stages throughout the public relations depending on its necessity.
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that when putting together a public relations plan it is important to define your strategic approach to the task at hand. When considering strategy in regards to public relations many people often confuse strategy with tactics and vice versa. As Hudson asserts in chapter 8,
“Students often use the terms ‘strategy’ and ‘tactics’ interchangeably; however while the two are inextricably linked, it is important to understand the differences and how they fit together” (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004, 198)
This is defined by Allert and Zawawi in chapter 7,
“Strategy is not a series of campaign steps or tactics. It is the underlying rationale that guides the selection of these tactics or stages” (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004, p171)
Though it important to remember that even with a cohesive and well planned strategy for a company it is evident that without the support of the dominant coalition, or the main decision makers, the strategy is unlikely to succeed and may ultimately fail. It was stated in chapter 7 or the readings that the most successful public relations practitioners have a direct link to the person in charge of the company and that when decisions are made for the company they are made in correlation with the public relations officer. Thus when putting together your plan it is important to have a fluid relationship with your dominant coalition as this will consequently aid in your success.
The rest of chapter 7 goes on to explain how to structurally put together a public relations plan including what to consider when budgeting and scheduling.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that when deciding which tactic to use in regards to the strategy the practitioner must think about which one is most appropriate for the target audience whilst also taking into consideration the expenses that may incur. It is important to know that not all tactics have to be used when completing the public relations plan as this may lead to overkill and be detrimental to your overall success. Each tactic seeks to serve a different purpose and may be used at different stages throughout the public relations depending on its necessity.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Week 9
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were preparation either in regards to considering sponsorship for an organization, individual or event, or preparation in regards to planning an event is integral in order to have success and succeed in a public relations career. As the author of this chapter, Susan Boyd states,
“There is no doubt that a well-managed event can turn a public relations professional into the star of an organization- at least temporarily. Poorly managed events, on the other hand, can have disastrous career results.”
Hence, it is very important to be conscious that the way you handle a task can ultimately effect how you may be perceived as a practitioner.
When considering sponsorship for an organization, individual or event it is important that the sponsoring organization is suitable and that ultimately the partnership will benefit both parties. To make an informed decision about who to chose for sponsorship a public relations practitioner should do sufficient research about the company and address ways in which the public may view the partnership.
I found it interesting that these two important areas in public relations are coupled together in one chapter and not dedicated two separate chapters, but I guess I realised that in relation to planning an event, it is difficult if not impossible to organise one without any sponsorship involvement. For when planning a successful event you need to have an expendable budget sufficient enough to cover any last minute crises. Thus when planning an event it is important to consider all the things that may go wrong and plan resolutions for these problems if needed to use at the last minute.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that there is a lot of background tasks that need to be done when planning an event that many people do not even see or acknowledge when considering your job. You need to always be switched on and a good problem solver whilst juggling multiple responsibilities with sometimes limited resources or limited staff.
“There is no doubt that a well-managed event can turn a public relations professional into the star of an organization- at least temporarily. Poorly managed events, on the other hand, can have disastrous career results.”
Hence, it is very important to be conscious that the way you handle a task can ultimately effect how you may be perceived as a practitioner.
When considering sponsorship for an organization, individual or event it is important that the sponsoring organization is suitable and that ultimately the partnership will benefit both parties. To make an informed decision about who to chose for sponsorship a public relations practitioner should do sufficient research about the company and address ways in which the public may view the partnership.
I found it interesting that these two important areas in public relations are coupled together in one chapter and not dedicated two separate chapters, but I guess I realised that in relation to planning an event, it is difficult if not impossible to organise one without any sponsorship involvement. For when planning a successful event you need to have an expendable budget sufficient enough to cover any last minute crises. Thus when planning an event it is important to consider all the things that may go wrong and plan resolutions for these problems if needed to use at the last minute.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that there is a lot of background tasks that need to be done when planning an event that many people do not even see or acknowledge when considering your job. You need to always be switched on and a good problem solver whilst juggling multiple responsibilities with sometimes limited resources or limited staff.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Week 8
I think the important points to remember from this week's readings were that good writing skills in public relations is an invaluable asset when entering the workforce as a graduate, and also throughout your career. As tench says in the Wise reading,
“Writing is one of the foundations of a successful public relations practitioner and the ability to communicate messages clearly and concisely is one of their differentiating skills.”
This statement is regarding who is chosen for first year graduate positions in the public relations field. Thus the ability to deliver this is something we as undergrads should hope to obtain by the completion of our degree. Overall I think these readings are trying to get us to understand that as public relations practitioners our jobs are to publicise and control the information dispersed about an company, so it is imperative that we present insightful, informative and interesting documents for the journalists, for without their assistance we would be out of a job. Thus framing is very important. Knowing how to frame a piece for a certain audience will ultimately aid in getting your information getting printed. Also knowing what format to distribute information, for example by web or by printed medium will also effect whether a journalist will use it or discard it. Though this skill, of knowing how to deliver the information is highly personal as Sallot and Johnson state,
“It is obvious that journalists’ preferences are highly individualistic.”
This is where relationship building skills will help you have the knowledge of what to send to what journalist.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that while I chose to do public relations instead of journalism because I thought there would be less writing involved and that the writing would not expected to be of such a high level. In fact the effort and thought put into writing for public relations may be more in depth than journalism, because with every piece of information we disperse we need to be pushing for it to get published over the other information which may be just as important as our own.
“Writing is one of the foundations of a successful public relations practitioner and the ability to communicate messages clearly and concisely is one of their differentiating skills.”
This statement is regarding who is chosen for first year graduate positions in the public relations field. Thus the ability to deliver this is something we as undergrads should hope to obtain by the completion of our degree. Overall I think these readings are trying to get us to understand that as public relations practitioners our jobs are to publicise and control the information dispersed about an company, so it is imperative that we present insightful, informative and interesting documents for the journalists, for without their assistance we would be out of a job. Thus framing is very important. Knowing how to frame a piece for a certain audience will ultimately aid in getting your information getting printed. Also knowing what format to distribute information, for example by web or by printed medium will also effect whether a journalist will use it or discard it. Though this skill, of knowing how to deliver the information is highly personal as Sallot and Johnson state,
“It is obvious that journalists’ preferences are highly individualistic.”
This is where relationship building skills will help you have the knowledge of what to send to what journalist.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that while I chose to do public relations instead of journalism because I thought there would be less writing involved and that the writing would not expected to be of such a high level. In fact the effort and thought put into writing for public relations may be more in depth than journalism, because with every piece of information we disperse we need to be pushing for it to get published over the other information which may be just as important as our own.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Week 7
Week 7
I think the important points to remember from this week's readings were that when publicising a campaign or event or a client it is integral to have a consistent relationship with media outlets. As Johnston states in this weeks reading,
“At any level, dealing with the media is an integral part of much public relations activity, and its impact should never be under-estimated.” (p260)
Because if a public relations practitioner under-estimates the power of the media they may ultimately destroy what they set out to achieve by disregarding important outlets for publicity. In Australia the media is condensed into three media monopolies, Fairfax, Murdoch and Packer. Thus when considering promoting nationally, influential media contacts in these three monopolies will drastically enhance your opportunities for reaching a wider audience and thus aid in your promotion. Though, in the current technological climate it has become more and more frequent that public relation practitioners are looking to reach niche audiences, and thus target the promotion at a certain demographic.
When sending out information to media outlets it is important to present the material in a manner that will make it easy for the journalist to include it in their publication. Thus when sending media releases and media kits public relation practitioners must be considerate of the type of publication and what will grab the journalists’ attention. For example, sending a printed media release to a television station with no attached pictures or video will significantly diminish the chances of being aired because the television is a visual medium and basic text is not interesting enough in most cases.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that these days the options for presenting information and promoting a campaign or event are endless, hence finding the right way to reach your audience is hence becoming an important public relations skill.
Also they made me think about how public relations practice is very much about the management of relationships and the maintenance that is involved with keeping a consistent relationship with important media journalists and publications. After all, the good reputation of a public relations practitioner is hard to rebuild after it has been tainted by betrayal.
I think the important points to remember from this week's readings were that when publicising a campaign or event or a client it is integral to have a consistent relationship with media outlets. As Johnston states in this weeks reading,
“At any level, dealing with the media is an integral part of much public relations activity, and its impact should never be under-estimated.” (p260)
Because if a public relations practitioner under-estimates the power of the media they may ultimately destroy what they set out to achieve by disregarding important outlets for publicity. In Australia the media is condensed into three media monopolies, Fairfax, Murdoch and Packer. Thus when considering promoting nationally, influential media contacts in these three monopolies will drastically enhance your opportunities for reaching a wider audience and thus aid in your promotion. Though, in the current technological climate it has become more and more frequent that public relation practitioners are looking to reach niche audiences, and thus target the promotion at a certain demographic.
When sending out information to media outlets it is important to present the material in a manner that will make it easy for the journalist to include it in their publication. Thus when sending media releases and media kits public relation practitioners must be considerate of the type of publication and what will grab the journalists’ attention. For example, sending a printed media release to a television station with no attached pictures or video will significantly diminish the chances of being aired because the television is a visual medium and basic text is not interesting enough in most cases.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that these days the options for presenting information and promoting a campaign or event are endless, hence finding the right way to reach your audience is hence becoming an important public relations skill.
Also they made me think about how public relations practice is very much about the management of relationships and the maintenance that is involved with keeping a consistent relationship with important media journalists and publications. After all, the good reputation of a public relations practitioner is hard to rebuild after it has been tainted by betrayal.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Week 6
Week 6
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that when representing a client or company it is important to be well informed about the legal processes and laws. This should either be through consultation with lawyers or through a thorough knowledge of legal documents. Somewhat like all media officers, public relation practitioners have to be considerate of what they say and do. I found that this weeks readings have concisely summarised what second year students will learn in the second year course media law and ethics, but is directed more so at public relations.
Chapter 4 in Johnston and Zawawi (2004) deals with defamation law and how even the slightest reference to a person or company in bad light may ultimately taint a professional or personal reputation. Other aspects of the law which may also affect public relations practice are property laws and contract laws.
In Johnston & Zawawi (2004), Clark, Cho and Hoyle (2000, 240) state that knowledge of intellectual property law has become “a prerequisite for anyone doing business in what has become known as the information age”. Whereas, Johnston and Zawawi (2004) also stress the validity of contract laws in the public relations sector due to the large clientele and growing state of the market.
Chapter 5, highlights the importance of ethical practice in the public relations industry and how taking the ethical and moral high ground can benefit your company and your career. In the changing technological climate it is hard to find truth within the loads of information which we are bombarded with every day. This chapter stresses that public relations practitioners need to balance being able to provide a positive view of a company or client, with their wider social responsibility of providing its publics with truthful information.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that they offered us as students the legal background of what we have to be considerate of when we go out into the workforce. They outline that there is legal and ethical implications for improper practice and that the ramifications for disregarding these laws are detrimental to your career and for your client. These laws also try and dispel the common perception that as pr people we are ‘spin doctors’, by demonstrating what we as practitioners legally and ethically are bound to.
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that when representing a client or company it is important to be well informed about the legal processes and laws. This should either be through consultation with lawyers or through a thorough knowledge of legal documents. Somewhat like all media officers, public relation practitioners have to be considerate of what they say and do. I found that this weeks readings have concisely summarised what second year students will learn in the second year course media law and ethics, but is directed more so at public relations.
Chapter 4 in Johnston and Zawawi (2004) deals with defamation law and how even the slightest reference to a person or company in bad light may ultimately taint a professional or personal reputation. Other aspects of the law which may also affect public relations practice are property laws and contract laws.
In Johnston & Zawawi (2004), Clark, Cho and Hoyle (2000, 240) state that knowledge of intellectual property law has become “a prerequisite for anyone doing business in what has become known as the information age”. Whereas, Johnston and Zawawi (2004) also stress the validity of contract laws in the public relations sector due to the large clientele and growing state of the market.
Chapter 5, highlights the importance of ethical practice in the public relations industry and how taking the ethical and moral high ground can benefit your company and your career. In the changing technological climate it is hard to find truth within the loads of information which we are bombarded with every day. This chapter stresses that public relations practitioners need to balance being able to provide a positive view of a company or client, with their wider social responsibility of providing its publics with truthful information.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that they offered us as students the legal background of what we have to be considerate of when we go out into the workforce. They outline that there is legal and ethical implications for improper practice and that the ramifications for disregarding these laws are detrimental to your career and for your client. These laws also try and dispel the common perception that as pr people we are ‘spin doctors’, by demonstrating what we as practitioners legally and ethically are bound to.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Week 5
I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were that in similarity to a business plan, the purpose of a public relations plan is to bring direction and strategy to a company or particular event or campaign. It is also important to note that a public relations plan does not finish at the end of an event or completion of a company objective, but that there is a considerable amount of evaluation and monitoring that needs to be undertaken after in order to ascertain its level of success.
In both the Johnston & Zawawi reading and the Tymson and Lazar reading it is evident that the formulation of a strategic plan for any task in public relations could dramatically assist in the smooth running and successfulness of a company directive. Though it is inherently important to have the dominant coalition of the company on-board on all decisions made in regards to public relations as Allert and Zawawi state that, “you are only likely to be as good as a public relations practitioner as your CEO will allow you to be” (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004, 171). Hence, maintaining a good relationship with the senior managerial staff of your company or clientele is integral to the successful procedure of a public relations plan.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that they set out strategically how to put together a public relations plan in a simple format which will be easy for us as students to implement into our own public relations work. The readings made it clear that though there are little differences in the formulation of a public relations plan most follow a chronological progression of;
determining the objectives,
defining the publics and targets,
formulating tactics and strategies,
implementation of tactics and strategies,
and finally monitoring and evaluation.
These steps then can be formally arranged into a hard copy public relations plan which covers all aspects of the plan in greater detail and under specific headings.
In both the Johnston & Zawawi reading and the Tymson and Lazar reading it is evident that the formulation of a strategic plan for any task in public relations could dramatically assist in the smooth running and successfulness of a company directive. Though it is inherently important to have the dominant coalition of the company on-board on all decisions made in regards to public relations as Allert and Zawawi state that, “you are only likely to be as good as a public relations practitioner as your CEO will allow you to be” (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004, 171). Hence, maintaining a good relationship with the senior managerial staff of your company or clientele is integral to the successful procedure of a public relations plan.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that they set out strategically how to put together a public relations plan in a simple format which will be easy for us as students to implement into our own public relations work. The readings made it clear that though there are little differences in the formulation of a public relations plan most follow a chronological progression of;
determining the objectives,
defining the publics and targets,
formulating tactics and strategies,
implementation of tactics and strategies,
and finally monitoring and evaluation.
These steps then can be formally arranged into a hard copy public relations plan which covers all aspects of the plan in greater detail and under specific headings.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Week 4
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that in order to have a successful and profitable business it is important to monitor how well the internal communications of a company is ensuing that they meet their overall objectives. Within this it is important to understand that not all employees like to be contacted about different information in the same way, but that a varied approach to internal communication has been seen to perform better in performance and communication audits. Since public relations practice is relatively new it is difficult to ascertain which is the best way to deal with internal communication and this is evident through vastly different research findings on the area.
In ‘Insider info’, in the Melanie James reading, it was interesting to see how many professionals stated in the “Can you tell us something about your working environment?” that team work and close internal communications were integral to the successful running of the company. Thus it is important for both the happiness of employees and the functionality of the company to have fluid and productive two way internal communication strategies that deal with day-to-day information processing.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that they outlined ways in which internal communication with employees can be improved and implemented into the workplace. The readings also inferred that if there isn’t a communications consultant working in-house it may be important to employ one from a consultancy in order to analyse and implement strategies that may improve internal communications and promote a better working place.
In ‘Insider info’, in the Melanie James reading, it was interesting to see how many professionals stated in the “Can you tell us something about your working environment?” that team work and close internal communications were integral to the successful running of the company. Thus it is important for both the happiness of employees and the functionality of the company to have fluid and productive two way internal communication strategies that deal with day-to-day information processing.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that they outlined ways in which internal communication with employees can be improved and implemented into the workplace. The readings also inferred that if there isn’t a communications consultant working in-house it may be important to employ one from a consultancy in order to analyse and implement strategies that may improve internal communications and promote a better working place.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
week 3
I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were that study of the field of public relations is dealt with through a variety of different disciplines which as a result ultimately provides students and practitioners alike with often conflicting views of its purpose and conceptualisation within society.
It is apparent in both the readings that the most favoured approach to current public relations theory is that of Grunig and Hunt (1984), which builds on Edward Bernays media effects theory. This approach sets out the progression which public relations has made throughout its conceptual development and outlines where public relations practice is positioned today.
Regardless of the disciplinary approach to public relations theory some key themes emerged, such as the power to influence of media effects, the maintenance of relationships and the ever changing role of the public relations practitioner.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that it is much more than just saying a few nice things about a company but that in practice public relations has a bigger impact on social conceptions and structures and that any decision made whilst in the profession must be made considering the bigger picture and the possible effects that may result due to that decision.
It is apparent in both the readings that the most favoured approach to current public relations theory is that of Grunig and Hunt (1984), which builds on Edward Bernays media effects theory. This approach sets out the progression which public relations has made throughout its conceptual development and outlines where public relations practice is positioned today.
Regardless of the disciplinary approach to public relations theory some key themes emerged, such as the power to influence of media effects, the maintenance of relationships and the ever changing role of the public relations practitioner.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that it is much more than just saying a few nice things about a company but that in practice public relations has a bigger impact on social conceptions and structures and that any decision made whilst in the profession must be made considering the bigger picture and the possible effects that may result due to that decision.
Monday, July 23, 2007
week 2
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings are that it is important to understand that Public Relations as a profession is a multifaceted and often demanding career which requires a broad range of skills in order to be successful and an enjoyable career.
Also, I think it is important to remember that in Australia the field of public relations is relatively new and that the academic study on the profession is even more recently been established and is hence still developing its theoretical framework. As a result the boundaries of the occupation are still unclear and often confusing to many university students studying public relations.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that as a female I have a statistically better chance of pursuing and succeeding in public relations as a practitioner due to the preconceived notions of the public relations practitioner as a female ‘suited’ occupation or the assumption that “women being a ‘better buy’ than male employees” (Johnson & Zawawi, 2004, 17).
The readings also made me consider what speciality I would like to pursue within the field of public relations and whether I would like to work in either the public or private.
Also, I think it is important to remember that in Australia the field of public relations is relatively new and that the academic study on the profession is even more recently been established and is hence still developing its theoretical framework. As a result the boundaries of the occupation are still unclear and often confusing to many university students studying public relations.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that as a female I have a statistically better chance of pursuing and succeeding in public relations as a practitioner due to the preconceived notions of the public relations practitioner as a female ‘suited’ occupation or the assumption that “women being a ‘better buy’ than male employees” (Johnson & Zawawi, 2004, 17).
The readings also made me consider what speciality I would like to pursue within the field of public relations and whether I would like to work in either the public or private.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Week 1
hi, my name is Rebecca Rabe. I have not as yet read the readings for this week and have planned to do this this afternoon. I am looking forward to learning more about public relations practice as I see the industry as an area that i can utilise my talents in talking and meeting new people as an asset to a profitable and enjoyable career. I find Public Relations as a profession entails the development and implementation of strategies for a specific company or client in the management of public and private image which often includes crisis management and public promotion (often viewed as propaganda by the arch nemesises journalists- the apparent polar opposites to PR practitioners). I will later put in the required readings for this week using the two sentences outlined in the blackboard outcomes for this assignment.
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