The public relations field, as highlighted by Sriramesh and Vercic (2009), is unmistakably multicultural and multinational as it entails “strategic communication… with relevant publics, many of whom are increasingly becoming culturally diverse” and international. Despite this, scholars have debated whether public relations practice is, as Tayeb (1988) had coined, “culture-free” or “culture-specific”. Hickson, Hinings, McMillan, and Schwitter (1974), who supported the former, asserted that the attributes of organisations, such as its structure, and their circumstantial elements are stable across societies. On the flipside, Hofstede (1991) and Tayeb (1988) disputed the culture-free approach by arguing that people are acculturated in various ways, “which makes each individual a unique personality” (Sriramesh and Vercic 2009).
In discussing the connection between culture and public relations, drawing a distinction between ‘organisational culture’ (Sriramesh, Grunig and Buffington 1992) and ‘societal culture’ (Sriramesh and White 1992) is in order as public relations professionals engage with
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Curtin and Gaither (2005) expounded that public relations practitioners embody their role as ‘cultural intermediaries’ by creating and reinterpreting meanings in the communicative processes of representation, regulation, symbolisation, identity formation and consumption. Under these circumstances, public relations can be comprehended as a cultural practice that contributes to the construction of social reality in a particular society (Banks 1995) through the use of “narratives, imageries and rhetorical frameworks” (Erni 2007, 5-6). Through these activities, public relations promote new and deeper understandings of existing and emerging cultures in various
Newsom, D., Turk, J., & Kruckeberg, D. (2013). This Is PR: The Realities of Public Relations
In an audit conducted with the global athletic apparel brand, Lululemon, it was found that multiple public relations theories could be applied to its communications with both internal and external publics. Two prominent theories found through analysis of the crises dealt with by the company were the agenda setting theory and the semiotics theory. As Lululemon has faced crisis in the media on multiple occasions, these theories suggest which public relations techniques worked, and alternatively which didn’t. According to Mackay (2009, p. 466), Agenda setting theory suggests that the media has the ability to influence the public’s way of thinking through the topics that are covered.
We now live in a liberal democracy were public opinion influences political action. So as public opinion has sustained an influential presence within politics we have now seen the emergence of public relations within politics. According to Moloney public relations is “the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning the understanding, support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain good will and mutual understanding between organisations and its publics” (Moloney, 2:2006). In relation to politics public relations is about maintaining a positive relationship with the public. Public relations main concern in relation to politics would be the reputation and image...
Being able to speak across multiple platforms while creating a standard PR plan is the solution for 2043. Understanding a variety of publics is important now and will be even more important in the future. To understand your target audience better, you should know their current attitudes, opinions as well as interests. On the basis of this information, public relation practitioners should formulate public relations campaign in such a way that it caters to the need attitudes of its publics ("Public relations essentials-understanding," 2009). However, when there is no longer a majori...
What is a culture? Culture is anything consisting of a group and system. For example, culture consists of art, literature, humans, history, religion, and so on. There are many various cultures placed worldwide here on Earth. Not every culture is the same. Some cultures today still hunt and gather food like their ancestors before them. Some cultures today are more industrial and focus on progress through the world. Culture has shaped individual groups into what they are and become in the world. Although there are different ways in which culture can shape certain groups, there are a few factors that remain the same.
Public relations practitioners are often described as an organization’s voice, positioning messages in the media to ensure the organization is perceived as beneficial, relevant, and credible. According to Zoch and Molleda (2006), this role is defined as “media relations” and is a pivotal aspect of the public relations profession. Two theoretical frameworks, agenda setting and framing are at the core of effective media engagement. Agenda setting is the process determining which social issues dominate public discourse, and framing is the way each issue is presented to the public (Dearing & Rogers, 1996; Hallahan, 1999). First, public relations practitioners use agenda setting to garner media coverage for its organization and its stakeholders
The discipline of public relations is a modern profession which has been in existence for only close to a century; however, it has already taken an important role in the fields of business, government, entertainment and non-profit organizations including educational institutions and healthcare organizations. Public relations professionals are required to have excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills and have the ability to persuade the public. It is imperative for PR professionals to effectively communicate with its public in order to establish and maintain a positive relationship. Furthermore, public relations professionals must have the ability to work under pressure and effectively manage crisis which may have detrimental effect on the company and the public it serves. State purpose of paper and an overview of what will be covered in the introduction
This relationship has been the most recent relationship since high school. The influence of culture has broader my relationship and has given me the impact of having an intimate relationship. Laricia and I was influence by the culture from our friends, Ex-lovers, and college surroundings. The impact of influences of culture has made a significant push in our relationship. The influence of culture is when a culture shapes the influences of their surroundings. Influences had an effect on our relationship and influence us to be together forever. We meet in a college nightclub in Norfolk, Virginia near Norfolk State University. The music was playing and the vibe was at a high. The sex ratio was high as well for men in the club. There was plenty
We are currently in an era where the profession of public relations is widely viewed as being “spin doctors” and hype can often eclipse reality. Most individuals see public relations as people who manipulate the public mind, rather than tell the truth. We are often accused of distorting reality, propaganda and withholding information. With these circumstances, you could have thought that “ethical public relations” was an oxymoron. Although not everyone is in tune with today’s public relation’s world, it is critical to assert a practitioners' beliefs of ethics in the practice of public relations. Being an ethical public relations practitioner is fundamental, especially when it is your duty to build trust and enhance stakeholders’ reputations.
It is increasingly clear that media and culture today are of central importance to the maintenance and reproduction of contemporary societies. Cultures expose society to different personalities, provide models, which display various forms of societal life and cultivate various ways to introduce people into dominant forms of thought and action. These are the types of activities integrate people into society and create our public sphere. Media and technology surround our society; engrained into the fabric of our existence so much so, that it has become hard to find an aspect of life not influenced by its effects. For this reason, media controllers, wield extreme power and influence over the lives of everyday people. Although, they increasingly continue to feed the audience trash, despite their authority as the creator of our social/cultural interactions, and justify their actions by calling themselves industries. Reducing themselves to just businesses whose sole purpose is to create a profit. This admittance of what they feel to be their true purpose however does not hinder their control and power but instead adds to it. Creating a need for there to be some way to analyze and discuss whether they are using their position and power wisely. Filling this void, scholars have theorized ways for individuals to be critical of the media that they intake. One of these critical theories is the “Culture Industry” theory. Using Cultural Theory, as well as other complementary neo Marxist theories, it is possible to determine how Stacy Peralta, once urban youth culture advocate, became incorporated into the superstructure through media use, thus making him a tool for the continued commoditization of society, and a youth marketer for industries l...
What is Public Relations (PR)? PR is difficult to define because it encompasses so many areas and today has developed into a multi-million dollar industry influencing all aspects of our lives (Adams et al, 1999). However, it is important to be able to compare and contrast the various definitions in order to have a complete understanding of what public relations is and how it is used. The public is a large population to consider, making it easier to understand why it is so difficult to define PR. Along with a large population come many perceptions, beliefs, ideas, and opinions, all influences on PR. I define public relations as the act/s used by individuals, corporations, and groups to influence ones opinions and/or decisions about a product, idea, person/s, company/s, etc. and the public. Robert L. Heath defines PR as functions of management/supervisors that foster an organization's ability to strategically listen to, appreciate, and respond to those persons who's mutually beneficial relationships with the organization are necessary if it is to achieve its missions and values (Health, 2007)'.
Foucault work provides an intellectual toolbox for theorizing the role of public relations in construct and transforming societal discourses and practices (Motion and Leitch, 2009,p.82) Motion and Leitch argued that’ public relation practitioners play a role in the maintenance and transformation of discourse, through the production and distribution of texts, (Weaver et al 2006, p18). The term “maintenance of discourse” simply means making sure that an organization is keeping their messages up to date. By failing to do so, they won’t be able to influence their stakeholders in the way that they want to “Transformation of discourse” is about change, although it is very hard in public relations to completely transform your discourse, an organization
Miller, K. (2012). Cultural Approaches. In Organizational communication: Approaches and processes (6.th ed., p. 81 to 93). Boston, Mass: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Furthermore, a public relations career is much more closely grouped with media relations these days than journalism. In the book, Making it in Public Relations: An Insider’s Guide, it is said that Media relations is the most dominant function of public relations. Its basic role is the origination of press information and the handling of requests from the media about a specialist’s subjects and activities. After all, the main goal of specialists is to present a positive public image of their client to the public (Mogel). The possible types of clients and fields vary wildly from each other. Some specialists can work in public relations consulting firms and hold campaigns for many clients. Other specialists can work in the advertising departments of major brands and w...
Today, public relations is a complex profession by thousands of thousands of people all the world to practice. Almost all large and small organizations have their own public relations department or they need to outsource their public relations to a company. Public relations practitioners work for schools and universities, companies, governments, professional and trade associations, hospitals, hotels, non-profit charities, and other else more (Grunig, 2001). Therefore, PR is an important department for organizations.