I posted on Lauren's Blog this week on research and evaluation

Week 11

I think the key points to remember from this weeks readings were...

• Research is essential in PR. Issues arise when a practitioner is asked to prepare or evaluate a campaign or program. Information gathered during the initial phases of research provides input into the planning of a communication program. Research during the development and implementation stages of a strategy contributes to more effective outputs. Research at the en d of a communication program provides insight into the outcomes of the entire effort.
  
• In order to proceed with any research the practitioner must be aware of the range of methodologies available and the most appropriate use of these in public relations planning and development. Depending on the skills and resources available and the desired outcomes, researchers can utilise formal techniques to produce scientifically valid results or more informal techniques in order to simply increase their understanding of the situation. The researcher also has a choice between qualitative and quantitative methodologies, depending on the type of info required.
  
• Within methologies, there are many techniques available to the public relations researcher. Surveys are commonly used but they can be time consuming and resource-intensive. A wide range of other research techniques gives the public relations practitioner the ability to select options taking into consideration the time, money and skills available.
• Public relations research focuses on understanding the environment within which the organisation operates (Organisations may require info about their target publics, strengths/weaknesses of their competitors, or more about political issues that could affect their success). It is important to set clearly defined goals and objectives for the research.
  
• Input (research into the organisation, situation, publics and proposed message and strategies. Input research shows what problems or opportunities exist, what the perceptions and beliefs of the publics are.)
• Output (The actual elements of the program. Output research looks into the delivery of messages which can help to ‘fine-tune’ the campaign as it is in progress to be able to achieve greater success with the outcomes.)
• Outcomes (Outcome research indicates the level of success or failure of the strategy and shows how effective the planning and communication have been.)
• Research is undertaken either formally or informally. Formal research is broken into two categories, qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research is usually based on exploring new ideas or concepts which can stem from other research areas. Quantitative research uses information already sourced by practitioners or organisations which is then used as evidence to prove situations and ideas already known to both parties.
• According to Johnston and Zawawi (1994: 148) benchmarking is a “starting point to measure what the program will achieve”. It is an important concept because it is used to identify the situation before a program or campaign is implemented and is then used to measure consequent success or failure after its completion.
  

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that I learned that the style of research adopted by an organisation depends upon the system under which it operates, its environment and the requirements of the program being undertaken, including the objectives. Formal and informal research methods can be used to gather information, with the choice of methodology dependent on the levels of reliability needed, the information require and the project's budget. Both input and output research are necessary to plan, monitor and manage successful public relations activities. Measuring achievements through outcomes will help determine the effectiveness of a program at all three stages and provide input into future public relations programs.

Week 10

I think the key points to remember from this weeks readings were..

• Strategy is a plan that allows a public relations practitioner to help ensure that organisational goals and objectives are achieved. This will determine the campaigns that may be necessary and the choice of tactics can then be made. Every tactic must relate directly back to its defined purpose, achieving the strategic outcome.
• Tactics include publicity, newsletters, direct mail, advertising, corporate publications, functions, speaking opportunities, internet sites, information kits, media relations, brochures, competitions, videos, mettings.
• Successful public relations does not necessarily require use of mulitple tactics. Keeping out of te media's spotlight can even be a useful tactic.
• 'culture jamming'- responding negatively to marketing advertisements through defacing public sites (Klein 2000).
• PR professionals need to be aware of operating in a world in which high-level regulation, lawsuits, watchdogs and corporate governance influence the choice of tactics, their content and how they are implemented.
• Controlled tactics- the public relations practitioner maintains control over every aspect of the process from message creation to distribution (advertising, annual reports, posters...).
• Uncontrolled tactics- those that can be altered or even blocked completely (media releases, public meetings..).
• Method of delivery- plays a critical role in determining its impact and effectiveness. These include: Mail, Faxes (instantaneous communication), News Distribution Agencies (PR-Net), Email (cost effective), CD-ROMS (info packages), Couriers, Videos, Video-conferencing, Personal delivery (build relationships), Websites (new effective technology-extensive amounts of info).
• Research- a tool for forming and evaluating campaigns. Very important to use this as a tactic always.
• Media relations- outcomes can't be controlled or guaranteed, as the agenda of the media outlet will always be more important. Only if the news generated by the PR practitioner is of high interest, the media can provide an ideal and cost effective vehicle to rapidly reach a mass audience.
• Printed materials (brochures, leaflets & flyers)- persuasive reference document. Graphic design, quality of paper, colour etc needs to be considered. They can be simply thrown out though.
• Annual reports- record the highlights and challenges experienced by an organisation, including financial details. It can be an organisations most critical communication vehicle (it provides an in-depth overview of how the organisation is developing). It is credible and legally required for public companies.
• Newsletters- ongoing communication (two-way). Use of competitions, feedback or opinion polls. A vertical newsletter is distributed within an organisation, from the floor staff to the senior executives. It is an organisational tool. Horizontal publications are aimed at a readership with a narrowly defined common interest. Design & production should be consistant (monitor colours, type face, layout, photos, writing style, grammer, icons).
• Videos/DVDs and CD-ROMs- used in situations where visuals will give the message extra impact, or where it requires movement, sound or a consistant approach. It is expensive but used when personal visits are not practical.
• Photography- use as a visual medium to get a message across. Need to be of a high quality, subject, location and source made known.
• Speeches- used to communicate to a large audience, at formal functions, to make announcements or statements, or to impart knowledge on a particular topic. Need to be short and to the point. Support message with facts, figures, case studies, examples and evidence. It must suit your audience.
• Presentations- allow for multiple communication tactics to be used through the incorporation of visual and other props that add impact to the key messages. They are used where a concept or idea needs to be actively demonstrated or to impart knowledge. (eg. powerpoint).
• Celebrities as spokespeople- Gain attention due to their high public profile. Can be seen as romodels and trustworthy. Your campaign can then gain recognition very quickly. Credibility is important.
• Events- (functions, promotions, tours, briefings etc.) They can be used to attract media attention. Involve personal interaction and facilitate in-depth discussion on a topic. Can leave a lasting impression. Large amount of detailed preparation/ time-consuming and expensive.
• Advertising- is an extremely effective tactic for PR campaigns, very powerful form of controlled communication as it uses persuasive messages, can use brochures, posters etc, to reinforce. TV is considered the most powerful form as it has the ability to leverage emotional triggers through impacting visual images and sound. It can reach a broad audience quickly and prove the cental message by demonstrating it. Can be restricted from 15-60 secs (also radio, mags, billboards).
• Sponsorship- can deliver excellent returns for an organisation. Provide funds/support.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that there is no guaranteed correct set of tactics that will ensure successful implementation of a PR campaign. Success relies on the analytical and creative skills of the PR practitioner to consider tactics in the light of a complex range of impacting factors. I have learnt that tactics must relate back to the strategy, they are the link between how it is executed or delivered to target audiences. Need to keep target audiences in mind as well as advantages/disadvantages/ budget etc.

Week 9

This weeks reading was Chapter 13 of the text book and was about Sponsorship and Event Management.
I think that the key points to remember from this weeks readings were...

• Events are a chance for PR practitioners to exercise their creative abilities. They must try to stage events that not only fulfil the aims and strategies of the organisation or the sponsor, but also attract the attention of the media.
• Daniel Boorstin (1961, The Image), describes an event as not being spontaneous but planned for the purpose of being reported on, communicates on more than one level and becomes self-fulfilling.
• Events include- conferences, sports activities, launches, openings, community/political meetings, lunches and dinners.
• Rob Tonge (1999)- successful events have the full commitment of all members of the organising body, strong leadership, an efficient event committe, effective sub-committees with defined responsibilites, sufficient planning time, strong market research, correctly chosen event dates, a marketing plan, a sponsorship plan, good budget control, successful implementation, monitoring and evaluating detailed action plans and meeting all expectations.
• practitioners must work carefully to maximise the 'newsworthy' opportunities before, during and after an event.
• Richards (1998:93)- In order for an event to have successful media coverage, a media release should be issued about the event and its sponsorship, media functions should be staged within the event, an event handbook be distributed to the media and event tickets be made available to the media.
• Careful budgeting is the backbone of any successful special event. The income and expenditure are important to monitor. Practitioners must be able to stick to a budget and still produce excellent results.
• Event Risk Management plans- are now vital and should be a priority of event planning.
• The O'Toole and Mikolaitis (2002) process is 'identify, assess, treat/manage, monitor and evaluate.' This will help to reduce risks of accidents for example happening at your event or before/after.
• Sponsorship is the purchase of specific rights and benefits associated with an event, organisation or individual. They are not donations. Sponsorship expects a return (Johnston and Zawawi, 2nd Ed, 347).
• Sponsorship is one of the most expensive tactics which can be chosen by an organisation, but the good-will delivered by a well-chosen and managed sponsorship can be very large. The larger the event, the more likely it is to require some form of sponsorship.
• Sponsorship is popular with many organisations because it generates good-will and provides opportunities to enhance the image and reputation of the organisation by association. It provides a focal point for sales and marketing efforts.
• Geldard & Sinclair (1996:7) talk about the benefits of sponsorship: exclusivity, image association, hospitality for client entertainment, product sampling, sinage rights, merchandising, networking, media coverage, promotions and sales opportunities.
• Philanthropic sponsorship- close to donation. Generally community based. Benefits include taxation consideration and community good-will to the organisation.
• Corporate sponsorship- of an event/activity, not normally linked to the sponsoring of the company's general business. Link sponsor to a high-profile event/activity and thus gain benefits from positive connection with the organisations publics.
• Marketing sponsorship- most popular and is a common inclusion as a cost-effective sales and marketing strategy. Offers cash and goods in return for tangible revenue- orientated results. Used primarily to promote products and services to targeted markets (Geldard & Sinclair, 1996).
• Understanding the motives and goals of the target audience is crucial when writing a sponsorship proposal. Keep it short and relevant to the reader, be comprehensive about what the potential sponsor is being offered.
• Ambush marketing- when a company misrepresents itself as being associated with an event when it has no official, legal or moral rights to do so. (Eg. A hot-air ballon carrying signage over an event or even a company giving away freebies outside an event). This type can break trade practice laws.
  
  The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that... I have realised that special events and sponsorship represent a high-profile aspect of public relations that focuses public attention on an event, organisation or product, intensely over a short period of time. Events offer strong media opportunities. I also realised that sponsorship is a two-way process, with responsibility for positive benefits being taken by the PR practitioner and the sponsor. Events demand the best a practitioner has to offer in the fields of research, planning, scheduling and creativity.

Week 8

I think that the key points to remember from this week's readings were:

• How important it is for PR professionals to contact journalists the right way. This is because the news-gathering process is the transactional information exchanges between practitioners and journalists. This is what often becomes the news of the day. For journalists to want to publish your work, PR practitioners need to meet the needs of journalists and keep them happy by contacting them their proffered way!
• I thought it was interesting that studies show that many journalists perceived practitioners to lack professionalism and respect for journalists interests. Practitioners need to adhere to journalistic standards and practices.
• Journalists have strong preferences about how they like to be contacted by practitioners. E-mail has become one of the most popular but many still like face-to-face rather than having to sift through lots of text that they will probably not even use. Practitioners also need to effectively communicate with journalists by learning individual 'gate-keepers' preferences.
• Journalists depend on public relations practitioners to help set, build and frame news agendas. By improving their framing skills and adhering to journalists preferences, practitioners will know better how to contact the journalists upon whose news coverage they rely.
• The importance of writing skills should be acknowledged as it is an essential public relations skill. Research has shown that writing related issues include: run-on sentences, poor paragraph structure, poor grammar, and not having the ability to change writing styles. It is important to be able to write accordingly to the publication you are aiming for (newspapers, television, internet, radio).
  
• Students should focus on learning about client-focused writing. Writing skills are imperative for graduates of PR courses.
  

How to write a Press Release:

1. Present information of genuine worth- Help the news editors understand why your release is of interest.
2. A press release is NOT an advertisement. Don't use clichéd words and phrases.
3. Different media require different formats/versions/styles of the news release. They may need different information and even visual texts.
4. Keep it short and clear. Say it in the first sentence!
5. Make the heading relevant and have impact. Grab attention. Use sub-headings.
6. Be careful and clever with quotes. (Avoid self-serving quotes).
7. Do the reporters job for them. Provide them with additional info, statistics, quotes etc.
8. Don't overload with your company info (THIS IS SELF-SERVING).
9. Give a broad range of sources/ contacts that are USEFUL!!!
   
10. Check and double check that it is spell and fact checked for accuracy.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that it is so important to have a good working relationship with journalists and knowing the correct ways to contact them as well as how to provide them with the information in the best way possible, will ultimately help your campaign be successful.

I didn't realise how much work a PR practitioner's job entails either. I have also learnt that the majority of what is published by media outlets today, is sourced from the PR practitioners. I now realise that I need to better my writing skills in order my future news releases to be published. It is important to meet the needs of journalists so that your companies campaign will be successful and have good media coverage.

This week I am commenting on Em's Blog- week 7

Week 7

I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were:

• Media Relations can range from dealing with a few select contacts on a regular basis or to managing hundreds of media personnel at a national event.
• Dealing with the media is an integral part of much PR activity. The media is a powerful tool used by PR practitioners.
• Media Monopolies- 'Big Three'- In Australian media ownership- Fairfax, Murdoch and Packer. Fairfax has dominant shareholding in the Australian Associated Press (AAP), the news service that supplies stories to the media.
• Media reliance on info from PR outlets is increasing. Reliance on syndicated work, press agencies and news subsidies- material generated by organisations and channeled through PR practitioners. Becoming easier for PRs to gain access to the media due to lack of staff and funding for investigative journalism.
  
• PR has become one of the most important external influences on journalism as it is now practised- (Marshall and Kingsbury 1996, 127).
• Media monitoring is a type of feedback process for PR but it is this type of research that keeps them up to date with issues, events, changes, trends, legislation, debates and public opinion.
• 'Clippings Files' (from organisations such as Media Monitoring)- provide a useful record of the media coverage of organisations, events or issues (relating to them) and can be important for PR research when planning a campaign.
• News values should also be used by PR practitioners when weiting media releases. Impact, conflict, timeliness, proximity, prominence, currency, human interest and the unusual (Conley 2002, 42). Also sex, money, disaster, drugs and animals (Granato, 1991: 34).
• It is important to know the dead lines of the news rooms. Also that radio is most effective as it has immediacy, flexibility and the ability to be 'rip-and-read' news.
• PR practitioners must know the newsroom hierarchy. The Editor is the most important then the chief-of-staff and then the Rounds people (who are an integral part of most news outlets). Rounds include politics, courts, health etc.
  
• You should get to know journalists by name, foster a positive working relationship, know the needs of the medium your using (providing pics, VRNs).
• The best known communication tool for PR is the media release/ press release/ news release. For these, write in news style as previously covered.
  
• Media kits- made up of fact sheets(easy reference guides which list key attributes of an organisation or event), Backgrounders (background/ historical info to an event/organisation), Feature Articles (less formal than news stories), Profiles or 'blog' and other items such as business cards.
• The online readings were about how to prepare an oral presentation and speaking as part of a group. They were very helpful. Students should follow these!!!!
  

The readings made me think about Public Relations in that it incorporates both technical aspects, in writing media releases and compiling media kits as well as advising senior staff of an organisation working with the media. I have learnt that media relations calls on the key attributes of writing, organisation and planning, as well as keen interpersonal skills and good knowledge of news.

This week I am commenting on Hayden's Blog- Week 6

Week 6

I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were:

• To ensure the quality of PR outcomes, practitioners need to take an active role in developing strategies to minimise the legal risks associated with the functions and roles they perform.
• PR areas- Communication, advisory/counselling and business/management.
• Practitioners need to be aware of the tort of negligence (duty of care to clients & the general public), the tort of defamation (outlaws unjustified publications which have a tenancy to harm an individual's reputation), contempt law (contracts), international property law (trademarks, copyright, confidential info). Simply Common and Statute Law.
• PR decisions must be made in context of the 'legal environment.'
• PR relies on good reputations, positive images and strong relationships. These matters must be factored into the cost of any legal action. Practitioners need to develop good working relations with their legal advisers. May need to 'negotiate' appropriate responses to legal problems.
• PR practitioners help to protect an organisation's reputation which is one of the most important parts of their jobs.
  
• When organising campaigns and lobbying for support for a campaign, care should be taken to verify claims to ensure they are not misleading and deceptive. They must abide by The Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth).
• Any practitioner engaged in litigation public relations has a duty to be aware of the legal status of any case and give advice following these laws.
  
• Contract law plays a pivotal role in PR. Contracts define the relationship between parties and are used in all facets of PRs from employment of staff to the supply of materials to fulfil a campaign.
  
• Ethics refers to the personal values which underpin the behaviour and moral choices made by the individual in response to a specific situation. They are standards of integrity. Business ethics is about prioritising moral values for an organisation and ensuring its behaviours are aligned with those values.
• PR practitioners need to be concerned with their own personal and professional ethics as well as with the institutional ethics of the company for which they work.
  
• 'fathers' of PR- Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays- tried to legitimise PR practice.
  
• Advocacy- is the act of publicly representing an individual, organisation or idea with the object of persuading targeted audiences to look favourably upon, or to accept the POV of the individual, organisation or the idea. Lead to debate about ethics.
• Corporate monitor- means they need to interpret and guide organisation's policies, programs and actions to match public expectations.
  
• Corporate conscience- to serve as the moral keeper for both its communications and actions. Control the flow of good and bad news. Encourage truth-telling.
• Ethical dilemma levels- interpersonal, organisational and stakeholder.
• The basic ethical framework that practitioners need to follow is to observe their professional association's code and the code of conduct of their workplace.
• PRIA- The Public Relations Institute of Australia. Governed by a 15 point Code of Ethics.
• MEAA- The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance. Journalists Code of Ethics.
• PRSA- The Public Relations Society of America. Universal values for ethical behaviour.
  
• Codes of conduct- for organisation's to guide the behaviour of their employees and suppliers.
  

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that there is such complexity and diversity in the public relations legal environment. I now realise how important it is the have/give good legal advice from a public relations perspective. I think that organisation's should move towards developing a legal strategy to achieve the best practice in potential problem areas. The reading stated that 'best-practice' public relations serves the public interest by developing mutual understanding between organisation's and publics. I agree with this statement and believe public interests should always come first.
I also thought more about the need to have codes of ethics for individual organisation's and also the need to follow national and international ethics codes.

I'm commenting on Abbey's Blog for week 3

I'm commenting on Katherine's blog from week 4

I'm commenting on Rhanna's Blog week 5

Week 5

I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were:

• A typical public relations program includes: Set objectives (why produce it? Who will receive it?), Plan and budget (what will it cost?), Implement program (materials, distribution) and Evaluation (measure, check progress).
• The stages of the strategic process in PR are: creation of organisational vision and mission statements; creation of public relations visions and mission statements; establishment of performance indicators; budgeting; writing of a strategic PR plan and scheduling of PR plan activities.
• Definition of strategy (pg. 170. PR Theory and Practice)- 'strategy is a pattern or plan that integrates an organisation's major goals, policies and action sequences into a cohesive whole.'
• A PR strategy is a process by which the leadership of an organisation deliberately manages its communications pro actively so that they are open, candid and primarily focused on the market place. (D'Aprix 1996.5)
• Strategic communication thinking recognises the cause and effect relationship between our communication activities and the achievement of the organisation's mission. It means that communication programs support successful completion of the organisation's strategic activity in a measurable way. (potter 1998:3)
• An organisation's corporate image needs to be established and target audiences need to be defined!
• Methods of research need to be assessed and selected carefully for a specific purpose. These include telephone interviewing, structured personal interviewing, group discussions, client surveys, audits and panels, omibus and media.
  
• Corporate culture, ideology, values and beliefs, systems and business processes, influence the PR's strategic planning in social, economic and political contexts.
  
• The PR role within a management structure is to influence the behavior of people in relation to each other, through two-way communication.
  
• Strategically managed public relations has a significant role in developing a strong corporate reputation for the organisation, which translates into a stronger presence in the market place.
• The vision statement describes the future state of the organisation at a selected time. Once this is developed, the organisation will compare its present position and its ultimate destination. The mission statement is formulated to help close the gap between the unsatisfactory present and the more perfect future. It is the 'road-map' that describes how the organisation will move to reach its vision. These are associated with a set of corporate values.
• Key Performance Indicators are used by organisation's as measurable indicators of their progress towards achieving their mission (eg. measuring revenue). Both quantitative and qualitative evaluation techniques are used.
• Potter's '10 Step strategic communication plan.' : 1) Executive summary (Include situation that lead to plan, research, goals and objectives, tactics, time frame and evaluation plan.)
  
• The communication process (vision and mission) 2) Background (learn about your publics as well) 3)Situation analysis, 4) Main message statement, 5)Stakeholders, 6) messages for key stakeholders, 7) Implementation, 8) Budget and 9) Monitoring and evaluation.
• 'A budget is a plan for coordinating resources and expenses over a period of time by assigning costs (estimates or actual) to goals and objectives for specific activities.' -(McElreath 1997:158). Budgets are a major concern for PR and should be assessed before starting the campaign.
  
• Once a comprehensive strategy plan has been written, problems and opportunities defined, goals and objectives set, messages, methods and timing determined and the budget established, the plan needs to be implemented through scheduling.
  
• Making lists allows the practitioner to pull the PR process apart and look at it systematically. Lists allow the cataloging of every step of the PR process, keeping order and providing organisation and follow-up. Basic checklists should be prepared.
  
• Flowcharts- for more complex activities so that the practitioner can see at a glance what elements of an activity need to be given priority over others.
• Calenders and Gantt charts(placing things in chronological order of things to do)- help to establish time lines and deadlines.
  

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that I didn't realise how important it was to have a public relations strategy program. It creates organisation and helps with success. Through strategy process, you can reduce the likeliness of making a mistake. The strategic and systematic design of public relations plans is vital to the effective identification, implementation and management of the public relations goals and objectives that complement and support organisational goals and objectives. From the effective framework of a strategic PR plan, budgets can be firmly established, tactics selected and implementation monitored and evaluated against clearly set and relevant public relations goals and objectives.

Week 4

I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were:

• Media Release- one page briefing sent by PR people to journalists to alert them to potential stories.
• Clutter- the many advertisements and messages that your ad will potentially sit among.
• Cut through- to make your message rise above others so that people are able to recall what you want conveyed.
• The type of lifestyles, hours of work, different positions and activities people in this industry undertake- Career FAQS Public Relations book.
• Free ink- editorial coverage in the media generated by PR activities.
• News-savvy- being across current affairs and how the external environment can impact on your PR work.
• Backgrounder- a written article or fact sheet that provides journalists with the background to a current story.
• Internal and community relations should be the first and second priority respectively in PR practice to maintain productivity. Ethical practise is also high on the agenda. Total relationship management model identifies employee relations and community relations as the first two vital steps in achieving positive relations with key stakeholders.
• Organisation-‘a system of coordinated activities of a group of people working cooperatively toward a common goal under authority and leadership.’ (Goldhaber 1990:38).
• Internal Publics- two main groups: an organisation’s employees (Chairman of the board, mailroom), and an association’s members (PRIA, pay joining fee). In this industry it is important to work as a team.
• Channels of communication for employee goodwill- newsletters, noticeboards, memos, awards, events, intranets and face-to-face.
• Community Relations- maintain standards of ethics, personalise the corporate image to extend their relationships beyond the boundaries of their offices and companies need to listen to the community and take their ideas on board.
• Approaches to community relations- consultation, issue management (research on stakeholders), filling in the gaps, audience participation (meetings), negotiation, acknowledging the concerns of the other side.
  
  The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that it is so important to have good relations between an organisation and all of their employees. It is very easy for an organisation to lose a good reputation due to the unhappiness of one person working in the PR industry. I have also thought about how important it is to choose a career path in PR in something that you believe in so you can fully commit yourself. If you are going to be representing a company you should be passionate about it and genuine.
  

Week 3

I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were:

• Theoretical approaches to PR- Different due to varied assumptions. Need to understand all to be clear on which PR practitioners are genuine.
• Agenda setting theory- The way news is selected. News media influence what audiences think about. Prominent news stories then seem more important. PR people can be seen as trying to set an agenda by getting prominent, positive attention in the news for their clients. This theory is about the social construction of news which provides important understandings about the role and power of the media in society.
• General systems theory-originated in 1930s, considers that organisations can be viewed as operating within either 'closed' (sealed off from all external influences) or 'open' (must interact with the world around to be successful view) systems. PR deal with both, inside an organisation and with people and groups outside. The open system provides two-way communication and assist in the flow of information. PR role in an organisation is seen as 'boundary-spanning' role.
• Semiotics-study of signs (images, designs, words or sounds) that represent something. C.S Peirce and co argued that these representations are constantly manipulated by advertisers, and other media producers to create particular understandings of who we are and how the world works. This is what PR people do. Important to consider semiotics in different contexts and to acknowledge the importance of ethics.
• Habermas, critical thinking, 'public sphere'- A movement which criticises the way citizens are influenced to think by their surrounding capitalist culture. Negative towards PR work and focuses on the importance of ethics.
• Grunig's models-1.Press agency (describes the activities of people who would do anything to get attention for their organisation), 2.public information (public relations becoming more sophisticated, one-way info on behalf of organisation), 3.Two-way asymmetric (two-way PR work which is biased and defends the organisation's view) and 4. Two-way symmetric (ideal model for PR, importance on respecting the publics' view, equal to the organisations view).
• Rhetorical theory- Heath. Two-way process. Through statements people test each other's views of reality, value and choices relevant in the media. Allows PR workers to take new perspectives.
• Situational theory- the theory suggests that the situation in which people find themselves, influences whether or not they will protest or try to get their opinions heard.
• Social learning and social exchange theory's- suggest that people modify their attitudes and behaviour to fit in with the attitudes and actions of others. Also through interaction we exchange knowledge.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that PR work needs an open system of communication to work. The many theories above also need to be understood in order to avoid the negative aspects involved with PR work. Ethics must be of importance and a two-way communication process should always be used.

Week 2 Blog (late sorry)

Hey this is my first time blogging. I've been in Bali and I have missed the last few weeks. I'm going to catch up so wish me luck....

I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were:

• Modern practitioners of PR work is areas as diverse as media relations, sponsorship, crisis/issues management, financial relations, marketing and community relations. There are many different titles used to describe jobs in this field such as Public Affairs Executive and Media Liaison Director.
  
• PR definitions, purposes and functions- maintaining and organisation's relations with its various publics, to advise management on policy and its effect on public, provide mechanics for explaining an organisation and its policies to the public through the media for example and also the definitions for public relations activities. Send messages out over the internet, film/tv and paper news releases. Write speeches and develop presentations, handle media inquiries and more.
  
• That public relations is different to sales and marketing as it doesn't necessarily focus on profits, press releases are printed for free and is uncontrolled as such. The different areas of practice and the skills that each area employs have developed as Australian businesses, society and media have grown. The modern skills for PR include vocational skills, relationship skills, professional skills, understanding technology, industry knowledge.
• The history of PR- The principles of PR were introduced to Australia by Sir Asher Joel and Eric White in 1950s. Knowledge of PR began in 1959 and was very similar to US. World War II influenced development in communication and PR. A short time later the Public Relations Institute of Australia was founded.
  
• PR aim- to achieve news coverage in the quality press, the publication important to business interests.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that I didn't realise how many job opportunities there are- Public affairs, marketing, internal communications, media advising, technology and new media, celebrity management, community relations, fundrasing, government and more. I also got thinking about agency, in-house, working overseas and have narrowed down which direction I would most like to take if I decide to work in PR.