Public Relations

Competencies and Practice

Carolyn Mae Kim

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781138552333
• eBook ISBN: 9781351374491
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Communication Studies
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

The industry of public relations is rapidly evolving, requiring practitioners to have greater specialization than ever before. Hand in hand with the growth of the industry, educational programs have developed to address the growing need for quality preparation for future practitioners. Public Relations: Competencies and Practice focuses on the required competencies expected and applications of public relations into specific sectors of practice.

Based on competencies identified by organizations such as the Commission on Public Relations Education and the Public Relations Society of America, Public Relations provides a robust examination of areas such as diversity, leadership, and ethics. The second part of the text focuses on these unique requirements for undergraduate and graduate students focused on entering sectors such as entertainment public relations, nonprofit public relations, or investor relations.

The book also features online resources for instructors:

• Sample course syllabus
• Discussion questions

• Suggested midterm and final project

Public Relations offers students competency- and practice-focused content from top PR experts and incorporates interviews from professionals in the field to show students how to apply competencies in specific practice sectors.

1
Introduction

Carolyn Mae Kim

Public relations represents a vitally important part of society. This is an industry dedicated to the art and science of relationships—strategically managing communication on behalf of organizations in order to effectively engage stakeholders. To accomplish this task, public relations professionals root themselves in an ethical commitment to their employers, to the publics they serve, and to the discipline itself. Public relations professionals have found themselves in a rapidly growing field—being called upon to manage crisis situations, engage with social media, counsel executives, develop media relations campaigns, work with local communities, and many other responsibilities. You will find public relations professionals across every facet of society—from nonprofits to large corporations, from agencies to in-house roles, from educational institutions to the gaming industry. Every organization needs their stakeholders in order to thrive.

In today’s world, where trust is dropping and credibility is at a premium, loyalty in relationships is paramount. This is where public relations professionals come in—they initiate, maintain, build, and, when needed, repair relationships. They help develop consensus among multiple parties. They craft communication strategies to inform and inspire. They dedicate themselves to the good of their organization, society, and their profession.

Understanding Public Relations

Public relations has been defined in many ways—but one of the more widely used definitions comes from the Public Relations Society of America: “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics” (PRSA, n.d., para. 5). One of the reasons there are so many definitions for public relations is that the industry has undergone many changes. With those changes, practitioners have worked to clarify their purpose and function in society by crafting a definition to effectively capture the true essence of public relations.

Historical Development

In an effort to help capture the essence of the development for modern public relations, Grunig and Hunt (1984) proposed four models, or ways, that public relations has been practiced.

The first is press-agentry, a time when the practice of public relations was primarily media relations strategies with the goal of gaining press coverage. During this time, “Press agents were concerned with generating publicity at almost any cost, and this approach engendered the unethical reputation of modern-day public relations” (Bowen, 2007, “Evolution of Public Relations Ethics,” para. 1). Edward Bernays, who is known as “the father of public relations,” called this time period public-be-damned, as it represented a period in history where the public relations professional had no regard for the impact or responsibility to the public (Broom & Sha, 2013, p. 82).

Some suggest that Ivy Lee, a prominent public relations professional, is the reason public relations moved from this first model into a new paradigm of public information (Grunig & Hunt, 1984) that resulted in a new attitude toward the public, which Bernays titled public be informed. Lee released a declaration of principles, focused on providing the public with truth and accuracy (Bowen, 2007). Lee’s declaration of principles ushered in a new era for public relations professionals and introduced ethics as a key part to the industry.

The third model of public relations practice is two-way asymmetric, focusing on providing information to the public in an effort to persuade them. This aligns with an attitude toward the public that Bernays called mutual understanding (Broom & Sha, 2013). This is a step closer to our modern practice, as the goal was not just to provide information but to ensure that efforts were made to determine whether the information was received, understood, and acted upon by stakeholder groups. It put a greater focus on research and measurement, requiring public relations professionals to have more accountability for activities.

The fourth, and current, model is two-way symmetrical (Grunig & Hunt, 1984) and is focused on honest and reliable communication between organizations and publics. The goal of this type of communication is that both organizations and the public can adjust to each other. The attitude toward the public shifted to be one of mutual understanding (Broom & Sha, 2013, p. 82), a stark contrast to the one-way communication and publicity stunts on which public relations was founded. This shift is particularly relevant to the historical contexts happening at the time as pointed out by Broom and Sha (2013):

Antiwar protests, the consumer movement, environmental activism, civil rights, and other demonstrations of the increasing power of citizens—including aroused and empowered minorities—challenged the status quo. Mutual understanding would no longer satisfied those demanding change.

(p. 82)

In summary, the PR industry moved from a model dedicated to gaining publicity at all costs (press-agentry model) to a model committed to mutual adjustment, where organizations and publics communicate in an honest and open environment and are willing to compromise (two-way symmetrical). The industry began with no interest in the impact to the public (public be damned) and has advanced to recognize the ethical and fiduciary responsibilities that are required by public relations professionals toward the public (mutual adjustment).

Many of the misconceptions about the purpose, work, and role of public relations can be clarified when examining history. It is important to understand why some people may have the misconception that public relations is about spin and hiding the truth. It is equally as important for public relations professionals to be prepared to address the ways in which the industry has advanced, understanding the models, perspectives, and ethics that now guide our industry.

Practice of Public Relation

In addition to understanding our history, understanding how public relations is practiced is also critical. The public relations process involves four steps. There have been many acronyms used to describe this process: RACE (Marston, 1963) and ROPE (Hendrix, Hayes, & Kumar, 2012) are two ones that are often cited. RACE stands for (1) research, (2) action planning, (3) communication, and (4) evaluation. ROPE stands for (1) research, (2) objectives, (3) programming, and (4) evaluation. The Certificate in Principles of Public Relations and the Accreditation in Public Relations both use the model RPIE in their study guide. This stands for (1) research, (2) programming, (3) implementation, and (4) evaluation.

While there are different titles used, you will notice they follow the same model. Everything starts with research. Public relations professionals conduct both qualitative and quantitative research in order to prepare for actions—they do not simply respond. Only once they have a comprehensive view of the issue or opportunity, the publics that are influenced, and the organization’s dynamics, they can begin to formulate the next step. This is the programming stage where professionals map out what should happen. This is one reason why the definition of public relations has strategic as a core component. Public relations professionals design plans that are strategic because they are based and grounded in research. The programming stages have several components such as developing a goal; crafting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) objectives; and outlining strategies and tactics to achieve those objectives. Then, it is time to implement the plan. During this stage of the campaign, public relations professionals enact their plan—and they stay engaged. If something is not working, they adjust. The public relations process is not a static activity that, once started, never changes. Rather, it is fluid. The implementation stage requires constant monitoring, measuring, and evaluation to ensure that it is being effective. Finally, it concludes with evaluation of the entire initiative. This allows professionals to determine whether their work was successful in producing the outcomes desired and also lays the foundation for future campaigns.

This brief overview of the history and practice of public relations gives insight into how we have arrived at the definition of PR. It is now a process deeply committed to the good of the public, bound with ethical obligations, and is practiced in a systematic way that allows for strategic management of communication initiatives with the goal of fostering mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and its publics.

If you have never studied public relations, a more robust understanding of history and the process are critical. Two excellent sources are Cutlip & Center’s Effective Public Relations (Broom & Sha, 2013) and Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics (Wilcox, Cameron, & Reber, 2015). The focus for this text is to build off of the foundation of our history and process, and explore what competencies are needed by the modern PR professional in order to thrive. Additionally, particular sectors of public will be explored to understand their similarities and differences.

Text Design

This book is divided into two portions—the first focusing on expertise or skillsets expected of all professionals and the second is dedicated to in-depth insights for particular sectors. The goal was to facilitate a way for students to have a deep-dive into areas that influence the fabric of our discipline. The following briefly outlines what you can expect to find in the following parts of this text.

Competencies

Public relations is a rapidly changing industry. Today’s professionals must possess a range of competencies that facilitate their capacity to perform with excellence in the industry. Several competencies have been identified as pillars within public relations. These competencies both support foundational practices or principles in the field, as well as provide a roadmap for professionals to navigate the increasingly complex situations faced by professionals.

Chapter 2: Leadership by Bruce K. Berger, Ph.D.

Increasingly, leadership has moved into a prime focus for public relations education. Leadership within the context of public relations can be defined as “dynamic process that encompasses a complex mix of individual skills and personal attributes, values, and behaviors that consistently produce ethical and effective communication practice” (Meng & Berger, 2013, p. 144). With this in view, this chapter explores the fundamental principles in leadership, applying the constructs to the particular role of a public relations professional.

Chapter 3: Diversity and Inclusion: A Core Public Relations Mandate By Dean E. Mundy, Ph.D.

In today’s world, public relations professionals must comprehend the concept of diversity and have a robust understanding of the ways diversity support, enhance, and influence the public relations process. Unfortunately, public relations professionals are not always equipped to as they “rarely receive diversity education in preparation to enter the public relations field” (Toth, 2009). This chapter focuses on providing an in-depth explanation of key concepts within diversity as well as how those concepts manifest in the public relations process.

Chapter 4: Practicing Public Relations Across Cultures: The Value of Inter-cultural Communication Competence By Nilanjana R. Bardhan, Ph.D.

Today’s global environment requires public relations professionals to exercise a high intercultural communication competency. Strategic relationship building and management of communication faces unique challenges that do not always translate across cultures. This chapter provides an overview of key constructs professionals require for engaging in inter-cultural communication as well as offering insights for effective intercultural public relations initiatives.

Chapter 5: Public Relations Ethics: Responsibilities and Necessary Skills By Marlene S. Neill, Ph.D., APR

Over the last decade, there has been a growing emphasis in helping public relations professionals understand ethical systems and apply ethical decision-making in everyday decisions. However, research has found that professionals need additional training in order to address the complex challenges faced by today’s public relations professionals (Bowen, 2007; Neill & Drumwright, 2012). From entry-level professionals to seasoned leaders in the industry, the commitment to ethics is a continued desire and need in the industry. Many professionals cite a lack of training in ethics as a reason for uncertainty in voicing ethical counsel. This chapter explores the current state of ethical practices and perspectives in the industry.

Chapter 6: Business Literacy: Thoughtful Awareness and Insightful Action in a Changing Workplace By Douglas J. Swanson, Ed.D, APR

As public relations professionals take more prominent roles in organizations, th...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Figures, Tables, and Boxes
• List of Professional Insights/Interviews
• List of Contributors
• List of Professionals Interviewed
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Leadership
• 3 Diversity and Inclusion: A Core Public Relations Mandate
• 4 Practicing Public Relations Across Cultures: The Value of Intercultural Communication Competence
• 5 Public Relations Ethics: Responsibilities and Necessary Skills
• 6 Business Literacy: Thoughtful Awareness and Insightful Action in a Changing Workplace
• 7 Content Creation in Public Relations
• 8 Legal Considerations in Public Relations
• 9 Measurement and Evaluation in Public Relations
• 10 Crisis Management
• 11 Stewardship
• 12 Social Media in Public Relations
• 13 Work-Life Balance
• 14 Internal Communication
• 15 Health Care Communication: A Growing Area of Public Relations
• 16 The Challenges and Opportunities in Sports Public Relations
• 17 Entertainment Public Relations
• 18 Financial Communications and Investor Relations: Speaking and Translating the Language (and Issues) of Business and Finance
• 19 Nonprofit Public Relations: Contributing to Social Good
• 20 Public Relations in the Political World
• 21 Corporate and Agency Public Relations
• 22 Media Relations
• Index