Week 2

This is a re-do of my first blog.

I think the key points to remember from this weeks readings is

1. That public relations is not a term that can be easily defined. However, Harold Burson (as cited in Johnston & Zawawi, p5) list its four functions in society as a) a sensor of social change, b) corporate conscience, c) communicator, d) corporate monitor.

I would also include interpreter into this list. I have come to realise that it is essential for a practitioner to be able to interpret matters in order to properly advise organisations and maintain a relationship with their organisation's publics'.

2. The definition has been further challenged by the advent of technology, especially that of the internet. It has enabled groups and organisations to communicate globally (p.6.)

3. There are two primary roles of the public relations practitioner. The technician and the problem solver. Problem solvers ask clients to re-think or clarify problems and to look for solutions. They are usually part of the dominant coalition of management, or the decision making body. Technicians provide services such as producing publications (p.7.)

These roles are multi-faceted in which they may overlap with other disciplines such as marketing.

The second chapter of Johnston and Zawawi gives a history of public relations in Australia. There are three significant developments.
1. Implementation of the Education Act 1872. Literacy levels, especially among males, made the reading audience wider.
2. The creation of technology allowed the production of daily newspapers.
3. Depoliticisation of newspapers. A move from politically reliant groups of the media allowed the press to be objective and move into the realm of the fourth estate (p.24.)

Entertainers used the press for publicity, especially by American film companies in the 1920's. Australia adopted their publicity methods during this time. World War I in the 1930's had a big impact on publicity in terms of extravagance because of the depression, and audiences being primarily female while men fought. Feminine topics such as fashion were being covered. Propaganda began to creep in whereby news content would be controlled. This type of control of media in Australia can be attributed to General MacArthur in 1943 while he was stationed here. There was a focus on news-management and from here techniques of public relations began to emerge. Not long after, the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) was established (pp 27-29.)

In the 1950's, public relations moved to television and by the 1960's large amounts of money was being pumped into the industry. The 1970's fostered a climate of creativity in television with video clips. Women were finding their way into the industry and by 1990 two thirds of the industry was worked by women.

This week's readings gave insight into what is public relations? My ideas of this industry were naiive (and still are) in that I limited public relations to fit only into the realm of spin doctoring. To an extent this may be true, the readings indicate that the field encompasses client servicing, market assessment, production development, events management to name a few. It was interesting to read that female numbers in this industry has increased to a dominant position by over two thirds. In my opinion, it seems in today's society that there is a need for organisations to be aware of their publics needs in order for them to provide their best services. It is also my opinion that women would be more attuned to social issues rather than men, and therefore able to gauge public sentiments more readily making us suited to this industry.