Week 3

I think the key points to remember from this weeks readings were how theoretical perspectives help to explain how public relations works.

Agenda Setting - The way news is selected. This is a highly competitive method of gaining media coverage, with the motive of gaining a lot of attention in order for the audience to think that certain topics are important. It is a theory about the social construction of news which provide important understandings about the role and power of the media in society (Johnston & Zawawi, p.45.)

General Systems theory - Organisations can operate within open or closed systems. Open systems will consider external influences such as public opinion where closed systems will not consider external influences, but will consider internal influences(p.46.)

Semiotics - The study of signs and symbols. It explains how our thoughts can be manipulated through the use of particular symbols (p.48.)

Habermas, Critical Theory and the notion of public sphere - This criticised the way that people are influenced to think by their surrounding capitalist culture. Habermas suggests that society works better when people are allowed to make up their own minds and that there is an equal footing in terms of power relations (pp 50-52.)

Grunig's Models
1. Press Agentry - Attention grabbers in order to promote an event, product or organisation.
2. Public Information - Public relation as a one way flow of information on behalf of a organisation.
3. Two way Asymmetric - Public relation biased to an organisations view.
4. Two way Symmetric - Public views taken into consideration (p.53.)

The debate relating to the two way symmetric model is that it does not acknowledge the power relations between an organisation and its publics (p.56.)

Rhetorical Theory - A two way process through statement and counter-statement as a test to other peoples views' and values' and that the playing field is level (p.58.)

Situational Theory - suggests that the situation in which people find themselves influences whether or not they will protest or try to get their opinions heard. Publics are active or passive (p.62.)

Magic Bullet Theory - One way flow of information finding its target (p.65.)

Uses and Gratification Theory - Using different media for different purposes (p.65.)

Social Learning Theory - suggests that people modify their attitudes and behaviours to fit in with those exhibited by others (p.66.)

Social Exchange Theory - Social life is a series of exchanges. For example, the giving and receiving of affection, respect, goods and services (p.66.)

Gower's journal article entitled public relations research at the crossroads gives a deeper insight into Grunig's paradigm of two way symmetrical communications. She provides a critique regarding this paradigm in regards to the unequal power relations between organisations and their publics. This was also covered in Johnston and Zawawi's reading.

This week's readings made me think how theoretical frameworks help to explain public relations. Johnston and Zawawi allow us to consider that the theoretical perspectives of public relations can be explained outside of the discipline of communications. Sociological theories such as social learning and social exchange theory also help to explain the ideology of public relations. This week's readings also illustrate that public relations can not be constrained by one theory. Johnston and Zawawi list over 13 theories that can be considered when explaining it. The two way symmetric model seems to share it's ideologies of responding to public opinion with the open systems paradigm of the general systems theory.