What is public relations?
Don't worry I don't expect you to answer that questions and please do not expect me to give you an answer as I will be here all day despite coming towards the end of the MSc.
Anyway a lot of academics and practitioners alike believe that PR is all about relationships, whether it is building, forming, strengthening even destroying. During a lecture we had on the 20th March we discussed how online communication effects relationships with publics, audiences and stakeholders. Since then I have thought about how the concept of relationship management has evolved as a result of technology.
The level of interactivity taken place between organisations and stakeholders has reached an all new level but more importantly the level of interaction between stakeholders themselves has grown rapidly and it is this, that i believe, poses the greatest threat to organisations.
Whilst writing a recent essay I came across many articles that focused on this concept, none more so than one by Richard Edelman (2000). In this he proposes the idea that PR can no longer rely on the "pyramid" concept which has readily been used in the past for filtering out information to appropriate stakeholders. Now, he believes, PROs should focus on "the sphere of cross influence" which illustrates this high level of interactivity amongst stakeholders. In my humble opinion this is what should be getting taught in all communication classes and it confuses me as to why more people haven't picked up and debated the concept.
Stakeholders are cheating on the organisation with other stakeholders and forming ever lasting, strong relationships unlike the casual relationships they have with their chosen organisation.
Yes, I admit it i am watching an episode of sex and the city just now which may be why I have just wrote that statement but I do still believe it to be true.
The lesson to be learned is, keep an eye on your stakeholders as they are currently cheating on you with other stakeholders.
Debz
Edelman, Richard (2000) “Public Relations Is The Navigator Of The New Media Economy” Journal Of Communication Management, Volume 5, Number 4
1 comment:
I'm beginning to think that being an MSc PR student is a bit like having a near-death experience. It changes your way of thinking. And the shock lies in discovering that the same thing hasn't happened to the people around you - they still think the way they did before. Basically, because they haven't been through your experience.
We're full of the notion of relationship building because it's been drummed into us for the last six months.
PRs will tell you they've always been into relationship building. But I don't believe they have. Not really. I'm sure there's been a lot of 'tokenism' - a lot of talking the talk but not walking the walk, in the PR world.
Lots of instances of PRs talking 'to' their audiences and not paying too much attention to the feedback.
Technology - websites and blogs - will definitely change all of that. You're right - stakeholders are talking to each other: they no longer need to rely on PRs to create the message, or on journalists to carry it. I'm not convince that the majority of PR practitioners have cottoned onto the fact that their future will be very different from their present....
Post a Comment