Public Relations

Public Relations!Public Relations!

Public Relations!Public Relations!

Sadly, we need to cover this stuff.

Journalism is a business.

Ick.

Not all public relations people are evil.

But some are.

So be aware.

What is public relations?

PR is a management toolmanagement tool for leadersleaders to establish beneficial beneficial

relationshipsrelationships with other leaders and groupsleaders and groups.

PR is a management toolmanagement tool for leadersleaders to establish beneficial beneficial

relationshipsrelationships with other leaders and groupsleaders and groups.

Pretty benign, right?

But what do PR people do?

• Identify constituenciesIdentify constituencies (the public): what relationships need fostering?

• Evaluate relationshipsEvaluate relationships: what’s working?

• Design policies to improve those Design policies to improve those relationshipsrelationships: how do you make the relationships mutually beneficial?

• Implement the policiesImplement the policies: image building.

Public relations is notnot a mass media

Public relations is notnot a mass media

They just use the mass media to transmit their messages.

That is where PR meets journalism.

Say what?

How does PR influence the news?

• Press releases.

• Press conferences.

• Media availability.

• Junkets.

• Official statements.

• Tips.

Junkets?

Junkets?• Free airfare?

Junkets?• Free airfare?• Free 5-star hotel?

Junkets?• Free airfare?• Free 5-star hotel?• Limo service?

Junkets?• Free airfare?• Free 5-star hotel?• Limo service?• Food?

Junkets?• Free airfare?• Free 5-star hotel?• Limo service?• Food?• Access to Lil’ Wayne?

Junkets?• Free airfare?• Free 5-star hotel?• Limo service?• Food?• Access to Lil’ Wayne?

• Could you turn it down?

Junkets?• Free airfare?• Free 5-star hotel?• Limo service?• Food?• Access to Lil’ Wayne?

• Could you turn it down?

• They just want the coverThey just want the cover.

• Is there anything wrong with making a deal in order to get access?

• Is there anything wrong with making a deal in order to get access?

• BTW … the guys who run this mag are Temple students.

• Is there anything wrong with making a deal in order to get access?

• BTW … the guys who run this mag are Temple students.

• That is entrepreneurialentrepreneurial.

An educated consumer of the news understands understands

where information originateswhere information originates.

Again, not all PR people are evil.

Just some.

Like this guy.

Wasn’t he just doing his job?

“Let them eat cake.”

- Marie Antoinette

What she meant by that was that you all have been working so hard, you deserve a treat.

That’s some good PR work.

And that is only mildly joking.

The evolution of PR.

• In 18821882, robber baron William Henry Vanderbilt said, “The public be damned.”

• That incited a negative public reaction, which lead to government action regulating industry.

• The statement represented Social-Social-DarwinismDarwinism: survival of the fittest.

The evolution of PR, part II.

• Social-DarwinismSocial-Darwinism hurt business, so the public relations business was invented to portray leaders in a more positive light.

• In 1906, organizations began harnessing the mediaharnessing the media to make themselves sound more sympathetic.

The idea was to win public support.

How?

The secrets to successful PR.

1. Appear to be completely open.

We have nothing to hide.

2. Make the big shots available to the media.

3. Turn negative news into positive news.

Spin.

Boo.

Successful PR:4. Avoid hyperbole.

Don’t make claims you can’t live up to.

There is a fine line between PR and propaganda.

But the connotations are huge.

In theory, PR is supposed to be for good.

The intention is to facilitate,

to provide information.

Propaganda is about

manipulating minds.

“John McCain will continue Bush policies.”

“Barack Obama

is a socialist.”

Both PR and propaganda are about gaining influence.

But PR isn’t always evil.

Just sometimes.

Definitions.

• External relations: communication with groups outside the organization, like conferences and trade shows.

• Internal relations: for within organizations.

• Media relations: PR people help journalists with stories, and they pitch stories to journalists.

• Flak: what journalists call PR people.

Definitions, part II.

• Lobbying: pushing government in policy-making, and advising organizations how to deal with government policies.

• Government relations specialists: a grander title for lobbyists.

The PR specialist’s duties:

• Lobbying.• Image consulting.• Fund-raising.• Contingency planning • (pre-spin).• Polling: public opinion • sampling.• Events coordination.

You might make more money doing PR work.

But in journalism, you won’t sell your soulBut in journalism, you won’t sell your soul.

The test is on TuesdayTuesday.

Do not oversleep.

Test #2:From Vivian:From Vivian:

• Chapter 18 - Global Mass Media

• Chapter 3 - Newspapers

• Chapter 4 - Magazines• Chapter 7 - Radio• Chapter 8 – Television• Chapter 9 – Internet

Terms and ideas?Terms and ideas?• Globalization.• Cultural imperialism.• Conglomeration.• Penny Press Era.• Fox? USA Today?• CATV, O&O, VHF,

UHF, VOD, etc.• ARPAnet, http,

HTML, URL, etc.

Test #2:• Flash mobs• Ayad Allawi• Marcellus Shale• Roy Halladay• Tea Party• Tom Corbett• Temple Nurses’ Union• Westboro Baptist

Church

• Barack Obama (first pitch at the Phillies game?)

• Bill Clinton and Haiti• Donovan McNabb• Joe Biden

• There will be more on the primer.

A primer will be posted by the end of the day.

Today’s lecture will not be on the test.

Do not miss the testDo not miss the test.

There are no make-upsno make-ups unless there is an absolute emergency.