Media Relations

This week's readings covered the area of media relations, about the importance of media to public relations and vice versa. The first thing that came to mind when I was doing the readings is that this module is unexpectedly similar to others, such as journalism and audience studies. That aside, it is also in my opinion, the easiest set of readings so far.

One important point that I learnt from the readings is the relationship between the media and public relations. The media and public relations as mentioned, is interdependent, requiring information from each other in order to function. As such, a public relations personnel has to keep up with the media through a task of media monitoring in order to be up to date with issues, events and changes that occur.

The second important point is the need to know the media in order to work well within it. The points mentioned in the chapter, such as deadlines, hierarchy in the newsroom, media styles and audience targetting, are practical and helpful tips for a public relations personnal. This shows that the work of public relations is better achieved as a team, as a journalist or an editor cannot function alone. On a personal note, the newsroom as described in the readings gives an impression it being fast paced and chaotic, and definitely not easy to keep up with.

I feel that the readings gave me a greater understanding of how a public relations organization works and operates. Instead of just a team of journalist who put together news and information to be released, it is in actual fact so much more complicating than that. What with the deadlines to meet and the people of importance within the newsroom, the job of a public relations personnel does not seem like such an simple job to me anymore. From the areas that have to be considered as pointed out in the book, I feel that a PR personnel is someone who needs to be able to handle things rationally and logically. Take a simple media conference for example, much planning and thought have to go into it before the actual event can actually take place, and this is definitely not a simple task.

Readings for chapter 7

This week's readings were about the strategy, planning and scheduling that is necessary for public relations.

One main point of the readings is the need for organisational strategy. Like defined in the readings, it is a series of planned activities designed and integrated to achieve a stated organisational goal. That being said, an organisation cannot function or succeed without first developing some sort of strategy. I therefore agree that it is an important part of managing public relations

The other main point of the readings is that planning is essential for an organization to run smoothly. With vision and mission statements clearly defined beforehand, it gives the organization a direction in which they can strive towards, instead of remaining stagnant without any improvements.

The readings gave me a deeper understanding of how public relations is important in a company, and how its purpose can be maximised by operating within the decision-making dominant coalition of the organisation.

One part of the reading that made me think more of public relations is the principles of effective communication. I feel that the requirements of the writer of an effective strategic communication plan identified by the author is very useful in understanding the role of a PR practitioner. The need to have two-way communication and responsive, is in my opinion very useful, because it acknowledges how people will listen only if their opinions are being heard. Another interesting point is the need to be precise about time, as people are more likely to support a change if they are consulted before it is made. I personally find this to be very true, and it is definitely helpful if PR practitioners keeps that in mind while carrying out their work.

To be honest, I never thought that a job like Public Relations requires strategic planning and scheduling, as it seems more like a job that handles communication matters as it comes about. The readings have given me much insight on the job scope of a PR practitioner and the requirements that comes with it. I think it is a great start to understanding more about PR and how to succeed in it.

The readings generally gives me a clearer idea of how a PR department should operate in an organization, and the importance of strategy, planning and scheduling. I certainly would not view PR in the same light anymore!

Journal for week 2 readings

This week's readings covered the theoretical aspects of Public Relations as an introduction. It gave a very thorough and specific idea of what public relations is about, the misconceptions about it and also the various definitions of PR.

I think one main point of this week's readings is that public relations is a controversial area of study that is difficult to simply define or explain. It requires an extensive and in-depth analysis from both an organisation and publics' point of view.
The other main point of the readings is the theories that attempt to understand and explain the work of public relations. Although each theory mentioned in the readings is useful in evaluating an aspect or area of public relations, it has its limitations and problems as well.

From these three chapters, I learnt that public relations is a complex topic that requires much knowledge and studies in order to understand, contrary to what many people would think. The job of a public relations practitioner is often taken for granted as easy and effortless, requiring little knowledge and experience. These readings certainly gave me insight on how complex it actually is.

I feel that the 'four models' approach taken by Grunig and Hunt is the most comprehensive theory, as it does not confine the subject to just a single approach. Because the job of a public relations practitioner varies with the organisation or situation, there should be several models instead of just one to apply. I agree that the fourth model of 'two-way symmetric' is too idealistic, as it is difficult to place equal importance of the publics' view and that of the organisation. Therefore, the third model of 'two-way asymmetric' is more realistic, with more emphasis placed on advancing the standing and the projects of the organisation.

In conclusion, the readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice, with the many definitions and theories surrounding it. From the beginning of chapter one that gives the example of Queensland's Gold Coast meter maids as 'public relations practitioners', to senior positions of problem-solvers in an organisation, it gave me more understanding and insight on the topic of public relations.