WEEK ONE

MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES:

 A working definition of the term ‘public relations’ and examples of public relations in action
 The assessment requirements of this unit and be able to identify the UWS resources
designed to provide further support and assistance

LECTURE POD:

 READING (CHAPTER 1) : Chia, J, and Synnott, G. (2012). An Introduction to Public Relations

and Communication Management. (2nd ed). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

By the end of the chapter you should be able to:

- Define public relations
- Demonstrate an understanding of public relations, its activities and functions
- Understand the structure of the public relations professions, with a focus on
Australian and including examples from New Zealand and Asia
- Understand why theory is important to practice and what theory is most useful
- Understand the values that underpin practice.
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 Public relations profession is constantly evolving “in the midst of a revolution the involves
new audiences, new channels, new kinds of content and new measurement”. There is a call
for the profession to develop new skills and ‘seize new opportunities.
 Move towards a management organisation, as public relations take a role in managing and
leading within the organisations it represents.
 Much of what we do is about relationships, connections and networks, and the
communication that is effective in sustaining and developing them.
Historical origins:
 Much of what has been written about the development and history of public relations in the
USA but developments in many parts of the world have not been as well documented.
 Tom Watson of Bournemouth University, United Kingdom, has been convening and leading
the International History of Public Relations Conference for several years to extend public
relations scholarship and understanding of varied historical developments across the globe.
The 2012 conference included scholars and practitioner in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, the
Middle East and Latin America, giving further opportunity to gain a varied cultural
perspective of professional developments in these countries.
 Public relations history is ‘often more grey than black and white, and rarely follows a linear
progression. With developments in the USA, where Ivy Ledbetter Lee was regarded as the
‘first practitioner of modern style public relations. In 1906 Lee began in a publicity role, the
forerunner of the media relations role of public relations. In thirty-one years of practice, lee
contributed greatly to the development of public relations as it evolved from a publicity role
to a counselling role. Edward Bernays was one of the first public relations practitioners to
use the term ‘public relations counsel’. By 1923 Bernays persuasive techniques had begun to
change US public opinion. Public Opinion is a most important concept, it refers to expression
of attitudes as ‘derived from evaluations that the public make about what is happening in
society’. It reflects publics’ sentiments about issues such as youth homelessness, cyber
bulling and obesity.
 According to Dough Newsom, Judy Turk and Dean Kruckeberg (2007) the public relations
profession moved through five main stages:
(1) Presse agentry and publicity in which public relations was publicly
dominated
 WEEK ONE
(2) Communicating about organisational achievements was publicly dominated
(3) Reacting and responding to community interests and issues as the
profession began to look at its performance and how it related to society.
(4) Planning and prevention, which was viewed as the maturing of the
profession as it became part of a management role.
(5) Professionalisation of the profession, which widened the scope of public
relations practice in the international perspectives became important.
 These developments are similar to the way aspects of professional public relations
progressed in Australia, New Zealand and Asia, but the process of development cannot be
tracked as scrutiny.
 Public relations develops in different stages according to the social, political and economic
circumstances of the countries and regions it operates in, and is underpinned by ideologies
that often reflect dominant cultures.
Chapter summary:
- Public relations is a dynamic profession, it is challenging, and it has many
opportunities for new areas of practice
- Public relations is understood and practices differently in different cultures but there
are also many similarities in practice between cultures.
- Public relations is underpinned by ethical and transparent practice.
- Publics and audiences are groups of people with common interests or needs;
stakeholders have a stake or interest in an organisation.
- Public relations theory underpins and directs practice
- Academic research assists us in making sense of the application of theory to
practice.
- Public relations components or fundamentals of practice range from public affairs to
internal and external public relations, research and counselling, to financial relations
management
- Public relations is part of a network society.