The Public Relations Construction Model

Kristen Bostedo-Conway

The Public Relations Construction Model Combining Habermas and Latour to Begin the Creation of a Public Relations Model with Practical Application Kristen Bostedo-Conway Integrated Strategic Communication Theory Queens University Dr. John McArthur

The Public Relations Construction Model Abstract

Kristen Bostedo-Conway

Public relations is a discipline often criticized for not being a true discipline due to the lack of a theoretical foundation. Despite the many articles applying social and philosophical theories to public relations, the theories only apply in pieces due to the organic growth of the profession. By taking pieces of renowned theorists key ideas, public relations can create a guide to follow and teach practitioners. This patch work method provides a framework from which public relations can continue to evolve without having to reconstruct a new foundation in years to come. Introduction Public relations is a field of communication without a foundational theory. Many articles have been written applying theories by social, political and philosophical scholars to public relations. The problem with these approaches is that only portions or parts of these theories apply to the study of public relations. Instead of continuing to contort the practice of public relations to fit theories meant for other disciplines, this paper proposes combining pieces of Habermas's Theory of Communicative Action with Latour's Actor Network Theory to create step one of a comprehensive public relations model that encompasses the generation of the message, execution and analysis of results. The result is a guide that helps structure the creation of messages and provides the intent to the execution of the message. Habermas's Theory of Communicative Action Theory Habermas is a critical, social theorist and one of the founders of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Frankfurt, Germany. The main crux of his work dealt with analyzing mass media and the influence that advertising and commercialization have on ideological creation, reinforcing consumers dependence on capitalism (Horkheimer & Andros, 1972). Habermas is most well known for his theory of the public sphere. This theory is a sphere in which the bourgeoisie public organizes itself as the bearer of public opinion. In Habermass theory rational debate occurs between members of the elite, or bourgeoisie on political matters. These debates were then published in the print media promoting the ideals of the enlightenment (Habermas, 1989). As his magnum opus Habermas published The Theory of Communicative Action. TCA provides the framework for the Public Relations Construction Model because it details how public relations messages should be generated in order to create meaningful discourse.

The Public Relations Construction Model

Kristen Bostedo-Conway

In order to understand how the creation of the framework, we must first understand Habermas Theory of Communicative Action. Communicative acting is consensus oriented activity where communication creates understanding, but does not influence (Burkhart, 2004). Habermass central perspective is the assertion that social life is created by the ability of actors to explain, interpret and communicate using speech acts. Habermas defines speech acts, created by philosophers Austin and Searle, as the realization of speech creating relationships between actors (Searle, 1969). For Habermas, creating a consensus is the primary function of human speech (Habermas, 1981). Theory of Communicative Action is a multidimensional process for creating consensus. The first facet of TCA includes four validity claims: y y y y Intelligibility - being able to use proper grammatical rules Truth - a topic that all parties believe exists Truthfulness is - being honest and not misleading Legitimacy - acting in accordance with mutually accepted values and norms

These validity claims are mapped onto three dimensions of reality. Habermas calls these dimensions the three worlds. 1. The objective world of external nature is a world about which true statements can be made. 2. The subjective world of internal nature consists of individual experiences only accessible to the speaker. 3. The social world is the world of society that is controlled by agreed upon values and norms.
Whenever a validity claim is violated during the course of communication, which often happens, a repair mechanism occurs called discourse. Discourse builds consensus by questioning the intelligibility (explicative discourse), claim of truth (theoretical discourse) or rightness (practical discourse). The main prerequisite Habermas requires for this level of communication to occur is the ideal speech act. An ideal speech act means that all people engaging in the discourse have equal opportunity to choose and use speech acts (Habermas, 1984). The ideal speech act prerequisite is the main reason that Habermass TCA is a best case scenario for theoretical discussion rather than an applicable theory for the practice of communication.

The Public Relations Construction Model Application

Kristen Bostedo-Conway

There is a perception, by Habermas as well as others, that public relations, and strategic communication is used to achieve goals and influence others without regard for truth (Habermas, 1974). This papers purpose is not to discuss the integrity of public relations. However, utilizing portions of Habermass Theory of Communicative Action allow public relations practitioners to move away from the practice of influencing and toward the act of consensus building. With the increase in public demand for transparency from organizations/brands, this distinction will become a vital part of practitioners responsibility. Habermass theory is built upon the necessary possession of communicative rationality. It requires individuals to have a clear, unfettered access to their own reasoning, possessing clear preference rankings and defendable rationales for their goals and values (Rienstra & Hook, 2006). This level of reasoning is necessary in public relations. Organizations should have clear goals and values that can be easily articulated and repeated. These goals and values should be the driving forces behind each communicative action. When a validity claim is questioned by individuals or the media, an organization should be equipped to defend their position based on previously determined rationales. Habermass four validity claims will provide the framework for the Public Relations Construction Model because his four validity claims require practitioners to engage in forethought and critical thinking before disseminating messages. In todays media world the need for immediacy is growing. However, it is important to assess communication before publishing. Incorporating Habermass four validity claims into a model for public relations ensures that thoughtful communication is still occurring. Critique Habermas is highly critiqued for his idea of the public sphere, ideal speech act and the overall universalization of discourse (Gestrich, 2006). Reinstra believed that Habermas expects too much of his agents The discursive preconditions that agents must manifest to meet Habermass conditions as participants in communicative rationality are exceptionally demanding (Reinstra & Hook, 2006). Although it is necessary to understand the public sphere and the ideal speech act, for the purposes of the PRC Model these pieces are not employed. Habermass concept of the public sphere had a greater impact in the early years of mass communications. In the new age of digital media and one-to-one communication, the notion of proletariat discourse has gained momentum creating dueling public spheres that are of equal importance. As the shift in communication continues, this change will grow merging the two dueling public spheres into one. Additionally,

The Public Relations Construction Model

Kristen Bostedo-Conway

Habermas prerequisite of the ideal speech act is theoretical with little value for the practical application for public relations. The nugget of truth that should be gleaned from this idea is the intent to prevent marginalization of one voice over another. This level of discourse reinforces the global public relations push for transparency and is the only way the PRC model takes into account the ideal speech act. Latour's Actor-Network Theory Theory Bruno Latour is a French sociologist, anthropologist and philosopher. Actor-Network Theory is a social theory, developed in conjunction with other science and technology scholars, which was originally generated to study scientists and engineers in societies. ANT is based in constructivism, which is defined as the construction of facts and has relevance for public relations because it provides an analytical perspective with which actions can be studied. Latour himself agrees stating the tertiary sector should be studied using the same means as scientists and engineers (Latour, 1987). ANT suggests there are five types of controversies debated by actors and stabilized through three types of corrective moves until a new controversy arises. Latour's five types of controversies are the nature of groups, actions, objects, facts and social science. 1. The nature of groups is the belief that members of the collective assemble into groups that contribute to the common world. Groups are not sustained, but constantly being formed. 2. The nature of objects is an uncertainty created by the question, "What types of agencies are participating and can objects also have agency?" 3. The nature of actions is an uncertainty that is defined by the question "Who are the acting agents and when they act who else is acting?" 4. The nature of facts asks the question, what facts about society are constructed and how did they become facts? 5. The nature of social science which questions the existence and uncertainty of the study itself. The five controversies are debated by agents, showing their movements (tracing the network) as they stabilize the controversy in a collective group. This stabilization is often temporary and requires three corrective moves: relocation, redistribution and connection. Relocating means that the ANT

The Public Relations Construction Model

Kristen Bostedo-Conway

scholar will break apart the communication to separate the interaction from the context. Redistribution is the separated context being localized and used as an endpoint. Finally, connection is the process of connecting the localized sites through the various vehicles used (Latour, 2005b). Latour is famous for the notion that non-humans possess agency, I see only actors some human, some nonhuman, some skilled, some unskilled that exchange their properties (Latour, 1988, P. 303). The concept that non-humans possess agency is often misunderstood. What is vital to understand about Latours non-human agency claim, is that it is driven by the agency that humans give to objects. It is not a mystical power that is bestowed upon nonhuman things. The only way to identify logic and signification is by studying the process of the objects origination the particular combination of things depicted by an object and the logic behind their depiction (Latour, 1987, P. 242). Application Fundamental to Latours work is the relation between visibility and truth. In a interview with Christian Katti in 2006, Latour stated: Visibility is the consequence of lots of opaque and invisible work. Part of my interest is from a very traditional social science perspective, in making visible the process of fabrication, which may result in visibility at the end, but which is not clearly visible on its way to the public (Katti, via Latour, 2006, P. 98). This visible process of fabrication is one reason why Latours Actor Network Theory is essential to the structure of our public relations model. Similar to Habermass communicative acting, Latours deconstruction of multimedia messages ensures a transparency which is becoming essential to the discipline of public relations. In Laboratory Life, his first work, Latour discusses science as being widely regarded by outsiders well organized, logical and coherent, in fact, consists of a disordered array of observations with which scientists struggle to produce order (Latour & Woolgar, 1979, p. 36). Latour may have been discussing science, but he might as well have been discussing public relations. From the outside, public relations appears to be a very concise discipline that creates well planned and perfectly executed messages. In reality, public relations is a constantly moving target, increasing in speed, intuitively constructed and extremely difficult to teach to new practitioners. This is why Latours three corrective actions can easily serve to plan multimedia communication by separating each interaction from the context, relocation, localizing each communication endpoint, redistribution, and connecting the communication endpoints through specifically chosen vehicles. In addition to the practical application of planning public relations campaigns, Latours corrective actions also allows for a retroactive analysis of multimedia messages.

The Public Relations Construction Model

Kristen Bostedo-Conway

Once a campaign is complete, best practices can be isolated by examining the result. The practitioner can then compare the result to the original process of fabrication in order to determine what to do differently the next time or what to repeat in order to receive a desired outcome. Critique The primary critique that ANT receives surrounds agency being given to non-humans, or the lack of distinction between humans and non-humans. Normally this critique is due to a lack of understanding of Latours meaning. Latour, however, is ANTs harshest critic. In On Recalling ANT, Latour criticizes the four difficulties of theory: actor, network, theory and the hyphen. In the article Latour discusses how ANT became an alternative social theory and tries to reclaim the intended meaning of the theory as a way in which actors construct their world (Latour, 1999). In the PRC Model Latours three corrective actions are used to construct messages matching the intended meaning of Latours original theory. Additionally, the agency of non-humans utilized, but we base it on Latours original meaning as well. This is the agency that humans give to nonhumans as opposed to believing that nonhumans contain mystical powers. Public Relations Model Phase 1: The Public Relations Construction Model The Public Relations Construction Model (PRC) allows public relations practitioners to capitalize on the most practical aspects of Latour and Habermass theories by combining validity claims and corrective action. Habermass four validity claims intelligibility, truth, truthfulness and legitimacy, book end the process allowing practitioners to create meaningful and purposeful messages. The middle of the model requires that a practitioner plan out communication context and the vehicles which will connect these contexts to ensure the message is disseminated with intent. At each end point Habermass validity claims are used, like a ladder, to ensure that the original messages integrity is still intact. Depending on the vehicle used, messages may need to be recreated, shortened or changed slightly. By revaluating the messages meaning at each communication context site, a public relations practitioner can ensure the messages integrity. At the end of the campaign, Habermass four validity claims are reassessed to ensure the integrity of the message was maintained. Finally, practitioners can use the model to reconstruct actual events allowing a retroactive analysis to occur. This analysis can be compared to the execution model in order to isolate best practices and/or missteps.

The Public Relations Construction Model

Vehicle Vehicle Vehicle

Kristen Bostedo-Conway
Vehicle

Model
Legitimacy Truthfulness Truth Intelligibility
Message Creation

Site

Site

Site

Site

Legitimacy Truthfulness Truth Intelligibility

Legitimacy Truthfulness Truth Intelligibility

Legitimacy Truthfulness Truth Intelligibility

Legitimacy Truthfulness Truth Intelligibility

Legitimacy Truthfulness Truth Intelligibility

Message Evaluation

Practical Example In public relations you constantly are crafting and disseminating messages. The first phase of the PRC model is designed to give this task intent. The company Apple, and the new release of the ipad, provides a great example for how the PRC Model can be used. When the ipad was released it received a lot of press attention. However, there were many conflicting reports regarding features, pricing, online or in store sales, and other items. If Apple had utilized the PRC Model they could have enjoyed the same level of press with a greater consistency to their message. The worksheet below is utilized to provide an example of how the PRC Model could functioned for Apple to rectify differing reports on price.

The Public Relations Construction Model

Kristen Bostedo-Conway

Ex: Press Conference Reporters

Ex: Website

Ex: Email Press Release Reporters & Bloggers

Ex: Wall Post

Press Conference Video

Facebook

Norms and Values are upheld

Legitimacy

Legitimacy

Legitimacy

Legitimacy

Legitimacy Legitimacy was kept

Additional information regarding pricing and model type is needed to obtain truthfulness All parties believe the ipad exists

Truthfulness

Truthfulness

Truthfulness

Truthfulness

Truthfulness Achieved after addition of Pricing and Availability

Truth

Truth

Truth

Truth

Truth

Apple Message Is Intelligible

Intelligibility

Intelligibility

Intelligibility

Intelligibility

Intelligibility

Message Creation Apple Launches iPad Magical & Revolutionary Device at an Unbelievable Price SAN FRANCISCOJanuary 27, 2010Apple today introduced iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPads responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad, and will run almost all of the over 140,000 apps in the App Store. iPad will be available in late March starting at the breakthrough price of just $499 (added to achieve truthfulness -on the base model. For additional information about models, pricing and availability please see below.) iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price, said Steve Jobs, Apples CEO. iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. Pricing & Availability - Added to achieve truthfulness iPad will be available in late March worldwide for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 y the 32GB model, - being able 64GB model. The grammatical rules (Burkhart) (US) for Intelligibility $699 (US) for the to use properWi-Fi + 3G models of iPad will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for they 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store Truth - a topic that all parties believe exists (www.apple.com), Apples retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. International pricing and worldwide availability will be announced at a later date. iBookstore will be available in the US at launch (Apple, 2010.)

Message Evaluation

The Public Relations Construction Model

Kristen Bostedo-Conway

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With the use of the PRC Model Apple would have been able to ensure integrity of its message as it was delivered to each individual message site through multiple mediums. It is important to note that since both humans and nonhumans are given agency, both humans and nonhumans can be vehicles and context sites for communication. Critique Using Habermas and Latour is just the beginning of the development of the PRC Model and a comprehensive practical foundation for public relations. The PRC Model captures the most basic portion of public relations, the crafting and dissemination of messages, and applies social and philosophical theory to create a foundation. This foundation is then used to create a model that can be taught and continually applied. The current PRC model lacks the following key components: y y y y Understanding of the audience and their beliefs The impact of time and space The goal of the communication How to create engagement

These items are extremely important to the development of strategic messages and the lack of inclusion is not taken lightly. Additionally research and applications of other theories is warranted in order to address the missing pieces and complete the model. It is the authors recommendation that the theoretical works of Weber, Giddens, Putnam and Spivak will provide insight into how to complete the PRC Model by addressing the missing elements of audience, time and space, goals and engagement. Conclusion Providing public relations practitioners with a model that allows them to intentionally, but quickly, plan their tactics for creation and dissemination of messages will produce a more solid and organized discipline. It is important to provide a foundation/framework for a primarily tactical entity, so that it can gain legitimacy. By applying whole theories meant for other disciplines to public relations there will always be a place where they stop being applicable. By using the best pieces of key theories to create a new model prevents the public relations discipline from conforming and allows public relations to continue the organic growth that it has always known.

The Public Relations Construction Model References Apple launched ipad (Jan. 27, 2010) Retrieved from: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/01/27ipad.html

Kristen Bostedo-Conway

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Burkhart, R. (2004). Consensus oriented public relations (COPR) A conception for planning and evaluation of public relations. In B. van Ruler & D. Vercic (Eds.), Public Relations in Europe: A nation-by-nation introduction to public relations theory and practice (pp. 446-452), Berlin/New York: Mouton De Gryter. Gestrich, A. (2006). The public sphere and the Habermas debate. German History, Vol. 24, No. 3. Habermas, J. (1974). The public sphere: An encyclopedia article. New German Critique, 3, 49-55. Habermas, J. (1984). The structural transformation of the public sphere: An inquiry into a category of the bourgeois society. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press Habermas, J. (1984). The theory of communicative action: Vol. 1. Reason and the rationalization of society. Boston: Beacon Press. Habermas, J. (1987) The theory of communicative action Vol. 2. Life world and systems: A critique of functionalist reason. Boston: Beacon Press. Horkheimer, M. & Andros, T. W. (1972) Dialectic of enlightenment. New York: Herder & Herder. Katti, C. S. G. (2005). Mediating political things, and the forked tongue of modern culture: A conversation with Bruno Latour. Art Journal, 65, 1, 94-115. Latour, B. (1987). Science in action: How to follow scientists and engineers through society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Latour, B. (1988). The pasteurization of France. (A. Sheridan & J. Law, Trans.) Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Latour, B. (1999). On Recalling ANT. In Hassard, J. Law, J. (Eds.) After Actor Network Theory (15-25). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. Latour, B. (2005b) Reassembling the social: An introduction to actor-network theory. Oxford, Uk: Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Latour, B. Woolgar, S. (1979). Laboratory Life: The construction of scientific facts. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. Reinstra, B. & Hook, D. (2006). Weakening Habermas: The undoing of communicative rationality. Politikon, 33, 313-339. Searle, J.R. (1969). Speech Acts: an essay in the philosophy of language. Cambridge: University Press.