Ralph E. Hanson, Second Edition
HomeWeblogChaptersCh. 1: Living in a Media WorldCh. 2: The Media Business: Consolidation, Globalization, and the Long TailCh. 3: Mass Communication Effects: How Society and Media InteractCh. 4: Books: The Birth of the Mass MediaCh. 5: Magazines: The Power of Words and ImagesCh. 6: Newspapers: Reflection of a Democratic SocietyCh. 7: Sound: Music and Talk Across MediaCh. 8: Movies: Mass-Producing EntertainmentCh. 9: Television: Broadcast, Cable and BeyondCh. 10: The Internet: Mass Communication Gets PersonalCh. 11: Advertising: Selling a MessageCh. 12: Public Relations: Manufacturing the NewsCh. 13: Media Law: Free Speech and FairnessCh. 14: Media Ethics: Truthfulness, Fairness, and Standards of DecencyCh. 15: Global Media: Communication Around the WorldAbout the BookAbout the AuthorHelp
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Chapter 12: Public Relations

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America's prosperous industrial period in the nineteenth century introduced the public to numerous branded items, and also forced companies and individuals to take stock of their image and learn how to effectively communicate with their consumers or the general public. Early on, the practitioners of press agentry utilized limited, one-way communication of information about a client--corporate or individual--that was presented in the media.

Early public relations practitioners Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays helped shape the face and function of this quickly evolving profession. Lee was famous for putting a human face on the large, seemingly machinelike corporations, as well as advising his clients to be open an honest with their customers. Bernays was the first practitioner to involve the use of psychology to persuade public opinion. He also understood the importance of the delivery of his clients' messages through reputable media outlets. Bernays also established the three major functions of public relations: informing, persuading, and integrating.

The four main steps in the public relations process are defining the problem or opportunity, planning and programming, taking action and communicating, and evaluating the program. In this process, publics, both internal and external, make up the message audience. To reach these publics, it is essential to have a good working relationship with the media, as messages that are presented through the media outlets are seen as more favorable and less biased as those coming directly from the corporation or organization.

Proper management of crisis communication is a critical role of the public relations practitioner. Providing timely, honest, and accurate information during a crisis is essential to protect or salvage the image of the company, individual, or organization affected. Examples of both the positive and negative aspects of crisis communication can be found in Johnson and Johnson's handling of the 1982 Tylenol tampering incident and Exxon's handling of the 1989 Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska.

While the Internet allows for an easier manner to reach the public by avoiding traditional media, it also presents several significant problems. Without the established practices of traditional media, rumors and speculation can spread quickly with little or no ability for containment. Even seemingly ridiculous and impossible claims and stories force individuals and companies to counteract misinformation and provide the public with an accurate account at their own time and expense.

Much of the mainstream news derives from press releases or other information initiated as a designed communication. Constructing the story in a favorable light, or “spinning,” is a common practice for those that want to place a specific viewpoint or opinion on a specific story. Everyone from famous civil rights activists to environmental advocacy organizations have utilized the media to present their cause or case to the public in a favorable manner in hopes of gaining support.

Learning Objectives

•  Know the earliest beginnings of the public relations profession.

•  Know who Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays were, and what they contributed to the PR profession.

•  Understand Lee's Declaration of Principles.

•  Know Bernays's three major functions of PR.

•  Know the four steps in the public relations process.

•  Know what a public is, and the difference between internal and external publics.

•  Know the principles of communication, and examples of good and bad handling of crisis communication.

•  Understand what modern media, such as the Internet, offer the PR practitioners.

•  Understand the terns “spin doctor” and “spin control.”

Review Questions

1. What was the press agentry?


2. Who were the first groups to take steps to improve their images?

3. Describe Bernays's theory of engineering consent.

4. How did the American government use PR during World War I?

5. According to Bernays, what are the three major functions of PR?

6. What is the definition of crisis?

7. According to Jonathan Bernstein, what challenges does the Internet bring to the PR profession?