Understanding the profession and having a knowledge of what it does and how it's practised is important to understanding its values, ethos and professional philosphy.
PR practitioners engage in all levels of an organisation and communicty as they develop new ways to work with communities and other publics and audiences and adapt their practice to changing societal needs and demands.
Today's PR is flued and complext (Murphy, 2000), but there is also considerable opportunity for public relations in this unpredictable environment.
Public relations developments worldwide are creating opportunities for growth, a leading Estonian public relations professor (2011: 50), indicates that 'the focus in society has changed and PR has the opportunitity of a lifetime to show its true professional character as a social actor and integrator.'
Understanding and defining PR needs increasing sophistication.
The US perspective given by Glen Broom (2009: 27) suggests that we can define and understand public relations by recognising what it is not:
Public relations is not marketing, as the 'goal of marketing is to attract and satistfy customers on a sustained basis in order to secure 'market share' and to achieve an organisation's economic objectives'. Wehmeier (2009: 277) proposes that as a 'communication management orientation increases, the marketing perspective seems to vanish or at least diminish,' support the growing prominence of public relations in organisations.
Public relations is not a publicity, although publicity is one of hte tasks of a professional practice, for example promoting an organisation's latest prduct in the media.
It is not advertising as advertisers 'control content, placement and timing by paying for media advertising time and space.' (Broom, Cutlip & Ceater 2009: 30)
In 2012 the PRSA announced the definition of public relations as a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organisations and their public relations practice and has a limited perspective.
Dan Lattimore and others (2012: 4) defines public relations as:
"A leadership management funciton that helps achieve organisational objectives, defines philosophy, and facilitates organisational change. PR practitioners communicate with all relevant internal and external audiences to develop positive relationships and create consistency between organisational goals and societal expectations. PR practiterions develop, execute and evaluate organisational programs that promote the exchange of influence and understanding among an organisation's constituent parts and publics."
The Author of Publication Relations in the Twenty-First century defines PR by building on our understanding of the profession:
- Collaborates with diverse publics through dialogue and multi-way discussion, networking and relationship monitoring and management.
- Researches and evaluates its practice to understand how to engage majority and minority groups in organisations and society, and to explore mutual objectives, embrace new ideas and be prepared to take a step back when more negotiation is required.
- Is creative and innovative, yet flexible in its practice, as it constantly adapts to changing needs and changing circumstances.
Defining PR values:
- Emphasis on transparent, two-way communication where listening and taking ideas on board is as important as inofmring, giving your ideas and promoting your plans.
- Representing the interests and needs of your organisation and also working for what is best for society.
- Ethical and responsible practice where organisations go beyond serving the community to giving back to the community.
- Relation development between organisations and their publics.
- PR taking an active role in an organisation to counsel and ensure that the implications of decisions on public relations are voiced when decsions are being made.
(These values shape the practice because ethically managed communication underpins all aspects of PR - It is through this type of practice that the profession gains respect and dignity)
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