1. and Framing the Message
Chapter 12:
Public Relations
and Framing the Message

2. Some guiding questions
How did modern public relations develop?
What are some approaches to corporate public relations?
What are some common PR strategies?
What has been the relationship between journalism and PR?
What are some issues facing PR today?

3. PUBLIC RELATIONS CAREFULLY CRAFTING AN IMAGE of a corporation,
individual, service,
or institution

4. How does PR differ from advertising?

5. ADVERTISING versus PUBLIC RELATIONS (PR)
ADVERTISING is controlled publicity that a company or client buys.
PR promotes a company or client through favorable media publicity (including news media).
PR uses a wide range of media strategies, including advertising.

6. Social and Cultural Impact of Public Relations
Helped define the relationship between businesses and their purchasers (the “public”)
Set tone for corporate image-building
Transformed profession of journalism
Transformed the political process

7. PR in Twentieth-Century America
Accompanied the Industrial Era and the shift to a consumer-oriented society

8. PR as a profession (19th century)
Early press agents promoted and publicized clients.
Promoters used stunts and a variety of existing media channels to shape myths.
Railroads used government lobbyists and bribed reporters to insure good publicity.
Utility companies used questionable publicity tactics to mislead the public.

9. IVY LEDBETTER LEE Founder of modern PR
Advocated honesty and directness
Realized that facts were open to different interpretations
Clients included Penn Railroad, John D. Rockefeller and his oil interests

10. EDWARD BERNAYS
Former journalist; applied psychology and sociology to PR
Clients included major corporations (GE, GM, P&G, RCA, American Tobacco)
Taught PR at New York University
Developed propaganda during WWI
Master at engineering public opinion

11. Modern PR changed the relationship between corporations, politics, journalism and the public

12. PSEUDO-EVENTS AND MANUFACTURING NEWS
Pseudo-event: any circumstance created for the purpose of gaining media coverage
Examples: interviews, press conferences, talk shows, rallies, and so on

13. Formal PR Education Growth since 1980s in colleges and universities
Courses consider professional ethics and issues management
Programs prepare students to be responsible PR professionals in growing industry.

14. The PR Industry Today Independent PR agencies and firms
In-house PR services in companies and organizations

15. PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICES AND TECHNIQUES

16. Activities associated with PR:
Publicity
Media relations
Communication
Public affairs
Issues management
Government relations
Financial PR
Community relations
Industry relations
Minority relations
Advertising
Press agentry
Promotion
Propaganda

17. What is PROPAGANDA?
Communication strategically placed to gain public support for a special issue, program, or policy

18. WRITING AND EDITING FUNCTIONS
Preparing press releases to distribute to the news media
Preparing video news releases (VNRs)
Preparing public service announcements (PSAs)
Creating brochures, newsletters, and annual reports

19. MEDIA RELATIONS
Media relations = securing favorable coverage in the news media for a client or organization.
Involves arranging publicity
Also involves damage control or crisis management
May involve paid advertising.

20. COORDINATING SPECIAL EVENTS
Corporate-sponsored festivals and events
Corporate sponsorship of community activities or programs
Aligns company image with a cause
Shows company’s commitment to local community

21. MARKET RESEARCH
Like advertising, PR needs to know its audience and create effective strategies to reach them.
Mail and telephone surveys
Focus groups
Other feedback from public

22. COMMUNITY/CONSUMER RELATIONS
Involves building relationships between companies and their communities
Involvement of employees in community activities
Charitable donations to local causes
Strong customer service and consumer-related education

23. GOVERNMENT RELATIONS & LOBBYING
Need to maintain good relationships with regulatory agencies
Monitoring of legislation issues
Lobbying = the process of attempting to influence the votes of lawmakers to support a client’s best interests.

24. TENSIONS BETWEEN PUBLIC RELATIONS and JOURNALISM:
A mutually dependent and antagonistic relationship

25. In what ways are journalism and PR dependent upon each other?
How are they antagonistic?

26. What are some ethical issues in Public Relations?

27. Examples of PR Crisis Management
Exxon
Tylenol
Wal-mart
Levi Strauss

28. What do you think is the socially responsible role of the PR industry in our democratic society?