This week's reading concentrated on the importance of strategy, planning and scheduling in public relations practice. Prior to this reading, I had no comprehension of just how vital these three elements are to public relation's practitioners.
I found Grunig's study (Grunig 1997; 286-300) in the United States to be particularly interesting, and, to be completely honest, a little flattered as seen through the eyes of a future public relations practitioner.
I found the entire chapter to be a very helpful learning tool, however it was the section dedicated to strategy that i found particular interest in. I now feel better educated in areas such as how an exit strategy should be planned, vision and mission statements.
In all honesty, before reading Chapter 7 of the text book (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004; 169-196), I was unaware that there was a difference before the two. Before embarking on this course, I had not even heard of a vision statement. As the text so clearly defines, "The vision statement describes the future state of the organisation at a selected time," (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004; 174) and, "The mission statement is formulated to help close the gap between the unsatisfactory present and the more perfect future." (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004; 175) I found these definitions easy to understand and consequently very helpful in furthering my understanding of this course.
I am also now more confident in areas such as budgeting, scheduling and Gantt Charts, yet another concept that i have never encountered before. I found the case studies and examples (such as the AlintaGas mission statement) both effective and interesting.
Overall, I must say I am glad I read this chapter.
This week, I commented on Michaela Virgara"s Blog. Check it out.
http://cmns1290michaelavirgara.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Internal Public Relations
Internal public relations is an idea that explores the relationships inside an organisation, or internal publics. Internal publics can be defined in two main groups, "an organisation's employees, and an organisation's members." (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004; 290) An organisation's employees encompasses everyone from the Chairman of the Board to temporary casuals, while an organisation's members refers to individuals who join the association out of special or professional interest.
As a casual employee myself, I strongly agree that, "maintaining employee goodwill makes good business sense." (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004; 290) In light of recent changes in IR laws across NSW and Australia, this reading draws some extremely good points about the value of maintaining employee goodwill. Regarding this idea, I found the following section of this chapter very interesting,
"In Australia, the unions need to be considered in any employee relations program. To develop positive employee relations, it is important to open and maintain communication links with union leaders and representatives. Traditional management thinking seems to resist discussion with union leaders because it is thought that sharing the discussion table will diminish management's power. However, developing an open communication policy with representatives of the organised workforce can prove a more efficient and productive management strategy."
(Johnston & Zawawi, 2004; 290)
I agree. It is immensely intimidating to face an employer alone when addressing an issue that is troubling you. It is easy to feel alienated and vulnerable in this situation. It is a nice comfort to know that you are supported and that you can address these issues freely without fear of termination.
Apparently John Howard does not think so..........
The chapter goes on to discuss ways in which an organisation can improve it's internal communication through tools and channels such as newsletters, noticeboards, memos, awards and events, all of which, in my opinion, are excellent ways to make employees feel appreciated.
Have you ever been a victim of bad internal communication????
This week, I commented on Taegan Reid's blog.
http://taeganreidcmns1290.blogspot.com/
As a casual employee myself, I strongly agree that, "maintaining employee goodwill makes good business sense." (Johnston & Zawawi, 2004; 290) In light of recent changes in IR laws across NSW and Australia, this reading draws some extremely good points about the value of maintaining employee goodwill. Regarding this idea, I found the following section of this chapter very interesting,
"In Australia, the unions need to be considered in any employee relations program. To develop positive employee relations, it is important to open and maintain communication links with union leaders and representatives. Traditional management thinking seems to resist discussion with union leaders because it is thought that sharing the discussion table will diminish management's power. However, developing an open communication policy with representatives of the organised workforce can prove a more efficient and productive management strategy."
(Johnston & Zawawi, 2004; 290)
I agree. It is immensely intimidating to face an employer alone when addressing an issue that is troubling you. It is easy to feel alienated and vulnerable in this situation. It is a nice comfort to know that you are supported and that you can address these issues freely without fear of termination.
Apparently John Howard does not think so..........
The chapter goes on to discuss ways in which an organisation can improve it's internal communication through tools and channels such as newsletters, noticeboards, memos, awards and events, all of which, in my opinion, are excellent ways to make employees feel appreciated.
Have you ever been a victim of bad internal communication????
This week, I commented on Taegan Reid's blog.
http://taeganreidcmns1290.blogspot.com/
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Agenda Setting
In this weeks lecture, we discussed theories related to Public Relations. Most of these are theories that we have all heard before, some probably more than others. Doing a major in both PR and Journalism, agenda setting is an idea that has always interested me, as it influences both of these fields significantly.
As stated in the text,
"Agenda setting indicates that, although the news media do not tell you what to think, they do strongly influence what you think about."
I don't know about you, but I find this concept fascinating.
It makes sense that public relations practitioners use agendas setting to establish positive, prominent attention in the news and media for their clients. When phrased like this, agenda setting does not seem, as it often does, as a form of propaganda. The same applies to "playing down," or in some cases oppressing negative stories of the client to achieve the same effect. It seems that agenda setting can be interpreted in two completely different ways, and it is in the viewers interpretation of the practitioner's use of the tool the ultimately shapes the opinion of the subject in question.
Agenda setting does indeed, as stated in the text, draw attention to the relationship between the news media and public relations practice. But what sort of relationship is this?
What do you think??????
This week, I posted a comment on Kellie O'Sullivan's blog. I would definitely recommend reading the blog entries on Kellie's page.
http://cmns1290kellieosullivan.blogspot.com
As stated in the text,
"Agenda setting indicates that, although the news media do not tell you what to think, they do strongly influence what you think about."
I don't know about you, but I find this concept fascinating.
It makes sense that public relations practitioners use agendas setting to establish positive, prominent attention in the news and media for their clients. When phrased like this, agenda setting does not seem, as it often does, as a form of propaganda. The same applies to "playing down," or in some cases oppressing negative stories of the client to achieve the same effect. It seems that agenda setting can be interpreted in two completely different ways, and it is in the viewers interpretation of the practitioner's use of the tool the ultimately shapes the opinion of the subject in question.
Agenda setting does indeed, as stated in the text, draw attention to the relationship between the news media and public relations practice. But what sort of relationship is this?
What do you think??????
This week, I posted a comment on Kellie O'Sullivan's blog. I would definitely recommend reading the blog entries on Kellie's page.
http://cmns1290kellieosullivan.blogspot.com
Sunday, July 22, 2007
PR- Definitions and Australian History.
Many ideas were presented in the two opening chapters of the core text for Introduction to Public Relations, Public Relations Theory and Practice. after being asked to define public relations practice in the first lecture of this course and failing miserably, i read the first chapter, "What is Public Relations," with great anticipation. I hoped that after reading this chapter, I would be able to answer the question soundly and accurately the next time it was presented to me. You can imagine my disappointment and frustration, however, when the chapter went on to say that, basically, it is almost impossible to define public relations. To be completely honest, after reading only the first half a dozen pages, the text was quite nearly thrown through my second story bedroom window.
After a few deep breaths and a few harsh words from friends who had completed the weeks readings, i resumed reading the text. I am now a little embarrassed to admit that, after my initial dramatic reaction, I have come to the realisation that the broad scope of possibilities provided under the public relations umbrella is much more interesting and important to me as a future practitioner than a silly little definition. The idea of specialists and generalists, advertising, marketing, mass communication, corporate enterprises, social functions and much, much more are just some of the aspects involved in an industry that i can not wait to learn more about.
Thought: After completing the readings, I have come to the conclusion that I am a generalist rather than a specialist. I do not want to limit myself to a single feild, and love the idea of so many paths and possibilities in one profession. So what about you? Are you a generalist, or a specialist? Can't wait to hear your answer.....
After a few deep breaths and a few harsh words from friends who had completed the weeks readings, i resumed reading the text. I am now a little embarrassed to admit that, after my initial dramatic reaction, I have come to the realisation that the broad scope of possibilities provided under the public relations umbrella is much more interesting and important to me as a future practitioner than a silly little definition. The idea of specialists and generalists, advertising, marketing, mass communication, corporate enterprises, social functions and much, much more are just some of the aspects involved in an industry that i can not wait to learn more about.
Thought: After completing the readings, I have come to the conclusion that I am a generalist rather than a specialist. I do not want to limit myself to a single feild, and love the idea of so many paths and possibilities in one profession. So what about you? Are you a generalist, or a specialist? Can't wait to hear your answer.....
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