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Essay: What is Public Relations? Sunderland University Philip Young MACM 27 CW1
119050134
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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‘What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.’ Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)
‘Experience is the teacher of all things.’ Julius Caesar (the Bello Civili)
Image credits: AWIRTHLIN PR
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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Table of Content 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Academics ........................................................................................................................................ 5
3. Practitioners .................................................................................................................................. 12
4. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 17
5. Bibliography ................................................................................................................................... 19
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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1. Introduction
The topic of defining and determining what Public Relations is and what it consist of,
has puzzled many scholars and professionals, even before the name Public
Relations came in to being. Even the history of Public Relations in itself is a
questionable one, and one that has fueled a many debate. The contested origin of
the term and linked definition of Public Relations has been well phrased by James
Hutton in the following paragraph:
“In terms of both theory and practice, Public Relations has failed to arrive at a broadly
accepted definition of itself in terms of its fundamental purpose, its dominant
metaphor, its scope, or its underlying dimensions.” (Baker S., 1982, p. 191)
However, if one were to trace back the origins of Public Relations, it would seem that
the following recurrent questions reappear throughout the debated history: ‘What is
Public Relations, How does it works and What is its beneficial function for
organizations, the public and society?’ The answers to these conundrums are
dependent on the industry in which they are being wielded. There is a remarkable
difference between the terms and explanations used by practitioners, the media,
clients, academics and theorists. Even though Public Relations can be seen as a
scientific discipline, every researcher has his or hers own well-founded background,
which offers different perspectives on the profession of Public Relations.
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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Consequently, it is the background of the researcher itself which influences their
intake on the questions of ‘What Public Relations is, How it works and How it needs
to be researched?’ (Ihlen O., van Ruler B., 2007, p. 243). This is illustrated by Botan
C.H. and Taylor M. (2004, p. 645) who state that:
“Public Relations is in an ongoing state of change…branching out from a single
applied focus driven by the knowledge needs of practitioners into two major
branches… the applied branch and a new theory-based research and scholarship
branch .” (Ledingham J.A., Bruning S.D., 2000, p. 107)
Subsequently, in this paper, the different types of definitions will be analyzed in
different sections, making a distinction between the practitioners’ and the academic’s
intakes, while referring to views wielded by the media and publics.
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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2. Academics
While debate continues over whether Public Relations is a profession or not, and
while there continues to be discussions about whether Public Relations fits within
marketing or management, Kent and Taylor (2007, p. 33) argue that Public Relations
is about communicating through dialogue, where the exchange of ideas and opinions
is the central focus. Willis states that Public Relations has, in today’s society, the
tools to communicate with it consumers, in a way that other (marketing) disciplines
cannot…(Tench R., Yeomans L., 2009, p. 412). Professors Lawrence Long and
Vincent Hazelton describe Public Relations as:
“A communication function of management through which organizations adapt to,
alter, or maintain their environment for the purpose of achieving organizational goals,
or simply put, that Public Relations is more than just persuasion.” (Cameron G.T.,
Wilcox D.L., 2006, p. 5)
Clearly, Public Relations has become more that just “communicating, delivering, and
exchanging offerings”. Already in 1984, James Grunig and Todd Hunt indentified four
models of communication with publics that highlight the core functions of Public
Relations: the Press agentry/ Publicity model, the Public Information model, the Two-
way Asymmetric model and the Two-way Symmetric model (Theaker A., 2004, p.
12). Even though Public Relations was originally used to persuade the public, that is
not the goal of every model mentioned above.
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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The main function of the publicity model is propaganda, while the goal for Public
Relations in the Public Information model is to inform and spread public information
(not necessarily to persuade). The Two-way Asymmetric model on the other hand,
starts from a scientific persuasion, in which scientific research professionals contact
different stakeholders, so that these stakeholders may act beneficiary to the
organizations. The main objective of the last model is to create mutual understanding
between organizations and their stakeholders, in which Public Relations
professionals function as mediators. Furthermore, Grunig and Hunt formulated the
following definition of Public Relations:
“Public Relations is the management of communication between an organizations
and its publics … or an organization’s managed communications behavior.”
In conclusion, the four models identified by Grunig and Hunt provide a broad
understanding of the functions of Public Relations and its evolution throughout history
while the proposed definition views Public Relations mainly as a management
function for organizations on one side, and the public on the other side. However,
since the rise of social media in recent years, the emphasis should not solely be put
on linear communications, but also on conversations surrounding an organization
(Young P., 2001: online). Furthermore, the Grunig and Hunt model conceptualizes
the idea of Public Relations from an idealistic viewpoint, not really considering social
segregation and targeted audiences.
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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In 1976, Rex Harlow researched 472 definitions of Public Relations, to finally
combine them in the following phrase:
“Public Relations is a distinctive management function which helps establish and
maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation
between an organization and its publics, it involves the management of problems or
issues; helps management to keep informed on and responsive to public opinion;
defines and emphasizes the responsibility of management to serve the public
interest; helps management keep abreast of and effectively utilize change, serving as
an early warning system to help anticipate trends, and uses research and ethical
communication techniques as its principal tools” (Wilcox D.L., Cameron G.T., 2006,
p. 7).
This definition tries to sum up all the different effects and tools in Public Relations,
with an emphasis on its controllable management function. However, it focuses on
what Public Relations does, rather then what it is. Furthermore, it is viewed through a
closed system approach, which does not make a distinction between the different
functions of Public Relations, whereas the models of Grunig and Hunt do. The
definition provided by Harlow also doesn’t take in account the more flexible intake
that is wielded by practitioners (Grunig J.E., Hunt T., 1984, p. 89-93).
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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Another management definition is that of Cutlip, Center and Broom, who define
Public Relations as:
“The management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial
relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure
depends, it is the planned effort to influence opinion through good character and
responsible performance, based upon mutually satisfactory two-way communication.”
(Cutlip S.M., Center A.H., Broom G.M., 1994, p. 6-7)
A frequently quoted management orientated definition is the one proposed by the
newsletter Public Relations News that states:
“Public Relations is the management function which evaluates public attitudes,
identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the
public interest, and plans and executes a program of action to earn public
understanding and acceptance.” (Grunig J.E., Hunt T., 1984, p. 8)
The Public Relations Society of America defines Public Relations as following:
“Public Relations is a management function that involves counseling at the highest
level and being involved in strategic planning for the organization.” (Newson D., Turk
J.V., Kruckeberg D., 2004, p. 2)
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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Though the definitions mentioned on the previous page approach Public Relations
through a management view, the one proposed by Cutlip focuses and highlights the
establishment and the maintaining of relationships with publics, which in turn requires
two-way communication and assumes some form of trust and ethics. The second and
third definitions focus more on the managing aspect, rather than the human
relationship bond. However, the management definitions fail to emphases the long-
term aspect of Public Relations, though Cutlip mentions ‘maintaining relationships’.
The definitions focus primarily on measuring the similarity between the views of the
participating publics’ perceptions in regard to the views of the organization, and
consequently consider these views as adequate research indicators (Ledingham J.A,
Bruning S.D., 2000, p. 4- 5). They fail to highlight the diverse social and surrounding
contextual aspects that are required in the understanding of Public Relations.
Ihlen and van Ruler state that the instrumental approach should therefore be
changed into a society based approach. Jacquie L’Etang agrees with this, and
mentions that definitions of Public Relations should ‘pay more attention to the social
and political costs and benefits of Public Relations’ (L’Etang J., 1996, p. 2). She
states that Public Relations can be described as:
“The practice of presenting the public face of an organisation (be it a company,
educational institution, hospital, or government) or individual, the articulation of its
aims and objectives, and the official organizational view on issues of relevance to it.”
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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In the US there is generally a closer focus on the social side of the Public Relations
domain, as is illustrated by the following definitions, adopted by the Public Relations
Society of America:
“Public Relations helps our complex, pluralistic society to reach decisions and
function more effectively by contributing to mutual understanding among groups and
institutions. It serves to bring the public and public policies into harmony.” (Guth
D.W., Marsh C., 2007, p. 6)
Another socially orientated definition was introduced by the International Public
Relations Association in Mexico in 1987:
“Public Relations practice is the art and science of analyzing trends, predicting their
consequences, counseling organization leaders and implementing planned programs
of action which will serve both the organization’s and the public’s interest.” (Grunig
J.E., Hunt T., 1984, p. 7)
The definitions mentioned above are incomplete since they do not stress the global
diversity that involves Public Relations, which, especially with the use of social
media, is something that has to be taken in account. There have not been many
international comprehensive studies, and the efficacy of international PR has to be
improved (Theaker A. 2004, p. 340). Another flaw in the definitions is that, however
you spin it, Public Relations is biased in favor of organizations (L’Etang J., 1996, p.
2). However, this should not be tried to be hidden, but rather be accepted and dealt
with through ethical rules and goodwill towards publics.
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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A final definition worth mentioning is the one used by the Institute of Public Relations
in the UK, that defines Public Relations as:
“The planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and
understanding between an organisation and its publics. It is the discipline concerned
with the reputation of organisations (or products, service or individuals) with the aim
of earning understanding and support.” (CIPR, s.d.: online and Theaker A. 2004, p.
5-6)
This definition has a strong focus on establishing and maintaining goodwill, which
does not necessarily imply honestly towards the public (Seaman P., 2009: online).
This slight bending of the truth is in contrast with the rest of the definition, which aims
to serve the public interest, a somewhat broad term. Another critical note was
reported by Bill Huey, who states that Public Relations is ‘defined by its practice’
(Huey, B., 2009: online). However, the Public Relations Consultants Association in
the UK uses the same definition as the CIPR, even though some practitioners feel
that reputation is not the main objective in Public Relations (Tench R., Yeomans L.,
2009, p. 7).
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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3. Practitioners
Practitioners, in comparison to theorists, have a very different view when it comes to
defining Public Relations. Their explanatory definitions tend to be more based on
their experiences within the field and often refer to persuasion and influence (Hutton
J., 1999, p. 209). As mentioned above, not all practitioners agree that reputation is
the main objective in Public Relations, and their definitions are more focused on what
Public relations does, rather then what it is. Furthermore, as can be seen in the
following definitions, some practitioners consider the notion of public interest
somewhat loose.
The International Public Relations Association defines Public Relations as:
“Public Relations is the systematic promotion of mutual understanding between an
organisation and its public.” (IPRA, s.d.: online)
In this first definition, there is no mention of reputation management and a strong
focus on communication. Another definition that portrays similar views, but also
mentions the measurable aspect of public relations, is composed by Bergman
Communications:
“Public Relations is communicating your organization’s messages at the right time
and in the right place to the right audience...
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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...With the proliferation of tools and technologies, we can measure the value of those
efforts and how they align with a business’ overall mission.” (Bergman
Communication, s.d.: online)
Dan Gersten, public relation practitioner, defines Public Relations as:
“The creation, distribution and dissemination of messaging and communications for
the purpose of promoting and fostering positive awareness, associations, imagery,
perception of a person, place or thing among a particular target audience to effect a
desired behavior.” (Gersten D, 2011: online)
Ochman B.L. in turn, defines Public relation on his ‘What’s Next’ blog as:
“Public Relations is the art and science of influencing public opinion through
communications. These days, it’s often a ham-handed attempt at message control.
The problem is that message control is (and always was) an illusion. The best PR
people understand integrated communications and know that if your product sucks,
nothing else matters.”(Ochman B.L., 2011: online)
These definitions explain Public relations with a strong focus on controlled
communication, but definitely mention ‘changing behaviours’, ‘influencing people’ or
‘persuading publics’. In the eye of the general public, Public Relations is often still
perceived as means by which people can be persuaded, or deceived (Tench R.,
Yeomans L., 2009, p. 6).
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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It is for the same reason that Public Relations has often been linked to words as spin
or propaganda in favor of companies (Gregory A., 2004, p. 28). Journalist
Christopher Spicer (1993) concluded in an article in the Journal of Public Relations
Research that Public Relations was consistently equated with manipulation of the
truth to a dubious end (Cameron G.T., Wilcox D.L., 2006, p. 13). It is probably for the
same reason that the word persuasion is often not mentioned in academic definitions.
Even though persuasion has a bitter connotation to it, in reality, Public Relations is
still about changing people behaviors and influencing them in favor of business
interests.
On the other hand, a similarity between practitioners and theorists definitions is the
remaining focus on the relationship between Public Relations and the Media. Lisa
Buyer from the Buyer Group and Deborah Weinstein from Strategic Objections both
stress this important part of Public Relations:
“Public Relations communicates the news, influences the news, receives the news,
and responds to the news for a brand via the media. It’s the art and science of talking
to the right audience in the right voice. PR is the communication hub of an
organization. It influences and shapes a company’s image, reputation, brand
perception and culture. PR connects a brand and its public via direct messages or
editorial media including print, broadcast, radio, digital, video or social media. ...
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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...Before social media, a company had one voice; now social media encompasses an
orchestra of voices that contribute to a company’s image, reputation, brand
perception and its public community.”(Buyer L, s.d.: online.)
“Public Relations is the art and science of sharing genuine, credible, relevant news
and information to grow, maintain and protect brand acceptance, awareness,
reputation and sales, when appropriate. Public Relations creates measurable, fact-
based conversations, events and activities conceived to generate positive, third party
endorsements and target audience buy-in.” (Weinstein D., 2011: online)
However, it is seems that there are less practitioners then theorists who define Public
Relations mainly as a management function. It is argued by Grunig that this might be
because the creative artistic practitioners mistrust management’s ability to
understand Public Relations. He also argues that there are other types of
practitioners who practice Public Relations through an ethical view, and who see
management as creative in itself, planned and proactive. Nancy Tamosaitis from
Thompson Vorticom Inc. for example states that :
“Public Relations has evolved with technological advances and its role in
management has increased. Public Relations is defining and communicating a
company’s narrative to provide clarity and insight to the market it seeks to reach.”’
(Tamosaitis N., s.d.: online)
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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An other definition offered is the one by Paul Holmes, who argues that Public
Relations:
“is all about building relationships with key publics.” (Holmes P., 2003: online)
He argues that by differentiating public relations from marketing, ‘public relations
practitioners will become more heavily in the strategic decision making of the
organisation’.
Finally, there are the practitioners who view Public relations as an applied social
science, as do some theorists and those practitioners who see public relations as a
community practice. Blodgett, Baus and Young state that:
“Public Relations in its true sense is about human connections and the art of
mastering human connections at a deep level. In the early days of PR, it was about
relationships with not just the press but communities in various forms – the difference
was that these audiences were not online. When played from a place of passion and
purpose, Public Relations in the new world will not only take social media, branding
and marketing to the next level, but will elevate the people and products that are
changing the world.” (Blodgett R., 2011: online)
“Public Relations is a combination of philosophy, sociology, economics, language,
psychology, journalism, communication and other knowledge into a system of human
understanding." (Baus H.M., 2007: online)
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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“Using traditional and digital media (free of charge) to educate and inform public
masses about relevant issues and stories that are worthy of sharing and that have an
impact on people. Public Relations requires a creative, compelling, and concise
approach, with a deep sense of the art of story-telling through our emotions and
humanity. We have the power to move and influence people through the news and
media.” (Young S., s.d.: online)
These definitions mention the importance interaction with other disciplines, a long
term relationship and an ethical way of executing Public Relations. They also refer to
the massive increase of social media, and the two-way process which has a major
influence on Public Relations. They stress the importance of communication, instead
of management in Public Relations.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion it can be seen that Public Relations is certainly more than a support for
marketing or publicity. Public Relations embodies some core aspects as: strategic
planning; ethics; two-way communications including surrounding aspects; storytelling;
influencing behaviour; persuasion; long term relationship building and maintaining
this relationship with a targeted audience; relationship management; creating mutual
understanding between publics and organization; targeted media relations;
measurable social science that uses certain tools; community building; influence of
social media in a global society; playing an advocacy role; interacting with other
disciplines.
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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Even though there is somewhat of a difference between the opinions formed by
practitioners en those formed by academics, they both make some valid points and
have some overlapping concepts. It is for this reason that a praxis is in order, a
mixture of theory and practice, if one is to deduce a definition of Public Relations that
suits all. However, this has not yet been accomplished, and therefore it is hard to
choose the definition that is most suited to a personal sentiment of what Public
Relations is.
Considering the personal background, there is a slight preference to the definitions
that link Public Relations to society, image building and surroundings, especially
considering the rise of social media. The following definition is therefore considered
as an adequate one, if some key words as ‘long-term/sustained’, ‘targeted audience’,
‘global community’ and ‘advocacy role’ would be added:
“Public Relations is about image and reputation- the result of what you say you do,
what you say, and what others say about you. Public Relations is the discipline which
looks after image, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing
opinion and behaviour...” (Hunter S., 2007: online, Young P., 2010: online )
Sophie Bonnewijn Defining Public Relations MACM27CW1 2011
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