Dynamics of Public Relations and Journalism

Public relations is essentially journalism on a corporate scale. It shares some of the same attributes, but few of the same motivations. Whereas public relations professionals once relied upon journalism to circulate information about the companies for which they work, new technologies like social media and PR websites have enabled them to bypass journalists altogether in reaching the public. We often think of public relations as the management of corporate communication strategies, and as such can be cast in a negative light, as a manipulation tactic designed for commercial gain. However, public relations also serves as an agent of positive change and can spread awareness of important issues; non-profits, governments, and other entities not commercially motivated also use public relations. In this book we will examine the changes that public relations is undergoing as a result of digital innovations - how public relations practitioners and journalists are dealing with this shift. The first part of this book will concentrate on the traditional relationship between public relations and journalism, in which PR professionals feed information to journalists, who then report it. How do journalists feel about public relations? “Perception of Journalists on the Role of Public Relations” looks at the ambivalent feelings journalists harbor for public relations. Journalists have their conflicted feelings for public relations professionals, and vice versa. The shifting dynamics in this relationship are investigated in “Do Public Relations and Journalism’s Converging Roles Affect How They Perceive Each Other?” “The Relationship between Journalists and PR Practitioners in Romania” maintains that there is an inherent conflict or bias in this relationship, in which journalists feel as though they are told a version of events that is not necessarily truthful. “The Synergy between Mass-Media and Public Management” posits that crises occur because of misunderstandings between public sector communications departments and the media; the author believes that communications departments and public relations should determine the information disseminated, while the media is just a vehicle. While public relations is often dismissed as “spin”, “Public Relations and Religious Diversity” argues that it can have a positive effect on increasing religious tolerance. “The Myth of the ‘Gagged Clam’” offers an interesting case study of how a politician with a background in journalism was able to be his own publicist by fostering relationships with the media. The second part of this book will focus on how the traditional public relations-journalist relationship has eroded as a result of the Internet, enabling public relations professionals to reach audiences directly, without the intermediary function that journalists once fulfilled. Public relations practitioners as well as journalists have had to adapt and to change communications strategies based on these new technological capabilities. “The PR Pyramid” shows just how wide-ranging the ramifications of the rise of social media have been on the practice of public relations. “Shifting Online” provides a perspective on how public relations professionals view social media, an increasingly necessary tool for doing their job effectively. In some ways, bloggers are the new journalists. Popular blogs enjoy a wide and devoted readership base. Bloggers can guide their readers to purchase certain products and can influence how their audience perceives companies; it is a natural corollary that blogs and public relations would form an alliance. “How Do Food Bloggers and PR Practitioners in the Hospitality Sector View Their Relationships?” examines how this has in some ways supplanted the journalist-public relations relationship. “Impression Management as Symbolic Capital” examines the ways in which companies accrue cultural capital via LinkedIn and other social networking sites geared towards professionals; this becomes a form of impression management, a function once relegated to public relations. “Strategies and Techniques of Communication and Public Relations Applied to Non-Profit Sector” argues that non-profits utilize direct communications with the public rather than relying solely on journalists, highlighting the importance of social media and the Internet in achieving this. In another examination of how integral social media has become to NGO public relations efforts, “Social Media as a Tool for Online Advocacy Campaigns” discusses Greenpeace’s anti-GMO campaign in Turkey. An insight into how public relations is grappling with new information technologies, “7 Social Media Lessons To Make Your Corporate Communications Trustworthy” provides corporate communications professionals with advice for impression management via social media. “War without Violence” argues that, following the lead of the Arab Spring’s use of media, a U.S. led foreign policy public relations campaign would be more ut