Posted on Seasoned Posts

A crucial appointment for concerned public relators will be next month in Rome at the first ever World Congress of Communication for Development

The principle that public relations in any organization (private, public or social) needs to be involved in the decision making process before decisions are taken…and this…. assuming that the truly strategic role of our profession is of a ‘reflexive’ nature, which implies a careful listening, understanding and interpreting of stakeholder groups in order to improve the quality of that process and to accelerate the implementation of its decisions, will be featured as the core content...

Posted on Seasoned Posts

686 respondents to a Global Alliance survey allow a first draft profile of today’s ‘concerned’ public relations professional

A few weeks ago the Global Alliance asked its 66 association members, from as many countries, to urge their 160 thousand individual members to participate to an on-line global survey. As of a few days ago, 686 individuals had replied and while experts are compiling an accurate analysis of results soon to be published on the Global Alliance’s web site, I would like to share with you some minor indicators which however help us in...

Posted on Seasoned Posts

On the licensing of public relations: the debate revamps. Where are we to go?

Richard Edelman’s recent decision to withdraw his company from the US Council of Pr Firms on the grounds that ‘we disagree with the Council on a few fundamental points’… as well as the unexpected reactivation of a public debate in the US public relations community on licensing, after many years since Eddie Bernays in the early nineties lost his attempt to convince his peers to adopt it, have provoked plenty of interest in various professional...

Posted on Seasoned Posts

On Jack Odwyer’s call for a new definition following Der Spiegel’s recent attack on pr

In every country, the public relations profession is being constantly and increasingly criticized by mainstream media and social critics for its buffering mode of action. Most recently it was Der Spiegel in Germany, but all one needs to do is keep a close eye on http://www.prwatch.org and most of the arguments used by our critics can be easily traced. Personally, I do not believe that a new definition, as Jack O’Dwyer seems to imply in...

Posted on Seasoned Posts

What we need now to reap the fruits of change, is a true managerial culture.

The full assumption of a mentality coupled with an appropriate language, both coherent with today’s managerial culture, are mandatory ‘conditions’ if we -as public relations professionals- are to obtain (and keep!) that legitimate seat at the table of our dominant coalitions. A seat well justified today by the relevant content of the many tasks which we are increasingly called upon to perform by the (private, public and social sector) complex organizations we work for…..

Posted on Seasoned Posts

Public Relations and Democracy: an intricate affair

Does the public relations profession hinder or enhance our democratic institutions? This question, proposed a few weeks ago in a debate format at the Annual General Meeting of UK’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations, has been around for a long, long time within our global community (in its professional, research and educative segments). The only possible diplomatic answer, in my view, is….