global discussion. local perspectives.
Kirk Hallahan, professor at Colorado State University, is the 2007 recipient of the Institute for Public Relations Pathfinder Award for outstanding scholarly contributions. Hallahan has focused his recent research on the application of online technologies to PR practice. In a column available on the Institute website, he summarizes much of what he has learned in four observations.
The irony in the term “public relations” is that most of us don’t like to conduct our relationships in public, preferring to focus on nurturing more personal connections with journalists and other influencers. This doesn’t mean that we should be “invisible persuaders” acting in an unethical manner behind closed doors, rather the benefits of public relations are most apparent when a targeted rather than a mass market approach is undertaken.
As a follow-on to the posts regarding Madeleine, the Portuguese police and the public interest, I thought you might be interested in a real life ‘open conversation’ involving New Zealand police. They have created a wiki to encourage public participation in the revision of the current police act, written in 1958.
For public relations practitioners who include strategic or tactile media relations in their job responsibilities, there was an interesting announcement last week about the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s new partnership with Technorati.
(Extracted from Strumpette) Here’s an excellent example of a corporation doing it right and utilizing social media to LISTEN to the “conversation.” Meet our new friend Roberto Zangrandi.
Stuart MacDonald (mesh co-founder and organizer) began Thursday’s keynote interview by asking Richard Edelman, president and CEO of the world's largest independent public relations firm, his definition of PR. “Public relations is primarily about telling a story well.”
I am sure you are going to love this one…if you have a little bit of patience: it is well worth it!
Ira Basen of CBC Radio’s “Spin Cycles” series fame recently addressed attendees at CPRS Toronto's annual general meeting. Ira has kindly granted permission for his speaking notes to be reproduced on PR Conversations.
If we agree that credibility and familiarity of both source and content are prerequisites for any communication to be effective, we must always remember to be very careful when we tend to enhance and exalt social media as we often do when we write, make presentations or lecture.
How do we keep business on this comeback trail? Public relations will play a critical role in the process. How do PR professionals help business remain trusted?