global discussion. local perspectives.
I’m concerned about public relations. In the way that the Texas mother who created the Ignore No More app was concerned by her son ignoring her mobile phone calls. PR – why are you ignoring all the good advice that’s around you? Even more concerning, why are PR practitioners ignorant of the weakness of a discipline that relies on anecdote, criticism and personal opinion, rather than robust evidence, substantiated thinking and considered arguments? We see...
John Wiley Hill, president of Hill & Knowlton, Inc. wrote chapter six in the 1948 US book, edited by Glenn and Denny Griswold, Your Public Relations (being serialised here with monthly posts) – to read other chapters in our series of posts, use this link to the book’s contents list. By 1948 Hill had over two decades’ experience in PR (following 18 years as a journalist and financial editor), which he entered as a consultant setting...
In the run up to Easter, here’s a chicken and egg conundrum for PR careers. Should we start out as generalists before specialising or vice versa? Does the navel gazing within PR (as noted in the interesting “Endless Fight” post and comment discussion preceding this one) – and a focus on being recognised as a profession – argue that the function is a specialism seeking exclusivity, even isolation and protection of a territory which may...
PR Conversations founder, Toni Muzi Falconi is taking part in a fascinating ‘Director Roundtable‘ event being held in collaboration with the NYU school of continuing and professional studies on 28 February. The other speakers are: Richard Edelman, president and CEO, Edelman James Grunig, Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland Emilio Galli Zugaro, Head of Group Communications, Allianz This event looking at Stakeholder Expectations and the 21st Century Board builds on the book: Global Stakeholder Relationships Governance:...
Nurturing the upcoming generation of leaders in public relations is something that should be of concern to all current PR practitioners and educators. Finding and developing bright young talent is one of the biggest challenges according to senior in-house and consultancy managers that I speak with. The industry has a good record of employability for those graduating with PR degrees – and with a couple of years’ experience on top, there are plenty of exciting...
It has never been easier for people to protest or express dissent. But there’s actually a long tradition of public action, supported by organised campaigns. Rather than positioning such activities as dissent or protest public relations within the “field’s fuzzy and continually gerrymandered boundaries” (to cite Cropp and Pincus 2001), they have generally been viewed as threats or challenges to those working within or for organisations, and counter to the dominant viewpoint that public relations...
Result announced: The UK’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has announced the results of its 2014 President election – with Stephen Waddington the successful candidate [polling 68% of votes; turnout 8.8% of membership]. PR Conversations offers congratulations to Stephen and Commisserations to Jon, the two candidates. During the election campaign, we invited them to participate in a PR Conversations post, and asked our public relations colleague and good friend, Dan Tisch, chair of the...
All conversations about public relations reflect specific worldviews – and this is something we should examine when developing theory, considering practice or undertaking research in the field. Our opinions, prejudices and arguments are the outcome of personal and professional experience, our educational background, our values and perspectives on how things are – or should be – and how we assimilate the views of others into our existing mental frameworks. Likewise when reading the work of...
The PRoust Questionnaire provides a quick insight into a public relations practitioner’s interests and point of view, as well as his or her professional beliefs and values. If you are not familiar with the original 19th-century Proust Questionnaire, please see details at the end of this post. PRoust Questionnaire answers from Stuart Bruce: 1. What is your most striking characteristic as a PR practitioner? Flexibility and breadth, which doesn’t mean I’m a fat gymnast. A...
What shade of PR do you practice? I believe that “PR is what PR does” which offers a broad perspective encompassing many shades. In a recent PR Conversations post, Fraser Likely, said he didn’t “do” PR. Rather he advises on the management of PR functions. This is a shade of PR. Similarly, the Melbourne Mandate indicates a shade: “The mandate of public relations is to build and sustain strong relationships between an organisation and its...