The Profession – Page 27 – PR Conversations

August 27, 2006 Seasoned Posts

Anne Gregory: Public Relations can also contribute to honest debate. The case of integration and cohesion in the UK

On 24th August 2006, a landmark debate was initiated in the UK. Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary launched the government’s new Commission on Integration and Cohesion ‘to look at how to counter tensions between people of different ethnic groups and religions’. While acknowledging the economic, cultural and social contribution that migrants have brought to the UK, Kelly went on to state that ‘it is now time to engage in a new and honest debate about...

August 24, 2006 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...

July 29, 2006 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…..

July 18, 2006 Seasoned Posts

About the economic impact of the public relations profession on society: the need for a different perspective, as public relations is a labour and not a capital intensive activity…

Until today most efforts in evaluating and measuring the economic impact of public relations in a given country have analysed public relations as an industry where demand and offer are mostly, if not solely, observed in the private sector, and have not looked at public relations as a profession increasingly performed in the public and social sectors of society.

July 18, 2006 Seasoned Posts

Here comes the Islamic Confederation of Public Relations. In the Global Alliance?

The very recent formation of a confederation of public relations associations of Islamic Countries is a good reminder of the role of a professional association.

July 10, 2006 Seasoned Posts

From Bled 2006 (Slovenia): communicating Europe

Two intense days (7-8 July) of critical debate (www.bledcom.com) for one hundred public relations scholars on the European Commission’s White Book calling for a new communication policy to shorten distances between Citizens and European Institutions.

July 10, 2006 Seasoned Posts

91% of Italians believe that companies do not communicate responsibly. No wonder! Look at these recent research data.

As reasons for this, interviewees cite the reporting of facts which are either not true, or confusive, and in any case only opportunistic. Communicators also specifically cite the ‘lack of internal culture in organizations, which produces incoherence between stated values/principles and effective behaviours’.