For our final blogging, I critiqued Laurie's thoughts. Here's the comment I made:
"The importance of research in PR was certainly highlighted by this chapter for me as well Laurie. You're right though, research is useless if it isn't the right sort, and it is imperative that the planning is applicable.
I was interested in how you placed this in a political context. I'll be voting for the first time (federally, that is) and so that realm is relatively new to me.
Surveys like you mentioned are often effective but are usually of the costly variety. Especially in the league of the census, which would be the ABS' own precious research project heh.
Your points on evaluation were also solid and clear, it's clear your line of work has given you a lot of perspective on the significance of research and evaluation. Well done!"
Monday, September 24, 2007
Reading For Week 11
For the final readings for the blog, we explored the methodologies and processes that are involved with research in the PR industry.
Ok... did I have a lot to learn hahaha. The first sentence of the chapter reads "Research is undertaken at all stages of the public relations process." I found this was the key point of the chapter. I had thought research was simply an early part of the process before the ideas were put into practice, but I did laugh when it took one sentence to already poke holes in my presumptions.
According to Singh and Glenny (2004, chapter 6 of the textbook), "The research gathered during the initial phases of research provides input into the planning of a communication program. Research during the development and implementation stages of a strategy contributes to more effective outputs. And research at the end of a communication program provides insight into the outcomes of the entire effort."
This chapter made me think more about public relations theory and practice in a number of ways. Strangely this last chapter we're reading for the blog has actually been one of the most helpful. After reading this chapter the role of research in PR seems obvious and I can't imagine things any other way, but I guess I never really gave this much thought to research beyond the initial strategising and planning methodologies. Exploring the three aspects of research in relation to the planning, developing, and producing the outcome of a communication program was the central focus behind the chapter and something which I feel will be extremely beneficial for me to have an understanding of in the future.
Ok... did I have a lot to learn hahaha. The first sentence of the chapter reads "Research is undertaken at all stages of the public relations process." I found this was the key point of the chapter. I had thought research was simply an early part of the process before the ideas were put into practice, but I did laugh when it took one sentence to already poke holes in my presumptions.
According to Singh and Glenny (2004, chapter 6 of the textbook), "The research gathered during the initial phases of research provides input into the planning of a communication program. Research during the development and implementation stages of a strategy contributes to more effective outputs. And research at the end of a communication program provides insight into the outcomes of the entire effort."
This chapter made me think more about public relations theory and practice in a number of ways. Strangely this last chapter we're reading for the blog has actually been one of the most helpful. After reading this chapter the role of research in PR seems obvious and I can't imagine things any other way, but I guess I never really gave this much thought to research beyond the initial strategising and planning methodologies. Exploring the three aspects of research in relation to the planning, developing, and producing the outcome of a communication program was the central focus behind the chapter and something which I feel will be extremely beneficial for me to have an understanding of in the future.
Blog Critique - Alex
This week I critiqued Alex. Here's my comment:
"Hey Alex, like Flick I also found your blog this week really easy to get a grasp on, the numbered structure was clear and made it easier to read through.
You highlighted a lot of points mentioned in the readings, so you obviously comprehended the content really well. I'm not really sure if all of those points were really 'key' points in the readings, but points 1, 2, 4 and 6 were particularly important to keep in mind and you summarised them clearly and concisely.
On the whole I think you explained the readings really well and I think we took pretty much the same things out of it."
"Hey Alex, like Flick I also found your blog this week really easy to get a grasp on, the numbered structure was clear and made it easier to read through.
You highlighted a lot of points mentioned in the readings, so you obviously comprehended the content really well. I'm not really sure if all of those points were really 'key' points in the readings, but points 1, 2, 4 and 6 were particularly important to keep in mind and you summarised them clearly and concisely.
On the whole I think you explained the readings really well and I think we took pretty much the same things out of it."
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Reading For Week 10
Chapter 7 of the textbook (Johnston and Zawawi), "Strategy, planning and scheduling", explores, well, those three concepts! It works on the premise that a practitioner would employ a strategies for their campaigns in addition to the overall operational structure of their organisation, using planning and scheduling to enhance those strategies.
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were:
1. The questions to ask when establishing a strategy.
What business are we in?
Why does the business exist?
What are our aims?
What do we stand for?
How do we see ourselves?
How do others see us?
What values and benefits do we hold?
How can these be made to manifest in our business?
How do we view our clients?
I think it's helpful to look through the answers to these questions for patterns or trends, to determine what direction you want to head with your business and any of its campaigns.
2. On a more elaborate level, the Zawawi-Johnston strategic public relations plan gave a firm structure to base a PR strategy upon. I found the step-by-step format especially helpful, and it listed the 10 primary steps as being:
1. Executive summary
2. Vision and mission
3. Background and situation analysis
4. Define strategy
5. Define publics
6. Define main message
7. Select tactics and communication methods
8. Implementation and scheduling
9. Monitoring and evaluation
10. Budget
3. How tactics differ from strategies, as reading the chapters one after the other helped compare and contrast the two. "while the two are inextricably linked, it is important to understand the differences and how they fit together" (Hudson M, 2004, from chapter 8 of the textbook).
4. Controlled VS Uncontrolled communication. From reading chapter 8, I understand that the *prime* difference is generally that uncontrolled communication will usually have a middle man. With controlled communication such as advertising, brochures, and posters, businesses have a direct transmission of communication with their target audience. Issuing press releases to the media however limits the PR practitioner's influence over how the news is reflected for the public.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that there is a whole process, of strategising for the strategy. That put the whole process of PR planning and scheduling into perspective, as I came to the realisation that there are a more complex set of steps than I was previously aware of.
Also chapter 8 was especially useful as my debate was under the topic of 'tactics', and it really helped me understand the value of tactics within any PR campaign, and also how blogging fits into all of that.
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were:
1. The questions to ask when establishing a strategy.
What business are we in?
Why does the business exist?
What are our aims?
What do we stand for?
How do we see ourselves?
How do others see us?
What values and benefits do we hold?
How can these be made to manifest in our business?
How do we view our clients?
I think it's helpful to look through the answers to these questions for patterns or trends, to determine what direction you want to head with your business and any of its campaigns.
2. On a more elaborate level, the Zawawi-Johnston strategic public relations plan gave a firm structure to base a PR strategy upon. I found the step-by-step format especially helpful, and it listed the 10 primary steps as being:
1. Executive summary
2. Vision and mission
3. Background and situation analysis
4. Define strategy
5. Define publics
6. Define main message
7. Select tactics and communication methods
8. Implementation and scheduling
9. Monitoring and evaluation
10. Budget
3. How tactics differ from strategies, as reading the chapters one after the other helped compare and contrast the two. "while the two are inextricably linked, it is important to understand the differences and how they fit together" (Hudson M, 2004, from chapter 8 of the textbook).
4. Controlled VS Uncontrolled communication. From reading chapter 8, I understand that the *prime* difference is generally that uncontrolled communication will usually have a middle man. With controlled communication such as advertising, brochures, and posters, businesses have a direct transmission of communication with their target audience. Issuing press releases to the media however limits the PR practitioner's influence over how the news is reflected for the public.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that there is a whole process, of strategising for the strategy. That put the whole process of PR planning and scheduling into perspective, as I came to the realisation that there are a more complex set of steps than I was previously aware of.
Also chapter 8 was especially useful as my debate was under the topic of 'tactics', and it really helped me understand the value of tactics within any PR campaign, and also how blogging fits into all of that.
Blog Critique - David
For Chapter 13 of the textbook (Sponsorship and Event Management) and the readings for week 9, I critiqued David Elliots blog. Here's the comment I made:
"David I think you really hit the nail on the head when you mentioned "in this chapter more than ever the lines between the marketing and PR functions are blurred."
Like Kell said, the main difference is probably just that marketing is more directly focused on profit and revenue. Although that's a huge part of PR, I feel that PR prioritises image and status more than marketing does.
I think the point Shank made which you highlighted, that "sponsorship will only be successful if there is conceived congruence between the sponsored event and the organisation sponsoring the event", is also an important thing to consider. The event is not necessarily appropriate if it is only relevant to the immediate aims of the marketing. It is also important that the purpose behind the overall corporation on a broader scale is also complimented by the nature of the particular event.
These were points I didn't pick up on so much until I read your blog, so thank-you! I really enjoy your blogging, you're more critical than most of the others which I appreciate. I often forget to question many of the ideas expressed in the textbook and take it on face value. You've given me a lot to think about, thanks."
"David I think you really hit the nail on the head when you mentioned "in this chapter more than ever the lines between the marketing and PR functions are blurred."
Like Kell said, the main difference is probably just that marketing is more directly focused on profit and revenue. Although that's a huge part of PR, I feel that PR prioritises image and status more than marketing does.
I think the point Shank made which you highlighted, that "sponsorship will only be successful if there is conceived congruence between the sponsored event and the organisation sponsoring the event", is also an important thing to consider. The event is not necessarily appropriate if it is only relevant to the immediate aims of the marketing. It is also important that the purpose behind the overall corporation on a broader scale is also complimented by the nature of the particular event.
These were points I didn't pick up on so much until I read your blog, so thank-you! I really enjoy your blogging, you're more critical than most of the others which I appreciate. I often forget to question many of the ideas expressed in the textbook and take it on face value. You've given me a lot to think about, thanks."
Reading For Week 9
In chapter 13 of the prescribed text, Johnston and Zawawi take a look at the effects of sponsorship and how it can be utilised by PR practitioners to acheive their objectives.
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were:
1. In relation to tactics such as newsletters, blogging, and even VNR's, sponsorship will involve far larger sums in money, both in expense to the corporation and usually in the returns back to them.
2. It should not be confused with donations, philanthropy or bequests. (Something I found particularly important to bear in mind!) Those acts are made without the expectation of some form of return, whereas sponsorship expects a return. However, there are examples of 'philanthropic sponsorship', which is as close to a donation as sponsorship can get. This is usually in instances where areas such as arts, medicine, education and research are sponsored.
3. Event management. I felt my mind was opened to more possibilities, as I realised just how broad the range of events practitioners have to choose from really is. It also illustrated how the success of managing an event can make or break a practitioners career.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that 'spin doctoring' really goes so much further than simply covering your tracks. I felt I knew this already, but not to the extent and with the clarity I have now. The idea of ambush marketing is a perfect example and I found that section a very interesting read. I'll now have a very different mindset when seeing logos flashed around at major events, and really consider the authenticy of such instances. I feel there's a lot more to question about names that appear to attach themselves to events or causes than I previously realised.
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were:
1. In relation to tactics such as newsletters, blogging, and even VNR's, sponsorship will involve far larger sums in money, both in expense to the corporation and usually in the returns back to them.
2. It should not be confused with donations, philanthropy or bequests. (Something I found particularly important to bear in mind!) Those acts are made without the expectation of some form of return, whereas sponsorship expects a return. However, there are examples of 'philanthropic sponsorship', which is as close to a donation as sponsorship can get. This is usually in instances where areas such as arts, medicine, education and research are sponsored.
3. Event management. I felt my mind was opened to more possibilities, as I realised just how broad the range of events practitioners have to choose from really is. It also illustrated how the success of managing an event can make or break a practitioners career.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that 'spin doctoring' really goes so much further than simply covering your tracks. I felt I knew this already, but not to the extent and with the clarity I have now. The idea of ambush marketing is a perfect example and I found that section a very interesting read. I'll now have a very different mindset when seeing logos flashed around at major events, and really consider the authenticy of such instances. I feel there's a lot more to question about names that appear to attach themselves to events or causes than I previously realised.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Blog Critique - Taegan Reid
For the week 8 readings, I critiqued Taegan Reid's blog. Here is my post.
"Well you said a lot of what I felt when I read these readings Taegan, however I didn't articulate my impression nearly as well.
You locked on to the key message (sustaining benefitial relationships with journalists) right away before elaborating in further details later on. After reading yours I feel there were a lot more angles I could have approached this week's readings from. it put it into perspective for me.
I also thought it was useful to explore the misconceptions between journalism and PR and their perceptions of each other's role.
Well done!"
"Well you said a lot of what I felt when I read these readings Taegan, however I didn't articulate my impression nearly as well.
You locked on to the key message (sustaining benefitial relationships with journalists) right away before elaborating in further details later on. After reading yours I feel there were a lot more angles I could have approached this week's readings from. it put it into perspective for me.
I also thought it was useful to explore the misconceptions between journalism and PR and their perceptions of each other's role.
Well done!"
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Reading For Week 8
Sallot and Johnson's article (2006) explored the preferences of journalists and their expectations for PR practitioners. For example according to this study journalists often prefer to be contacted by email than phone, but it mentions that preferences also varied from journalist to journalist.
Kurt Wise's article relied heavily on quotes and feedback from the participants involved in the study conducted. I felt it may have depended too much on the actual quotes, as opposed to including a few and reflecting upon them with the other feedback.
I was interested in the discussion of what skills were considered most important for a journalist, as it mentions "some participants suggested it was the ability to tackle different types of writing tasks".
Then there was Ten Steps To Press Release Perfection. Maybe it's the inner lazy spirit in me, but I've always been a fan of 10 step articles heh. It's refreshing to have everything summarised and set out of you in a clear and concise point by point analysis.
I personally felt the most helpful tips were:
3. Don't think one size fits all.
and,
7. Do the reporter's job for them.
These were the most useful to me as they explored points I hadn't given too much thought. To me, points like 'keep it succinct' and 'check and double-check' were givens. Overall I found the majority of the content offered nothing especially new to help me with PR and was relatively basic and simplified... but then again that was the intention.
Kurt Wise's article relied heavily on quotes and feedback from the participants involved in the study conducted. I felt it may have depended too much on the actual quotes, as opposed to including a few and reflecting upon them with the other feedback.
I was interested in the discussion of what skills were considered most important for a journalist, as it mentions "some participants suggested it was the ability to tackle different types of writing tasks".
Then there was Ten Steps To Press Release Perfection. Maybe it's the inner lazy spirit in me, but I've always been a fan of 10 step articles heh. It's refreshing to have everything summarised and set out of you in a clear and concise point by point analysis.
I personally felt the most helpful tips were:
3. Don't think one size fits all.
and,
7. Do the reporter's job for them.
These were the most useful to me as they explored points I hadn't given too much thought. To me, points like 'keep it succinct' and 'check and double-check' were givens. Overall I found the majority of the content offered nothing especially new to help me with PR and was relatively basic and simplified... but then again that was the intention.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Blog Critique - Lauretta
For the readings for week 7, I gave a critique on Lauretta Parker's blog. It took me a while because I wrote out the whole thing and LITERALLY as I was moving the mouse to the 'publish post' button my computer froze and I had to restart it. I think I remembered everything the second time I wrote it though, but oh well.
Here it is:
Hi Lauretta.
I just wrote a massive comment about this and my computer froze! So let me try and remember everything I said...
I think we share the same sentiment about the misrepresentation of PR practitioners. I also don't think it is as black and white as some of those quotes suggest. I guess you'd need to think about how that also affects journalists though, I believe they can often be stereotyped or misrepresented. I get the impression that many believe there isn't a single journalist who wouldn't comprimise every one of their morals to get a lead, sadly. I liked that you formed your own opinion even if it didn't 100% comply with all of the content we read for this week.
As for the adequacy of this generation's writing skills, I believe one needs to consider the subjectivity of what is exactly 'adequate'. As spellchecking software develops and our conversations more frequently involve the cyber vernacular, we're becoming less dependant on learning the skills compared with before. The operative word being 'less', as there's no doubt of the importance of these skills, they are obviously still crucial. I just think maybe a change in the prioritisation of these skills is natural and maybe doesn't need to be fought against. Society will always change, it just happens.
I'm glad you found the 3rd article interesting. I'm still concerned I'll make a ton of mistakes, but at least I'll have some more perspective now. Well done on your blog though, you demonstrated to me a fine understanding of everything we read.
And I think I remembered everything I said the first time I tried to comment you... hopefully lol.
Here it is:
Hi Lauretta.
I just wrote a massive comment about this and my computer froze! So let me try and remember everything I said...
I think we share the same sentiment about the misrepresentation of PR practitioners. I also don't think it is as black and white as some of those quotes suggest. I guess you'd need to think about how that also affects journalists though, I believe they can often be stereotyped or misrepresented. I get the impression that many believe there isn't a single journalist who wouldn't comprimise every one of their morals to get a lead, sadly. I liked that you formed your own opinion even if it didn't 100% comply with all of the content we read for this week.
As for the adequacy of this generation's writing skills, I believe one needs to consider the subjectivity of what is exactly 'adequate'. As spellchecking software develops and our conversations more frequently involve the cyber vernacular, we're becoming less dependant on learning the skills compared with before. The operative word being 'less', as there's no doubt of the importance of these skills, they are obviously still crucial. I just think maybe a change in the prioritisation of these skills is natural and maybe doesn't need to be fought against. Society will always change, it just happens.
I'm glad you found the 3rd article interesting. I'm still concerned I'll make a ton of mistakes, but at least I'll have some more perspective now. Well done on your blog though, you demonstrated to me a fine understanding of everything we read.
And I think I remembered everything I said the first time I tried to comment you... hopefully lol.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Blog Critique - Michaela
I went back and looked at Michaela's thoughts on the readings for week 6, and this is the critique I left her:
"When I think law I think black and white. When I think ethics I think grey."
Michaela, this says so much. I never thought of putting it into such a simple analogy but it really helps define the roles of laws and ethics in addition to their differences and similarities.
Your experience in reading Law and Ethics for another subject is really evident to me. This seems to be a field you have a really strong grasp on, even if you aren't interested or keen on the 'grey' nature of the content related to ethics.
As I mentioned in my post, I was fairly overwhelmed by the vast rules and regulations, but judging by your post you seemed to readily understand all the content, including property law and things you mentioned you weren't previously aware of.
You defined your terms well, when addressing ideas such as defamation and property law, etc.
Amongst everything else you managed to sift out the crux of this weeks readings, as being "to beware of the legal implications as a pr practitioner and when in doubt of your legal obligations seek legal advice". I agree and I on the whole I think you really discussed the content clearly and articulately.
You certainly helped me get a better grasp on the real differences between laws and ethics, aside from the self-explanatory ones. Well done!
"When I think law I think black and white. When I think ethics I think grey."
Michaela, this says so much. I never thought of putting it into such a simple analogy but it really helps define the roles of laws and ethics in addition to their differences and similarities.
Your experience in reading Law and Ethics for another subject is really evident to me. This seems to be a field you have a really strong grasp on, even if you aren't interested or keen on the 'grey' nature of the content related to ethics.
As I mentioned in my post, I was fairly overwhelmed by the vast rules and regulations, but judging by your post you seemed to readily understand all the content, including property law and things you mentioned you weren't previously aware of.
You defined your terms well, when addressing ideas such as defamation and property law, etc.
Amongst everything else you managed to sift out the crux of this weeks readings, as being "to beware of the legal implications as a pr practitioner and when in doubt of your legal obligations seek legal advice". I agree and I on the whole I think you really discussed the content clearly and articulately.
You certainly helped me get a better grasp on the real differences between laws and ethics, aside from the self-explanatory ones. Well done!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Reading For Week 7
Chapter 10 for the textbook addressed one of the most significant factors of PR, being Media Relations.
I actually found this particularly interesting, moreso than most other chapters so far, as I'm actually majoring in Journalism for my Communication degree with PR as an elective, so this applied with special pertinence to me. It made me give deeper thought to the balance of power between journalism and PR, and who really wears the pants. Obviously, both parties depend on each other to varying extents, but it's interesting to try and pinpoint who possesses more influence over the other, and consequently I was especially intrigued by this chapter.
An interesting point raised was the fact that aside from Melbourne and Sydney, each capital city has only one daily newspaper. For PR practitioners, this means they may have to resort to 'walking on eggshells', as betraying the trust of one journalist or media outlet may burn your only major bridge to your target audience.
Both parties respond to the information supplied by the other. Where a PR practitioner issues a media release, a journalists may run with the lead for a news story. Where a journalist reports an article concerning a person or entity, a PR practitioner may put a spin on it, and manipulate it according to their image/reputation agenda.
As the chapter states, "dealing with the media is a critical part of the public relations practitioner's profession". Similar to what I presumed, Johnston and Zawawi describe the relationship between the media and the public relations profession as an "uneasy alliance", although noted that there is growing interdependence in the two industries.
I actually found this particularly interesting, moreso than most other chapters so far, as I'm actually majoring in Journalism for my Communication degree with PR as an elective, so this applied with special pertinence to me. It made me give deeper thought to the balance of power between journalism and PR, and who really wears the pants. Obviously, both parties depend on each other to varying extents, but it's interesting to try and pinpoint who possesses more influence over the other, and consequently I was especially intrigued by this chapter.
An interesting point raised was the fact that aside from Melbourne and Sydney, each capital city has only one daily newspaper. For PR practitioners, this means they may have to resort to 'walking on eggshells', as betraying the trust of one journalist or media outlet may burn your only major bridge to your target audience.
Both parties respond to the information supplied by the other. Where a PR practitioner issues a media release, a journalists may run with the lead for a news story. Where a journalist reports an article concerning a person or entity, a PR practitioner may put a spin on it, and manipulate it according to their image/reputation agenda.
As the chapter states, "dealing with the media is a critical part of the public relations practitioner's profession". Similar to what I presumed, Johnston and Zawawi describe the relationship between the media and the public relations profession as an "uneasy alliance", although noted that there is growing interdependence in the two industries.
Reading For Week 6
Chapters 4 and 5 of Johnston and Zawawi's Public Relations: Theory and Practice (2nd ed, 2004) explores the proper etiquette in PR in both legal and ethical terms.
I get the feeling my impression of the chapters was fairly standard, as explained in chapter 4 "when public relations students study the law, many seem to be overwhelmed". I must admit I did feel slightly intimidated by the vast mass of rules and regulations and their severity, especially as the chapter outlined the fact that ignorance for such rules is no excuse for breaking them. Even though it was a given that a PR practitioner should be well read on the rules and regulations, chapter 4 illustrated for me "the complexity and diversity of the public relations legal environment, highlighting the necessity for good legal advice".
It showed the obligations and confinements that bind parties as a result of contracts, property laws (intellectual), in addition to defamation laws and the power PR practitioners have over people's reputations. That power can be harnessed in ways that can allow PR practitioners to utilise a "systematic approach to dealing with the law".
Chapter 5 was informative on outlining the roles people or entities can play in sustaining, monitoring and enforcing ethics within the industry. The PRIA is exemplary of the frameworks that can be put into practice, with a 15 point code of ethics that operates at three levels, being:
I get the feeling my impression of the chapters was fairly standard, as explained in chapter 4 "when public relations students study the law, many seem to be overwhelmed". I must admit I did feel slightly intimidated by the vast mass of rules and regulations and their severity, especially as the chapter outlined the fact that ignorance for such rules is no excuse for breaking them. Even though it was a given that a PR practitioner should be well read on the rules and regulations, chapter 4 illustrated for me "the complexity and diversity of the public relations legal environment, highlighting the necessity for good legal advice".
It showed the obligations and confinements that bind parties as a result of contracts, property laws (intellectual), in addition to defamation laws and the power PR practitioners have over people's reputations. That power can be harnessed in ways that can allow PR practitioners to utilise a "systematic approach to dealing with the law".
Chapter 5 was informative on outlining the roles people or entities can play in sustaining, monitoring and enforcing ethics within the industry. The PRIA is exemplary of the frameworks that can be put into practice, with a 15 point code of ethics that operates at three levels, being:
- regulating the conduct of public relations professionals in terms of relationships with their client;
- regulating practitioners' relationships with other members and the profession itself; and finally,
- imposing obligations on PRIA members vis-a-vis the public (Breit, 2000: p 70)
Something I found especially interesting in chapter 5 was the way it explored the notion of ethics as a "public relations strategy", which I hadn't really given much thought before. I felt the two chapters conveyed a clear picture of just how important it is to be informed of the PR industry's conditions and laws.
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