PR WEEK: The Urgency and Consequences of Media Relations during COVID-19

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8993876
204MPR

Media Relationship Management: Assignment 2

Submission Date: 17/04/2020

Word Count: 2750 words

(excluding references and headings)

PR WEEK: The Urgency and Consequences of Media

Relations during COVID-19

Introduction
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COVID-19 has fatally impacted the entire world population which is a large public health concern (Rothan and
Byrareddy 2020). Media relations is crucial in informing the public of the impacts that COVID-19 is having on the
world (Huynh 2020). Traditional media relations are decreasing in dominance in public relations hence it is important
that the new age of media relations is explored by organisations (Waters, Tindall and Morton 2010). This article aims to
delve into the criticality of media relations to organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic and how these
organisations are responding to the situation via media relationship management.

What is PR?

The PRSA (2012) defines public relations as a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial
relationships between organisations and their publics (Corbett 2012). However, it must be noted that the definition of
PR evolves alongside its changing roles and technological advances therefore this will consistently change (PRSA
2020).

Over the years, public relations have been met with skepticism by journalists and some media professionals seem to be
hesitant to provide a reputable definition and perceive PR specialists as important. Journalists often believe that public
relations practitioners are inclined to ‘mislead’ the public (Fawkes 2004). For example, it has been argued that the NHS
should spend less on ‘spin doctors’ and more on ‘medical doctors’ (Fisher 2013). This is particularly debated in today’s
unprecedented climate, however difficult decisions must be made in the way services are delivered therefore effective
PR in the NHS could not be more important, ensuring that audiences are involved, informed and have a clear
understanding of COVID-19 to remain safe and have the information that they deserve. Due to the general public
viewing the world through the mass media, the word choices of journalists have a significant impact on understanding
of the subject (Craig 2006).

Content Creation and Management in PR

What is PR Content?

PR Content is becoming more relevant than ever due to growth in online content, as it is becoming increasingly difficult
to stand out. PR allows content to have the powerful boost necessary to become viral and PR firms are branching out to
new content types to increase their share of owned media coverage (Taylor and Kent 2010). It must be acknowledged
that PR and content creation have a common goal, relaying a strong message about a brand to the public. Additionally,
brands must create content that resonates with the target audience, separating themselves from competitors (Bloomstein
2012). Content must be set with clear specific and measurable objectives (SMART objectives). With ambiguous or
overly broad objectives, it is difficult to appraise the effects of PR activity (Macnamara 2008). Particularly due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, PR content is crucial, particularly through social media channels as they provide a special
opportunity for innovative engagement, so relationships can still be maintained via social media (Bergstrom and
Backman 2013).
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Coca Cola: Opportunistic or
Socially Responsible?

Recently, Coca-Cola featured their

logo with the letters spread out in
Times Square, New York. This
campaign was a testament to the
success that can be derived from
keeping the message light-yet
powerful all whilst spreading a
Figure 1: Coca Cola (2020)

message about the importance of

social distancing. By choosing one
of the most crowded areas in the
world to send a social distancing
message, Coca-Cola are portraying themselves as socially responsible (Schultz 2020). This symbolises how crucial
well-prepared PR content is, especially in engaging consumers in such an uncertain time. However, it must be
considered by brands that such content may be met with criticism, with some suggesting media stunts like this are
opportunistic and exploitative (Ragavan 2020). This indicates how media relations is crucial for organisations during
COVID-19 to promote their social responsibility; organisations must consider before-hand that their media tactics are
not opportunistic though.

PR Content Strategy Plan Checklist

A PR content strategy plan checklist is critical in order to create captivating and sustainable content to attract the target
audience and to ensure that all content created supports business objectives and PR goals. In fact, during COVID-19
large brands should use their strategy plan to address COVID-19 directly and deliver socially responsible messages
(Taylor 2020). Table 1 highlights the PR Content Strategy Plan Checklist in relation to Coca-Cola during the COVID-
19 pandemic.
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:
Table 1: PR Content Strategy Plan Checklist: Adapted from Robinson (n.d)

The PESO Model

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Dietrich (2014) created the PESO model which identifies the four media types-Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned and
merges these together. The PESO model can be utilised to define a more effective integrated plan that will produce
more measurable results (Dietrich 2017). The model provides a framework for maximising opportunities and managing

PR content, particularly for organisations to stay relevant whilst the majority of the world is in lockdown. Utilising this
integration tool is critical for the future of PR (Waddington 2014). It seems crucial that, in terms of COVID-19, an
integration of media types is crucial for organisations like Coca-Cola to manage their PR content and continue to reach
their audience effectively, despite the social limitations. As previously mentioned, it is an opportunity for organisations
to show their social responsibility as a brand as displayed in figure 2.

Figure 2: Source: Adapted from Dietrich (2014): Coca Cola Case Study PESO Model

Following identification of media types and utilising these to maximise opportunities, an understanding of the audience
and utilising this understanding effectively allows organisations, like Coca-Cola, to continue to develop and thrive in an
increasingly digital environment.

Evaluating the impact of audience research

It is imperative that organisations have a vast understanding of their audience and therefore have an influence on how
they consume media. Audience theories must be confidently understood in order to have understanding of different
ways an audience can respond, as explained below.

The Relevance of Research

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A greater objective evaluation can acquire credibility and appreciation for PR which is greatly seeks due to the
controversy of the importance of PR specialists (Macnamara 2008). It is crucial in PR to have a body of theory and
knowledge, particularly regarding audience research. Audience research is crucial, without an audience there would be
no media. Changes in audience behaviours must be recognised and evolution in the media environment is beginning to
undermine the traditional approaches to audience research (Livingstone 2013). Audiences are gaining increased control
and choice over the consumption of media whilst technological changes are causing media organisations to consider
audiences differently (Deller 2011). Digitalisation and convergence are blurring the boundaries between products and
audiences and opportunities for audience activity and participation are expanding (Sundet and Ytreberg 2009).
Additionally, the growing fragmentation of the media environment is allowing for an increased range of content options
and therefore audience attention is scattered which causing increased complications for media industries. As a result, it
is arguably becoming more challenging to measure audience attention (Napoli 2012).

Audience Theory

Audience theory involves consideration of the audience’s role in any mediated communication; for example, passive
and active audience theories. Media Effects Theories can be utilised to clarify how the mass media can influence
attitudes and behaviours and how audience members are likely to react to mass media messages. However, the
emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) means that some early theories may require
reassessment to ensure their relevance.

Passive Audience Theory

The ‘Magic Bullet Theory’, introduced by Harold Lasswell (1927), views the mass media as having an authoritative
effect on audiences. An intended message is directly received and accepted by the receiver. The theory implies that the
mass media has the ability to dominate a large group of people by ‘shooting’ them with applicable messages which will
trigger a desired response. However, it must be considered that audiences do have the power to make decisions on how
they employ media content. It seems possible that this theory has found fresh relevance in the digital age as audience
members actively decide which social media platforms to utilise and passively acknowledge content that they are
exposed to. Social media is widening the breadth of human interaction and makes for user generated content and social
presence which therefore contributes to the powerful impact of the media (Nwabueze and Okonkwo 2018). The
‘Agenda-Setting Theory’ can also be utilised to describe the competence of the media to determine the salience of
topics on the public agenda. For example, the news currently covers COVID-19 frequently on the news therefore the
audience are regarding this as more important than any other current news. Figure 4illustrates the ‘Agenda-Setting
Theory’ in relation to the current COVID-19 pandemic and the way in which the media could potentially be influencing
the importance of new stories to the public as a passive audience.
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Figure 3: Source: Adapted from McCombs (2005): The Agenda Setting Theory: COVID-19 News Stories

Active Audience Theory

The active audience theory suggests that media audiences have an active involvement in making sense of media
messages based on their personal contexts (Shaw 2017). Stuart Hall (1980) analyzed how people comprehend media
texts, claiming audiences were active not passive. He explains how an active audience engages, interprets and responds
to a media text in different ways and have the ability to challenge the ideas encoded in it. Hall categorized this theory
due to recognising that it would be a mistake to assume that audiences are passive consumers for media products of
what they see, hear or read. Hall proposed that a product may be consumed in a preferred, oppositional or negotiated
reading, or a combination of all three (Hall 2003). The ‘Uses and Gratification Theory’ implies that there are specific
reasons as to why audiences respond to different media texts (Philo 2008). Table 2 provides a brief explanation as to
why an audience can be active in response to media texts. This, alongside effective brand storytelling, provokes an
audience to be increasingly active with brands.
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Table 2: Source: Adapted from Jin (2011): Active Audience Theory

The Value of Storytelling

What is Storytelling?

Storytelling is crucial to successful branding and informing, persuading and eliciting emotional responses (Herskovitz
and Crystal 2010). People identify with those they trust, trusting those whom they identify with. Solid rhetoric and self-
confidence create trust among followers which is necessary in times of uncertainty (Auvinen, Aaltio and Blomqvist
2013). Additionally, people trust those that execute and advocate narratives that they accept and enact (Kent 2015).
Particularly in times of crisis, a storytelling approach uses the values of the organisation in order to promote a reliable
impression of the company’s identity to build trust (Langer and Thorp 2006). Due to storytelling being a powerful tool
in human communication, human brains respond to the descriptive power of stories in deeply effective ways and
synchronise with the subject of the story. For example, Nike has always excelled at brand storytelling and utilise this to
allow the audience to ‘dream’ and to believe that they can complete the impossible. Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ slogan acts as a
narrative bridge between the external communications and the internal communication framework of mission, vision
and values. This creates a seamless experience and allows Nike customers to be the main protagonist of their stories.

The Components of a Good Story: ‘What will they say about you?’ Nike Video Campaign
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Table 3: Source: Adapted from Kent (2015): The Components of a Good Story

Nike Case Study: Inspiring the World

As self-isolation and quarantine becomes the new normal globally, brands have found that they have genuine roles to
play in this time of crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, brands like Nike must continue with this clear storytelling
technique in order to resonate with their audience both during and after the pandemic. For example, Nike has begun to
focus on resilience during this crisis and communicating with the audience the importance of social distancing via a
strong statement (see figure 5). As gyms around the world have closed due to the pandemic, Nike has given consumers
full access to the Nike Training Club app with some athletes such as Tiger Woods actively amplifying the brand’s
messages across social media channels. This follows Nike’s COVID-19 community response committing over $15
million to response efforts (Zanger 2020). Nike can effectively resonate with their audience by utilising social media
channels to inform people. For example, Nike could focus on different people and stories such as the creation of videos
with people exercising at home rather than running outside, focusing on social distancing. Additionally, brands like
Gym shark are amplifying the stay at home message via social media platforms, providing a humorous
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Figure 4: Nike (2020) side to the pandemic to engage with the audience
positively. Gym shark influencers encourage customers to become part of their narrative, and this form of creative
storytelling allows them to stand out from other brands.

Figure 5: Nike (2020)

Media Regulations and Ethics on Media Management

The Proliferation of Fake News

Media management can be defined as directing and regulating media related businesses and business functions (Spacey
2019). In particular, fake news and propaganda proliferates on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google
(Andorfer 2017) and it is crucial in terms of monitoring and regulating fake news to avoid misunderstanding amongst
the public. In 2019, it was reported that 61% of adults had experienced potentially harmful online experiences, mostly
under the category of fake news. In particular, 69% of fake news was found on social platforms such as Facebook
(Tobitt 2019). It is becoming simpler to create and spread falsehoods leading to a marketplace of unprecedented
misinformation. Additionally, the ease in uploading and distributing online content today means that fake news
disguised as legitimate news can spread rapidly (Manzi 2018).

Facebook Case Study: Is Social Media to Blame?

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A key example of the rapid spread of fake
news in today’s digital environment is
Facebook’s political advertising tool
approving a fake pro-Brexit advert. This
anti-immigration advert ran for two days
backing the ‘Leave EU’ campaign,
suggested to be promoting a political
consultancy that was previously involved in
a scandal involving the manipulation of
Facebook users. Additionally, Facebook has been at the centre of other fake political advertising and misinformation
such as during the 2016 US elections when Russia-linked groups used adverts and articles to spread via Facebook. This
led to much controversy facing Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg. (Narayanan et al. 2017.) The results of the UK
vote to leave the EU raised questions about the influence of the fake online news circulating on Facebook (Kucharski
2016). It seems that social media plays an important part in the circulation of ideas about politics and potentially
supporting some forms of misinformation on a global scale. ‘Bots’ can perform robotic work with delivering news and
information, alongside fake news, which played a part in the 2016 UK Brexit Referendum, shaping, in particular,
Facebook conversations (Narayanan et al. 2017). This implies that modern technology can have a huge impact in the
spreading of fake news and misinformation, which is exceedingly relevant in today’s COVID-19 pandemic.

Is Fake News Spreading Faster than COVID-19 itself?

Fake news stories have been proliferating since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is evidently due to the
global uncertainty which exists (Rodgers 2017). The propagation of such information through social networks shows
many similarities to the transmission of infectious diseases and this provides insight into how misinformation spreads so
rapidly online (Kucharski 2016). Between January and March, 80 examples of disinformation were linked to pro-
Kremlin media outlets. These included claims such as the virus was a biological weapon manufactured in the USA as
part of its trade war against China. Additionally, fake news in the form of conspiracy theories are spreading across
social media platforms related to COVID-19. For example, stories of Russia releasing 800 tigers and lions onto the
streets of Russia to enforce self-isolation emerged on social media platforms supported by imagery and mocked-up TV
news coverage. The original post was retweeted 23,000 times and liked over 50,000 times (Turvill 2020). Despite this
misinformation providing threats such as the cost of lives, examples of fake news directly influencing behaviours do
remain rare yet must still be recognised as a risk (Mercier 2020).

Managing Misinformation

Regulatory systems should encourage and support ethical behaviour in the media. As technologies are advancing, the
media are characterised by mutation and convergence, whilst the standards regulating them are fixed and divided
(Fielden 2011). For example, newspapers are now both online and offline. Regulatory incoherence could risk
undermining public trust at a crucial time across all media platforms (Fielden 2011; Horgan 2013). However, in the UK,
a rapid response unit has been created to target ‘fake experts’ and those forming scams during the COVID-19 pandemic
(Reilly 2020).
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How are Social Media Platforms Responding to COVID-19?

Table 4: Source: Adapted from Skopeliti and John (2020): Social Media Platforms Responses to Misinformation Online
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How is the media being regulated during COVID-19?

Table 5: Regulating the Media during COVID-19

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Conclusion

In summary, it seems that effective media relations is crucial in today’s modern environment in terms of maintaining a
positive reputation as an organisation and to keep audiences motivated and interested in the organisation. As explored in
this article, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, media relations are as crucial as ever in order to inform the public
effectively in a time of crisis and also to maintain a strong reputation. Without media relations, effective storytelling
and a confident understanding of the target audience, organisations are nothing. It has been also discovered that fake
news is rife in a situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore it can be concluded that it is imperative to
regulate media ensuring it is ethical, particularly in a time where the world is so uncertain and prone to anxiety.
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