Chapter Five Public Relations

CHAPTER FIVE

PUBLIC RELATIONS

5.1. Public Relations and the Public

Public relations relate to the deliberate and organized efforts made by organizations to build
and maintain beneficial relationship with the target groups as well as the cross-section of the
community within which they operate. The public relations department in any business seeks
to influence the opinion and perceptions of the people. The tools that are used in public
relations are many and varied- publicity, advertising, brochure and pamphlets newsletters,
corporate films and presentations and press meets. Public relations activity seeks to focus on
the name and image of the organization and translate them into business gains

Public relations and image building activities should necessarily encompass all stakeholders.
The stakeholders of any organization are the owners, the employees, the customers and the
community. In the context of public relations, the word “public” would include the
government, press, media, competitors, regulators, trade associations, opinion makers and
almost everyone whose opinion can make a difference to the business of the organization

Every organization is also a member of the community and, as such, should try to be a good
corporate citizen. It should maintain good community relations and should contribute to the
maintenance of gardens and parks undertake environmental protection activities and
participate in community development programs. This is one way of sharing wealth. Such
actions help build a positive feeling within the community towards the organization

The service rendered by an organization is by no means restricted to the public relations and
publicity department or the public relations functionaries. In as much as every employee of
the organization comes into regular, direct contact with the public, each employee has a role
to play. Similarly, every satisfied customer act as an ambassador or a public relations officer.
It is said that the most effective publicity is word-of- mouth publicity, more so when it
comes from opinion makers. Every organization should make efforts to keep such persons
positively disposed towards themselves.

Image is the picture or impression that an organization evokes in people’s mind. It is the
perception of people regarding the organization. Image has much to do with familiarity and

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appeal. Strong and robust organizations carry a poor image of themselves. Image building has
to be a conscious effort. At the same time, it is to be noted that image building depends on
both performance and projection.

The projection of an organization without corresponding results and achievements would fail
to hold out. On the other hand, unless good performance and achievements are properly
projected and propagated, the organization may not benefit in terms of its image in the public
perception. Performance-image-pride constitutes a circle where each contributes to, as well as
draws from, the other. An organization with strong image will lead to a high level of
employee pride in the organization, which in turn reinforces performance. The image an
organization is often measured in terms of familiarity and good recall value. The name of the
organization, its logo and activities are remembered by the public, resulting in positive
feelings.

Public relations and image building are far removed from manipulations and false projections.
Public relations efforts should not be founded on half-truths and false propagandas. The
public will not tolerate tall claims and high-sounding words that are devoid of intrinsic merit.
Any such efforts would be short-lived and counter-productive. While the public relations
messages should encompass beliefs, values and efforts of the customer perceptions as well as
rankings and ratings as brought out by authoritative agencies and unbiased studies, empty
claims are best avoided. People can see through make-believe stories and would soon get at
the real facts.

Public relations function has a particular role to play in containing the damage too. If an
organization is involved in an unpleasant dealing or any kind of controversy, the public
relations machinery should jump into action and make every effort to contain the damage and
protect the reputation that has been built up over the years. This is to be done by sharing
correct information, removing misconceptions and generally keeping the communication
channels open.

5.2. Media relations

Media relations involves working with media for the purpose of informing the public of an
organization’s mission, policies and practices in a positive, consistent and credible manner.
Typically, this means coordinating directly with the people responsible for producing the

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news and features in the mass media. The goal of media relations is to maximize positive
coverage in the mass media without paying for it directly through advertising.

Many people use the terms public relations and media relations interchangeably; however,
doing so is incorrect. Media relations refer to the relationship that a company or organization
develops with journalists, while public relations extend that relationship beyond the media to
the general public.

It is possible for communication between the media and the organization to be initiated by
either side; however, dealing with the media presents unique challenges in that the news
media cannot be controlled they have ultimate control over whether stories pitched to them
are of interest to their audiences. Because of this fact, ongoing relationships between an
organization and the news media are vital. One way to ensure a positive working relationship
with media personnel is to become deeply familiar with their "beats" and areas of interests.
Media relations and public relations practitioners should read as many magazines, journals,
newspapers, and blogs as possible, as they relate to one's practice.

Organizations often compile what is known as a media list, or a list of possible media outlets
who may be interested in an organization's information. The media can consist of thousands
of magazine publications, newspapers, and TV and radio stations. Therefore, when a
"newsworthy" event occurs in an organization, a media list can assist in determining which
media outlet may be the most interested in a particular story.

Working with the media on behalf of an organization allows for awareness of the entity to be
raised as well as the ability to create an impact with a chosen audience. It allows access to
both large and small target audiences and helps in building public support and mobilizing
public opinion for an organization. This is all done through a wide range of media and can be
used to encourage two-way communication.

Possible reasons an organization may reach out to the media are:

 Launch of a new product/service

 Initiation of new factories/offices

 Financial results

 Organization sponsored events or awards

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 Launch of organization promotional campaigns

 Recent disasters, strikes or organizational closures

 Awards/accolades for the company

 Visits from company dignitaries/celebrities

 Involvement in local/community activities

 Community Engagement

The Basic Forms (Media) of Communication

Communication occurs in many forms. You can pick up the phone and have a conversation
with your supervisor or leave him e-mail message if he is not available. In turn, he can
respond to your message in the form of his choice. The form in which a message is
communicated changes constantly. The two basic forms of communication are non-verbal
communication and verbal communication.

1. Non-Verbal Communication

Non verbal communication is all intentional and unintentional messages that are neither
written nor spoken. All the cues, gestures, facial expressions, spatial relationships, and
attitude toward time that enable people to communicate without words

Nonverbal communication differs from verbal communication in fundamental ways. For one
thing, it is less structured, so it is more difficult to study. Even experts do not really know how
people learn non-verbal behavior. No one teaches a baby to cry or smile, yet these forms of
self-expression are almost universal. Other types of nonverbal communication, such as the
meaning of colors and certain gestures, vary from culture to culture.

Nonverbal communication also differs from verbal communication in terms of intent and
spontaneity. When you use verbal communication, you plan your words. You have a
conscious purpose; you think about the message, if only for a moment. However, when you
communicate nonverbally, you sometimes do so unconsciously.

2. Verbal Communication

Although you can express many things nonverbally, there are limits to what you can
communicate without the help of language. If you want to discuss past events, idea, or

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abstractions, you need symbols that stand for your thoughts. Verbal Communication consists
of words arranged in meaningful patterns. Verbal communication can further be divided into
two categories oral communication and written communication.

Oral Communication Media

Oral communication media include face to face conversation (the richest medium), telephone
calls, speeches, presentations and meetings. Your choice between a face-to-face conversation
and a telephone or video conference call would depend on audience location, message
importance, and your need for the sort of nonverbal feedback, the only body language can
reveal.

The chief advantage of oral communication is the opportunity it provides for immediate
feedback. This is the medium to use when you want the audience to ask questions and make
comments or when you are trying to reach a group decision. It is also the best channel if there
is an emotional component to your message and you want to read the audience’s body
language or hear the tone of their response.

Written Communication Media

Written messages also take many forms. They might be informal like the notes you use to jog
your own memories or formal like elaborate reports you submit to your supervisor.
Regardless of the form, written messages have one advantage. They let you plan and control
the message.

A written format is appropriate when the information is complex, when a permanent record is
needed for future reference, when the audience is large and geographically dispersed, and
when immediate interaction with the audience is either unimportant or undesirable.

Although many types of written communication are specialized, the most common are letters,
memos, and reports. Most letters and memos are relatively brief documents, generally one to
two pages. Memos are the work horses of business communication, used for the routine, day –
to – day exchange of information within the organization. You often use memo to designate
responsibility, communicate the same material to many people, communicate policy and
procedure, confirm oral agreements or decisions, and place specific information on record. In
contrast, letters frequently go to outsiders, and they perform an important public relations
function in addition to conveying a particular message.

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Letters and memos are organized according to their purpose; the relationship between writer
and reader dictates their style and tone.

Reports and proposals are factual, objective documents that may be distributed to either
insiders or outsiders, depending on their purpose and subject. Reports are generally longer and
more formal than letters and memos, and they have more components. Generally, written
communication increases the sender’s control but eliminates the possibility of immediate
feedback

Table 1: Media of Communication

When choosing among the following channels and media consider the urgency, formality, complexity,
confidentially, emotional content and cost of sending your message as well as your audience’s
expectations and your need for a permanent record.

An Oral Channel is Best When A Written Channel is Best When

 You want immediate feedback from the  You don’t need immediate feed back
audience  You do need a permanent verifiable
 Your message is relatively simple and record
easy to accept  Your message is detailed, is complex and
 You don’t need a permanent record requires careful planning
 You can assemble the audience  You are trying to reach an audience that
conveniently & economically is large & geographically dispersed
 You want to encourage interaction to  You want to minimize the chances for
solve a problem or reach a decision distortion that occur when a message is

Oral Media include passed orally from person to person

 Face to face conversation, speeches, Written Media include

meetings  Letters, memos, reports, proposals

 Telephone and voicemail  Electronic mail
 Audiotape and video tape  Regular and special mail
 Teleconference and video conference  Faxes

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