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0 2 W h at i s S h a p i n g P u b l i c R e l at i o n s P r a c t i c e 31
What is shaping public relations

in the twenty-first century?
The fact that the public relations profession is growing is exciting. Why it is growing, how it is changing
and what could affect the increasing demand for practitioners and public relations educators is the
focus of this chapter. Since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) organisations, local communities and
government regulators are confronting ongoing uncertainty as they deal with changing world events,
economies in turmoil and significant challenge to viable business operations. Global and local changes
will continue to transform the operating environment for public relations, in the same way that societal
demands have already shaped it.
The profession will remain relevant if it continues to adapt its practice to develop new ways to
capture the public’s attention, and to be collaborative with multiple parties and stakeholders to achieve
the best possible outcomes for organisations and society. We are ‘influenced by increased complexity,
rapid change, globalization, and the deconstruction of social structure. As a result corporations and
other organizations today have a greater need to build relationships with their stakeholders and to
communicate with them about their aims and behaviour’ (Ihlen, van Ruler & Fredriksson 2009: 1).
This reinforces Seitel’s (2011) premise that public relations acts in the role of a ‘public interpreter’ as
organisations must be aware of what the public thinks about them, their aims and how they act. What
is the future for organisations that do not seem to care about the public or their needs and concerns?
My research on social capital (relationships, connections and the intangible aspects of public
relations) and community public relations indicates that organisations need to consider their response
to society with a view to conducting their business sustainably, and for the benefit of all community
members (Chia 2011). Developing relationships with value and depth and personalising business is
important as demonstrated by mining company BHPBilliton’s community dialogue in the Roxby Downs
community, located in South Australia’s remote desert region. The town was purpose built in 1987–88 to
service Olympic Dam, the world’s largest uranium deposit, fourth largest copper deposit and fifth largest
gold deposit (BHPBilliton 2010). BHPBilliton’s public relations team actively engaged with landowners
and Indigenous elders; they also met with families of miners, who were isolated and often cut off from
wider family networks. These stakeholder groups represent very different needs, but are united by the
company’s impact on their lives. The public relations team worked with management to interpret their
concerns and liaised with each group, interpreting their views to the mining corporation. The Indigenous
group members were given a voice and influenced decisions about arid land and degradation near the
mine. Young families were supported through a scheme to give young mothers assistance, and provide
ways for them to be active in the community. By developing trusting relationships with these two groups
the public relations team was able to work collaboratively for both community and company benefit.
This is an example where an organisation takes a proactive stance by identifying communal interests
(Davis 2007) and working on projects for the benefit of the community. Heath and Coombs (2006: 83)
contend that this is central to the ‘rhetorical challenge’ as the words that are used to communicate what
organisations intend to do need to be reinforced in the process of developing community relationships
and in putting those words into action.
One of the main factors to shape the profession is the realisation described by Stark and Kruckeberg
(2003: 39) that the ‘most important stakeholder is society itself’ and that organisations do not exist as
Joy Chia
32 PART 1 T h e R at i o n a l e f o r P r a c t i c e
individual entities in a vacuum with little need to respond to society and the community. This mandates
twenty-first-century public relations to take a critical role in proactively engaging with society and the
community. As Kaja Tampere (2011: 50) puts it, ‘PR needs to take a reflexive role and focus its critical
eye on the needs of society and actions of the organization’. Public relations professionals have an
ethical obligation to act responsibly ‘because of their influence on society’ (Stark & Kruckeberg 2003: 37)
and, in doing so, need to be guided by their professional values and beliefs if their input is going to
be relevant and meaningful. Stark and Kruckeberg emphasise that there is a need for public relations
leadership to make communication transparent, so that practitioners are able to help develop productive
organisational culture and positively influence organisational outcomes. This also means that the ‘task
of professional PR today is to point out the consequences of organization’s actions, and communicate to
the organization how it could change the course of its action, in order to achieve and maintain legitimacy’
(Tampere 2011: 50). Tampere believes that as the legitimacy (the authority of organisations to act in the
way they do) of organisations is questioned, it ‘legitimates the role of PR’ (50). This indicates that the
very nature of change in organisations and society presents public relations opportunities as it positions
the profession to act in the best interest of all parties. Other scholars (Luoma-aho 2009: 247) propose
that public relations ‘is a necessary force not only for organizational legitimacy, but for the prosperity of
a democratic society’, giving further credence to the growing presence and influence of strategic public
relations in organisations. A communication management role is essential (see Chapters 8 and 9).
Organisations’ expectations for timely, effective, and creative public relations programs have an
impact on practitioners, who are working hard to meet the requirements of project managing and
scheduling multiple public relations activities while also acting ethically and responsibly. Ask any public
relations practitioner about their daily demands and they will tell you that emails, text messages, and
endless online communication exchanges, especially through social media, have changed the way that
they manage public relations activities and programs.
Not surprisingly, the PRIA website describes the profession of public relations as ‘mentally and
physically demanding and deadline driven’, and points to the reality of practice where practitioner
demands have increased because of the multimedia environment in which the profession functions and
due to the complexity of organisations and their constantly changing role in society.
Reflect & discuss ↘↘ What new opportunities for public relations do you observe in your community, or in organisations
that you might have worked in casually, or volunteered for?

↘↘ How can public relations contribute to a democratic society?
↘↘ What is your understanding of legitimacy, or an organisation’s authority, and why is it important to

public relations?
How the profession is changing

This chapter explores how public relations practice is changing as it responds to global and international
trends and influences, online communication changes, new ways to communicate, and changing
professional demographics. The public relations profession retains its strong corporate communications
role but is now becoming more involved in community relations, supporting not-for-profit programs,
corporate responsibility and community engagement.
As organisations are questioned about their programs and organisational activities, or when issues-
specific publics (publics who advocate and campaign for or against a particular issue) oppose an
organisation’s programs, practitioners deliberate how to work with these publics and how to manage
diverse public interests responsibly and transparently. Practitioners are aware of the considerable effort
required to work with clients, constituencies, and stakeholders so that the best possible outcomes are
achieved for all parties. Amid the changing public relations landscape emerges considerable opportunity.
Glen Frost, Editor of the PR Report (www.theprreport.com), highlights twenty trends/challenges that
are having an impact on professional practice in 2012. It is imperative that we take time to consider what
is directing public relations practice as we discuss some of these trends:
1 The growing importance of the narrative. In Chapter 1 the importance of storytelling was
highlighted; it is a powerful communication tool that conveys an organisation’s values and
resonates with publics. The public relations role as narrator ‘offers a way to motivate people and
create a message memorable enough for people to take action’ (Gill 2009: 1061). The story about an
organ donation for a child suffering from kidney failure, for example, elicits more donations than a
campaign focusing on the need for additional donors.
2 China is a growing economy that is influencing so much of what we do. External forces are part
of the wider global brief that public relations practitioners face every day. China’s perspective
on public relations is now more media focused with excellent event management and corporate
positioning, which are important in the massive growth of Chinese business and its influence in the
rest of the world (Seitel 2011).
3 The changing government narrative. The PR Report highlights the role of the independents in
Australian parliaments and the rapid rise of the Australian Greens (refer to Chapter 11 on the
political environment and the government role), whose influence on policy and legislation about
matters such as carbon emissions and the carbon tax is clear. This affects the way we live.
Challenges at the local government level are taking many public relations practitioners into
grassroots discussion and planning. For example, changes to parking fees in local shopping centres
and go-slow zones require constant dialogue, face-to-face discussion and open communication.
4 Changes to the way journalism is carried out. Journalism is no longer at the forefront of media
coverage. The PR Report points to the web and internet taking over in terms of revenue and
audience support, and poses the key question: As the public relations industry grows, will an
increasing number of PRs pitching more stories to a decreasing number of journalists be a recipe
for tension?
5 Increasing opportunities for social media. There is a need to develop a social media strategy, to use
digital photos, and video, and tag them. More on the impact of social media is discussed later in
this chapter, and in detail in Chapter 14.
6 Goodbye Big AD, Hello PR. We are starting to see less use of extensive advertising campaigns for
tourism, for example, and instead we now create events, have competitions such as the ‘Best job
in the world’ (job on Hamilton Island in Queensland, see Macnamara 2012: 3), and create special
days, weeks or months, such as Pink Ribbon days, or Pink events for breast cancer awareness.
7 Advertisement-skipping and Facebook. The PR Report emphasises that Facebook usage is booming
so it is important to integrate Facebook, Twitter and Flickr with your corporate site. There is also
a caution concerning the problems of working in unregulated space where privacy issues emerge,
which is a concern that public relations practitioners need to address.
Joy Chia
8 Greater choice. There are many agencies and practitioners to choose from, and if your organisation
needs a public relations specialist in fashion, or social media, or with industrial relations
experience, there’s likely to be a practitioner with that skill.
9 The business of the soul hires PR. We talk about public relations having soul and substance
but here the PR Report forecasts a rise in faith-based communication and lobbying to counter
increasing attacks on organised religion. The PR Report suggests the focus will be on the good work
that churches do. This will continue to be an area of delicate public relations work as the legacy of
the past will haunt organised religious groups.
10 Increasing cultural outreach opportunities. A huge public relations opportunity exists in terms
of ethnic events, celebrations, sister cities, exchanges and festivals such as the WOMADelaide
(Adelaide multicultural event) music festival. There are so many fabulous ways to participate in
multiculturalism and Indigenous cultural celebration. Indigenous tourism, art and culture events
are enriching the cultural fabric of our society.
11 Watch out for workplace harassment. In Chapter 1 we mentioned the David Jones case involving
alleged sexual harassment. Reports in the Australian (2010) and other media raised questions about
the retailer’s overall treatment of women. Reputation is at stake. In such cases there is no doubt
that public relations practitioners will be in the role as interpreter to management as Seitel (2011)
suggests, and they will need to advocate for change and for transparency in practice. This, of
course, is confounded when it is management that is not acting as it should.
12 A price on carbon, earth change. I have alerted you to the environmental issues that confront us
daily. Political drive and economic rationalism will play a part, but public relations practitioners
need to understand what a price on carbon means to each of us and the organisations we represent.
You will find Chapter 8 most helpful.
13 Greater competition, greater risk. The PR Report (20) states ‘the choice of language used in
communication carries risk. You may need to be a dissenting voice in your company about
corporate communication. Independent surveys that monitor public sentiment towards your
company/brands may offer confirmation of your doubts’. The words and methods used to promote
the products and services that you offer convey the philosophy and beliefs of the organisation.
A ‘profit only’ thrust is often contested by the public.
14 Retail trends online, more to follow. Patterns of consumer behaviour are changing. More purchases
are being made online—this book has become an e-book, and there is increasing demand for
online transactions in business and personal sales. ‘China’s online population of more 450 million
now exceeds the entire population of the USA, and one-third of its population shops online’
(Stocker 2011: 71). As our citizens go online there is going to be considerable communication taking
place, and we will be part of this surge in online purchase and dialogue.
These trends are not exhaustive but they are a good starting point. You will find critical points for
reflection and discussion in each one. I would add that the changing demographics in many countries,
where the ageing population is moving into a different phase of development, requires smart public
relations and planning. The rhetoric about the aged continuing to contribute to society needs to move
into serious policy development and sound planning with great events that cherish their knowledge, and
celebrate and facilitate their participation in society. Think about other emerging groups that might be
part of our public relations in the next five years.
↘↘ How would you prioritise the key challenges and changes to the public relations profession? Reflect & discuss
↘↘ What surprised you in the list of 14 trends?
↘↘ If it is goodbye to advertisements and hello PR what are some of the most important ways we can
capitalise on this?
↘↘ How would you communicate a price on carbon to your community?
Changes to ethical and professional dimensions

Ethical practice is paramount to public relations professionalism and best practice (Fleisher & Harris
2005). Codes of practice must be administered with transparency and accountability by the professional
body managing and directing communication, public affairs, and private practice. These codes are
important because, as corporate scandals become more common, there is a growing ‘distrust of
business’ (9). The trust barometer (see the next Reflect and Discuss activity) indicates that many publics
are sceptical of business.
There is also criticism about the effectiveness of codes of practice and their ability to ensure ethical
practice and responsible behaviour. Gower (2008) indicates that many codes of practice emphasise that
clients’ confidentiality is essential, yet public relations practitioners must be open and honest in their
communication to the public, which could mean client confidentiality cannot be maintained. Codes can
be too general, which makes it difficult to know what is ethical and what is expected practice. One way
to address this is to include case studies and examples that guide the practitioner to ethical decision-
making on contentious issues (see Chapter 4 for a detailed discussion about ethical issues).
In the past, information was disseminated to the public on a need-to-know basis, with organisations
holding the information and releasing it when necessary. Publics in many parts of the world are
now better informed than ever before and they demand accountability from all sectors: corporate,
government, private, and not-for-profit organisations. When information is withheld, organisations
may suffer severe consequences, such as the collapse of Enron. When Enron ceased trading it was
the end of an organisation that had communicated poorly to its publics and audiences, especially
shareholders. Enron’s public relations department was ignorant of the organisation’s affairs and they
had no opportunity to communicate openly and accurately to the community and their stakeholders
(Lattimore et al. 2012). Threats of terrorism and corporate security are cited by these scholars as areas
of corporate communication that might make organisations so ‘risk adverse’ that they hold back with
the view that they cannot say too much. The landscape of organisations is precarious at times but crises
and contingency plans should reflect organisations taking control, cognisant of the risks, so that they
seek ways to continue to be open about what they do and why they act in certain ways. More attention
is being paid to the communication of business plans, as transparency is only possible if the organisation
and its plans are understood by the public and the organisation’s stakeholders. Some practitioners are
taking an active role in finance and investor relations and as part of this role they seek to:
• Build interest in, and understanding of, the company
• Sell company products
• Broaden the stockholder base by attracting new investors.
• Stabilise stock prices
Joy Chia
• Win stockholder approval for management

• Increase the company’s prestige
• Create favourable attitudes in the financial community
• Develop political sensitivities of stockholders for issues relating to the company
• Improve employee relations
• Build loyalty of stockholders (Lattimore et al. 2012: 290).
This specialist public relations role involves working with media important to financial markets and
having a good understanding of stock exchanges and financial institutions (see Chia & Xavier 2009);
however, all practitioners need a good grounding in business and finance management. Later in this
chapter I refer to Toth and Aldoory’s (2010) recommendations concerning the education requirements
for public relations practitioners, one being the need to broaden knowledge and understanding that
encompasses communication science, or those aspects of business public relations that assist practitioners
to compete with management and marketing professionals. They also make our relationships far-
reaching and productive.
In these environments, public relations efforts can be effective if there is an understanding of local
issues that has been developed by working with local experts and grasping the cultural perspective
of local community issues. The key point in examining business challenges and an organisation’s
response to public demands is to be aware of much of the discussion and research about ethics, ethical
behaviour, accountability, and trust. Morley (2002: 31) suggests that public scrutiny of organisations
has been fuelled by the ‘global voice’ as the reach of communication is increasingly global. This means
that expectations in one part of the world could become the expectations of constituents worldwide. As
Tampere (2011) suggests, the global connections ‘create new values from these connections that are no
longer disciplined by boundaries of professional or academic segregation’ (55). Publics are not confined
by where they live nor practitioners by the location of their practice. It is in this environment that we find
that ‘global’ does not mean that everyone is included or is on ‘equal terms’ (Macnamara 2010), or part
of the network-connected society. There are considerable differences in the economic, political, media,
and social landscapes of global publics. Public relations has a role, both to develop the relationships and
business contacts of the connected, and also to be the connector for those who are not yet part of this
global world and its international relations and dialogue.
Reflect & discuss ↘↘ Visit www.edelman.com and read about the Edelman Public Relations Report: Trust Barometer.
↘↘ What findings in its most recent report are relevant to your public relations practice?
↘↘ What does it mean to trust an organisation?
↘↘ Why is a financial- or investor-relations role important in the current volatile markets?
The current status of public relations education globally

How are public relations education programs preparing graduates for a profession that is tackling some of
the tough issues, adapting to changing economies and practices, amid a fast changing media landscape?
In 2010 Elizabeth Toth and Linda Aldoory, both of whom have contributed much to the development of
public relations scholarship and education, completed an analysis of global public relations education.
The project was funded by the Public Relations Society of America and generated by the Global Alliance
for Public Relations and Communication Management, coordinated by the Commission on Public
Relations Education. Toth and Aldoory (2010: 2–3) reviewed 218 educational institutions in thirty-nine
countries, in five continents, and conducted in-depth interviews with public relations educators in
twenty of the countries. They found that:
• Public relations is generally defined as a strategic function for building and maintaining relationships.
• Undergraduate programs are basically designed to prepare future practitioners.
• Curriculum frequently reflects the five-course standard suggested in the Commission on Public
Relations Education 2006 report:
❍❍ introduction to public relations theory, origin and principles
❍❍ public relations research, measurement and evaluation
❍❍ public relations writing and projection
❍❍ supervised work experience or internship in public relations
❍❍ an additional course in law and ethics, planning and management, case studies, or campaigns.
• Important cultural distinctions are often embedded within programs.
• Barriers to development of the ‘ideal public relations program’ include:
❍❍ resources (staff funding)
❍❍ government (political views)
❍❍ country culture (industry prefers integrated marketing programs)
❍❍ program structure (lack of structure, university bureaucracy)
❍❍ inadequate or ineffective relationships with the profession (practitioners with no educational
background or belief that public relations is superficial).
• Graduate programs emphasise advanced theory and strategic thinking.
Their recommendations for a global teaching toolkit and the need to include courses in business,
maths and applied sciences indicate that a knowledge based on the science of communication makes the
graduate more competitive with marketing and management graduates.
This report was disappointing in terms of its generalist approach, as a global education focus is
strengthened when it also includes cultural and country-specific public relations and peculiarities, and a
focus on varied approaches to education. For this reason, core findings of The Report of the Commission
on Public Relations Education (2006: 6) continue to have relevance. They include:
• There should be more emphasis on ethics and transparency, new technology, integration of messages
and tools, interdisciplinary problem solving, diversity, global perspectives and research and results
measurement.
• As public relations is a global profession practitioners need to understand the impact of varying
cultural values and beliefs on their practice. The Commission suggests that there should be more
opportunity for international exchange programs so that students can be exposed to different ways
to manage public relations and understand how communication is translated and communicated in
different environments.
Joy Chia
• The Commission points out that the internal needs of organisations and their internal audiences (and
the peculiarities of academic settings and their internal audiences) affect public relations education
and practice. The Commission recognises that public relations has an increasing role in internal
communication management wherever it is practised and it may need to manage organisations in
crisis, or those going through a phase of internal disruption.
• The Commission recognises that public relations functions in an increasingly difficult ethical
environment, and while it appreciates the need for ethical and transparent public relations practice,
it acknowledges that this may be difficult to achieve.
• The Commission recognises that educators and practitioners need to encourage diversity in training
and recruiting, thereby enabling a diverse ‘mix of talent’ (29) that has the skills to engage with
diverse internal and external publics. An emphasis on diversity ensures that the profession is open,
willing to consider a variety of points of view and can manage public relations programs according
to the needs of diverse publics.
Reflect & discuss ↘↘ If you had the choice what would you include in a public relations course to develop your business
and communication science skills?
↘↘ What are the five core aspects of your public relations degree?
The changing media contexts for public relations practice

Jim Macnamara (2010) takes us to the heart of constantly changing media: he indicates that terms
such as ‘social media’ and ‘social networks’ ‘are ambiguous and problematic’ (2010: 22), preferring the
term ‘emergent’ as it identifies and ‘draws attention to the significance of an evolving range of media
today and their effects on society’ (2010: 23). He rightly suggests that emergent ‘social media’ such as
Facebook and LinkedIn are used ‘for political campaigning, civic action, recruitment and job hunting,
and other professional and business uses’ (2010: 22), so that their social emphasis is but one of their social
media properties. Blogs ‘once used only by fringe media’ (Seitel 2011: 399) are part of an organisation’s
communication, are used regularly by print and broadcast media at the same time as tweets, for example,
and are used by airlines to keep customers informed of changes to their flight schedules. Text messages
let you know when appointments are due, or need to be cancelled. We devote our final chapter (Chapter
14) to an analysis of emergent media.
In public relations, traditional and emergent media are utilised in many different ways for different
purposes. Public relations is a profession leading and guiding communication, by texting, tweeting,
googling, podcasting and developing content-rich news that is more like a story than a news release. The
profession is also continuing to communicate face-to-face and develop relationships with the intention
to add value to each communication encounter.
Public relations practitioners communicate through controlled media, ‘those in which practitioners
have the say over what is said, how it is said, and—to some extent—to whom it is said. Uncontrolled
media are those over which the practitioner has no direct role in decisions about media content. Instead
media gatekeepers decide if something is reported, what is reported, how it is reported, when it is
reported and to whom it is reported’ (Broom, Cutlip & Center 2009: 253).
↘↘ What controlled media do you access and use—maybe television, or magazine content; or is Reflect & discuss
uncontrolled media your primary way of communicating? Which online spaces do you use and why?
↘↘ Develop a 200-word brief on one of the following: YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, Bebo, LinkedIn,
Friendster, Hi5 or whatever is prominent in your country.
As public relations embraces new or emergent media this is forcing change in the way public relations
practitioners carry out much of their work, from helping organisations function more efficiently, to
instant messaging and constant updates sent to our iPads. The profession must have policies in place to
ensure our online communication is done professionally and ethically.
Broom, Cutlip & Center (2009: 253) highlight three key changes that new technology brings, with
implications for public relations practice:
• Audiences have become fragmented, choosing ever smaller niche media for their own unique needs,
as opposed to being part of an undifferentiated mass (as occurs with mass media)
• Audiences are more active, choosing two-way media that permit interactivity, as opposed to one-
way media that permit only passive reception of information
• A ‘journalist’ today is anybody with a camera cell phone and internet access, as opposed to a trained
professional who reports the news.
We have all become familiar with YouTube and grassroots reporting, as pictures are sent from the
suburbs or directly from the sports field. During crises we see iPhone photos of flooding, earthquake
destruction and people protesting; citizen journalism is now part of our media reporting.
James Grunig (2009: 6) does not fully support Broom et al.’s perspective that there is such a significant
change to the way we work, arguing that:
the new digital media have dialogical, interactive, relational, and global properties that make
them perfectly suited for a strategic management paradigm of public relations—properties
one would think force public relations to abandon their traditional one-way, message oriented,
asymmetrical and ethnocentric paradigm of practice. However, history shows that when new
media are introduced communicators tend to use them in the same way as they use old media.
Grunig’s perspective is important but social media is taking us into many more transactions, many
more points of view that are unmanageable at times. As Duhé (2007: 58) puts it, ‘In an era when so much
information is stored, transmitted, and accessed electronically, organizations are transparent whether
or not they choose to be’.
Recent community research suggests that connections are sometimes hampered if social media
is not used effectively (Chia 2011). In this study, public relations practitioners reported about many
constituents who needed assistance to write tweets, or assistance with Facebook communication, to
ensure that their messages were acceptable. There was also evidence of online abuse, where too much
was said and reported in social media sites. These encounters with social media demonstrate that it can
be used for both good and destructive purposes (Chia 2011).
No doubt James Grunig would say that we have always had a good and a dark side in our
communication. On the good side, social media encourages some people into a discussion who do
Joy Chia
not respond to traditional media. On the dark side, it seems that the demands of online immediacy
and the savvy educated publics who some scholars (Seitel 2011; Chipchase & Theaker 2008) contend
have changed public relations practice might also make relationships transitory and less able to be
managed. Seitel (2011: 403) says that we must also be attentive to the ‘anti-social networking sites’ such
as Snubster, which ‘allows members to focus on people and things that irritate them’. Isolatr is a site
that claims to help users find where other people aren’t, so they can keep away from them. Introverster
is a community that ‘prevents stupid people and friends from harassing you’. Certainly online sites
bring with them harassment, invasion of privacy and community annoyance, and they also demonstrate
communication etiquette, respect for users, and respect for non-users is the same as that required for
traditional communication.
Public scrutiny takes place online amid considerable complexity and uncertainty as messages are
accessible to known and unknown constituents, clients, and customers. The pace of online development
and emerging media requires investment in staff and organisational resources to realise the potential
benefit of new media for organisations and publics (Gregory 2004). Practitioners and educators
worldwide need to be astute and skilled in managing new and emerging media as part of collaborative
engagement with wide-ranging and often volatile publics. This may at times prove to be very difficult.
Many organisations have not developed the interactive skills important to practice (Hallahan 2008),
skills that need to be constantly upgraded if they are to be effective.
In 2011 Burson-Marsteller (public relations consultancy) reported that of 22 million Australians,
80.1 per cent use the internet, 69.5 per cent engage with Facebook, 56.9 per cent YouTube, 21.7 per
cent Wikipedia, 13.4 per cent Blogspot and 11.4 per cent Twitter. Public relations practitioners can
use social media to communicate directly with target publics as part of their overall communication
management. Seniors, for example, who Wilcox and Cameron (2010: 282) tell us ‘make up 80 per cent of
commercial vacation travel, especially cruises’ in the USA, will include some who are avid social media
participants; others need personal, friendly discussion about their next cruise, and others will not want
to communicate. The goal is to embrace this important group of travellers as much as the business
traveller, or the young university student who wants to backpack through India. The profession has a
moral duty to come to terms with varied communication needs for emerging and established groups in
view of the ‘ubiquity of new technology’ (Holtzhausen 2011: 161).
Reflect & discuss ↘↘ Do you think that social media are the most important way that public relations should communicate
with clients, publics and constituents?
↘↘ Who do you think is missing out on the benefits of social media?
Changes to who we work with: Cultural contexts

When so much of what we do is communicated online, we are likely to be interacting with local,
international and global audiences, groups and individuals on a daily basis. Holtzhausen (2011: 157)
suggests that, ‘even practitioners who do not anticipate working in the international sphere will most
likely at some stage in their careers be challenged to deal with people with cultural perspectives different
to their own’. Varied cultural perspectives need to be recognised in our practice.
Sanda Macleod, Group Chief Executive Officer, Echo Research (a global research firm that focuses
on the strategic challenges of corporate reputation, corporate social responsibility and governance)
suggests that global communities are emerging as common groups share interests or unite around issues
and causes (www.echoresearch.com). She points out that we are part of a wider global brief where the
public relations profession is often dealing with an organisation’s reputation at a global level.
Sriramesh (2009) celebrates the growing scholarship of public relations from many countries as we
have additional research to guide our practice. He claims that ‘capitalistic economies favour private
enterprise where public relations would be needed to communicate with multiple players. Developing
countries, where the majority of the world’s population resides, have their own priorities such as nation
building and therefore use public relations as a tool for this purpose’ (2009: 6). Vietnam, for example, is
at a very early stage of public relations with significant development over the last twenty years. Its focus
is on nation building and opening up its economy; public relations often looks more like advertising, and
mass media plays an important role in product and service promotion.
It is important to understand a little more about global and international perspectives. Holtzhausen
(2011: 145) refers to international ventures when public relations practitioners work ‘for organizations
that create products or services for the local market and then adapt those products or services for other
countries’. She defines global ventures as producing products or services that are distributed globally.
The international venture caters to the local and specific country needs, whereas the global venture
is making a product that has global reach. Stephen Banks’ (2000: 105) definition of international ‘as a
way of referring to communication activities that are performed in nations and multinational regions’
suggests that international is ‘not the same as global’ as a global concept is broad and all encompassing,
and includes myriad cultures and many different ethnic groups.
Public relations practice is increasingly having global reach, as communication opens up between
countries and within countries. Different economic, social, and political environments direct the way
that we, as practitioners, manage communication to and from publics, stakeholders, and organisations.
Countries that were part of communist or restrictive regimes, for example, suddenly find themselves
needing to be open and accountable. The post-communist era led to open communication in Estonia
where the recent flurry of market activity, tourism programs and seemingly endless cruise ships docking,
is making this small country thrive.
In those countries experiencing a change from restrictive one-way communication to communication
and dialogue, there is a need to reframe the way communication is conceptualised and disseminated
(Matera & Artigue 2000: 236). A sudden change of approach may not be readily accepted by diverse
publics, who will continue to question the credibility of new and more open ways to communicate.
In 2008 during the Global Financial Crisis, a change in economic circumstances changed the way
governments responded to rapidly declining budgets. That uncertainty continues into 2012 and beyond
and is part of surviving the bumpy road that Domini Stuart (2011: 26) advocates has ‘no clear view of
when the tide will turn’.
Some scholars (Sriramesh & Vércîc 2003: 17) indicate that ‘when the media of a society are accessible
to individuals or groups with different points of view, the resulting publicity will increase the fluidity of the
environment for organizations’, but they also point out that when various viewpoints are not considered
(such as would be the case in a restrictive regime), then public relations will not be a necessary part
of that culture or society. There might also be continued government control of the media and limited
Joy Chia
freedom of speech (Newsom, Turk & Kruckeberg 2007: 381), which is evident in some countries, such as
China, which means that public relations messages need to be managed within these restrictions.
The increase in public relations positions and in public relations education providers in China, India
and many other parts of Asia suggests that as economies and political infrastructures open up increased
communication will take place. However, the values and traditions important to many Asian cultures
mean that practitioners ought to take time to develop relationships, to understand the importance of
personal influence and personal relationships and connections, and accept that gifts are exchanged as
an everyday part of business management.
Public relations practitioners can take some important steps in managing communication with
culturally diverse groups and Indigenous groups. Dennis Wilcox and Glen Cameron (2010) suggest that
it is important to understand customs and values ‘of various demographic groups that we are trying to
reach’ (285), to communicate messages that are ‘culturally relevant’, to ‘use the primary language’, and
have a ‘spokesperson who represents the audience’. They also advocate ethnic media and using forums
that are familiar to different cultural groups to improve the level of engagement.
As public relations internationalises its activities, consideration of cultural perspectives becomes
critical to effective practice. The ‘collectivistic’ (Wu 2005: 12) rather than individualistic cultures (that
is, cultures with an emphasis on the individual rather than on the team or group, or on the collective
viewpoint) are prominent in many Asian cultures and influence public relations activity in terms of
the messages and channels used and the values espoused. Multicultural Australian and New Zealand
societies are essentially individualistic but sections within the population have collectivist orientations,
which is one reason why communication programs with Indigenous communities require a different
approach.
Multinational companies that spread through many regions, embracing many cultures, find that they
represent ‘multinational corporations at home’ (Lattimore et al. 2004: 379), and that they ‘help bridge the
communication gap that inevitably exists between foreign operations and top management in the world
headquarters’. Culture is affected by attitudes and public opinion with many variables and intercultural
facets. The public relations practitioner often needs to work alongside local practitioners to grasp the
context and environment of public relations activities and understand how they can be carried out in
a culturally acceptable way. The ‘cultural interpreter model depicts the practice of public relations in
organizations that do business in other countries’ (Lattimore et al. 2012: 63) as the language, customs,
culture, and economic and political systems are interpreted so they can be understood. Simultaneously,
many more local public relations agencies are representing their respective regions and ethnic groups
so that public relations programs can be managed appropriately.
Social media in the international context

In the network society that Kaja Tampere proposes (2011: 52) ‘the theory of the network society opens
up new perspectives on the world reconstituting itself around a series of networks strung around the
globe on the basis of advanced communication technologies’. She contends that communication and
identity need to be reconsidered as ‘the idea of community and connectivity, a community that has its
own cultural specificity, but is open to explore distant worlds’ (2011: 152). This is quite complex and will
continue to be so. We cannot assume that online exchanges are fully understood; our identity is also
framed through community experiences in the society where we live. While we are part of a network
society, a role of public relations is to connect those who are not participating, or at the least communicate
and provide a place to participate for minority groups and those representing less dominant cultures.
The concept of think global, act local or translating aspects of what is relevant to local, requires:
• careful review of all public relations and marketing material that has been prepared
• an understanding of the operational procedures and protocol of the countries where brands are
launched and public relations programs are developed
• an understanding of the country, region, and ethnic particularities
• respect for and observation of customs and cultural manners, as they are essential to good business
• understanding of values, and customs important to the portrayal of those values (gift giving is fine in
many areas of public relations practice in Asia).
↘↘ What part of public relations practice that you aspire to will be international and global? Reflect & discuss
↘↘ What part of your communication each day reflects global and international perspectives?
Taking a management role: Communication

managers, leaders, influencers
Much emphasis has been given to the communication management role that scholars such as Stefan
Wehmeier (2009) espouse is as important as the increasing role of public relations being active in society.
For Holtzhausen (2011) new technologies that ‘marginalise mainstream media and speak directly to
our publics’ provide the forum for public relations to take a greater role in society. Public relations
management is also beginning to be part of the management of the ‘corporate conscience’ (Seitel 2007:
85) and its position as a social conscience regulator is one that separates it from marketing or advertising
management. This is because the focus is on what an organisation needs to do and how it should practice,
not on what it sells, markets, and promotes. The role of public relations is to promote integrity by taking
an objective, well-researched view on organisational activities (Seitel 2011). It is this role that leads
organisations to consider involvement in community or societal change programs such as supporting
cancer research, or youth programs for street kids.
Public relations sees itself as a management function, taking a more strategic role in organisations
by being part of the dominant coalition, and taking an active role in decision-making as it ‘counsels
management and makes policy decisions’ (Gregory 2008: 610, cited in Theaker 2008). Ströh (2007)
cautions that this might also isolate public relations practitioners and suppress openness and the free
flow of communication within organisations if public relations is viewed as part of the hierarchy. Diverse
education and skill development, including communication science elements to increase business
acumen, proposed by Toth and Aldoory (2010), will be important to the future of public relations
managing and taking a lead in developing organisations’ social and economic capital.
Joy Chia
The public relations–marketing mix

When we discuss trends impacting public relations practice, communication integration is prominent as
the public relations–marketing mix attempts to unify its strategies for the best possible outcomes. For
some practitioners and educators the public relations–marketing mix is integral to all practice; however,
it is important to grasp how marketing and public relations complement each other and to know what
is peculiar to public relations so that its distinctiveness can be retained within the integrated approach.
Marketing, for example is defined as ‘the management process whose goal is to attract and satisfy
customers (or clients) on a long-term basis in order to achieve an organisation’s economic objective’
(Wilcox & Cameron 2010: 19). Marketers emphasise measured outputs that make their role in an
organisation valuable. Public relations measurement and evaluation of public relations outputs are also
becoming increasingly important.
The history of marketing education programs in Australian universities indicates that marketing
has established itself as a discipline more so than public relations; public relations programs are
sometimes situated within schools of business and marketing, others in humanities and arts schools.
Public relations has been viewed as a subsidiary of marketing but this is no longer so. Various terms
are used to describe the public relations–marketing mix, including ‘marketing communications’,
‘marketing public relations’, or ‘integrated communication management’, that is, the ‘intersection of
public relations and publicity, advertising, sales promotion, and marketing to promote organizations,
products and services’ (Seitel 2011: 373). A public relations activity to promote, target media, and
develop online resources about a product will not actually sell the product but it assists in its marketing.
Scholars (Harris & Whalen 2006: 8) suggest that public relations is now very important to strategic
marketing, and that ‘marketing public relations is the largest and fastest growing segment of a fast
growing industry’. This is especially so since the measurement of public relations effectiveness has
become more important to the profession. Even though Australian research (Watson & Noble 2007)
indicates that there is insufficient focus on evaluation and measuring outputs directing public relations
planning, it is developing.
One reason why ‘public relations is of growing importance to companies’ (Pelsmacker, Geuens &
Van den Bergh 2007: 295) is that organisations need a more sophisticated relationship with their publics
and audiences. The messages about products and services—the traditional marketing messages—are
only one part of the full range of communication tasks to be undertaken. As ‘public relations messages
often try to reach several key publics, beyond customers or potential customers’ (Swann 2008: 14),
their focus might be on internal communication, or on a group of activists who oppose an aspect
of the organisation’s operations. A sound knowledge of marketing practice and principles makes
public relations relevant and significant, and enables good support to be provided to the marketing–
communication mix.
The public relations and marketing role is also important to ‘sponsorship efforts’ (Pelsmacker,
Geuens & Van den Bergh 2010: 361) of a brand or an activity. Sponsorship builds goodwill, attracts media
attention, reinforces corporate identity, takes the place of advertising at the same time as it supports
products and services, and marketing efforts (Sierk Horn 2009: 518). Marketers may view public relations
as contributing to sponsorship but Horn suggests that sponsorship is tied to organisational reputation and
the way communities perceive their support. Customers and clients need to be approached differently
because they are tired of ‘overload caused by the ever increasing number of customer messages’ (Blythe
2006: 54). Seitel (2011) asserts that the public relations role has become imperative and can assist
organisations to deal with the following marketing and advertising crises:
• Consumers protest about both product value and safety and government scrutiny of the truth behind
the product claims
• Product recalls—from automobiles to tainted peanut butter, from toys to tuna fish—generating
recurring headlines
• Challenges to advertisers about how their products answer social needs and civic responsibilities
• Rumours about particular companies—from fast-food firms to pop-rock manufacturers
• General image and specific financial problems of certain companies and industries—from oil to
housing and banking (Seitel 2011: 374–5).
Customers also question the ethics and the social contribution of organisations. In credit union
research it was found that credit unions no longer refer to the people who use their services as
‘customers’; their focus is now on ‘members’: engaging them, supporting them, and providing honest
advice (Chia & Peters 2009). This is likely to be the case broadly across the financial services and
other sectors. Employees are motivated to continue to work for an organisation that gives back to the
community because a culture of giving back is embedded in its business practice.
It seems that the societal demand for strategic communication is best delivered as part of ethical,
socially responsible practice within the domain of public relations rather than marketing. The marketing–
communications mix is related more ‘to the commercial and the short term’ (L’Etang 2008: 292). The
public relations role is important in making the communication and marketing efforts acceptable and
appropriate to consumers’ needs so that these efforts are also responsible. Public relations is concerned
about long-term goodwill and reputation with the focus more on an organisation’s contribution to
society than the need to make a profit and run a viable business (Pelsmacker, Geuens & Van den Bergh
2007: 292). Christina Hazleton, Jill Harrison-Rexrode and William Kennan (2007: 92) contend that ‘for
public relations professionals, the ability to effectively and strategically use various communication
strategies to develop personal and public relationships is essential for organisational success so that
the investment in social capital has the potential to develop as relationships and networks add value to
organisations’.
Throughout this book you will find the strong theme that every part of public relations is about
developing relationships internally and externally that are meaningfully managed with integrity and
valued by organisations and society. The role of marketing is therefore recognised as an integrated
approach to ethical communication management.
↘↘ What are the main differences between marketing and public relations? Reflect & discuss
↘↘ If your organisation is sponsoring a basketball or rugby team how would you use an integrated
communication approach to maximise the value of the sponsorship?
Joy Chia
Women taking the lead: The feminisation

of public relations
One of the trends apparent in many cultures is that public relations students and practitioners are
primarily female. About 80 per cent of students in classes in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong
Kong are female. In the United Kingdom this proportion reaches 90 per cent (L’Etang 2008: 162) but
L’Etang’s account of development of the United Kingdom public relations profession indicates that this
has been a recent development.
In the 1950s the representation of women in the public relations profession was only 10 per cent,
indicating a significant change in the profession in the past sixty years. The same pattern emerged in
the USA where, over the past ten years, there has come to be an overrepresentation of women in public
relations positions. However, Wilcox and Cameron (2010) note that there continues to be a gap between
salaries of men and women, which is a matter of concern for all women contemplating a public relations
career. These scholars indicate that women are often assigned technical positions that attract a lower
salary whereas men appear to be more readily appointed to managerial positions that attract better
salaries. There is continued debate about the role of women in public relations practice and their need to
be recognised as equals. Wilcox et al. (2001: 61) find the following:
• Women find the communication environment more welcoming than, for example, newspaper or
other media work.
• Women make more money in public relations than comparable female-dominated fields such as
teaching.
• Women can begin a public relations consultancy without a great deal of capital.
• Women tend to be more proficient listeners and communicators than men.
• Women are more sensitive in managing dialogue and consultation.
The encouraging aspect that Wilcox and Cameron (2010) report is that there are more women in
managerial roles having a greater influence at the executive level. As more women in the public relations
profession have the opportunity to move into management roles it is hoped that the gender salary
gap will also begin to close. Women may take a greater or lesser leadership role depending on their
education, opportunities for advancement and the cultural, political environment in which they function.
Aldoory (2007) suggests that much of the focus on relationship management in public relations practice
can be attributed to the key role women play as relationship specialists; women also manage two-way
symmetric communication more effectively than men. However, the understanding of the ‘feminization’
(Aldoory 2007: 400, cited in Toth 2007) of public relations has not been well researched and needs more
exploration. Women entering the field need to embrace professional opportunities, continue lifelong
learning with a view to lead, innovate and develop practice skills and acumen. Katie Place (2011: 11)
in a study of gender at the crossroads, suggests that ‘gender education and the introduction of feminist
values in the public relations classroom are especially important to the advancement of the profession’.
The qualitative study of forty-five women in the USA considered how gender and power intersect
and found that even when women were in a powerful position they still faced some discrimination in
their work and were not respected as leaders with power and authority. The main issues seemed to be
fighting stereotypes and embedded understanding and expectations of women practising and leading
public relations. In the next ten years the gender balance may change as the public relations profession
continues to change and grow and acceptance of the role of women as leaders of professional public
relations will be important to its role in organisational planning and decision-making.
Improving the status of public relations: Professionalism,

accreditation, and formal recognition
The discipline of public relations and developments in education and practice indicate that public
relations is advancing its professional status and that it has taken significant steps to move into a
new era of public relations practice. A profession, such as medicine or dentistry, is recognised when
it ‘has prescribed standards of educational preparation’ (Wilcox et al. 2001: 55). Public relations has
not as yet designated or prescribed qualifications for its practice. The move to accreditation as formal
recognition to practise public relations is contentious as it prescribes a point of entry to the profession
that has not previously been there. As reported in Chapter 1, the majority of practitioners in Australia,
the United Kingdom and the USA are not accredited and are not members of professional associations.
But more employers are hiring accredited practitioners and taking note of their professional training
and development that is required to maintain their accreditation. This is a worldwide phenomenon:
China, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the USA, and many other countries are
developing accreditation programs and promote them as critical to ethical and effective professional
practice. Growing Asian markets such as China, India and Vietnam are developing public relations
programs and courses at a rapid rate with increasing interest in public relations as a career choice.
The view taken in this text is that accredited practitioners who have completed recognised, accredited
public relations programs or exams have the skills for professional practice that are developed further
on the job. Further, it is important to ‘act like a professional in the field’ (Wilcox et al. 2001: 55). This is
a positive and encouraging way to understand professionalism as it implies ethical, accountable, and
competent behaviour where practitioners adhere to the principles and standards of practice as part
of a values-based profession. Lifelong learning as part of continuing professional development will
assist practitioners to be open and skilled in dealing with a multicultural world, with public demand for
transparency and with an expanding professional role working within emerging media fronts (Wilcox
& Cameron 2010).
In Australia the number of PRIA-accredited programs that have been assessed and approved by the
PRIA is increasing. A visit to the PRIA website will direct you to the complete list of accredited Australian
degrees. There has been a strong focus on PRIA accreditation, with regular reviews and updates of
accreditation requirements. PRIA membership requires the completion of a PRIA-accredited tertiary
qualification plus a minimum of three years’ full-time practice. PRIA’s National Education Committee,
a voluntary committee made up of academics and practitioners representing each Australian state and
territory, has developed a solid basis for high standards of education. In New Zealand the accreditation
process is largely overseen by other educationalists. PRINZ has introduced the Accreditation in Public
Relations (APR) program and there is a strong commitment to professional development and training
for its 1400 members.
Joy Chia
In addition to developments in accreditation, the profession is also developing a significant body

of knowledge through public relations research and scholarly endeavour. The array of emerging public
relations journals and literature that is now available on a diverse range of public relations practice
indicates that the profession is making a noteworthy contribution to the knowledge and understanding
of all aspects of communication management.
We have seen public relations sometimes taking a lead, often being subtle in its role, as the profession
adapts its practice to the fast pace of societal, economic and political change. Whether we are dealing
with sexual harassment, matters of the soul or the power of the narrative, the shape of public relations is
changing and we need to be prepared for the next challenge.
Reflect & discuss ↘↘ When you graduate, what makes you a professional public relations practitioner?
↘↘ What does it mean to be a communication manager?
Situation
The SA Country Fire Service (CFS) is a volunteer-based fire
and emergency service dedicated to protecting life, property
and environmental assets in regional and semi-metropolitan
South Australia. It has approximately 15 000 volunteers and
110 staff.
The CFS uses a range of communication methods to
advise the public of current fires and to educate the public
on how to be prepared for bushfires. This includes regular
Case study
interaction with bushfire public relations campaigns,
press releases, community education meetings, an official
website, brochures, TV commercials, radio announcements
Social media and the Country and so on.
Fire Service of South Australia In 2011 the CFS (SA) was keen to look at how social media
could help spread its important community safety messages.
Tactics and process

The program began with research including interviews
with fifteen stakeholders inside and outside of the CFS,
including the CFS’s media team, volunteer management
team, community education team and operations team.
Practitioner Michelle Prak worked with the team on this
project. The social media tactics of other emergency
agencies already using social media including the South
Australian Police (SAPOL) were also researched. It
was imperative to gain an understanding of the CFS’s
obligations, in particular its legislative and community safety
responsibilities.
This research was used to form a draft social media
strategy; concepts were discussed with a CFS roundtable
before a final strategy was put together. The strategy divided

CFS objectives online into two distinct spheres: one was to
keep the community aware of current bushfire incidents
and alerts; the other was to educate the community about
bushfire safety and preparing their homes.
Michelle provided the CFS’s newly formed social media
team members with hands-on social media training. And
throughout this process, Michelle also provided educational
sessions to different CFS audiences to ensure they were
aware of the objectives of using social media.
Joy Chia
Outcomes and results ensured that those people who prefer social media
have the option to engage with them there.
The CFS adopted social media as an integral part of
its communications strategy. Further, the follower numbers can sometimes
be magnified by the number of people who pass on,
The CFS has an online community numbering
repost or re-tweet CFS content.
in the thousands. Its Facebook community
education page has more than 5000 followers The CFS has joined the ranks of other
and its Facebook CFS alerts page has more than emergency agencies and government departments
2700 followers. CFS Alerts on Twitter has 1400 around the globe that are using social media
followers. These represent an additional outlet for to connect and also cooperate with each other.
CFS messages, which previously relied solely on Importantly, they are continually learning about
more traditional forms of communication. The CFS social media, online community expectations and
has not ‘switched off’ any traditional methods or culture, and have built a knowledgeable in-house
alienated non-social media audiences; it has simply team.

∆
It is important to have a ‘helicopter view’

across an entire organisation and understand that
a decision in one part of a business could have
wider ramifications elsewhere, including frontline
liaison with customers, suppliers, government or
media. Practitioners must have the confidence to
raise and explain concerns and put forward a well-
considered recommendation. Be the eyes and ears
of the organisation, look at external trends and
influences and consider if and how they will impact
on a business.
Technology has fundamentally changed the
landscape of public relations. We no longer have to
rely on traditional mass media and hope that key
messages remain in what is broadcast or printed.
We can now interact with those we want to reach on
Practitioner profile
a local and global scale. One of the biggest advances
has been the rise of social media, which has replaced
the traditional one-way form of communication. Now
Adam Thomson meaningful two-way engagement has become the
norm.
↘ Adam Thomson is the New technologies also mean we need to remain
vigilant when it comes to monitoring brand and
General Manager of O’Rourke
reputation issues, because an aggrieved customer
PR and has nearly twenty or client has a global opportunity to share their
thoughts and opinions on an organisation.
years’ experience working in Looking forward, public relations will play an
increasing strategic role. While the operational
public relations in corporate
and tactical aspects continue to exist, our
and government environments profession will move from a focus on media liaison
to reputation and change management, working
and in print and broadcast in a more integrated way with other parts of an
journalism. He is currently the organisation.
While the demand for public relations
National Deputy President of ‘generalists’ will continue I think we will start to
see more organisations employing ‘specialists’,
the Public Relations Institute of particularly in the areas of social media and
community engagement.
Australia and immediate past-

A positive ‘can do’ attitude is critical, and a
president of the Association’s graduate needs to understand that to learn and
grow they will need to be able to take constructive
South Australia chapter.
criticism well. Never underestimate the benefits
that come with working in jobs to get through
university. They may not be directly related to
public relations, but the ability to confidently handle
customers, work as part of a team, take direction
and achieve outcomes within a work context are
core abilities that should be promoted during any
interview.
∆
Joy Chia
Chapter summary
• Public relations practice constantly adapts to support organisations to effectively and appropriately
respond to changes in society’s expectations. It is critical to keep an eye on what is influencing the
profession.
• Practitioners should be aware of the local–global context, and be aware that local actions may have a
global audience.
• Transparency and disclosure are critical to ethical, accountable public relations practice.
• Cultural awareness is important to effective practice.
• New and emerging media is constantly changing, which indicates the need to develop understanding of
the public relations context of social media and emerging media.
• The public relations–marketing mix is important where public relations defines itself through its focus
on relationships and engagement across a broad range of publics and audiences.
• The communication management role is subtle—influence on organisational decisions is important.
• The dominance of women in public relations is a worldwide trend.
• Public relations professionalism and the recognition of the profession is more about how the profession
is conducted than how it is defined. Accreditation with public relations professional associations is
becoming more important to practice.
Further reading Commission on Public Relations Education, 2006, Report of

the Commission on Public Relations Education, www.
Lattimore, D, Baskin, O, Heiman, S & Toth, E 2012, Public commpred.org.
Relations: The Profession and the Practice, 4th edn, McGraw Davis, A 2007, Public Relations, 2nd edn, Palgrave Master
Hill, New York. Series, London.
Duhé, S 2007, New Media and Public Relations, Peter Lang,
New York.
Web resources Fleisher, C & Harris P 2005, Handbook of Public Affairs, Sage, UK.
Edelman Public Relations, at www.edelman.com. Frost, G (ed.) 2011, ‘The Top 20 Trends for PR Practitioners in
2011’, The PR Report, www.theprreport.com.
Report of the Commission on Public Relations Education 2006, at
Gill, R 2009, ‘Building Employee Engagement and Reputation
www.commpred.org.
through Storytelling’, presented at the ANZCA,
Communication, Creativity and Global Citizenship
Conference, July.
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02

What is shaping public relations

that you might have worked in casually, or volunteered for?

↘↘ What is your understanding of legitimacy, or an organisation’s authority, and why is it important to

How the profession is changing

Changes to ethical and professional dimensions

• Win stockholder approval for management

↘↘ What does it mean to trust an organisation?

↘↘ Why is a financial- or investor-relations role important in the current volatile markets?

The current status of public relations education globally

The changing media contexts for public relations practice

Changes to who we work with: Cultural contexts

Social media in the international context

Taking a management role: Communication

The public relations–marketing mix

Women taking the lead: The feminisation

Improving the status of public relations: Professionalism,

In addition to developments in accreditation, the profession is also developing a significant body

Tactics and process

before a final strategy was put together. The strategy divided

alienated non-social media audiences; it has simply team.

It is important to have a ‘helicopter view’

Australia and immediate past-

Further reading Commission on Public Relations Education, 2006, Report of

Communities’, Australian Journal of Regional Studies, 17(3): Lang, New York.

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