convergence, computation and continuity: challenges for pr in the 21st century

Convergence, Computation &

Continuity: Social, Ethical and

Practical Challenges for PRSimon Collister

Today

1. Convergence > What’s happened

2. Computation > What’s happening

3. [Diversion] > Impact on PR

4. Continuity > Where next?

C1: Convergence

Convergence: What do we mean?

“Convergence Culture”

“The flow of media across multiple platforms, the

cooperation between multiple media industries,

and the migratory behavior of audiences who will

go almost anywhere in search of the kinds of

[entertainment] experience they want.”

(Jenkins, 2006: 1)

That Was Then…

… This Is Now.

“Companies are battling for attention – the notion of ‘continuous partial

attention’ highlights the fact that individuals now divide their attention

among different devices, daily activities and real life conversations […]

How, as a company, do you grab consumers’ attention in this

landscape, capturing them on them on the go, without interrupting their

daily routines? This will be an even bigger challenge with the arrival of

smartwatches and the rise of ‘glance media’ associated with it.”

Sandrine Plassaraud, Managing Director, France, We Are Social

Media Convergence: 2015

• Mobile becomes mind-set and behaviour, not just a platform

• It is “the primary means for consumer engagement. As these

new norms take shape in the hands (and on the wrists) of

consumers, brands should be prepared to find new ways to

offer value and engage in these diverse, always on contexts”

Leila Thabet, Managing Director, New York, We Are Social

Internet of Things?

C2: Computation

Rise of the Machines?

• Corollary of ubiquitous media

digitization is increased

importance of computation

• Software increasingly enabling

and shaping communication

Sorry, what?

Manovich (1999; 2012) argues that default ‘logic’ of communication in

the digital age is the ‘data base’ and ‘data stream’

Ah. OK.

Data Streams…

“do not tell stories; they don't have beginning or end; in

fact, they don't have any development, thematically,

formally or otherwise which would organize their

elements into a sequence”

(Manovich, 1999: 80)

No, sorry. What?

• The distribution, visibility and sense-making logic applied

to data is performed increasingly by algorithms

• That is, by sets of rules that directly govern the

behaviour and function of data (Lash, 2007: 70).

Like this…

So what does this mean for strategic

communications and public relations?

Computational Communication?

• Communication activity requiring the

deployment of algorithms to collect and

analyze data collected from converged

devices and process this information for use

in developing, implementing and evaluating

communication strategies?

Computational

Communication:

Some Examples

Data Analytics

• Algorithms play central role

in sense-making (Heide,

2009; Walker, 2009)

• Identifying, categorising and

segmenting audiences key

role of public relations

Google PageRank

Non-Representational Strategies

Facebook Algorithms

• Edgerank controls

the News Feed

• Auto-moderation

manages your

Page content

[Diversion] Impact on PR

PR’s Social Role

• PR produces “social and cultural meanings”

(Edwards & Hodges, 2011: 4)

• PR socially constructs, challenges and shapes

society’s values (Ihlen et al., 2009)

PR’s Social Power

Algorithmic Power?

Through digitized media, algorithms are actively:

• “producing and certifying knowledge” (Gillespie, 2014:

168)

• “enabling and assigning meaningfulness” (Langlois,

2010: 100)

Who/What Shapes Society?

Ethical Impact

• Interesting from an ethical perspective too

• PR becomes guided by a ‘quasi-subjectivity’ -

decisions for and effects of communicating are

no longer determined by human agency

Algorithmic Responsibility?

• PRSA requires practitioners to “protect

and advance the free flow of accurate and

truthful information” and “foster informed

decision making through open

communication”

What’s inside the box?

Algorithmic Transparency

C3: Continuity

Paid Media

• Part of algorithms’

rise is monetization

• Can pay to by-pass

their effects

• Requires investment

in new roles, skills

and paid budgets

Improving PR’s potential

• Berger & Meng (2014) identify “dealing with the speed and volume

of information flow” as key challenge for PR practitioners globally

• More data means more insight – providing investment in algorithms

(or tools using them)

• Means better targeted and more effective PR

Rise of the Humans?

• Work with algorithms:

create clear, interesting

content which sounds and

looks like something a

human will want to

read/watch/hear

Questions?

s.collister@lcc.arts.ac.uk

@simoncollister

www.simoncollister.com

References

• Berger, B. K., & Meng, J. (Eds.) (2014). Making Sense of Public Relations

Leaders – The Sense Makers. A Global Study of Leadership in Public

Relations and Communication Management. New York, NY: Routledge.

• Edwards L and Hodges CEM. (2011) Public Relations, Society & Culture:

Theoretical and Empirical Explorations. Abingdon: Routledge.

• Hamilton, J. T. and Turner, F. (2009) ‘Accountability Through Algorithm:

Developing the Field of Computational Journalism’ report from Developing

the Field of Computational Journalism. Center For Advanced Study in the

Behavioral Sciences Summer Workshop, July 27-31, 2009.

• Heide M. (2009) On Berger: A Social Constructionist Perspective on Public

Relations and Crisis Communication. In: Ihlen Ø, Ruler Bv and Fredriksson

M (eds) Public Relations and Social Theory: Key Figures and Concepts.

New York and London: Routledge.

References• Ihlen Ø, Ruler Bv and Fredriksson M. (2009) Public Relations and Social

Theory: Key Figures and Concepts. New York and London: Routledge.

• Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence Culture. New York, NY: NYU Press.

• Lash S. (2007) Power after Hegemony: Cultural Studies in Mutation. Theory, Culture & Society 24: 55-78.

• Manovich L. (1999) Database as Symbolic Form. Convergence: The International Journal of Research Into New Media Technologies 5: 80-99.

• Manovich L. (2012) Data Stream, Database, Timeline: The Forms of Social Media Available at: http://lab.softwarestudies.com/2012/10/data-stream-database-timeline-new.html (accessed 24th March, 2014).

• Walker G. (2009) Sense-Making Methodology: A Theory of Method For Public Relations. In: Botan CH and Hazleton V (eds) Public Relations Theory II. Mahwah, NJ: Taylor & Francis.

• Grant, R. (2015) The Evolution of Social in 2015. We Are Social blog. [Online] Available at: http://wearesocial.net/blog/2015/01/evolution-social-2015

Convergence, Computation &

Continuity: Social, Ethical and

Practical Challenges for PR

Simon CollisterLondon College of Communication:

UAL