PUBL IC REL AT IONS

& GLOBAL IZAT IONM I C H A L L I B E R M A N

C O M M U N I C AT I O N A N D P R M A J O R AT E A S T E R N M I C H I G A N U N I V E R S I T Y,

C L A SS O F 2 0 1 9 .

DEFINITIONS

PUBLIC RELATIONS• “Public relations is a strategic communication process that

builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” (PRSA.org)

• PR is the Persuasion Business.  In the PR field, the goal is to try and influence an environment to believe in an idea, support a position, purchase a product, adopt a practice, recognize a phenomenon and deliver an agenda to the audience.

THEORY DESCRIPTION: GLOBALIZATION

• The process of globalization have started in the late 19th century; since then, the connectivity of the world's economies and cultures grew rapidly and unexpectedly.

• Thanks to today’s technology we now have access to unlimited information from all over the world, we can learn about different cultures, create shared meaning in different ideas, change and influence politics, exchange goods internationally and much more.

• The global economy and marketplace changed the way people communicate, do business and function in the world.

• The internet and the mobile phones have been a major factors of globalization.

HOW DID GLOBALIZATION INFLUENCED THE PR INDUSTRY?

GLOBALIZATION HAVE GROW

THE FUNCTION OF PR• “It becomes clear from all sides of the debate that our new world involves complex interconnections between business, political and cultural systems, and these interconnections make it difficult to fully understand ramifications of both globalization systems and the purposed means for making globalization “work” effectively” (Miller 1-17).

• In the process of globalization, individuals, groups, and organizations are now connected; what happens in one area quickly effects people from other areas. As a result, “the field of public relations is fast becoming influenced by international theories and practices from different cultures because of the processes of globalization and internationalization”. (Athal, 2014)

• Globalization with its influence in the past 10 years, forced the field of public relations practice to become multinational and multicultural in nature, and more changes are expected to occur. (Sriramesh, 2003, from Athal, 2014)

• Globalization have brought to the society different needs that were not a necessity in the past. In a world where technology is conducting people’s actions in every-day’s life, and where companies, organizations and businesses are being controlled through technology – the need of public relations have arouse.

• The media is an extremely powerful tool; as a result, globalization have created the need to positively present an organization in the mass communication, and the need to shape an organization’s agenda and reputation in the society.

GLOBALIZATION AND THE FUTURE OF THE PR

INDUSTRY• Sriramesh (2009) was asked to predict the future of public relations and

argues that there should be a balanced mix of both ‘local’ and ‘global’ examples to “help students and practitioners be better educated to meet their ‘global’ challenges”. Furthermore, he argued that topics of PR that ignore the importance of local and national connection will not be centered in the mass communication.

• Sriramesh (2009) also stated that a big challenge of the public relations industry is to guide organizations to tell the difference between a global and a local matter, and that skill is complicated and difficult.

INFORMAL & FORMAL PR’S EDUCATION.

TEACHING PUBLIC RELATIONS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS• Nowadays, Public-Relations is an independent profession; however, about two

decades ago this profession was imported from other forms of language such as Journalism and literature. To this day, some countries teach PR without recognizing it as an individual recognition. “For example, in Australia, early academic public relations courses were heavily vocationally focused and directed toward managing the print channel (daily, weekly, and monthly newspapers; brochures; trade magazines; and staff newsletters) as the primary means of communicating with publics”. (Krishna, 2014)

• Public Relations courses are being thought all over the world while typically, the same environment will host both PR and journalism (Putnis & Axford, 2002 from Krishna, 2014).

• The US was the main source from which PR text books were relayed on in the 1970s and early 1980. Those books typically linked between public relations and the media.

• One of Sriramesh (2009) main claims was saying that education, standing alone, won’t be able to achieve well-rounded public relations practitioner who can truly contribute the organization. Even the best education will have to be the student’s introduction to the professional development that only occurs on the job and through informal and formal interact with peer networks (for example, professional associations).

• Furthermore, a combination of formal education and practical training (obtained through professional peer networks) elements will “helps mould the young communication enthusiast into a well-rounded public relations practitioner who can add value to organizational processes”. (Sriramesh, 2009 From Krishna, 2014).

• In that form, learners connect knowledge and interactions.

• When PR’s students graduate and come to a new work environment, they are newcomers and they bring new ideas from their formal education at the university into their work place (Apple et al., 2003). While the formal side of education is visible and comes in the form of a college diploma, but the informal aspect of education cannot be proved om the spot, only with experience and time where the newcomer has opportunities to present his new ideas.

• Sriramesh (2009), is asking: “to what extent practitioners’ interventions are directed towards critical reflectiveness and action?”.

MIGHT PUBLIC RELATION BECOME IRRELEVANT?• Krishna (2014) argues that the PR is not accepting the technological-

global changes in the pace it should, saying: “Public relations education is facing a fundamental challenge to its theoretical and pedagogical directions”. Krishna explains that educators are not accepting the changes that technology is bringing to the communities they serve.

• Unless the PR academies accept and encourage the changes, it might become irrelevant by not providing students with the skills and knowledge required by the marketplace. “A strategic view, therefore, needs to be taken of future practitioner, client, and student needs”. (Krishna, 2014)

EXAMPLES…

EXAMPLE: GLOBALIZATION IN DEMOCRATIC PR CAMPAIGN • When a political candidate is presenting his agendas and ideas to the mass

public and in the international arena, there is a major importance in the way the message is being delivered to the wide public.

• The way that the candidate is expressing himself, manages his actions, chooses his priorities and how he looks; makes the public decide to support him or not.

• In many cases there isn’t a positive correlation between the candidates good interests and his popularity. In fact, his popularity heavily depends on his public reputation.

• With today’s globalization, everyone has access to unlimited amount information. As a result, building a positive reputation for political candidates is very importance and the PR people are necessary.

MASS MEDIA IN PUBLIC RELATIONS• The mass-media have been known as the fundamental activity of public

relations. Mass media and the messages that are being delivered world-wide are the main tool PR people are dealing with. Nowadays, the mass media is undivided from the PR profession.

• In many cases, a public press coverage is being popularly spread, just from a well-written press release that sticks to new values, but often because of the interpersonal relationships that the public develops with the news-person, thanks to the backstage work of the public relations practitioners. Such aspects are part of what practitioners operating in a globalizing world need to recognize vis-à-vis the diversity in media environments around the world so that they can effectively conduct their media relations activities.

QUESTIONS & PERSONAL SUGGESTIONS

QUESTIONS• Would it consider unethical for a PR practitioner to create a positive

false public reputation for a negative client?• Public relation people might make judgmental mistake and with their

work, create damage to the client’s reputation. In that case, will it be legal to sue him?

• How can professors, which grew up with the absent of technology, deliver the globalization effects to PR’s student?

PERSONAL SUGGESTIONS

• I think it is very important to explore the client in depth, in order to be comfortable to give him instructions and guide regarding his reputation.

• Considering culture being a very complex thing to learn; new research, theories, and models must be taken place in the future in order to describe and measure international practices in public relations.

• Professors should be specifically trained and updated with the globalization changes in order to deliver its message to its students.

REFERENCE

• Wynne, Robert. "Five Things Everyone Should Know About Public Relations". Forbes. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.

• "PRSSA: The Association For PR And Communications Students". Prssa.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 14 Jan. 2017.

• "Test Prep | Online Tutoring | College & Grad Admissions | The Princeton Review". Princetonreview.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 14 Jan. 2017.

• Miller, Katherine. Organizational Communication. 7th ed. Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2015. Print.

• Krishna, Athal. "Critical Review Of Globalization And Public Relations: An Overview Looking Into The Future". Krishna Athal (2014): n. pag. Print.