Summary COM3708 EXAM NOTES.

COM3708 EXAM Public relations(history and definition) Page 222-227 The Public Relations Institute of South Africa(PRISA) defines public relations as the management through communication of perception and strategic relationships between an organisation and its internal and external stakeholders, aligned and co-ordinated with other communication to contribute to the corporate brand. Furthermore public relations is the process of influencing public opinion by establishing and maintaining effective relationships between an organisation and its publics. In influencing public opinions, public relations uses communication that is both persuasive and purposive. All communications in an organisation have an impact on other processes and aspects and public relations is no exception. Every decision that is taken by management and indeed all other levels of the organisation has communication implications, both externally and internally. Public relations represents the public face on an organisation and can have an unparalleled impact on its credibility and image. The products or services provided by the organisation can either prosper of fail in the context provided by public relations. Public relations is considred a 20th century phenomenom, however it has its roots in ancient times. In every phase of human history, whenever people needed to be mobilised or convinced to co-operate, the basic principles of public relations were applied in one form or another. Before printing media was invented, the western society relied primarily on oral and visual media. Modern public relations practice can be traced primarily to the American experience. Early on in America public relations was used by politicians and corporate organisations. Public stakeholders and their opininions page 227 The first word in the concept of public relations is the word “public”. A public is any group whose members have a common interest or common values in a particular situation. Publics are also generally defined by the type of relationship they have with an organisation. Traditionally publics can be subdivided to 1. Traditional and non traditional public 2. Latent, aware and active publics. 3. Intervening publics. 4. Primary and secondary publics 5. Internal and external publics 6. domestic and international publics 7. Proponents, opponents and the uncomitted groups. A popular way of looking at publics today is as 'stakeholders' with whom the organisation enjoys a certain relationship, that is a two-way relationship which is independent and impartial between both parties. New technology has created greater interdependence between organisations and their publics. These days not only are publics connected to the organisation but they become connected to each other. The challenge for public relations practitioners is to manage and monitor not only a web of interrelationships between an organisation and the publics but also the interrelationship that exists amongst the publics.