Threading along the lines of journalism and public relations.

Dear journal, I have learnt much from this week's readings: Media Relations. This is with no doubt the easiest readings so far, where the text displays straightforward linkages between media and PR. As mentioned in Chapter 1, publicity is an integral part of PR and by using media as a medium in transmitting information, 'free advertising' is actually being gained.
With that in mind, I seek understanding in this chapter as I have done faithfully for the past 2 weeks.
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One crucial point that I ought to mention, is the thin line between the roles of a journalist and PR officer. I was surprised with how much these two jobs overlap and how they have to complement each other. It was an amusing fact to realise that a PR officer often has to get into the good books of journalists, such that they will write 'free publicity' when help is needed. This could be just in the form of knowing the names of journalists working in a newsroom, as suggested in the chapter.

Another way would have to be the need for PR officers to supply journalists with the adequate and useful information needed for a news story. One of the best-known tool is the media release. This aroused my attention as we had learnt how to type media releases from the previous trimester, in a journalism class. From all this, it can further the view on how overlapping the job scopes of a journalist and PR officer are. With a clear idea of 8 news values, six basic news questions and the inverted pyramid writing style, it is no wonder journalists can make good PR practitioners.

This is also the first time that I am exposed to the idea of a 'media monitoring company'. Prior to this, I never knew about the existence of such companies nor their importance to an organisation. Without the hard work of such individuals, the job of a PR officer would have been tougher as one has to monitor current affairs 24/7. In my opinion, a daily 'clippings file' is essential in maintaining an organisation, such that it will be ever-ready to face challenges and tacky issues raised by the general public.
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The next point to discuss would have to be the SARS article that was elaborated in tutorial last week. From the SARS article, I understood the importance of PR practitioners in times of crisis and the urgent need for action. They have to be on red alert, and be clear-headed to constantly remember what is their goal, objectives and strategy in overcoming everything. When SARS struck Singapore in 2003, I was merely a 14 year old who knew practically nothing about what was going on. I always thought that it was the government that settled everybody down, and had no inkling that there was actually a PR department slogging their guts out. PR officers are just like the men behind the scenes; putting in the most effort but often unrecognised and insignificant.

After reading the article, I was in awe of these amazing people and how noble they were. Unlike the healthcare workers who received attention and spotlight after the entire saga, their role as the important strategists were forgotten. The article also revealed the strength of Singapore's PR officers and their strong bond with the government where things were be able to proceed smoothly without any hinder. It made me feel proud, being a Singaporean and studying this prestigious subject.
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Upon hindsight, it is evident that PR practitioners can never work alone. Being communication people, it is their job to maintain good relations between the newsroom, general public, media and higher authorities. If they are able to do their job in maintaining relationships well, their careers will be a smooth breeze where utmost support and backups are being supplied. From this week's readings, it has highlighted the importance of relations between a PR officer and media. I guess it's time to start building up more relationships with my fellow classmates, who will be journalists or PR officers in the future!


Love, Erika

SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats.

Dear journal, after reading Chapter 7: Strategy, Planning and Scheduling, I realised the importance of PR strategies within an organisation. Upon reading and understanding, I've identified certain valid points that has affected my mindset of being a PR practitioner.

For one, it will have to be importance of PR students being equipped with basic business knowledge as it will definitely boost one's status in an organisation. Another will have to be the usage of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in which employees understand whether was a proposal successful.
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From the readings, I was pleased to find out that a typical PR department in an organisation can actually provide an average of 185% return on investment to its organisation! This figure can even increase to 300%, should the CEO of the organisation support the department.

PR practitioners are often deemed as mere 'technicians' in the company, where they have to deal with all the technical tools such as printing and typing. It is definitely rare to find one sitting down at the board's meetings and offering decisive advices to the CEO, due to the very fact that they lack the strategic understanding of business.

As such, I find it exceptionally important that as a PR student, I ought to understand the mechanisms of how the business world work and also the important strategies I have to employ in helping an organisation. By understanding, I will then be able to bring this knowledge into an organisation and work my way up into important decision-making roles. With such a basic knowledge, there will then be a notch over others and PR practitioners will be even more highly valued by a company. Not only will we be mere 'office boys and girls' in photocopying, typing and printing, but reliable and vital communicators working hand-in-hand with the board in strategic planning for the company.
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This chapter is crucial in shaping my understanding between the usage of qualitative and quantitative measures in research for success.
Prior to this, I have never realised the reliance of executive directors, CEOs on quantitative research such as statistical reports. It was quite an alarming fact to me that qualitative research, which is crucial to PR, was usually neglected or overlooked. In dealing with a communicative and cross-cultural study like PR, it is imperative to rope in the 'more humane' qualitative research that is based on consumers' preferences and reactions.

Undoubtedly, the scientific approach of statistics and figures will appeal more to the higher authorise as they are trained to see things this way. It will also be much easier to quantify and collate. However I feel that it is essential to include both approaches, where statistics can show how many press releases were sent out and how much coverage was received, and interviews and surveys could show how effectively press releases had affected the target audience. In corroborating these two main aspects together, it will reveal how efficient a particular strategy was and what could be done to improvise. This is vital to a company's survival as it is a key area where improvements can be made to expand the company and help carry out ongoing and future plans.
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I have learnt a lot from this chapter, and uncovered knowledge that I have never knew or even understood. It can be seen that being a PR practitioner is not a simple job.
One must do his/her best in being the 'middleman' and spokesperson in which communication has to undertake a dual approach. Planning and strategies are vital in this job scope and it is apparent that a PR practitioner spend most of his/her working time planning and devising strategies to aid an organisation. It is with careful planning and accurate implementation of a plan that things will succeed and go with the flow.

As mentioned in the book, there is no such thing as satisfactory present, and the PR department is specially trained to devise methods to strive for the more perfect future.
So now I truly wonder, am I ready to take up this tough challenge?

Love, Erika

Advertising is visibility, public relations is credibility.

Dear journal, this is my first entry: Erika here!

From the influx of information in the first three chapters, I must admit that my understanding and knowledge has indeed improved and taken to a new level. There were much vital points that are worthy of mention, but I would list out the two most important and thought-provoking points.

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Firstly, it was from Chapter 1: What is Public Relations?, that enabled my understanding about the specific and often over-lapping relationship among public relations (PR), marketing and advertising. Almost too directly, the various definitions of these three job scopes were mentioned in the book;

How profit is important to marketing, but not exactly to PR.

How advertising messages are controlled in the mass media, whereas publicity by PR is uncontrolled.

And how advertising spaces need to be 'bought', while a PR officer's publicity is free.

It is imperative for PR students, like us to establish these mindsets in our process of doing our job well. We have to fully understand what exactly is PR so that we will not confuse ourselves along the way. This is especially true in the society today, where the public is more aware of the mass media's influential motives and they will be more wary towards everything is presented to them. As such, PR officers will have to take on a new approach and shake off the mistaken identity of being a mere marketer or advertiser.

By establishing such a mindset, it will then be easier for PR officers to convince the public for future benefits and to assure them that they are just conveying the messages of their companies to the media and masses.

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Secondly, Chapter 3: Theoretical Perspectives highlight all the different theories in viewing that of PR. It was definitely an interesting chapter as one would uncover and understand various models of thought in the relationship between PR practitioners and the public. On a personal note, I feel that there is no such thing as the best theory to define this relationship. In fact, it would have to be the combination of the theories to fully comprehend the link. In reading the theories however, I have encountered an interesting theory that I think will reflect most of what we're trying to uncover.

To me, 'rhetorical theory' has the most appeal as Heath plays on the idea that rhetorical dialogue is the most important factor in the process of audiences making up their minds and being influenced. Not only does it reveals the key point in determining the power of PR, it also dicusses the thought-process of audiences which is often missed out, such as in the agenda setting theory. By using reasoning and convincing, this theory highlights how the simple, yet important roles of PR practitioners can influence the decisions of audiences.

This is considered the most relevant as PR practitioners are often the middlesperson, the consultant of a company. They are essential in providing top-notch and wise advices to the board when crisis strikes, and they have to represent their company and face the general public and mass media as well. Either or, PR officers must be equipped with the voice of reasoning and convinction so that people would listen and follow.

However, this idea of rhetorical reasoning is only possible in an idealistic world where PR officers have equal resources and power so that the 'competition is fair'. This is unlikely as different companies vary and there is the reasoning and thinking aspect of audiences, where they might see things a different way, as in semiotics. Then again, in this modern age of communications today, it is with a determined and confident aura that audiences can be influenced once again, just like in the era of Adolf Hilter.

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Thinking back, these two key points have stirred many questions and inquiries in one's mind. It is always important to note that, above all, ideologies and theories about PR have to work together to fully determine the real meaning of this practice.

And there is definitely more to PR than it meets the eye.

Love,

Erika