Research and evaluation... What a great way to end my blogging experience.
This week's reading provides an insight into the process and importance of researching within public relations campaigns while also simulating me to question practices within PR.
I think there are many key points to remember from this week's reading however, I believe the most crucial point is that research is not only used at the end of a campaign to evaluate its effectiveness, but should also be used when planning a campaign and during its implementation.
This is stated by Singh and Glenny (2004), "Research contributes to all the functions of planning, action and evaluation." p. 140.
Prichitt and Sherman (1994), state that "one of the most effective ways of viewing the research process is in terms of inputs, outputs and outcomes." (p.140).
I think that this statement is correct and thus, the key points to remember from this week's reading are what input, output and outcome research actually are.
Following is a summary of these elements of public relations research.
Input research: determines what goes into a campaign. According to Singh and Glenny (2004), it "can indicate what problems or opportunities exist, what the perceptions and beliefs of the public are and what tools or methods of communication would be most effective in helping the organisation achieve its objectives with those publics." (p. 142).
It is essential to know that there are different types of input research that can be undertaken during different stages of a campaign. These include:
Exploratory research: Explains why an issue must be reviewed and which target audiences should be addressed.
Development research: Helps a PR practitioner in subdividing and prioritising target audiences along with the determining the best time to implement launch a campaign and the most suitable communication messages to use. Development research also helps a practitoner to determine the costs involved in implementing the campaign.
Benchmarking:"Used to identify the situation before a campaign is implemented and then to measure it's success or failure." (Singh and Glenny, 2004).
Output research: Outputs are the actual tactics/methods used within a campaign. Therefore, output research gathers information on the quality and appropriateness of the messages used within the campaign along with who received them. This information broadened my understanding of PR in practice extensively, as it states that this form of research allows practitioners to alter or modify implemented strategies. But this also caused me to raise the quesion of if a campaign message is not appealing to target audiences, do PR practitioners simply create a whole new message? Would this make them go over budget? Or are they required to only make minor changes to the campaign and accept that it may not be as successful as they thought?
Outcome research: Finally, outcomes are the result of the outputs on target publics. Thus, according to Singh and Glenny (2004), "Outcome research measures the extent to which the original campaign objectives were met, providing a sound basis from which to begin the planning for future campaigns." (p.145).
This chapter was useful as it also informed me about the different methodologies, both formal and informal, that can be used within these research stages. Some of these include qualitative, quantitative, primary and secondary research. According to Leedy (1997), the decision to use a methodology is dictated by the nature of the data required. This was helpful, as I learnt that if data is numerical, then quantitative research should be used, however if it is more descriptive, than qualitative research is more appropriate.
Finally, once a methodology has been selected, a public relations practitioner must then choose techniques to use that will provide them with appropriate information. For example, if qualitative research is needed, a practitioner should conduct a face to face interview, as this would provide detailed , informative information, however is the methodology of quantitative research is chosen, an appropriate technique to use would be statistical analysis.
Therefore, this week's reading made me think more about public relations practice because I learnt that research is an essential process in constructing a campaign in order to ensure it is a success. I also gained a sound understanding of the different methodologies available to use and how the techniques you decide to use should be chosen carefully to ensure they fulfill the aim of your research.
This week I commented on Michaela Virgara's blog.
Glenny, L. & Singh, R. (2004). Research and evaluation. In, Johnston, J. & Zawawi, C. (Eds). Public relations: Theory and practice. (2nd ed).( pp.137-168). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Leedy, P.D. (1997) Practical research: Planning and design. (6th ed). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Pritchitt, J. & Sherman, B. (1994). Public relations evaluation: Professional accountability. Sydney: Internal Public Relations Association.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Week 10.
Week 10.
This week's readings focus on how to practice strategic public relations with particular emphasis on how to implement a strategy through effective scheduling, planning and tactics.
Although I have already read chapter 7 and blogged about it in week 5, I found that re-reading this chapter clarified a lot of points for me. This was very beneficial for me, as it helped me to understand what is required for our major assessment.
Firstly, chapter 7 defines what a strategy is. According to Allert and Zawawi (2004) this is “ a series of planned activities designed and integrated to achieve a stated organisational goal.” (p.170).
This was helpful, as it made me think about public relations practice in that I learnt that public relations strategies must fit into an organisation’s overall operational strategy.
Zawawi and Allert (2004) reinforce this, as they make a valid statement: that public relations strategic planning must be influenced by the organisation’s corporate culture, ideology, values and beliefs, systems and business processes.
I think the key points to remember from this reading are the suggested steps in planning a public relations strategy . According to the Zawawi- Johnston strategic public relations plan, these steps include:
Formulating an executive study: a plan that summarises the situation that led to the need for the plan.
Creating Vision and mission statements: A vision statement describes the future state of the organisation at a selected time, its ultimate destination, however, a mission statement is formulated to help close the gap between the unsatisfactory present and the more perfect future. (Zawawi and Johnston, 2004).
Background and situation analysis: SWOT analysis.
Defining a strategy
Defining publics
Defining main message
Selecting tactics
Implementing and scheduling
Monitoring and evaluation
And finally, budgeting.
This chapter also broadened my understanding of public relations practice as I learnt that although public relations managers are only responsible for preparing their operational budgets, an understanding of their organisation’s budgets helps them to be more strategically effective.
As a result, it is important for me to understand that organisations usually operate under two different types of budgets. These are financial budgets and operating budgets.
A financial budget gives detailed estimates of income and expenditure for the entire organisation in a given period of time, however an operating budget estimates the costs of the goods and services that the organisation will use for specific purposes in terms of both actual costs and physical quantities.(Allert and Zawawi, 2004).
Scheduling is also accurately stressed within this chapter as being an important part of strategic public relations as without careful planning, it is impossible to ensure that the right tactics are implemented in the correct order at the right time. If this is not achieved, it will greatly reduce the effectiveness of the campaign. (Allert and Zawawi, 2004).
The key point I think to remember within this area of planning is that as a PR practitioner, you should make a list of activities that need to be completed before certain deadlines and the steps you need to undertake to achieve this. Staffing arrangements need to also be arranged so these targets can be reached in time and budgets prepared. (McElreath, 1997).
Chapter 8 however discusses tactics, which according to Hudson (2004), are tools used by PR practitioners to help achieve the strategic outcome of a PR campagin.
I believe it's important to remember that while there are a variety of tactics available to PR practitioners, they are divided into 2 categories. These are controlled and uncontrolled tactics.
According to Hudson (2004), controlled tactics are those which public relations practitioners maintain control over every aspect of the process- from message creation to distribution. Some of these include posters, advertorial and advertising.
Uncontrolled tactics however, include those that can be changed or simply disregarded. (Hudson, 2004). These include media releases, as whether the information makes it to publication is in the hands of the journalist.
This lead me to the question of who holds the most power in PR campaigns, PR practioners or journalists?
I am unsure of my opinion on this subject, as although Hudson (2004) suggests journalists have the most power in media campaigns as they can simply disregard media releases, PR practioners do hold the power over the dissemination of information ie) they control who receives what information. This means that PR practioners have the ability to present information to suit their desired angle. Horton,(2003) reinforces this as he claims PR practitioners have direct control over what is said on their organisation’s web sites and intranet along with the power to restrict what information is released to publications and other media. As a result, the information journalists are supplied with is constructed to convey the PR practitioner's desired message and therefore, it can be argued PR practioners have more power than journalists within media campaigns.
Finally, I also think a key point within this reading is that there are different methods of delivering tactics and each plays a critical role in determining the effectiveness of the campaign. These include mail, fax, email, video and news- distribution agencies
This week’s readings were very helpful, as they provided me with a clear understanding of the steps I need to take in creating a successful PR plan, thus broadening my understanding of PR practice.
This week I commented on Nicole Magriplis' blog.
References:
Allert, J and Zawawi, C. (2004). Strategy, planning and scheduling. In Johnston, J., & Zawawi, C. (Eds.), Public relations: Theory and practice.(2nd ed.)(pp.169-197). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Horton, J. (2003). Lead, follow and get out of the way: three roles of public relations. Retrieved August 25, 2007, from www.online-pr.com/Holding/ThreeRolesofPR.pdf
Hudson, M. (2004). Tactics. In Johnston, J., & Zawawi, C. (Eds.), Public relations: Theory and practice.(2nd ed.)(pp.169-197). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
McElreath, M.P. (1997). Managing strategic and ethical public relations. (2nd ed.) Madison: Brown & Benchmark.
This week's readings focus on how to practice strategic public relations with particular emphasis on how to implement a strategy through effective scheduling, planning and tactics.
Although I have already read chapter 7 and blogged about it in week 5, I found that re-reading this chapter clarified a lot of points for me. This was very beneficial for me, as it helped me to understand what is required for our major assessment.
Firstly, chapter 7 defines what a strategy is. According to Allert and Zawawi (2004) this is “ a series of planned activities designed and integrated to achieve a stated organisational goal.” (p.170).
This was helpful, as it made me think about public relations practice in that I learnt that public relations strategies must fit into an organisation’s overall operational strategy.
Zawawi and Allert (2004) reinforce this, as they make a valid statement: that public relations strategic planning must be influenced by the organisation’s corporate culture, ideology, values and beliefs, systems and business processes.
I think the key points to remember from this reading are the suggested steps in planning a public relations strategy . According to the Zawawi- Johnston strategic public relations plan, these steps include:
Formulating an executive study: a plan that summarises the situation that led to the need for the plan.
Creating Vision and mission statements: A vision statement describes the future state of the organisation at a selected time, its ultimate destination, however, a mission statement is formulated to help close the gap between the unsatisfactory present and the more perfect future. (Zawawi and Johnston, 2004).
Background and situation analysis: SWOT analysis.
Defining a strategy
Defining publics
Defining main message
Selecting tactics
Implementing and scheduling
Monitoring and evaluation
And finally, budgeting.
This chapter also broadened my understanding of public relations practice as I learnt that although public relations managers are only responsible for preparing their operational budgets, an understanding of their organisation’s budgets helps them to be more strategically effective.
As a result, it is important for me to understand that organisations usually operate under two different types of budgets. These are financial budgets and operating budgets.
A financial budget gives detailed estimates of income and expenditure for the entire organisation in a given period of time, however an operating budget estimates the costs of the goods and services that the organisation will use for specific purposes in terms of both actual costs and physical quantities.(Allert and Zawawi, 2004).
Scheduling is also accurately stressed within this chapter as being an important part of strategic public relations as without careful planning, it is impossible to ensure that the right tactics are implemented in the correct order at the right time. If this is not achieved, it will greatly reduce the effectiveness of the campaign. (Allert and Zawawi, 2004).
The key point I think to remember within this area of planning is that as a PR practitioner, you should make a list of activities that need to be completed before certain deadlines and the steps you need to undertake to achieve this. Staffing arrangements need to also be arranged so these targets can be reached in time and budgets prepared. (McElreath, 1997).
Chapter 8 however discusses tactics, which according to Hudson (2004), are tools used by PR practitioners to help achieve the strategic outcome of a PR campagin.
I believe it's important to remember that while there are a variety of tactics available to PR practitioners, they are divided into 2 categories. These are controlled and uncontrolled tactics.
According to Hudson (2004), controlled tactics are those which public relations practitioners maintain control over every aspect of the process- from message creation to distribution. Some of these include posters, advertorial and advertising.
Uncontrolled tactics however, include those that can be changed or simply disregarded. (Hudson, 2004). These include media releases, as whether the information makes it to publication is in the hands of the journalist.
This lead me to the question of who holds the most power in PR campaigns, PR practioners or journalists?
I am unsure of my opinion on this subject, as although Hudson (2004) suggests journalists have the most power in media campaigns as they can simply disregard media releases, PR practioners do hold the power over the dissemination of information ie) they control who receives what information. This means that PR practioners have the ability to present information to suit their desired angle. Horton,(2003) reinforces this as he claims PR practitioners have direct control over what is said on their organisation’s web sites and intranet along with the power to restrict what information is released to publications and other media. As a result, the information journalists are supplied with is constructed to convey the PR practitioner's desired message and therefore, it can be argued PR practioners have more power than journalists within media campaigns.
Finally, I also think a key point within this reading is that there are different methods of delivering tactics and each plays a critical role in determining the effectiveness of the campaign. These include mail, fax, email, video and news- distribution agencies
This week’s readings were very helpful, as they provided me with a clear understanding of the steps I need to take in creating a successful PR plan, thus broadening my understanding of PR practice.
This week I commented on Nicole Magriplis' blog.
References:
Allert, J and Zawawi, C. (2004). Strategy, planning and scheduling. In Johnston, J., & Zawawi, C. (Eds.), Public relations: Theory and practice.(2nd ed.)(pp.169-197). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Horton, J. (2003). Lead, follow and get out of the way: three roles of public relations. Retrieved August 25, 2007, from www.online-pr.com/Holding/ThreeRolesofPR.pdf
Hudson, M. (2004). Tactics. In Johnston, J., & Zawawi, C. (Eds.), Public relations: Theory and practice.(2nd ed.)(pp.169-197). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
McElreath, M.P. (1997). Managing strategic and ethical public relations. (2nd ed.) Madison: Brown & Benchmark.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Week 9.
This week's reading revolves around sponsorship and event management and by doing so, it made me think about public relations practice as I began to question, who benefits the most out of sponsorship? The event organised by PR practitioners, as they gain financial aid and the attention of publics towards their cause through their sponsors? Or the sponsors themselves?
Firstly, the reading effectively outlines what sponsorship is. According to Boyd (2004), it is “The purchase of specific rights and benefits associated with an event, organisation or individual.” (p. 347).
Boyd (2006), also notes that sponsorship provides a focal point for sales and marketing efforts, offers product brands high visibility to potential customers and generates media coverage for the sponsoring organisation.
I believe that the key points to remember from this reading are the different types of sponsorship and what they entail. These are:
Philanthropic sponsorship: According to Boyd, (2004), this is as close to a donation as sponsorship can get. It is generally community based and can engender goodwill towards the organisation. Examples of this include the Pratt and Myer family foundations.
Corporate Sponsorship: This is the sponsorship of an event not normally linked to the sponsoring company’s general business in the aim to reap benefits of this positive connection in the minds of the organisation’s publics. Examples include McDonald’s Junior Tennis. (Boyd, 2004).
And finally, Marketing sponsorship: The most popular form of sponsorship. Geldard and Sinclair (1996) say this form of sponsorship is used primarily to promote products and services to targeted markets to promote sales activities.
After reading this chapter, it could be argued that PR practitioners are gaining more from sponsorship than their sponsors, as they are acquiring large sums of money in return for promoting their sponsor’s brand, which also allows them to attract more attention to their campaign, thus resulting in effective exposure. I however, believe that the information I have listed as key points to remember above clearly portrays that the people who gain the most out of sponsorships is the sponsors themselves, as their product is advertised extensively. Thus, athough they have payed a considerable sum for the rights to sponsorship, this will benefit them as usually, sales profits rise.
Also, I believe that sponsors can gain a positive, charitable image from sponsoring events. Eg) If Dairy Farmers sponsors a Starlight Foundation Charity Ball, they are going to not only be considered as caring and generous, but their product is also going to be promoted left right and centre. This is what I call strategic sponsorship!
In regards to thinking about PR in practice, this chapter also informed me of a number of things to consider when planning an event.
I believe one of the key points to remember when planning an event which is covered within this reading, is the choice of the form of this event, ie) conference, launch, lecture, dinners, should be made in regards to aiming to fulfill the strategy of the organiser.
Also, Tonge (1999) aptly states that a successful event has clearly defined objectives and priorities as well as a strong event theme and image. Success depends upon allowing adequate planning time and successfully implementing monitoring and evaluating detailed action plans. Finally, an adequate budget is necessary along with strong financial management.
Therefore, I learnt a lot from this weeks reading as it provided me with some great tips to follow when planning events and gaining sponsorship when I become a PR practitioner.
This week I commented Nathan Swan's blog and replied to comments Kellie O'Sullivan and David Elliot made about my blog.
References:
Boyd, S. (2004). Sponsorship and event management. In, Johnston, J. & Zawawi, C. (Eds). Public relations: Theory and practice. (2nd ed).( pp. 345- 374). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Gerald, R., & Sinclair, L. (1996). The sponsorship manual: Sponsorship made easy. Melbourne: Sponsorship Unit.
Tounge, R. (1999). How to organise special events and festivals in Queensland.Coolum: Gull Publishing.
Firstly, the reading effectively outlines what sponsorship is. According to Boyd (2004), it is “The purchase of specific rights and benefits associated with an event, organisation or individual.” (p. 347).
Boyd (2006), also notes that sponsorship provides a focal point for sales and marketing efforts, offers product brands high visibility to potential customers and generates media coverage for the sponsoring organisation.
I believe that the key points to remember from this reading are the different types of sponsorship and what they entail. These are:
Philanthropic sponsorship: According to Boyd, (2004), this is as close to a donation as sponsorship can get. It is generally community based and can engender goodwill towards the organisation. Examples of this include the Pratt and Myer family foundations.
Corporate Sponsorship: This is the sponsorship of an event not normally linked to the sponsoring company’s general business in the aim to reap benefits of this positive connection in the minds of the organisation’s publics. Examples include McDonald’s Junior Tennis. (Boyd, 2004).
And finally, Marketing sponsorship: The most popular form of sponsorship. Geldard and Sinclair (1996) say this form of sponsorship is used primarily to promote products and services to targeted markets to promote sales activities.
After reading this chapter, it could be argued that PR practitioners are gaining more from sponsorship than their sponsors, as they are acquiring large sums of money in return for promoting their sponsor’s brand, which also allows them to attract more attention to their campaign, thus resulting in effective exposure. I however, believe that the information I have listed as key points to remember above clearly portrays that the people who gain the most out of sponsorships is the sponsors themselves, as their product is advertised extensively. Thus, athough they have payed a considerable sum for the rights to sponsorship, this will benefit them as usually, sales profits rise.
Also, I believe that sponsors can gain a positive, charitable image from sponsoring events. Eg) If Dairy Farmers sponsors a Starlight Foundation Charity Ball, they are going to not only be considered as caring and generous, but their product is also going to be promoted left right and centre. This is what I call strategic sponsorship!
In regards to thinking about PR in practice, this chapter also informed me of a number of things to consider when planning an event.
I believe one of the key points to remember when planning an event which is covered within this reading, is the choice of the form of this event, ie) conference, launch, lecture, dinners, should be made in regards to aiming to fulfill the strategy of the organiser.
Also, Tonge (1999) aptly states that a successful event has clearly defined objectives and priorities as well as a strong event theme and image. Success depends upon allowing adequate planning time and successfully implementing monitoring and evaluating detailed action plans. Finally, an adequate budget is necessary along with strong financial management.
Therefore, I learnt a lot from this weeks reading as it provided me with some great tips to follow when planning events and gaining sponsorship when I become a PR practitioner.
This week I commented Nathan Swan's blog and replied to comments Kellie O'Sullivan and David Elliot made about my blog.
References:
Boyd, S. (2004). Sponsorship and event management. In, Johnston, J. & Zawawi, C. (Eds). Public relations: Theory and practice. (2nd ed).( pp. 345- 374). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Gerald, R., & Sinclair, L. (1996). The sponsorship manual: Sponsorship made easy. Melbourne: Sponsorship Unit.
Tounge, R. (1999). How to organise special events and festivals in Queensland.Coolum: Gull Publishing.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Week 8.
Seeing as I am itching to be a journalist and consequently live and breathe writing, this week’s readings really appealed to me.
I knew that being a PR practitioner involved being a skilled writer, but I had only thought of this in a strategic sense. Ie) they had to just be very good at thinking of ways to write campaigns to ensure they were going to appeal to target publics and thus, be successful.
This week’s readings however made me think about Public Relations theory and practice in a new light, as I realised that practitioners also need to know how to write accurately and competently in news form for a number of different publications so that their work will appeal to journalists.
The article, “To Contact…or not?: Investigating Journalist’s Assessments of Public Relations Subsidies and Sontact Preferences,” Sallot & Johnson (2006) effectively discusses how journalists perceive public relations practitioners writing skills, which is poorly! This was really surprising, (hence the exclaimation mark) however, it was very helful as it provided me with some really good tips. I learnt that when I am a PR practitioner, ( if I choose pursue it, journalism is calling my name), I must have a sound knowledge of how a newsroom operates, ie) who receives media releases and what I should include in them to ensure my story appeals to the journalist receiving them. We learnt a little bit about this in Introduction to professional writing last semester so at least I’m on my way to learning.
The readings “Writing a Media Release,” ( Tymson, C., Lazar, P. & Lazar, R. (2006), and “How to...ten Steps to Press Release Perfection,” (2006) broadened my understanding of this aspect of PR even further. They both looked at how to write effective media releases and stressed how important it is to include information that will attract your decided target audience.
I learnt alot from these readings, particularly “How to…ten Steps to Press Release Perfection,” (2006). I believe the key points to remember from this reading are, that when writing a media release:
Make sure you are presenting information of genuine worth that appeals not only to a journalist, but your target audience.
Keep it short and succinct, anything important should be said in the first sentence.
Avoid blatant commercialism. Don't use cliché s, and
ensure your headline is relevant along with visually and orally appealing, as it may be the only thing that grabs the attention of the editor if they receive the release via email or fax.
I believe the most important point to remember however, is to provide as much information in the release - statistics, quotes, etc to help support your angle of the story as possible. This is because it will make it easy for the reporter and therefore, it is more likely to get published the way you desire.
“The Importance of Writing Skills” by Kurt Wise (2005) however, also investigates the opinions of public relations agency personnel towards the writing skills of entry-level practitioners.
This reading was precise and informative, thus causing it too to expanded my education of PR practice because it stressed that PR practitioners need to have versatile writing skills, as they need to be able to change their style for different publications and target publics. Wise particularly stresses this is the case for writing for the web.
He informs that there is a large difference in writing for the web, as you need to write more concisely and use conversational tone that is also enticing. This is because people using the internet need to be able to find information quickly. (Wise, 2005).
“How to...ten Steps to Press Release Perfection,” (2006) also stresses the importance of this skill, as it states
“Don't think one-size-fits-all. The proliferation of media sources and the varying styles between the different formats may dictate the need to create alternative versions of the news release in order to penetrate the different media.”
This article was therefore very useful in helping me understand how essential it is for me to be versatile in my writing.
Therefore, the readings this week made me think a lot more about Public Relations in practice, as they taught me that effective writing skills are essential. The most important thing I learnt was that you need to have versatile writing skills and know what publication needs what style of writing, ie) writing for the web is very different to writing a media release, as it needs to be more concise and conversational. I also gained a stronger understanding of how important it is to write effectively for journalists within media releases, because if you do so, your information has a higher chance of being reported just how you desired.
This week I commented Kellie O'Sullivan's blog.
References:
How to...ten steps to press release perfection.(2006). PR News. Potomac: Mar 20, 2006. 62, (12), 1.
Sallot, M. & Johnson, A. (2006). To contact … or not?: Investigating journalist's assessments of public relations subsidies and contact preferences. Public Relations Review. 32(1) 83-86
Tymson, C., Lazar, P. & Lazar, R. (2006). Writing a media release. In C. Tymson, P. Lazar, P. and R. Lazar, (Eds). The New Australian and New Zealand Public Relations Manual. (5th ed.) (pp. 74-117). Manly: Tymson Communications.
Wise, K. (2005). The importance of writing skills. Public Relations Quarterly; Summer 2005 50, (2), 37. ABI/INFORM Global.
I knew that being a PR practitioner involved being a skilled writer, but I had only thought of this in a strategic sense. Ie) they had to just be very good at thinking of ways to write campaigns to ensure they were going to appeal to target publics and thus, be successful.
This week’s readings however made me think about Public Relations theory and practice in a new light, as I realised that practitioners also need to know how to write accurately and competently in news form for a number of different publications so that their work will appeal to journalists.
The article, “To Contact…or not?: Investigating Journalist’s Assessments of Public Relations Subsidies and Sontact Preferences,” Sallot & Johnson (2006) effectively discusses how journalists perceive public relations practitioners writing skills, which is poorly! This was really surprising, (hence the exclaimation mark) however, it was very helful as it provided me with some really good tips. I learnt that when I am a PR practitioner, ( if I choose pursue it, journalism is calling my name), I must have a sound knowledge of how a newsroom operates, ie) who receives media releases and what I should include in them to ensure my story appeals to the journalist receiving them. We learnt a little bit about this in Introduction to professional writing last semester so at least I’m on my way to learning.
The readings “Writing a Media Release,” ( Tymson, C., Lazar, P. & Lazar, R. (2006), and “How to...ten Steps to Press Release Perfection,” (2006) broadened my understanding of this aspect of PR even further. They both looked at how to write effective media releases and stressed how important it is to include information that will attract your decided target audience.
I learnt alot from these readings, particularly “How to…ten Steps to Press Release Perfection,” (2006). I believe the key points to remember from this reading are, that when writing a media release:
Make sure you are presenting information of genuine worth that appeals not only to a journalist, but your target audience.
Keep it short and succinct, anything important should be said in the first sentence.
Avoid blatant commercialism. Don't use cliché s, and
ensure your headline is relevant along with visually and orally appealing, as it may be the only thing that grabs the attention of the editor if they receive the release via email or fax.
I believe the most important point to remember however, is to provide as much information in the release - statistics, quotes, etc to help support your angle of the story as possible. This is because it will make it easy for the reporter and therefore, it is more likely to get published the way you desire.
“The Importance of Writing Skills” by Kurt Wise (2005) however, also investigates the opinions of public relations agency personnel towards the writing skills of entry-level practitioners.
This reading was precise and informative, thus causing it too to expanded my education of PR practice because it stressed that PR practitioners need to have versatile writing skills, as they need to be able to change their style for different publications and target publics. Wise particularly stresses this is the case for writing for the web.
He informs that there is a large difference in writing for the web, as you need to write more concisely and use conversational tone that is also enticing. This is because people using the internet need to be able to find information quickly. (Wise, 2005).
“How to...ten Steps to Press Release Perfection,” (2006) also stresses the importance of this skill, as it states
“Don't think one-size-fits-all. The proliferation of media sources and the varying styles between the different formats may dictate the need to create alternative versions of the news release in order to penetrate the different media.”
This article was therefore very useful in helping me understand how essential it is for me to be versatile in my writing.
Therefore, the readings this week made me think a lot more about Public Relations in practice, as they taught me that effective writing skills are essential. The most important thing I learnt was that you need to have versatile writing skills and know what publication needs what style of writing, ie) writing for the web is very different to writing a media release, as it needs to be more concise and conversational. I also gained a stronger understanding of how important it is to write effectively for journalists within media releases, because if you do so, your information has a higher chance of being reported just how you desired.
This week I commented Kellie O'Sullivan's blog.
References:
How to...ten steps to press release perfection.(2006). PR News. Potomac: Mar 20, 2006. 62, (12), 1.
Sallot, M. & Johnson, A. (2006). To contact … or not?: Investigating journalist's assessments of public relations subsidies and contact preferences. Public Relations Review. 32(1) 83-86
Tymson, C., Lazar, P. & Lazar, R. (2006). Writing a media release. In C. Tymson, P. Lazar, P. and R. Lazar, (Eds). The New Australian and New Zealand Public Relations Manual. (5th ed.) (pp. 74-117). Manly: Tymson Communications.
Wise, K. (2005). The importance of writing skills. Public Relations Quarterly; Summer 2005 50, (2), 37. ABI/INFORM Global.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Week 7.
I found the readings really interesting this week, particularly "Oral Presentations," by Drew, (2001). This might have had something to do with the fact that I am required to do a presentation next week on media relations. (EEEEKKK !!!!.)
Firstly, after reading "Media Relations," Johnston (2005), I believe the most important point to remember is that public relations practitioners have an important role in providing media outlets with information for news stories.
Marshall and Kingsbury (1996), state that "PR has become one of the most important external influences on journalism ." (p.127). Also, i found it facinating within this reading to note that studies on the impact of public relations on the media reinforce this, as one study shows that 30 per cent of 2500 newspaper articles tracked were wholly or partially based on press releases. (Macnamara, in Choice 1998).
This made me think more about Public Relations practice as it lead to me question the role of PR practitioners. Do they have more power than journalists? Seeing as they present information to members of the press, thus allowing them to have the power of with holding information they do not want known, aren't they constructing what journalists are going to write? This thought consequently alerted me to the fact that PR practioners are essentially very skillful at gatekeeping.
Marshall and Kingsbury (2004), also suggest that PR practitoners decide which media forms receive the information they have constructed in the forms of media releases, media kits or, who attend media conferences. This reinforced my belief that PR practitioners may be the head honchos in the land of news reporting.
I must admit however, that one cannot avoid to acknowledge that there are the rare journalists today who will manipulate information presented to them, thus causing you to have no control over whether your intended message is broadcasted to its target public. However, if they follow the MEAA code of ethics like they should, this will not happen.
On the other hand, they may simply choose to disregard your media releases and use information provided to them through your media kit to gain their own perspective on the issue presented. So there is the possibility that Journalists can also influence information that is being presented to a certain extent.
Although I found the reading "Oral Presentations," (Drew, 2001)
interesting, I already had an idea about most of the tips it gives so I found it a bit useless. Out of all the hints, I personally found the tips it gave to handle nerves the most helpful. Some of these included: being well prepared and organised, using visual aids (the audience looks at the visual aid, not at you), having good speaker's notes and rehearsing in advance. (Drew, 2001).
"Speaking as Part of a Group," (Van Emden & Becker, 2004) however, was very useful in preparing for my presentation next week. It effectively outlines pros and cons to speaking in groups while also providing tips to ensure your presentation is a success. The key points to remember from this reading were: to ensure group work is planned and carried out cooperatively. I also think it is vital to remember that when starting your presentation, ensure you have an attention grabbing introduction!
Therefore, I have learnt alot this week that will help me greatly in preparing for my presentation.
This week I commented Michelle Hogan's blog and replied to a comment from Lauretta Parker about my blog.
References:
Drew, S. (2001). Oral presentations. In The student skills suide. (2nd ed.)(pp. 98-114). London: Gower.
Johnston, J. (2004). Media relations. In Johnston, J., & Zawawi, C. (Eds.), Public relations: Theory and practice.(2nd ed.)(pp.259-287). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Macnamara(1998). Tainted information. In Choice (July, 1998).(pp. 26-31).
Marshall, I., & Kingsbury, D. (1996). Media realities. Melbourne: Longman.
Van Emden, J., & Becker, L. (2004). Speaking as part of a group. In Presentation skills for students. (pp. 77-93). New York: Palgrave Macmillan
Firstly, after reading "Media Relations," Johnston (2005), I believe the most important point to remember is that public relations practitioners have an important role in providing media outlets with information for news stories.
Marshall and Kingsbury (1996), state that "PR has become one of the most important external influences on journalism ." (p.127). Also, i found it facinating within this reading to note that studies on the impact of public relations on the media reinforce this, as one study shows that 30 per cent of 2500 newspaper articles tracked were wholly or partially based on press releases. (Macnamara, in Choice 1998).
This made me think more about Public Relations practice as it lead to me question the role of PR practitioners. Do they have more power than journalists? Seeing as they present information to members of the press, thus allowing them to have the power of with holding information they do not want known, aren't they constructing what journalists are going to write? This thought consequently alerted me to the fact that PR practioners are essentially very skillful at gatekeeping.
Marshall and Kingsbury (2004), also suggest that PR practitoners decide which media forms receive the information they have constructed in the forms of media releases, media kits or, who attend media conferences. This reinforced my belief that PR practitioners may be the head honchos in the land of news reporting.
I must admit however, that one cannot avoid to acknowledge that there are the rare journalists today who will manipulate information presented to them, thus causing you to have no control over whether your intended message is broadcasted to its target public. However, if they follow the MEAA code of ethics like they should, this will not happen.
On the other hand, they may simply choose to disregard your media releases and use information provided to them through your media kit to gain their own perspective on the issue presented. So there is the possibility that Journalists can also influence information that is being presented to a certain extent.
Although I found the reading "Oral Presentations," (Drew, 2001)
interesting, I already had an idea about most of the tips it gives so I found it a bit useless. Out of all the hints, I personally found the tips it gave to handle nerves the most helpful. Some of these included: being well prepared and organised, using visual aids (the audience looks at the visual aid, not at you), having good speaker's notes and rehearsing in advance. (Drew, 2001).
"Speaking as Part of a Group," (Van Emden & Becker, 2004) however, was very useful in preparing for my presentation next week. It effectively outlines pros and cons to speaking in groups while also providing tips to ensure your presentation is a success. The key points to remember from this reading were: to ensure group work is planned and carried out cooperatively. I also think it is vital to remember that when starting your presentation, ensure you have an attention grabbing introduction!
Therefore, I have learnt alot this week that will help me greatly in preparing for my presentation.
This week I commented Michelle Hogan's blog and replied to a comment from Lauretta Parker about my blog.
References:
Drew, S. (2001). Oral presentations. In The student skills suide. (2nd ed.)(pp. 98-114). London: Gower.
Johnston, J. (2004). Media relations. In Johnston, J., & Zawawi, C. (Eds.), Public relations: Theory and practice.(2nd ed.)(pp.259-287). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Macnamara(1998). Tainted information. In Choice (July, 1998).(pp. 26-31).
Marshall, I., & Kingsbury, D. (1996). Media realities. Melbourne: Longman.
Van Emden, J., & Becker, L. (2004). Speaking as part of a group. In Presentation skills for students. (pp. 77-93). New York: Palgrave Macmillan
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Week 6.
This week, chapters 4 and 5 of Public relations: Theory and practice (2004), discuss the legal and ethical aspects of pubic relations practice.
Firstly, chapter 4 raises some really interesting points that made me realise how complex the legal environment in which PR practitioners practice is, as there are a number of areas of law they need to ensure they are familiar with in order to provide quality PR.
Within this chapter, Breit (2004) suggests that "To ensure quality public relations outcomes,practitioners need to take an active role in developing strategies to minimise the legal risks associated with the functions and roles they perform." (p.75).
This scared me, because there are so many things you have to consider as a practitioner. You can't just be worrying whether your work is effective, but you also have to ensure that what you are doing is legal.
I believe the key points to remember within this chapter are the bodies of law that practitioners must have a sound knowledge on.
According Breit (2004), these are:
The tort of negligence
The tort of defamation
Contempt law
Contract law
Statutory obligations
Intellectual propoerty law.
The tort of defamation tended to interest me the most, as it changed my previous understanding of this law and broadened my understanding of PR practice, as I learnt that a practitoner must be aware they do not breach this tort.
The part of this tort that was a surprise to me, was that even human gestures can be considered as defamation. Also, actions of defamation can even be identified if the action is indirect, thus meaning that it is based on innuendo arising from special knowledge between the person who does the act, and for whom it is about.
Chapter 5 was about ethical practice. Obviously, an important aspect to remember from this reading is the definition of what ethics is.
McCoy defines it as "The personal values which underpin the behaviour and moral choices made by an individual in response to a specific situation." (p.106).
Some of the values that the Josephus Institute for the Advancement of Ethics (2003), considered essential to ethical life are honesty, integrity, fairness, respect for others and accountability.
The inclusion of this example helped me to understand exactly what ethical judgements are based upon.
I also learnt within this chapter, that according to Seib and Fitzpatrick (1995), public relations practitioners have five ethical duties. These are: To themselves, the client, employer, profession and to society.
This list should be used as a guide to help practitoners decide upon ethical dilemmas.
I really liked reading about ethical issues within PR because it was very insightful and provided you with hypothetical situations which I found really interesting.
I am however aprehensive to learn about the legal side of this subject, however I hope it will turn out to be more interesting than intimidating!
This week I commented Kellie O'Sullivan's blog and replied to a comment from Sara Shanahan about my blog.
References:
Breit, R. (2004). Ethical pracitce. In Johnston,J. & Zawawi, C.Public relations: Theory and practice.(2nd ed). (pp. 104-133). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Josephus Institute for the Advancement of Ethics, (2003). Making Ethical Decisions. Retrieved: August 14, 2007, from www.josehpsoninstitute.org.
McCoy, L. (2004). The legal environment. In Johnston,J. & Zawawi, C.(2004).Public relations: Theory and practice. (2nd ed). (pp. 75-103).Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Seib, P. & Fitzpatrick, K.(1995). Public relations ethics. Florida: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Firstly, chapter 4 raises some really interesting points that made me realise how complex the legal environment in which PR practitioners practice is, as there are a number of areas of law they need to ensure they are familiar with in order to provide quality PR.
Within this chapter, Breit (2004) suggests that "To ensure quality public relations outcomes,practitioners need to take an active role in developing strategies to minimise the legal risks associated with the functions and roles they perform." (p.75).
This scared me, because there are so many things you have to consider as a practitioner. You can't just be worrying whether your work is effective, but you also have to ensure that what you are doing is legal.
I believe the key points to remember within this chapter are the bodies of law that practitioners must have a sound knowledge on.
According Breit (2004), these are:
The tort of negligence
The tort of defamation
Contempt law
Contract law
Statutory obligations
Intellectual propoerty law.
The tort of defamation tended to interest me the most, as it changed my previous understanding of this law and broadened my understanding of PR practice, as I learnt that a practitoner must be aware they do not breach this tort.
The part of this tort that was a surprise to me, was that even human gestures can be considered as defamation. Also, actions of defamation can even be identified if the action is indirect, thus meaning that it is based on innuendo arising from special knowledge between the person who does the act, and for whom it is about.
Chapter 5 was about ethical practice. Obviously, an important aspect to remember from this reading is the definition of what ethics is.
McCoy defines it as "The personal values which underpin the behaviour and moral choices made by an individual in response to a specific situation." (p.106).
Some of the values that the Josephus Institute for the Advancement of Ethics (2003), considered essential to ethical life are honesty, integrity, fairness, respect for others and accountability.
The inclusion of this example helped me to understand exactly what ethical judgements are based upon.
I also learnt within this chapter, that according to Seib and Fitzpatrick (1995), public relations practitioners have five ethical duties. These are: To themselves, the client, employer, profession and to society.
This list should be used as a guide to help practitoners decide upon ethical dilemmas.
I really liked reading about ethical issues within PR because it was very insightful and provided you with hypothetical situations which I found really interesting.
I am however aprehensive to learn about the legal side of this subject, however I hope it will turn out to be more interesting than intimidating!
This week I commented Kellie O'Sullivan's blog and replied to a comment from Sara Shanahan about my blog.
References:
Breit, R. (2004). Ethical pracitce. In Johnston,J. & Zawawi, C.Public relations: Theory and practice.(2nd ed). (pp. 104-133). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Josephus Institute for the Advancement of Ethics, (2003). Making Ethical Decisions. Retrieved: August 14, 2007, from www.josehpsoninstitute.org.
McCoy, L. (2004). The legal environment. In Johnston,J. & Zawawi, C.(2004).Public relations: Theory and practice. (2nd ed). (pp. 75-103).Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Seib, P. & Fitzpatrick, K.(1995). Public relations ethics. Florida: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Week 5.
This week, the most important thing I learnt that is essential to remember is the vital difference between what a strategy and a tactic is.
Being a keen athlete during my schooling years, I always thought of a strategy as being a plan that would allow me to win. I knew that subconciously this stragegy thus guided what small steps I made to allow me to achieve my goal, yet I did not know that these were tactics.
Thus, this week i was made aware of this, as Allert and Zawawi (2004), state that "a strategy is not a series of campaign steps of tactics, but the underlying rationale that guides the selection of tactics." (p.171).
The reading this week stresses the importance of public relations practitioners to think and practice strategically and explains that the key to doing this is good planning, budgeting and scheduling.
I found the Johnston and Zawawi strategic public relations plan which is described within this chapter changed my understanding of public relations practice, as it effectively identified the need to carefully plan every step of your campaign in order to ensure it is successful. This plan consists of ten steps. These are:
executive study
vision and mission
background and situation analysis
define strategy
define publics
define main message
select tactics
implementation and scheduling
monitoring and evaluation
budget. (Johnston and Zawawi, 2004).
Personally, I believe that any public relations strategy must revolve around the vision and mission of the organisation/event, because according to Allert and Zawawi (2004), "These are essential components in defining what you are doing and where you are going." (p.174).
Thus, this week both readings allowed me to come to the conclusion that in order to have a successful campaign, PR practitioners must ensure that they know exactly what they want to achieve in the future and how to go about achieving this. They also need to do regular evaluations to ensure the tactics they are using are successful in achieving the desired outcome.
This really opened my eyes, as there is alot more work in PR than I ever imagined and quite frankly, this reading gave me reassurance, as I like plans. They give me a sense of control. So therefore, I feel that if you know what you want to achieve out of a campaign, it is possible to get it.
This week I commented Laurie Alexander's blog and replied to a comment Michelle Hogan gave me.
Allert, J., & Zawawi, C. (2004). Strategy, planning and scheduling. In Johnston, J., & Zawawi, C. Public relations: theory and practice. (2nd ed). (pp. 169-196). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Tymson, C., Lazar, P., and Lazar, R. (2006). A typical public relations program. The New Australian and New Zealand Public Relations Manual. (5th ed.) (pp. 74-117). Manly: Tymson Communications
Being a keen athlete during my schooling years, I always thought of a strategy as being a plan that would allow me to win. I knew that subconciously this stragegy thus guided what small steps I made to allow me to achieve my goal, yet I did not know that these were tactics.
Thus, this week i was made aware of this, as Allert and Zawawi (2004), state that "a strategy is not a series of campaign steps of tactics, but the underlying rationale that guides the selection of tactics." (p.171).
The reading this week stresses the importance of public relations practitioners to think and practice strategically and explains that the key to doing this is good planning, budgeting and scheduling.
I found the Johnston and Zawawi strategic public relations plan which is described within this chapter changed my understanding of public relations practice, as it effectively identified the need to carefully plan every step of your campaign in order to ensure it is successful. This plan consists of ten steps. These are:
executive study
vision and mission
background and situation analysis
define strategy
define publics
define main message
select tactics
implementation and scheduling
monitoring and evaluation
budget. (Johnston and Zawawi, 2004).
Personally, I believe that any public relations strategy must revolve around the vision and mission of the organisation/event, because according to Allert and Zawawi (2004), "These are essential components in defining what you are doing and where you are going." (p.174).
Thus, this week both readings allowed me to come to the conclusion that in order to have a successful campaign, PR practitioners must ensure that they know exactly what they want to achieve in the future and how to go about achieving this. They also need to do regular evaluations to ensure the tactics they are using are successful in achieving the desired outcome.
This really opened my eyes, as there is alot more work in PR than I ever imagined and quite frankly, this reading gave me reassurance, as I like plans. They give me a sense of control. So therefore, I feel that if you know what you want to achieve out of a campaign, it is possible to get it.
This week I commented Laurie Alexander's blog and replied to a comment Michelle Hogan gave me.
Allert, J., & Zawawi, C. (2004). Strategy, planning and scheduling. In Johnston, J., & Zawawi, C. Public relations: theory and practice. (2nd ed). (pp. 169-196). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.
Tymson, C., Lazar, P., and Lazar, R. (2006). A typical public relations program. The New Australian and New Zealand Public Relations Manual. (5th ed.) (pp. 74-117). Manly: Tymson Communications
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