This post is due by Tuesday, March 25 @ midnight for full credit.
Email late posts to rob.williamsATmadriver.com for partial credit.
Read our MEDIA@CULTURE book, assigned chapter(s) above.
In a SINGLE blog post below for ALL chapters in the section, provide for EACH chapter:
1. A single sentence, IYOW, that captures the THESIS (main argument) for each chapter.
In a SINGLE blog post below for ALL chapters in the section, provide for EACH chapter:
1. A single sentence, IYOW, that captures the THESIS (main argument) for each chapter.
2. THREE specific pieces of supporting documentation - ideas, concepts, stats, data - to bolster your thesis for each chapter. (Use 2 - 3 sentences for each.)
3. A single PERSONAL story of 3-4 sentences that connects the chapter directly with your own personal media experiences.
4. A SINGLE specific question you have after reading and blogging on ALL chapters of assignment.
Game on,
Dr. W
Chapter 12
ReplyDelete1. Public Relations Agencies have become a dominant character in our country through their involvement with everything from movie stars, giant corporations, and government officials as a means of directing public opinion.
2. When Public Relations first emerged it did so through carnivals, circuses, and con-artists. The origins of this field trace back to Phineas Taylor Barnum who created the successful but often fraudulent circus, The Barnum & Bailey Circus: The Greatest Show on Earth. While it was clear many of his acts were phony, Barnum was able to make his circus a success through excellent use of the press.
PR firms often serve as a means of saving or destroying the images of corporations. For example, when Exxon Valdez in 1989 and BP in 2010 experienced major oil spills their images were significantly damaged due to poor PR work or neglect of advice from PR. While the deaths caused by tampered Tylenol capsules were not blamed on the company due to good advice from PR to be outright with consumers and to with draw all such capsules.
Today PR firms are commonly used by politicians especially in times of scandal or elections. The Bush administration used PR from 2002 to 2008 to support his policies by operating a Pentagon Pundit program. Richard Nixon used PR to restore his image after leaving office due to the Watergate scandal; his image post presidency was actually better than it was before he even took the position.
3. I don’t have much experience with Public Relations; however it is a career I have considered. This field would tie together my business as well as media interests, but I would want to find an agency that works more with small business or nonprofits. This chapter was useful in getting a better idea of what exactly public relations representatives do, and for whom they do it.
4. As PR firms become more involved with the digital age will that lead to them having greater power over the opinions of consumers?
Chapter 12:
ReplyDelete1. This chapter focuses on the early stages in public relations, the approaches to promoting your industry products to the public, and the friction that takes place between businesses dealing with marketing management in comparison to the press that hounds individuals as well as collective groups for information to create stories.
2. Public relations in society rose to prominence during the beginning of the past century with the conversion from a widely known farming industry transitioning to heavily based manufacturing factories. The first public relations experts were known as press agents who specialized in providing good publicity for their clients by placing them in beneficial positions that would help there public image with positive associations to gain interest as well as popularity. One industry that relied significantly on press agents was the railroad during the nineteenth century because they looked for support from the citizens of the public to help in the their persuasive pitch to the government for increased financial aid.
In today’s day in age, public relations comprise a vast range of techniques such as aspects that include publicity, communication, community affairs, government relations, financial interests, media relations, and propaganda. A crucial feature of public relations is press releases with a distinct different type of advertising and marketing happening to be visual streaming video news, and the non-profit form of publicizing being public service announcements (PSA’s). In the new modern technological age of today with much advancement in communication such as social media on the World Wide Web, public relations businesses rely heavily on this aspect of reaching consumers because most people in the U.S. of at least teenage age have a Facebook or Twitter account.
Over many decades in the past, bitterness has been seen exceptionally in terms of directed by journalist reporters towards public relations members of many companies. The reasoning for this excessive hatred happens to be due to the fact that public relations agents are paid to falsify facts about businesses that the media works hard to attain. Also, with newsroom employees decreasing with workers being let go from the declining industry workforce, journalists rely on press releases from the companies’ representatives (PR people) to give details on the daily activities. Reporters are disgusted with the public relations firms that hire away qualified field-based individuals as well because of the ramifications it can have on mainstream news information that is able to be corrected to represent accurate commentary. Lastly, public relations has an instrumental impact on elections because of the organizations ability to favorably shape the image of a specific candidate it works for or is aligned with.
3. I have not spent any time in the public relations field, although I do have relatives who have careers centralized in the business of marketing products for companies. However, I do know that many if not all public relations people working for firms do their best to place a positive spin on the advertised resources that are being promoted online, on television, and in person at the chain companies that way they are able to fend off bad publicity to the best of their ability. Public relations are extremely vital to the rise or downfall of companies because marketing is a way to get your products out into the public eye and an important way to get recognized that can lead to great deals of success.
4. Will public relations representatives physically positioned inside enterprises at service desks ever become extinct because a continued increase in online social media and company based websites?
Chapter Twelve:
ReplyDelete1. Chapter twelve discusses the development of public relations and the practice of it, and how it has evolved with the rise of media and technology.
2. “Public relations refer to the total communication strategy conducted by a person, a government, or an organization attempting to reach and persuade an audience to adopt a point of view” (421). The United States begin to shift to a more consumer-oriented society in the early twentieth century. With this shift in society, the development of press agents arose, “those who sought to advance a client’s image through media exposure, primarily via stunts staged for newspapers” (422). Early press was expressed through events such as the circus, and carnivals.
“Today there are more than seven thousand PR firms in the United States, plus thousands of additional PR departments within corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations”(427). Public relations is a growing field in America and has grown to be a popular study at colleges and universities.
“Historically, public relations practitioners have tried to earn news media coverage (as opposed to buying advertising) to communicate their clients’ messages to the public. While that is still true, the internet, with its instant accessibility, offers public relations professionals a number of new routes for communicating with publics” (437).
3. I personally do not have much experience or knowledge of public relations. Although I have heard the term thrown around numerous times, reading about it in the text book was really the first time I was able to get a grasp on what it really is. I have thought about going into the art side of advertising before, and advertising has some ties to public relations.
4. Will public relations continue to be a growing field?
Chapter 12
ReplyDelete1. Public Relations was faced with an entirely new type of business with technological advancements, turning towards YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to positively exploit their client.
2. .-This idea behind PR's came from the transition from farm to factory lifestyle. PR started out as press agents who who give positive publicity to their agent through typical ways of advertisement like newspapersThis would secure public support of whichever company needed it.
-Early on, there were not many PR firms accessibly, but today's day of age there are over 2,900 companies that offer PR worldwide. The benefits of PR are publicity, communication, public affairs, issues management, government relations, financial PR, community relations, media relations, and propaganda.
-Companies turn to the Internet as a new way of giving these benefits to its client due to the popular demand of social networks. Companies now use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to create a positive image of the client they are working for, in hopes of making them more successful in business.
3. I am actually really interested in Public Relations and hope to one day work in that field. I find that the social networking sites have a immense influence on potential buyers and the audience that is attracts is so wide in range that it is the best way to create a positive image of a company that is looking for that. I would love to be able to work in this field because this interests me so much and I feel that the way things are going, companies will need workers who have grown up as the audience for these clients. This is because we have lived and breathed everything that makes a company look good and popular. I just think that social networking altogether is a very powerful source for success.
4. What is in store for the PR field with all the new options of advertisement?
1. Public relations plays a huge role in the success of a company or organization and in the observable trends of consumers and the public in general.
ReplyDelete2. When BP didn't respond quickly enough and in a way the public deemed acceptable enough to the Exxon Valdez oil spill, public opinion of the company dropped dramatically. Although the company did try to salvage its reputation, people felt it was not showing enough remorse and criticism and parodies of the event overpowered the attempts.
With today's technological revolution PR firms have developed ways to promote points of view on line. For example, Facebook and Twitter pages allow people to "like" or "follow" a company or organization and get updates from it. Companies have also bribed bloggers to subtly promote something without the public realizing it.
In the 1920s, Edward Bernays used public relations to encourage women to smoke cigarettes, helping cigarette companies, which previously sold primarily to men. By labeling cigarettes as "torches of freedom" Bernays was able to change the public's image of the product to something that symbolized women's independence.
3. The fairly recent statement from the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch really stood out to me as bad publicity. Even though I didn't shop there before, after hearing that the company doesn't make plus sized clothing because it doesn't want overweight people to tarnish the "sex appeal" image of the company, I will never shop there. This incident shows that one slip up made by a company can have extreme negative effects for its business. Although I'm sure the company has apologized in an attempt to save its reputation, the apology has been overpowered by criticisms that spread like wildfire on the internet.
4. Can every opinion we have as consumers about a company or product be traced back in some way to a public relations campaign?
1. Thesis: This chapter details the development of Public Relations as a profession, explaining what it is, and placing it into its historical context alongside journalism.
ReplyDelete2. Three Examples of Supporting Evidence:
a. “As an informed citizenry paid more attention, it became more difficult for large firms to fool the press and mislead the public. With the rise of the middle class, increasing literacy among the working classes, and the spread of information through print media, democratic ideals began to threaten the established order of business and politics-and the elite groups who managed them” (424-5).
b. “Government PR specialists monitor new and existing legislation, create opportunities to ensure favorable publicity, and write press releases and direct-mail letters to persuade the public about the pros and cons of new regulations. In many industries, government relations has developed into lobbying: the prcess of attempting to influence lawmakers to support and vote for an organization’s or industry’s best interests” (436).
c. “Journalists have long considered themselves part of a public service profession, but some regard PR as having emerged as a pseudo-profession created to distort the facts that reporters work hard to gather” (440).
3. Personal Story: Personally, I sometimes find it difficult to distinguish between PR and direct news reporting when using different mediums, particularly the internet and television. Now, that is probably due in part to the skill level of the PR consultants who provide messages for the public. But I also oftentimes find myself getting angry with how society works and how it is portrayed by those whose job it is to provide the public with information.
4. Question: How can the public better differentiate between information fed to them by PR consultants, who consciously attempt to influence the public’s perception of sometimes, and the reporting of clear, unbiased information with no agenda?
Public Relations is the basis of what we see as trustworthy or a waste of our monetary values.
ReplyDelete2. "Advertising is controlled by publicity that a company or an individual buys; public relations attempts to secure favorable media publicity to promote a company or client." (pg 421)
"Public relations, like advertising, pays careful attention to the needs of its clients- politicians, small businesses, industries, and nonprofit organizations- and to the perspectives of its targeted audiences..." (pg 429)
"PR managers specializing in media relations promote a client or an organization by securing publicity or favorable coverage in the news media." (pg. 433)
3. I know for me PR is very important because it helps me decide what products I buy or what charities I donate too. If a charity is sponsored or represented by a celebrity I like and I feel is fighting for their cause I will be more likely to donate to that over a charity that is not as well sponsored. I am also influenced by the clothing I should wear and what has negative connotations and what has positive connotations.
4. How will PR evolve in our quickly growing media lives?
The role of public relations has expanded; through developments in technology this field has a major capacity to shape public opinion.
ReplyDeleteThe origin of Public Relations dates back to 1800s when Phineas Taylor Barnum “used gross exaggeration, fraudulent stories, and staged events to secure newspaper coverage for his clients; his American Museum; and later, his circus.” (422) He dubbed The Barnum and Bailey Circus “the Greatest Show on Earth,” and through the press, audiences flocked to the show. “Today, there are more than seven thousand PR firms in the United States, plus thousands of additional PR departments within corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations.” (427) Corporations, public leaders, and movie stars all employ Public Relation agencies to spread a clean image and perpetuate a positive public opinion. A PR firm must satisfy the audience of communities and consumers. Therefore, PR agencies advocate a good relation with the members of one’s community to bolster the attitudes of the consumer. Today, “the internet, with its instant accessibility, offers public relations professionals a number of new routes for communicating with publics.” (437) The web allows accessibility of information, interaction, and monitorship. Public Relations can create positive and negative effects on a client’s image.
I think public relations has become a very important tool for the elite. The show Scandal is a really good example of a PR firm cleaning up the image of Government officials and handling crisis’s before they become headline news.
Will PR research methods ever lead to surveying the consumer?
1. This chapter brings in the public relations aspect of media and how it can make average people into worldwide icons because of the roles they play.
ReplyDelete2. “By the early 1900s, reporters and muckraking journalists began investigating the promotional practices behind many companies.”(P.424) For the first time people and companies began to look into the starts personal lives to see the life’s they are living. Now people have made billions of dollars off of this but back then this was something that was completely revolutionary. “Before anything else begins, one of the most essential practices in the PR profession is doing research. “(P.429) This is still one of the most important parts of PR today, although false information has gotten leaked out there is still the high possibility that even things that the public do not believe is true actually turns out to be true because the research is done extensively. “Press releases, or news releases, are announcements written in the style of news reports that give new information about an individual, a company, or an organizations and pitch a story idea to the news media.” (P.430) The steps haven’t changed from PR, throughout the years everything in the industry has been changing but nothing has changed about these steps in the best way to relay information.
3. I am not a person who is really interested in PR. I don’t really care what happens in the life of celebrities because it doesn’t affect my own life and I have no ties to them. I can see how this interest people though, this industry has made stars like Justin Biber become worldwide icons but it has also killed his life making him struggle growing up in the spot light.
4. Will the process of PR ever change?
chapter 12 discusses the development of public relations and how it has come to play a huge role in the success of companies.
ReplyDeletePublic relations covers a wide array of practices, including but not limited to shaping the public image of a politician or establishing/repairing communication between consumers and companies. The first PR practitioners were simply known as press agents who sought the advance of a clients image through media exposure. Early promotions through media began in the 1840’s to the 1880’s by P.T Barnum and his acts the Swedish Jenny Lind and Jumbo the african elephant. The latest public relations issue covered in this textbook was the BP oil spill from 2010 which annihilates BP’s efforts to support a healthy environment. The top 4 holding firms with public relations subsidiaries from 2012 are WPP Group, Omnicon, Publicis Groupe and Interpublic Group of Cos. Public relations and the press come in extreme handy during difficult situations and help to further explore the story.
I think that public relations is very important because it is all about how you or a product is portrayed, which gives the buyers the idea whether to buy it or not. I support certain charities because they are near to my heart but it is also nice to see celebrities supporting it as well because it gives the charity better press and there is more hope that people will donate. But when it comes to clothing and PR, I wear what i wear and I don’t let PR get the best of it. For example I stopped wearing Abercrombie a long time ago and I still won’t wear it now because of the negative media it has been attracting and its also really expensive.
how will public relations grow during our lives?
Chapter 12
ReplyDelete1.) The purpose of this chapter was to explore the work and history of public relations companies and their organization.
2.) The first section of the chapter focuses primarily on the ideas and concepts behind public relations, many of which are similar to that of advertising, as most public relations work is done through advertising. It gets into the reasons for using public relations companies, and the logic behind them that there is no way to reason with the public, as they are collectively similar to a swarm of ants who will not listen to reasons, but respond to signals and symbols akin to how the queen gives orders to her workers.
The second section focuses on how these companies do their work, such as the process of researching a demographic and then finding a way to convey the message they want that demographic to understand about the client, the culture of lobbying in government, and how to handle public relations during major crises.
The third section simply focuses on the issues between journalism and PR companies, due to their differing stances on what to do with information, as the PR companies seek to spread a specially tinted and smoky version of the truth or what could be the truth, while journalists try to spread the absolute truth and dig up any sort of secrets held by the PR companies clients. The chapter finishes up with its usual look at how the topic at hand interacts with democracy in the world.
3.) Eh... I don't really have any personal stories about public relations. I mean, I guess it's a little odd that I've always known about the PR industry and that I dislike it and don't trust any sort of organization larger than 5 people with no funding... but that isn't really a story, that's just a footnote about my having already heard about these things, despite the chapters claim to their being invisible.
4.) Is there any group at all dedicated to just watching PR companies?
1.)Chapter 11 examines the development of Public Relations and its impact on industries, media, and society alike.
ReplyDelete2.) As put by the authors, "Public Relations is an immensely powerful media industry and yet remains largely invisible."p.421. One thing that immediately caught my eye while reading was the importance in which "spin doctors" have during political campaigns, especially presidential elections. These people work to control the way in which an even or person is described, in order to sway public opinion on the subject. Public Relations is still a relatively new concept, as its origins date back to late 1800s. The text sites an example on page 422 of Barnum's Circus, a circus known at the time as the "Greatest show on earth" thanks to public relations work of Barnum. By understanding that his audiences liked to be tricked, Barnum was able to employ gross exaggeration to create both immense hype for his show. Indeed, early public relations not only allowed for better publicity, but lead to monopolies, swayed government stance and lead to better business- all usually at the expense of the public and smaller businesses. Just like the muckrakers of the late 1800s, businesses today must be extremely weary of criticism and investigation. Thus PR campaigns have remained extremely important for all businesses, both big and small. PR however isn't always used to benefit the company however. Rather, in some cases, businesses use PR as a means of deterring the public from doing business with a competing company, or persuading voters to cast their ballots for the other candidate. Indeed, PR campaigns can just as easily detract as they can enhance a business's or subject's public appearance. One additional example of PR is public service announcements. Today, PSAs typically appear on television in the form of anti drunk driving announcements. In the past however, PSAs have been run on television, radio, newsprint and posters. Page 429 illustrates an instance of the propaganda used to rally support for waging war against Nazi Germany. Typically, the technique is used to sway public support for a large, potentially controversial cause.
3.) I think the book best sums up my impression PR in the opening of the chapter. "Public Relations is an immensely powerful media industry and yet remains largely invisible."p.421. PR is the hidden hand that persuades the public's opinion. After reading the chapter, my feelings towards PR and PR campaigns have become mixed. In one sense, the idea of PR campaigns used by charities seems acceptable as it can end up benefiting a decent cause. PR campaigns used by corporations like BP or WalMart however, generally hinder the public's understanding of important matters or issues regarding the company. The idea of companies being able to persuade the public's interest in its product or service through public relations campaigns (be it newspaper articles or commercials) does not sit all that well with me. PR campaigns seem to blur reality for the public, rather than bringing the truth to light.
4.) To what extent does the United States run PR campaigns to protect and distort its image as a protectorate of democracy? Irony...?
ReplyDeleteChapter 12
This chapter focuses on public relations and how this media industry has adapted over time.
Public relations attempts to secure favorable media publicity and persuade targeted audience to see favorable certain persons, governments, organizations, or companies. PR, from its beginning, has had an ongoing relationship with journalism. In the early 1900s, reporters and muckraking journalists had their reservations about the tactics that PR employed and began to look into the promotional practices that they employed for their clientele. Today, journalists consider themselves to provide a public service and consider PR to mislead the public by distorting facts. However, the two practices now have become codependent with the fall in newspaper funding. PR needs the assistance that journalism provides for publicity and journalism needs PR for ideas about content and access to key figures in their reports. Two early key figures in the PR world are Edward Bernays and his wife Doris Fleischman. Bernays was the first to apply the findings of psychology and sociology to his work, he deemed himself a “public relations counselor” rather than “publicity agent.” He was the first to teach a class on the subject or to write a textbook for the field, he set the standard definition for PR for many years. Doris, his business partner and wife, was able to open up the PR field for woman in a huge was as she was involved in the field in its inception. This is reflected today, as women outnumber men three to one in the PR field. PR agents are now able to have their clients interact more personally with their targeted audience in the digital age with the use of social media. This proves to be very effective, the client’s website is the main source for PR now, as it can be accessed by anyone at all times. This is beneficial because PR is able to adjust content easily using press releases, images, videos, and profiles for their client.
Prior to reading this chapter my understanding of public relations was limited to how the public perceived a product or company, not much of the backstory to it. I hadn’t really considered PR to be a major media industry but I can really understand it in relation to the internet. As someone who generally watches vloggers on YouTube I have seen that some of them have formed relationships with companies by promoting that company’s product in their videos.
After this shift of privacy regarding the way that PR conducts itself with journalism, will there ever again be more transparency and better chances for journalists to interact with companies and individuals again?
Chapter 12
ReplyDelete1) This chapter summarizes the development of public relations and its effect on the success of a company or organization.
2) The first public relations agents were people called press agents. Press agents gave positive publicity to their clients using different types of advertising. Overtime the public relations field has grown. Today there are a large number of firms in the United States, which do not include the public relation departments with in the government, nonprofit organizes, or corporate businesses. It is obvious that the public relations field is a growing field in the United States, and I believe it will continue to grow as technology improves. Public relation agents obviously have to get their client’s image out to the community in someway, and the easiest and most efficient way of doing this is through advertising. The Internet has had a big impact on public relations because they now have access to all the social networking sites that were not available before the Internet.
3) Public relations have never been a huge interest of mine and I have no experience with them. I do see how celebrities are portrayed and which ones are put into a good spot light and which ones are put into a negative spotlight, but that is the extent of my knowledge of it prior to reading this chapter.
4) Will the public relations field ever “go out of style”?
1. Chapter 12 focuses on the profession of Public Relations and it's role in promoting and protecting big businesses, politicians, and corporations while shaping a favorable image for the public.
ReplyDelete2. “In the 1920's, Bernays was hired by the American Tobacco Company to develop a campaign to make smoking more publicly acceptable for women. Among other strategies, Bernays staged an event: placing women smokers in New York's 1929 Easter Parade. He labeled cigarettes “torches of freedom” and encouraged women to smoke as a symbol of their newly acquired suffrage and independence from men.” p.426
“Over the years, Lee completely transformed the wealthy family's image, urging the discreet Rockefellers to publicize their charitable work. To improve his image, the senior Rockefeller took to handing out dimes to children wherever he went—a strategic ritual that historians attribute to Lee.” p.426
“Another public relations practice involves coordinating special events to raise the profile of corporate, organizational, or government clients.” p.433
3. I would say that up to this point I have always been heavily influenced by what seems to be the work of PR. Although I do not follow celebrities religiously nor care much what they do in their daily lives, I find it very hard to ignore certain celebrities (Miley Cyrus in particular) because I can't help but tell whether this new “Bangerz” thing she has going on is solely on her part or the work of PR to make her more famous. I believe it is a combination of both.
4. Will the line between real, factual news and PR “stunts” remain blurred as long as we are in the Digital Age?
Chapter 12
ReplyDelete1. The public relations industry has always focused on grabbing and manipulating the public to feel a certain way about a product or idea and with the rise of the digital age, they have had to find new and effective ways to do this.
2. Public relations began in the form of press agents, whose job it was to draw the public's attention to their client's business. Some of these first press agents, including P.T. Barnum and Buffalo bill used shocking exaggerations and stunts to draw the public's attention. However, during the early 1900s, the rise of the middle class and an increase in literacy, it became harder to trick people through advertisements and the strategy turned towards interpreting facts. Today, jobs in public relations have increased in popularity and necessity. Companies either hire PR agencies or have in house agencies to handle their publicity. These PR companies closely examine the needs of the public and do research on who is consuming the advertisements and information before it is released. With the rise of the digital age and the popularity of the internet, PR agencies have had to adapt their strategies for getting their message out to people. With the internet, companies can reach more people more effectively and can utilize sites like Facebook and Twitter to gain a more personal and intimate connection. It also allows them to see what people are talking and thinking about their product, which PR agencies can then use to understand who they are selling and talking to.
3. As the power of the internet and social media increases, will people running for office in politics have to change their strategies? Will they follow in President Obama's footsteps and utilize it?
4. Before reading this chapter I knew very little about the public relations industry. It makes me feel slightly uncomfortable because I know that most of the facts and information that is shot at us from everything from commercials to news statements has been carefully run through a PR agency and might not tell the whole truth, but instead a twisted truth to manipulate the public.
Chapter 12:
ReplyDelete1. Chapter 12 discusses how public relations impact various industries, media, and society.
2. The practice of public relations originated in the 1800’s and was started by Phineas Taylor Barnum. Barnum proclaimed that The Barnum and Bailey Circus was “the Greatest Show on earth” to the press. This action caused people to congregate to the circus show.
In today’s world, everyone, including public leaders, celebrities, and businesses, use PR agencies. The appeal is that these agencies will control the public image and only allow positive light to be shed on their client.
The rise and growing popularity of the internet has had a both positive and negative affect on public relations. The internet fosters the spreading of information and increased interaction. This can result in the rapid spreading of both good and bad stories, so PR firms must work to spin these to positive stories.
3. Publicity can have a huge effect on how I view a company or a brand. A positive public image is vital to how your customers view you. Lululemon and Abercrombie have both publicly said that their clothes weren’t made for the larger population and, as a result, have terrible public images. As a result, it makes me think twice when I consider purchasing their products.
4. What new tactics will PR firms have in the future to be able to gather information about customers’ preferences?
Chapter 12:
ReplyDelete1. Public Relations Agencies are involved with everything from movie stars, singers, government officials, and even giant corporations helping them with public opinion.
2. Carnivals and circuses were the first origins of public relations agencies. One example the book gives is Barnum and his scam of a circus. He used the press and public relation agencies to promote his phony act and make his circus s success.
Public Relation is a huge business today with all the celebrities, government officials, and giant media corporations. These businesses are growing and growing today, which means PR will only do the same. PR is even used to advertise drugs and medical procedures.
I think the most common use for PR firms today is during presidential elections and for governmental officials. Presidents often use PR to restore their images, create an ideal image, etc… Obama has tried to create a good image of Obama Care using PR.
3. I don’t have any experience with PR directly, other than what I have seen. I have had no reason to have had any involvement with PR in my life. I do find it interesting how PR can manipulate its audience though.
4. With the evolving technology, how will Public Relations Agencies evolve with the constantly evolving technology?
Chapter 12
ReplyDelete1. This chapter discusses public relations and how it has developed over the years, becoming an asset to many companies.
2. Public relations is the act of bringing new information about a said company or individual to the public. The first act of promotions took place between 1840 and 1880 when P.T. Barnum began promoting many acts to the public. Since than public relations has become a very important part of how a company portrays itself to customers and clientele. When a company uses public relations they are attempting to give their company the best image possible by hiring someone to assist them. A single event can ruin a company’s image instantly, for example the gulf oil spill of 2010 initiated the eco friendly image that BP oil was trying to give their customers. The Public Relations industry is almost completely responsible for the way celebrities, companies and organizations are portrayed to public. It creates a clean image for individuals to see and support.
3. I’ve never really thought about how public relations relates to nearly everything that I see in the media, but after reading this chapter I’ve begun to realize it’s importance. I work for a non-profit organization that bring children of economically disadvantaged homes rock climbing and gives them a safe environment to flourish in, we are very careful about the language that we use in order to show our donors and potential donors what we do. It’s something that we have to do in order to make sure that they don’t misunderstand our mission. I’m realizing that this is in a way public relations, because it’s how we promote and portray ourselves.
4. How much of an effect does public relations have on our choices as consumers?
PR - good throwdown here. - Dr. W
ReplyDeleteCh. 12
ReplyDelete1. This chapter discusses public relations and the improvements that media has made over time.
2. When the railroads were being built reporters were bribed to not tell the truth about working conditions. This bribery would usually be free train tickets, but this is an example of public relations getting skewed for greed. The Tylenol scare in 1982 is a great example of good, honest PR. A criminal laces tylenol capsules with cyanide and Johnson & Johnson responds rapidly to remove all bottles from the shelf. This saves the brand and all it stands for. We are still trying to cover things up through PR today. Just a few years ago, when the BP spill occurred they tried to cover it up to act as if they had done nothing wrong.
3. This chapter reminds me of my business project from last semester. We though about logos and how the public would react. It was a fun process because it puts you in the shoes of the consumer. If you are pleasing yourself and not the customers then you are going to fail.
4. Is lying to the public a good thing sometimes?
Chapter 12
ReplyDelete1.) This chapter focuses on how companies can communicate to their customers through Public Relations and how it has evolved over the years.
2.) Public Relations can be anything from advertising a product to apologizing for something like the BP oil spill. It is the way the company reacts and speaks to their customers that can affect their image and shape a personality for the business.
Public Relations is not only for just business, many actors use publicity to gain reputation and contact their audiences. Through actions and media, famous people can bring their name up to get attention and self promote.
On page 441, there is a quote about companies and government hiring a lot of PR people. The quote then goes on to say that PR people are trained to give half truth or misinformation. This gives the image of the difficulty in Public Relations. Companies and famous people need to maintain a good image even if something negative happens, PR people are able to help with this by covering actions up.
3.) Watching the news, it is normally filled with statements from different sides in a debate or story. During Presidential Statements, the President is usually using a speech that he himself represents his best image and he would also use PR people to read his speech. Throughout the 2012 election, both candidates were putting their best face forward on every topic. The PR groups for each candidate were always working to make sure that their candidate looked like the best choice to the average person.
4.) How will companies and government evolve their PR when new mediums and advancements happen?
Chapter 12
ReplyDelete1) This chapter summarizes the development of public relations and its affects on the success of a company or organization.
2) The first public relations agents were people called press agents, who gave positive publicity to their clients using different types of advertising. Overtime the public relations field has grown tremendously. Today there is a large number of firms in the United States, which do not include the public relation departments with in the government, nonprofit organizes, or corporate businesses. It is obvious that the public relations field is a growing field in the United States. Public relation agents obviously have to get their client’s image out to the community in someway, and the easiest and most efficient way of doing this is through advertising. The Internet has had a big impact on public relations because they now have access to all the social networking sites that were not available before the Internet.
3) I have no experience with public relations whatsoever, and frankly don't have much interest in it. I do however see how celebrities are portrayed and which ones are portrayed in a good light and which are portrayed in a negative light, but that was the extent of my knowledge of public relations before reading this chapter.
4) How far will the public relations field continue to expand until some new discovery or technology comes along and is better than the current system?
1) This chapter to explain the public relations and framing the message within media, which is extended from advertising to public images and relations from private companies.
ReplyDelete2) Through out most of the beginning of the book, many advertisements are shown in order to show the framing of the message. For example, the advertisement of Lucky Strike cigarettes on page 427, frames a message that cool and beautiful people smoke the cigarettes that the company is trying to sell to the public. They use this image to frame the message they want in order to create a positive public relation. Celebrities also create positive public relations by framing a message with an image and actions. On page 433, Lady Gaga is posing with children in a photograph in order to make create a positive image of themselves to the public. With this positive relation, they are able to become a more liked public figure. Businesses also do this by holding events like JP Morgan does on page 435. Sometimes they may hold charity events or just corporate events. In this case, they are holding a charity event for multiple non-profit organizations. They hold these events in the public eye in order to frame a positive message for public relations.
3) Public image and framing the message occur everyday through the news and have an effect on me. I do not like seeing images of people like Miley Cyrus or Lindsay Lohan in the public eye when they are partying and being messy in the public. I look up to athletes that donate charity and keep themselves well dressed while in public in order to keep their positive public image.
4) Is it fair for us to judge people off of their public images and sound bites? Often, people are caught at the wrong place and the wrong time. Many politicians will have a good speech, but the media creates a sound bite that does not display what they are truly attempting to display.
Chapter twelve explores the history, development, and the current power of public relations in the digital age. The chapter begins with a brief description and history of public relations, showing the separation between advertisements and PR; “While advertising drew attention and customers to new products, PR partly began to help businesses fend off increased scrutiny from the muckraking journalists and emerging labor unions of the time”(422). One of the strongest examples in the chapter of early PR in action is in regard to the railroads. The large industrial railroad companies used PR in order to sway public opinion in their favor. They used tactics ranging from directly bribing people in media to get favorable news coverage, to gifting free passes to journalists with an understanding that they would write a favorable story about their traveling experience. Currently, the digital age has opened up many new doors for the PR industry. The Internet allows people ranging from politicians to celebrities to reach out to the public in what appears to be on a more personal level. This point is particularly true through the use of social media platforms like Facebook, or Twitter.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not have a personal story in relation to Public Relations, I have always found entities that work towards mass social manipulation fascinating. Reading this chapter makes me wonder how genuine the world I perceive around me truly is. Do public relations corporations have any moral obligation to not mislead people?
Chapter 12
ReplyDelete1. This chapter examines the impact of public relations in today’s world, and how its history has come to form this modern day profession.
2. One of the early developments in public relations was when theatrical agent P.T. Barnum employed PR tactics to promote his many acts through the media. In 1965, consumer activist Ralph Nader ignited a consumer movement which led the PR industry to develop new customer relation strategies. Modern public relations was born in the early 1900s when reporters and journalist did some researching of how companies promoted themselves. Citizens became more aware of companies tactics, so companies had to be more careful about their big plans to mislead the public. Today, with over seven thousand PR firms in the United States, we can see how PR has grown to be such a huge aspect in our society. However, there have been some changes in PR since its early years. PR no longer recruits journalists for its workforce. Just like advertising, PR pays close attention to the needs of their politicians, businesses, etc. They also take into great consideration who their audience is – just like advertising as well. Propaganda is a popular method used in PR in order to communicate special issues occurring. Propaganda is intended to gain support of a cause from the public. The internet age has opened up many opportunities for the spread of PR. Also, the Internet allows for PR professionals to connect with people more directly through social media websites.
3. I did not know much about public relations before reading this chapter. I think public relations is something that probably affects us more than we think. With social media nowadays, I would say PR is almost hard to avoid. Things are constantly being shown to us without our asking, things can just pop up on our newsfeeds we may not expect, so I think this is a huge way that some people are exposed to PR.
4. What is the next step to improve PR?
Chapter 12
ReplyDelete1. This chapter discusses the evolution of public relations from analog to digital.
2. PT Barnum was one of the first people to employ people for PR. He did this from the 1840s to the 1880s and he did this for his many different acts at his show. In 1923 the first public relations course was being offered at a university. Edward Bernays was the first professor to teach this class and he taught it at New York University. He also wrote the first PR textbook. After a criminal laces Tylenol capsules with cyanide in 1982, Johnson and Johnson took every bottle off the shelves to prove to the public that they were trying to make a change to keep people's trust. A different action was when BP tried to cover up their oil spill. This effort to hide this from the world ended up making them look much worse than if they had just come out and said it in the beginning.
3. I am a part of the Saint Michaels Ski and Snowboard Team. As a Senior it is up to me and friends that have been in the club for a while to make it very appealing to incoming Freshman and transfer Sophmores. We try and do this by holding events at mountains and in front of townhouses. We bring hot dogs and hamburgers to the mountains to make sure that everyone has a good time and they tell their friends how much fun they had. It is all about the word of mouth.
4. Where does PR go from here?
Chapter 12:
ReplyDelete1.This chapter speaks about the development of public relations over the years, and its effect on the public opinion.
2.It began as early as the 1840s when Burnam paid for an old way of advertisement, that put public relations into use, for promoting his circus and the acts in it, as well as, the wondrous animals he had. Moving fast forward to 1982, with the Tylenol Scare that implemented P.R in a way that secured the brand by ensuring their responsibility of their mistake. Exxon however, misused public relations in their denial of responsibility about the oil spill in 1989.
3.Public Relations isn't a thing that interests me, I have always viewed it as being their for the sake of being there. But this chapter really helped me shape somewhat of an idea about the importance of Public Relations, and now I know that it is the way that a firm, a corporation, a celebrity, a politician is represented to the people.
4.Does the benefit of a consumer really matters to Public Relations, or do they just work to sell, promote, create or enhance disfigured images of what they represent without paying the right amount of attention to the consumers' needs?
1. Chapter 12 is about the profession of public relations and how it has evolved into a lucrative and vital enterprise which has come to rely on media.
ReplyDelete2. “Broadly defined, public relations refers to the total communication strategy conducted by a person, a government, or an organization attempting to reach and persuade an audience to adopt a point of view.” (421). Early public relations was very similar to basic advertising techniques whereby the more promotional material to generate publicity, the better. Early economic incentives created a large need for press agents who could be the reason a particular company acquired success or not. Pretty soon the public were not so easily convinced by superficial promotions and by the early 1900’s modern public relations was created, which stressed a favorable public image and gradually was enhanced by subtle directing of the public consciousness through clever campaigns. Currently public relation firms are independently contracted by corporations for billions of dollars while other corporations have their own public relations division. The responsibilities of public relations for a particular firm encompass basically everything that would be related to the public perception of that firm, and these responsibilities are built upon research which helps determine to what type of audience they want to convey a message and how specifically they will go about it. There exists a tentative relationship between public relations and journalists in large part because they may have conflicting agendas. Public relations are about spin while true journalism is about unbiased reporting.
3. When I hear public relations, I immediately think of crisis management when a celebrity gets into trouble of some kind or the movie Thank You for Smoking which about a lobbyist who represents the tobacco industry. It is pretty interesting to consider how important public relations are to major corporations.
4. Is public relations becoming more salient when our exposure to media is becoming more prevalent?