PR 3310 Principles of Public Relations

1. PR 3310Principles of Public Relations Tuesday, 6/9/09 updated

2. Class Objectives • Lecture • Communication • Homework assignment • Presentations tomorrow, B. Lovera and A. Underwood • Read chapter 7 pages 183-191 • Paper 1 due on Thursday, 6/11/09 at 12:05 pm • Midterm on Friday

3. What’s in the news today? • Continuing coverage on the 2 U.S. journalists who are under trial in N. Korea for being in the country illegally and conducting “hostile acts” • Punishment has been set at 12 years hard time • American officials said that the harsh sentences were likely to be used as a negotiating ploy by the North as it tries to avoid new sanctions in response to the 2 nuclear tests it conducted last week. • “There is a serious doubt that these journalists had a fair trial because the legal proceedings have not been transparent,” said Kay Seok, a Seoul-based researcher for an activist group called Human Rights Watch • Unclear if journalists got to choose their own lawyers, and had translators • Notice the developments- links to this story • Seoul imposed financial sanctions on N. Korea today • Obama has said he’s going to re-list N. Korea as a terrorist country • What ? are not being answered in the story?

4. What’s in the news today? • http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/06/09/us/politics/AP-US-Cash-for-Clunkers.html • Consumers could receive rebates of up to $4,500 for turning in their gas-guzzling cars and trucks for more fuel-efficient vehicles under a House proposal. • President is backing this as part of the government's efforts to reorganize GM and Chrysler through the bankruptcy courts • What information is missing? • If you worked the mrk department of these companies, and this proposal passed, what PR and advertising would you create?

5. What’s in the news today? • http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/business/media/09image.html • U.S. banks trying to change their images by using new adv. slogans and PR messages.. • New = straightforward/trustworthy, sensitive, funny • … or maintain a low profile and not do any spending on adv. and PR • Banks hoping that people are moving out of the anger-and-fear stages and are focusing their messages on the future • Problem is that you don’t know exactly when the public’s mood is shifting • Don’t want to push the public by shouting your message too early (Jan., BoA adv., http://inspiringads.com/2009/03/18/bank-of-america-doors-keep-moving-forward/) • Bank execs. feel the government is partially to blame for the public’s opinion of banks (“stop vilifying us”)

6. Communication and the content • When preparing communication materials, you want the proposed message to be.. • Appropriate • Meaningful • Memorable • Cut through other clutter • Understandable • Believable

7. Grunig's objectives for the PR communicator (you) • PR personnel provide message exposure • Want to maintain an accurate dissemination of the message (try to avoid filtering by media gatekeepers) • These first 2 often the only ones addressed • Try to get the target audience to accept the message.. • … so that they have an attitudinal change… • … and ultimately change their behavior /actions.

8. The Communications Model (pg. 174 has similar) • Sender/source (encoder) • Person or group or organization sending out the message/information • Message • Communicated through some sort of medium /tactic • Can be spoken, electronic, telephone, paper-based, sound, silent (body language, color, images) • Channel/ media / medium • Receiver (decoder): group receiving message • Feedback: can be in terms of data (research) or an action or changed behavior.

9. The Communications Model • Sender/source (encoder) • Message • Channel • Receiver (decoder) • Feedback

10. Noise and Clutter Messages are said to experience 'noise' along the way - the more noise there is, the less likelihood there is of the message being received properly • Barriers to communication include • Information overload/ too many types of medium • Poor listening skills • Distractions; too many messages • Misunderstandings; many ways to interpret message (based on educational level, cultural background, where you live, etc.) • Based on stored experiences • Language of the message • Lack of understanding of what the receiver wants or needs • Emotional interference - can you really send/receive a clear message when you are upset, for example? • The use of an inappropriate medium • Lack of trust or honesty in the source

11. 2-way communication • Establishes a dialogue between the sender and the receiver • Able to receive feedback from the customer/receiver of the message • Not only do you want the customer to change their actions, you could use feedback to change your message/campaign • Some would say balanced/symmetrical 2-way communication is best • In reality it’s more 1-way/asymmetrical with corporation giving the audience their point of view

12. 2-way communication • Strongest form of 2-way communication is face-to-face (due to not only verbal, but non-verbal) • But what about on-line? • Posts to a blog or news story, Forums, texting, e-mail exchanges or list servs

13. 1-way communication • Don’t assume that 2-way is always the best • 1-way communication occurs in newspapers, magazines, radios, TV • Advantage: very easy to receive; audience has low involvement (don’t have to interpret) • TV viewing is at the highest during dinner time • Turn my brain off!

14. Integrated PR Media Model (pg. 172) • Shows the variety and scope of tactics/tools available.. From mass media to one-on-one • Focus on the characteristics… these are changing • One-on-one is personal, could interactive media also be personal? • Interactive media is only media where the messages are chosen by the receiver • And, comparatively speaking, is the cheapest • Remember that you need to do research on where your target audience is as well!

15. Uses and Gratification theory • People play an active role in choosing the messages and using the media to fulfill their needs.  • Assumption 1: Book says: “people make highly intelligent choices” • Assumption 2: that the user has alternate choices • Do people want to be informed (as Marvin Gaye asked, “What’s going on?”), have a reinforcement to what they know, learn something new which is used in their decision making, and/or be entertained?

16. Types of Audiences • Are humans viewed as active or passive in their environment? • What is the interaction people play with the medium? • Passive audience pays attention to message only because it is entertaining • Active audience is already interested in the message and wants to know more about it

17. What’s Best Media to Use? • Use a variety and repeat the message • People learn through Sight - 83%, Hearing - 11%, Smell - 3%, Touch - 2%, Taste - 1% • Strategy - include vehicles that combine sound and sight • Different audiences require different approaches

18. Goal of clarity and simplicity • Content and Structure • Symbols, Slogans, Acronym • Avoid the following: • Jargon or too technical wording • Clichés and overused words • “Grow” the economy • Euphemisms: inoffensive wording • Lay offs versus down-sizing/reorganization • Discriminatory language • Hire someone local!