Reflecting on PR, the media and society. Communications & Media Essay

REFLECTING ON PUBLIC RELATIONS
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Reflecting on Public Relations
Public relations exists to influence and affect change. To execute its role efficiently, PR professionals must develop avenues of targeting their audiences more strategically. Elements of public relations that include strengthening community relations, promoting brand values, managing reputation, and enhancing presence are changing considerably. Currently, PR is growing to accommodate all social relationships. There is a growing need for humans to interact with other humans as well as their environment. The socio-cultural construct is, however changing, something that should send a message to the PR as it is structured currently. PR professionals must understand their operational setting and adapt efficiently. Several 21st-century commentators have proposed that the established ideals of PR are fast slipping from the needs of the new century and that PR needs to redefine itself to aid its adaptation to its new roles. Such proclamations have triggered debates on whether PR should redefine itself and if it does, or even if PR has begun losing grounds on its value. This paper agrees with the statement that PR should redefine itself, bearing the changing operational environment.
Current Trends
Public relations is commanding influence from multiple factions. More people are concerned about enhancing relationships. More individuals are showing interest in the profession. In 2000, there were 3.2 PR professionals for every journalist. That ratio increased to 4 to 1 in 2013. At some point in 2009, the ratio stood at 5 to 1 (Cannon, 2011). The PR industry keeps attracting more professionals. The relationship between public relations and its social roots gives it an advantage (Deffner & Metaxas, 2008). However, a failure to find a match in the changing social paradigms could trigger ills. The reaction to this prospect was evident in 2011. At that time, the Public Relations Society of America went public to change the definition of PR. The PR society of America understands the evolution of PR, something that must be appreciated by matching PR practice with prevalent social standards as efficiently as possible.
Evolution of PR
PR relations is an industry whose evolution has consistently been defined with changing ideals. The first recognizable change in the evolution of PR was witnessed with the development of new forms of technology. Before emails, there were fax machines. The fax machines instilled an adequate interaction between PR professionals and their society (West, 2015). Even though fax machines had lasted for a long time, the enthusiasm with which PR professionals used them indicated their value. The PR industry changed drastically with the influx of new technology, especially the PCs. With enabled emailing tools, PR professionals began receiving more information from the public. Their role was effectively elevated into understanding the exact changes within the public domain. The work of PR professionals was eased with the influx of computers. Even better was the invention of smart phones. To PR professionals, efficient communications implied more roles and substantial impacts of their inputs in instilling proper relationships. The growth of smartphones and tablets created a platform of engagement through social media. As communication grew, PR roles changed. PR professionals understood their role as those who initiated the change process.
The other significant change to PR professionals came with the development of 24-hour news channels and the intensification of social media usage. The long wait for news bulletins that occurred in the 1980s changed significantly in the 2000s. Media outlets began airing news frequently. Even more critical was the advancements in social media, where people initiated and shared information. This too much information triggered enthusiasm among PR professionals who intensified their roles are relationship managers in organizations (Tuncer, 2019). More PR professionals were treated for fear of missing out (FOMO), bearing the increasing sources of information and platforms to develop relationships. The new trends such as the use of influencers, real advertising, the sound bite, and the photobomb were introduced into PR. These were reactionary strategies aimed at reestablishing the position of PR. One lesson learned from social media's rush is that PR organizations were not prepared for the drastic change. The significance of this evolution was marked by multiple attempts by organizations such as the PR Association of America to change the definition of public relations. At this point, the professionals in PR had noted that the industry was changing. Their delays in reacting to the changes almost rendered PR irrelevant at the expense of valued journalism.
The last element of evolution was the complexity in the role of PR professionals. Traditionally, PR units were merely party planners for organizations. That has since changed, and one could be wondering why PR professionals are chosen to lead organizations such as Coca Cola, BP, and LinkedIn. The answer is on the complicated developments in the role of a PR professional. Aspects such as integrated communication and monitoring and PR analytics have restructured the industry. The PR professionals are currently multifaceted and focused on delivering the best outcomes for their organizations. PR has evolved right from its onset. It is also worth remarking that technological developments have played a vital role in such advancements.
The evolution that PR has experienced since its onset implies multiple reasons why it demands redefinition. PR is a prospect that is losing its ideals. The basic tenets of PR that traditionally were defined with media releases have changed. PR is currently more multifaceted. PR professionals are growing to have an overall look at organizations and their operational environments more than any other industry (Kalka & Krähling, 2009). That makes it necessary to redefine PR so as it can reflect what it really is. Another notable aspect of the above evolution process is that PR has traditionally been reactive to change. The industry reacted to the development of PCs, the emergence of search engines, and even the emergence of social media. While it appreciated the changes, it merely matched the demands. Currently, PR cannot make the same mistakes because the changes are happening fast, and more inputs are needed even before the demands emerge. PR must evolve from being reactive to being proactive. Possibly, redefining the industry will instill a culture of proactivity.
Triggers of Redefinition
The success of PR is anchored on developing relationships. That has traditionally been achieved by understanding what drives meaning through a group of people. Drivers of meanings are factors such as culture, technologies, and social structures, with notable changes in all the above drivers, there is a possible need for a redefined public relations. The following are some of the triggers for redefinition that have been perceived passively even though they bear impacts on the scope of PR practice:
The Circuit of Culture
Culture consists of moments from which people derive meaning. The circuit of culture is a constitution of five moments in a culture that work in concert to create meaning. The value of culture in society cannot be underrated. Culture is an aspect of identity whose structural changes affect the perception that the affected people receive. In public relations, the individual elements of culture define the relationships between people and companies or people and other people. In their most straightforward bits, changes in the parts of the circuit of culture should trigger corresponding changes in the dependent professional outlets such as public relations. The individual aspects of the cultural circuit continue undergoing vital changes that could warrant redefinition to instill more relevance.
The first element in the circuit that bears value to the profession of public relations is regulation. The moment of regulations comprises of controls to the cultural activity. Society is characterized by institutionalized systems, laws, and regulations that define expectations and norms. In the context of regulations, meanings arise in terms of what is acceptable, what is correct, and what is legal. The practice has indicated that each cultural context is characterized by the unique development of meaning through the lens of regulations. What an individual considers right or legal in one setting could bear a different meaning somewhere else. That, however, does not mean that meaning through regulations remains unchallenged or unchanged. Meanings arise from moments, and prospects such as power keep changing people’s perceptions of different meanings. Illustrations are marked with the multiple legal amendments, rulings, and changes in the social regulations that dominate societies. All such modifications are drastic and may bear an influence on the scope of how people relate or pe...