Critique or Critic...Which role does PR play?

It can be said that critique plays a role in any vocation as the processes in which that vocation functions on are commonsensical ideas that have become normalized and naturalized as a result of society organizing and structuring the world in a particular way. By comparing what is traditionally thought of and expected of public relations (PR) to how these expectations have come about and been formed by ideas of critique, this would assist in better understanding this vocation and in turn help to ask new critical questions which may be useful in advancing the field of PR.

PR is defined by Grunig and Hunt (1984) as ‘the management of communication between an organization and its publics’, with its primary roles being an adviser and a problem solver. These roles are provided with the idea of improving the organization, which if successful will also benefit the public and as a result this reflects and ties in on the purpose of critique, which also aims at improving ourselves, our social institutions and professional practices.  By building relationships using communication, PR helps to avoid possible conflicts, as communication, a synonym for language is the central medium used for constructing meaning and understanding as we learn about the world primarily through language. Conflicts often occur because the interests of each group differ and collide occasionally, usually because we refuse to acknowledge anything else but the naturalized ways of thinking for the reason that we often tend to forget that reality is constructed and that it can be organized in different ways; these different ways are the variant thoughts and ideas that other individuals possess. By being the mediators and finding a common ground that satisfies the interests of all parties, this is the primary challenge of PR and also what makes it so important in society, as the words we speak and the particular structures that we use can influence and or determine prospective outcomes.

In learning about critique, we also learn about the importance of representation, as it is one of the key factors that influence the way we think. In contemporary society, the boundaries that divide the real world and media have been blurred though the increase of portable technologies and most importantly, social media. Consequently, society today sees the real world through a filter of media images and has produced a new way of seeing the world. Additionally, the easy access to the tools of media production has created a society that is made up of active consumers who respond to traditional media by remediating and producing their own content. It is crucial to understand that communication in media has no natural meaning, as the meanings being presented are always socially orientated so as to align with class, gender, race and other human interests; as a result, this has made viewers constantly question the validity of media content that is being put across to them, more so now since there is an increase in information sources. According to Johnston and Zawawi (2009) approximately 65% of front news sections and up to 90% of stories from business sections of prominent newspapers in Australia come from PR sources, professionals and practitioners of this field have the responsibility and obligation to provide the truth to the public. “The press has a first duty to the public” by Johnston and Zawawi proves this point. However, when studying critique, it is also understood that society is divided into two spheres: private and public, where private refers to the boundaries of family and private concerns. Therefore, it is also in the role of PR to make public institutional practices known to readers and viewers within the private sphere of family and home and this is done through mediums of media, such as television or the Internet.

Consequently, to effectively disseminate information, another crucial element of this field is media relations. This can be through: campaigns, conferences or even corporate events that require media management. Evidently prior to any event, a considerable amount of planning has to take place in order for the event to be executed smoothly and this is another responsibility of PR practitioners. No one will notice the things that go right but will certainly remember the things that go wrong; in the case that an event has even the slightest mishap, the blame would most likely fall on the PR individuals as they are responsible for managing the event and its outcomes. Furthermore, because recognition is rarely received if an event is carried out successfully, there often can be an impression that the work that has been done is taken for granted and this relates to the notion of transparency, another concept of critique. Therefore the challenge here lies in accepting the success of an event as a personal achievement and taking pride that although recognition may not be received, through the work of PR, it has aided or in some way improved the functioning society, as it is what critique and this field is all about.

Thus to conclude, critique indeed plays a role in the professional area of PR as they both strive and aim for the same purpose: improving institutions, our professional practices and ourselves. Through its actions as an adviser and a problem solver, using communication as its primary tool to find common ground between its parties and establish balance, critique helps practitioners of the field to achieve and be successful in their role as it contributes to the understanding of the thought processes behind individuals and the choices they make. In return, by being familiar with this understanding, practitioners can help influence and determine prospective outcomes. Moreover, by consistently trying to seek out new ways in achieving such roles and perhaps by thinking out of the box using the critical concepts of critique, in hopes of receiving recognition and avoiding transparency, this could provide for a better understanding of this field and more future opportunities.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

It is the end, but also the beginning. The end of my internship with Meridian Services, and the beginning of a new phase in life, as someone who has the experience and knowledge of how public relations applies in 'the real world', outside of textbooks and classrooms.

The past 12 weeks have been a crash course in all-things PR and communications, with a minor in handling stress. From creating contacts and relationships to benefit the firm in the long-term (that is, long after I've moved on), to organising and being a part of the three-day BUSTED WA Roadshow, each and every task I've been left with have left their mark on the manner in which the company interacts with its stakeholder and how Meridian functions internally. As I mentioned before, nothing can function without the smallest piece; despite sometimes experiencing frustration at the seemingly endless minute tasks like putting together contact lists, I also got the satisfaction of witnessing my briefs and contacts being put to use with the frameworks of public relations plans being pieced together. 

Part of BUSTED WA's PR campaign against site crime

It's also been fascinating to watch how different departments interact with each other and how their actions influence the business as a whole. When presented with potential issues, the marketing department's response will be entirely different to that of the public relations department, but each can work together to  provide a more holistic, long-term solution.

Being mentored within such an environment has been so educational as to exactly how important effective public relations is to business success. The team at Meridian took me under their wing, and by dividing my tasks between the four main branches of the business created several opportunities to embrace challenges such as creating product fact sheets, updating social media, interacting with stakeholders through direct contact and email follow-up, writing briefs for conferences and meetings and even presenting to rooms full of stakeholders. The challenge was met only by the thrill of a job well done.

It has been such a pleasure to have completed an internship where not only my PR skills, but also my communication and critical thinking skills were consistently trialled and improved. Meridian's anti-cyber bullying, anti-poaching and anti-site crime initiatives (Space Safe Kidz, Chameleon and BUSTED, respectively) showed that my efforts were seeking to make the community around us a better place; there's not many other places where drafting an email-out can give you the same feeling of satisfaction!

 

To those who are still in the throes of their internship, all the best of luck! Be satisfied with who you are, be always reaching for the better result, consider what else you can do for your community.

Phoebe.