ibahrine_public ralations commuication

3. Theories of Communication Lecture by Dr. Mohammed Ibahrine

based on my own research and Seitel’s The Practice of Public Relations

AL AKHAWAYN UNIVERSITYSCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES

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Definition of Theory

• Theory is any attempt to explain or represent a phenomenon

• It helps to answer the “how” and “why” questions about communication

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Characteristics of Theory

• Theory is an abstraction

• Theory is a construction

• As Robert Cox said

» “Theory is always for someone and for some purpose” (Cox, 1981: 128)

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Evaluation of Theory

• Scope and boundaries• Logical consistency• Parsimony• Utility• Testability• Test of time

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Goals of Theory

• Explanation• Understanding• Prediction• Social change

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The two step flow theory

• The two step flow theory was first introduced by Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson and Hazel Gaudet in the People’s Choice,

• a 1948 study focused on the process of decision-making during Presidential election campaign

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The two step flow theory

• This theory argued that • Ideas often flow from the mass media to the

opinion leaders and from them to the less active sections of the population

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The concentric –circle

2. The concentric–circle theory:

• Theory developed by Elmo Roper

• Elmo Roper: (1900-1971) was a pioneer in the fields of market research and public opinion

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The concentric –circle

The concentric–circle theory stated that ideas evolve gradually to

• The public at largemoving in concentric circles from

• great thinkers to • great disciples to • great disseminators to • lesser disseminators to • the active audience to • the inert

11/04/23 10Source: www.csus.eduSource: www.csus.edu

IDEA

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The Diffusion of the Internet

3. The Diffusion of the Internet:

• The Internet as a communications tool has transcended cultures, boundaries and geographies

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4. Convergence theory:

4. Convergence theory:

• This digital convergence theory emphasized the new reality of convergence of new technologies

• This means that these technologies integrate all digital media types, including video, data, voice in one medium (the MOBILE)

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5. Spiral of silence theory

5. Spiral of silence theory:

• Is an innovative theory of public opinion developed by Elisabeth-Noelle-Neumann

• She argued that people tend to remain silent when they feel that their views are in the minority

• The so-called silent majority fears becoming isolated

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Why mapping communication thoeries?

Why mapping communication thoeries?

• Public relations professionals should have an idea about these theories,

• because it represents the conceptual foundation

which helps them understand the underpinnings of a successful public relation strategy

2. Goals of communicationLecture by Dr. Mohammed Ibahrine

based on

Seitel’s The Practice of Public Relations


COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES

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Goals of communication

• In public relations, communication should undergo a process of planning, management and reflection

• In public relations every act of communication has a goal, an objective or a purpose

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Four Typical Communication Goals

There are four typical communication goals:

• Informing

• Persuading

• Motivating

• Building mutual understanding

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Informing:

• The communication goal of public relations is to inform a particular public

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Persuading:

• A regular goal of public relations communication is to persuade people to take actions

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Motivating:

• Motivation of employees to “pull for the team” is a regular organizational communications goal

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Building mutual understanding:

• Public relations communicators often seek to attain mutual understanding between opponents in a group, community or society at large

4. The Publics of Public Relations

Dr. Mohammed Ibahrine


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Public relations people must communicate with many different publics

• each having its own special needs and requiring different types of communication

• The lines that divide these publics are thin, and

• the overlapping potential is significant

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• Definitions differ on what precisely constitutes a public

• In public relations a public is a group of people with a stake in an issue, organization, or idea

• Publics can be classified into several overlapping categories:

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• Internal and external:

Internal publics are inside the organization:

• clerks• supervisors• managers• stockholders• and the board of directors

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External publics are those not directly connected with the organization:

• The press

• Government

• Educators

• Customers

• Suppliers

• The community

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Primary, secondary, and marginal:

• Primary publics can most help or hinder the organization’s efforts

• Secondary publics are less important

• Marginal publics are the least important of all

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Traditional and future:

• Traditional publics are employees and current customers

• Future publics are students and potential customers

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Proponents, opponents and the uncommitted:

• An institution must deal differently with

– Those who support it – Those who oppose it

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• For supporters, communications that reinforce beliefs may be in order

• But changing the opinions of skeptics calls for strong, persuasive communications

• Often, particularly in politics, the uncommitted public is crucial

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• Another way of segmenting publics is to do it based on values and attitudes

• Public relations should be sensitive to all constituent publics

5. The Functions of Public Relations



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The Functions of PRs

Writing: a fundamental public relations skill

• News releases• Speeches• Brochures

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Media relations:

• dealing with the press is another frontline public relations function

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Planning:

• Special events• Media events• Management functions

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Counseling:

• in dealing with management and its interactions with key publics

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Researching:

• Beliefs • Values• Attitudes

that influence behavior

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Publicity:

• the marketing-related function, most commonly misunderstood as the “only” function of public relations, generating positive publicity for a client or employer

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Marketing communication:

• other marketing-related functions, such as

• Creating brochures• Sales literature• Promotions

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Community relations:

• positively putting forth the organization’s

– Messages– Images

within the community

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Consumer relations:

• interfacing with consumers through

– Written– Verbal

communications

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Employee relations:

• communicating with the all-important internal publics of the organization

– Mangers– Employers

who work for the firm

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Government affairs: deal with

• Legislators

• Regulators

• Local, state and federal officials

all of those who have governmental interface with the organization

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Investor relations:

• for public companies, communicating with stockholders and those who advice them

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Special publics relations:

• dealing with those publics uniquely critical to particular organizations

– African Americans– Women– Asians– Senior citizens

7. What Manner of Man or Woman?



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7. What Manner of Man or Woman?

• What kind of individual does it take to become a competent public relations professional?

• The Report of the Commission on Public Relations Education in 1999 listed a dozen areas of competence that emerging public relations students must have to succeed in the new century:

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1. Academic competencies:

• Communication and persuasion concepts and strategies

• Communication and public relations theories

• Relationship and relationship building

• societal trends

• Ethical issues

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• Legal requirements and issues

• Marketing and finance

• Public relations history

• Uses of research and forecasting

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• Multicultural and global issues

• Organizational change and development

• Management concepts and theories

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2. Specific technical skills:

Knowledge of the underpinnings of public relations:

• Culture• History• Philosophy• Social psychology

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communications knowledge:

• The media and the ways in which they work

• Communication research

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Technological knowledge:

• The computer

• The Net

• The World Wide Web

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Business knowledge

• How business works

• A bottom-line orientation

• A knowledge of one’s company and industry

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knowledge of bureaucracy

• How to get things done in a bureaucratic organization

• How to use and gain power for the best advantage

• How to maneuver in a politically charged environment

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Management knowledge

• How public policy is shaped

• What pressures and responsibilities fall on senior managers

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3. Specific attitudinal orientations

Communication orientations:

• A bias toward disclosing rather than withholding information

• Willingness to communicate with the public

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Advocacy:

• A desire to be advocates for their employers

• Must stand up for what their employers represent

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Counseling orientation:

• A desire to advise senior managers

• Public relations practitioners understand the intangibles such as

– Public opinion– Media influence – Communications messages

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Personal Confidence:

• A strong sense of honesty

• A willingness to take risks

• A sense of humor

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knowledge of bureaucracy

• How to get things done in a bureaucratic organization

• How to use and gain power for the best advantage

• How to maneuver in a politically charged environment

11/04/23 62


Management knowledge

• How public policy is shaped

• What pressures and responsibilities fall on senior managers

11/04/23 63


Communication orientations:

• A bias toward disclosing rather than withholding information

• Willingness to communicate with the public

11/04/23 64


Advocacy:

• A desire to be advocates for their employers

• Must stand up for what their employers represent

11/04/23 65


Counseling orientation:

• A desire to advise senior managers

• Public relations practitioners understand the intangibles such as

– Public opinion– Media influence – Communications messages

11/04/23 66


Personal Confidence:

• A strong sense of honesty

• A willingness to take risks

• A sense of humor

ibahrine_public ralations commuication

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