Chapter 13 Notes
New Technologies in Public Relations
- Computer software such as Spin Control and Vocus are used in PR to manage media relations process.
- Primary uses of the internet by PR professionals
- E-mail distribution
- Web sites
- Blogs, Moblogs, and Vlogs
- RSS- Really Simple Syndication
- Podcasting
- Brochureware
- PR management tools
- Desktop publishing
- Mailing lists
- Online conferences
- Graphics, Design and Photography
- Facsimile Transmission
Chapter 10 Notes
Conflict Management: Dealing with Issues, Risks and Crisis
- Pure advocacy
- Hard nose source of completely disagreeing or refuting the arguments, claims, or threats of a competitor or a group concerned about an issue.
- Pure accommodation
- Organization agrees with its critics, changes its policies, makes restitution and even makes a full public apology.
- Conflict management cycle
- Proactive phase- activities and thought processes that can prevent a conflict from arising or from getting out of hand.
- First step environmental scanning
- Issues tracking
- Issues management occurs
- Crisis plan
- Strategic phase- through risk communication, dangers or threats to people or organizations is conveyed to forestall personal injury, health problems and environmental damage.
- Reactive phase- once the issue or imminent conflict reaches a critical level of impact on the organization the PR professional must react to events in the external communication environment as they unfold.
- Recovery phase- reputation management includes systematic research to learn the state of the organization’s reputation and then take steps to improve it.
- Issues management is a proactive and systematic approach
- Predict problems
- Anticipate threats
- Minimize surprise
- Resolve issues
- Prevent crisis
- 50 percent admitted that they did not have a crisis management plan.
Chapter 9 Notes
Public Opinion and Persuasion
- Public opinion is elusive and extremely difficult to measure.
- Types of leaders
- Formal opinion leaders: hold positions such as elected officials, presidents of companies or heads of membership groups. Also called power leaders
- Informal opinion leaders: those who have clout with peers because of some special characteristic. Role models who are admired and emulate or opinion leaders who can exert peer pressure on others. Highly informed, articulate and credible on particular issues.
- 10 to 12 percent of the general public are opinion leaders.
- Mass media means that information from a PR source can be efficiently and rapidly disseminated to literally millions of people.
- Wayne Wanta has explored second level agenda setting effects, finding evidence that the media not only set an agenda but also convey a set of attributes about the subject of the news.
- Mass media effects also are increased when people cannot verify information through personal experience or knowledge. Particularly in crisis situations
- Framing theory
- Impacts public understanding and consequently policy information
- Conflict theory
- Generate or promote conflict or controversy to gain positive position in the marketplace of ideas.
- Persuasion is used to
- Change or neutralize hostile opinion
- Crystallize latent opinions and positive attitudes
- Conserve favorable opinions
- Audience analysis
- Psychographics- this method attempts to classify people by lifestyle, attitudes, and beliefs.
- The most persuasive messages are direct, simply expressed and contain only on primary idea.
