My proposed master’s thesis examines the mutually beneficial relationship between journalists and state and local government public relations practitioners. One of the problems facing the relationship between these two groups, is the journalists and publics’ perceived distrust and poor perception of government agencies and public relations practitioners. In order to diagnose and attempt to alleviate the notion of distrust of government agencies, my study aims to point out the existence of this distrust among journalists, quantify the degree or magnitude of it, and attempt to offer areas improvements in practice can be made to better this perception and regain trust.
Maintaining an open and trusting relationship between journalists and state and local government public relations practitioners is important to both groups. The two rely heavily on this mutually beneficial relationship to gather, disperse and communicate sometimes vital information to the public. The public relations practitioners communicate and disperse their agencies’ information to the public through journalists and journalists often rely on public relations practitioners to obtain and explain complicated policy or technical issues in ways that can be more easily understood by the public.
Issues of diversity in public relations, journalism and the relationship between the two may play a vital role in how each group does their business and how the two groups interact.
Issues such as the diversity, or lack of diversity, of target audiences public relations practitioners are trying to reach with their press releases or the lack of diversity issues that journalist cover may effect the relationship.
A public relations practitioner that works for an organization promoting diversity or working for an organization that is itself diverse may be disappointed by the lack of coverage they receive or the way in which their organization is covered by the media. In the same way, public relations practitioners may be on the other side of the spectrum and may give a false representation of the organizations employee diversity, or the diversity of businesses they contract with.
Diversity issues will continue to be a major part of how both journalism and public relations is practiced, as the U.S. population also becomes more diverse and as new media expands the amount of diverse groups media can reach. In addition, both industries will grow and change as the next generation of public relations practitioners and journalists graduate from college and enter the work force. This generation has grown up in an increasingly more diverse atmosphere and with much greater understanding of other diversity groups. This greater knowledge and understanding of each other may help to bridge or at least lessen the gap between both journalists and public relations practitioners and among the multi generational, multiracial, and multi-ethnic audiences they are looking to reach.
Maintaining an open and trusting relationship between journalists and state and local government public relations practitioners is important to both groups. The two rely heavily on this mutually beneficial relationship to gather, disperse and communicate sometimes vital information to the public. The public relations practitioners communicate and disperse their agencies’ information to the public through journalists and journalists often rely on public relations practitioners to obtain and explain complicated policy or technical issues in ways that can be more easily understood by the public.
Issues of diversity in public relations, journalism and the relationship between the two may play a vital role in how each group does their business and how the two groups interact.
Issues such as the diversity, or lack of diversity, of target audiences public relations practitioners are trying to reach with their press releases or the lack of diversity issues that journalist cover may effect the relationship.
A public relations practitioner that works for an organization promoting diversity or working for an organization that is itself diverse may be disappointed by the lack of coverage they receive or the way in which their organization is covered by the media. In the same way, public relations practitioners may be on the other side of the spectrum and may give a false representation of the organizations employee diversity, or the diversity of businesses they contract with.
Diversity issues will continue to be a major part of how both journalism and public relations is practiced, as the U.S. population also becomes more diverse and as new media expands the amount of diverse groups media can reach. In addition, both industries will grow and change as the next generation of public relations practitioners and journalists graduate from college and enter the work force. This generation has grown up in an increasingly more diverse atmosphere and with much greater understanding of other diversity groups. This greater knowledge and understanding of each other may help to bridge or at least lessen the gap between both journalists and public relations practitioners and among the multi generational, multiracial, and multi-ethnic audiences they are looking to reach.
(Photo courtesy of : journalism.co.uk/13/articles/532410.php)
Links
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=58&aid=157919
http://www.prsa.org/diversity/diversity%20dimensions/studyExamines.html
http://www.instituteforpr.org/essential_knowledge/list/category/Diversity%20and%20Public%20Relations%20Practice/
http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/17904
http://journalism.unr.edu/classes/jweek08/?p=33
http://www.platformmagazine.com/article.cfm?alias=Diversity-A-Challenge-Worth-Welcoming
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=58&aid=157919
http://www.prsa.org/diversity/diversity%20dimensions/studyExamines.html
http://www.instituteforpr.org/essential_knowledge/list/category/Diversity%20and%20Public%20Relations%20Practice/
http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/17904
http://journalism.unr.edu/classes/jweek08/?p=33
http://www.platformmagazine.com/article.cfm?alias=Diversity-A-Challenge-Worth-Welcoming
Much has been written on the relationship between journalists and public relations practitioners. The fact is that the two groups have a mutually dependent, but also mutually cautious relationship. Most of what comes out in the press is dependant on the help of public relations practitioners to some extent. Whether a whole story is provided to a journalist in a press release or questions are answered or clarification given to journalists by public relations practitioners, the end product of what journalists produce is in some way influenced by PR. In the same way, public relations practitioners need the press just as bad, if not worse. The media, through the journalists, are the disseminators of information about the organization that the public relation practitioners work for.