PR is not media relations
By Craig on Aug 7, 2009 in Communication tactics, Media relations, Public relations, Strategic communication
Public relations, contrary to what I suspect many people believe, is not a synonym for media relations, or placing stories in the media.
Public relations is, in fact, about helping create positive, mutually beneficial relationships between organisations and their stakeholders. Media relations is one way of doing this.
On the upside, placing positive stories about an organisation in the media has been proven in many cases to be an excellent way of enhancing an organisation’s reputation, or that of its products and/or services. It has also helped increase sales and profits for an organisation and its products and/or services.
On the downside, however, media relations is still not (despite the advancements of Web 2.0) a dialogic platform. It does not facilitate mutual understanding between an organisation and its stakeholders.
Having stories placed in the media does not help an organisation understand the needs, wants or issues of its stakeholders. It does not, therefore, realise the strategic capability of public relations to its fullest extent.
Media relations can be a powerful tactical manifestation of a public relations strategy, but for the public relations to be fully effective it must be multi-faceted and look at the organisation-stakeholder relationship holistically.
It is absolutely critical that mechanisms are built into the strategy that provide insights into stakeholders that an organisation can learn from. Based on those insights, an intelligent organisation will evolve the nature of its operations/business (not just its communication). This will lead to greater stakeholder satisfaction.
Another way of putting this is brand loyalty. That should bring the ‘marketers’ out of the wood work.
The primary tool that organisations will utilise to generate insights is market research. But research and feedback mechanisms need not be onerously expensive or mind numbingly complex to provide meaningful information:
- They can be qualitative and/or informal
- They can be integrated into communication mechanisms (e.g. feedback forms or roving interviewers at events/speaking engagements; questionnaires in e-newsletters)
- The upsurge in use and effectiveness of digital communication makes communicators’ lives easier in this regard.
‘Education’ is a notion that is particularly analogous to public relations. It is about knowledge being gained; gained by both organisations and their stakeholders. The more organisations and their stakeholders learn about each other – their behaviours, their processes, their products and services – the more educated all parties are in making decisions in regard to their respective opinions and behaviour.
Media relations is certainly an excellent way to educate the broader or quite specific communities (e.g. the mining business through mining business media, agriculture through agriculture media etc). But those within the public relations and marketing industries should be careful:
Relying upon media relations solely, or too heavily, is unlikely to achieve the most favourable results possible for organisations in regard to desired stakeholder responses.
Finally, as wide reaching and credible as editorial coverage of an organisation can be, it should be remembered that the media will sometimes interpret information transmitted by an organisation in a manner in which it was not intended.
This can be because the organisation was ignorant of, or wilfully defied, other salient issues that impacted on the media’s interpretation of the organisation-driven information. Or it could be because the media felt taking a problematic, divisive and/or negative approach to the information made it a stronger ‘story’.
Whatever, the end result can be an unmitigated disaster of a story for the organisation, making the establishment of mutually beneficial relationships between organisations and their stakeholders more important than ever.
Organisations should never lose sight of the fact they need to understand their stakeholders (and that includes the media). And they need to learn from them and evolve. Not to do so will compromise relationships, reputation and business/organisational outcomes.
[So here is the thing: public relations professionals are some of the worst offenders when it comes to using public relations - or the term 'PR' - as a synonym for media relations. By doing this, we build and perpetuate this erroneous perception of what public relations equates to and its relevance to organisations, individuals and society. I have heard very senior public relations professionals do it.
So why is this the case? What can be done about? It would be great to hear your thoughts!]
NB. There is a terrific discussion on this post going on in the Public Relations Professionals group through LinkedIn.
Very thoughtful comment, Craig. Whatever Media Relations is these days, its not only insufficient, but misleading, to use the term Public Relations as a synonyn for Media Relations and vice versa. I’ll use your thoughtful comment in my graduate seminar this fall as my master’s students struggle to define media relations in a world of largely unmediated media. Thanks.
Professor Richard Cole, MSU | Aug 7, 2009 | Reply
Dialogue between Flacks and Hacks
Both sides of the coin, Media and PR, still have well paid people who spend too much time working on ‘handouts’. Media, PR and clients should never allow themselves to be cornered as beggars relying on handouts.
The true value of that can be seen when something goes wrong in a client’s operations and PR is asked to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted. How often have good PR practitioners then had to bite the tongue, to refrain from saying “I told you so” to a recalcitrant client.
Not only is media relations not a reliable tool for dialogue between an organisation and media opinion leaders, media relations is not even a reliable tool for dialogue between PR and Media.
I still get a chuckle from the 2000 UK Register’s guide to controlling PR flacks
on_line_writer | Aug 8, 2009 | Reply
Interesting post. I have a perspective on this from dealing with small business.
Media is an easy way to do public relations for some small businesses. It is quite naive but it is seen as the “right way” to do things. I have advised people to forget advertising and media releases and just write directly or get on the phone to the fifty or a hundred best potential customers (of course I am talking about B2B or niche marketing rather than mass marketing). It is not advice that is often easily taken.
But using media can help business-people hide from the direct contact or the discomfort of direct selling. I have come across many cases of small business owners spending relatively large sums on media who think spending a tenth of it on proper communications with clients is not worth it. Despairing at times.
Media outlets make lots of money out of the failures of small business marketing. It is indeed worse when communications professionals overestimate the role of media in PR strategies.
Tim Entwisle | Aug 9, 2009 | Reply
“Public relations is about helping create positive, mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their stakeholders.”
No. On the corrupt communist planet Zergnoid maybe; here, it’s not. Here, PR is about making a case as an advocate on behalf of a client. THAT is our system. The further you’re away from that simple fact, the greater the ethical challenges and in all likelihood, the smarmier you are.
- Amanda
Amanda Chapel | Aug 10, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for your comments, everyone.
Tim, I think you are spot on with your comments. It’s horses for courses. Not much point putting your communication eggs in the media basket if your target audience is 100 odd people. Use whatever mechanism is going to deliver the best ROI, which will also influence what the communication KPIs are.
Amanda, no doubt you are familiar with Grunig and co’s two-way symmetrical communication model. Whilst it isn’t always possible or practical to apply this model, it is what I aspire to do with my work. I genuinely believe that by taking this approach our profession can make a positive, sustainable difference to society.
I appreciate you and others may take a different view and there is plenty of room for a diversity of perspectives. The encouragement of, and engagement with, different perspectives is, after all, a characteristic of best practice public relations. But I don’t think that makes me or my approach smarmy.
I’ll be reviewing some of Mr Grunig’s new book chapters on this blog in the near future – so watch this space!
Craig | Aug 11, 2009 | Reply
Well said and some great discussions here. My main points are that we have a lot more ways to reach the public today than just through the media.
David Meerman Scott | Sep 4, 2009 | Reply
Good post.
Nevertheless… we represent clients from the UK, Israel, Japan and Vietnam that want to penetrate the US market.
They initially contact us for Media Placement or Media Relations, which opens the door to the new client’s organization giving us the opportunity to build trust and a relationship that affords us the opportunity to deliver a greater range of services and value.
I wouldn’t dismiss media relations as part of our research either. Reporters and editors are the gatekeepers of information. They keep their jobs because they understand their readers and what they want e.g. our client’s stakeholders. So instead of just shoveling information out to the media, take the time ask questions about your client and be sure to listen to the answers.
On a another note– can we finally put to rest the outdated and oft-misspelled word “FLACK” to describe public relations professionals. FLAK (no “c”) is short for “FLugAbwehrKanone” a WW II German anti-aircraft weapon that fired shrapnel-filled puffs as “our boys — over there” flew their “crates across the briney.” Since the War ended when Grandpa was a young man, maybe we can hang up the word — right next to his old FLAK jacket ; )
Dick Pirozzolo | Feb 7, 2010 | Reply
Thanks for the comment, Dick. And very good point about initial media relations work opening the door for a broader strategic and tactical remit/input. So true. As always, it seems a large part of the PR professional’s role is to educate organisations (more than most other professions?) about what it is we are actually capable of achieving for and with them.
As for FLAK/Flack explanation – nice one!
Craig | Feb 7, 2010 | Reply
Great topic Craig.
Media relations should be viewed as a very powerful weapon. When used correctly in well-trained hands, it can protect and enhance an organization. When handled carelessly, someone’s going to get hurt.
Media outreach is a valuable component to any company’s PR strategy when used in the right proportion with other initiatives. Too large and you won’t be able to justify the ROI. Too small and it won’t bring the attention your client deserves. Close attention must be paid to the overall scope, messages, and objectives of your client’s company before determining the size of any media campaign.
Paul Rabin | Feb 8, 2010 | Reply
Thanks for the thoughts, Paul. I agree, the utility and power of media relations should not be underestimated, even in this age of disintermediation. As long as results are king/queen and the strategy serves him/her.
Craig | Feb 8, 2010 | Reply