Comments

Today i am commenting on Sarah Snedden and Deborah Wise...and there associated blogging.

Week 8

I think the important points to remember from this week's readings were:

*Good writing, particularly informative and persuasive writing, is a key skill to becoming a successful PR practitioner. This is reflected by Tench: "Writing is one of the foundations of a successful public relations practitioner and the ability to communicate messages clearly and concisely is one of their differing skills".

*The second article reflected on 10 ways to write a good media release. In summation these were:

1. Present information of genuine worth.
2. Don't mistake a press release for an advertisement.
3. Vary writing styles between the different formats.
4. Keep it short and succinct.
5. Make the heading relevant.
6. Be careful and clever with quotes.
7. Make it easy for the reporter to publish the work by providing support material.
8. Only include a brief description of the company you are from.
9. Give multiple contacts to the media outlet.
10. Always spell and fact check before sending.

*When contacting journalists, it is important to contact the appropriate person who will be dealing with the information you send through. For example, if sending information about a new cancer research program, it would not be suitable to send this to the weather presenter (as an extreme example). Furthermore, journalists tend to prefer dealing with PR practitioners who are brief and to the point and have the relevant information available to be sent to them. Keeping details succinct will not only make the practitioner come across as professional, but will also assist the journalist in his/her work, therefore increasing the possibility of positive press.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that:

*They made me understand the importance that practitioners place on good writing skills, particularly good grammar in their profession. The statistic in the first article that pointed out that practitioners reporting that writing tasks account for 71% of their work reinforced this. Furthermore, it is important to understand that there is not a single generic style of writing in the profession, which made me aware of the importance of having the skills to write in a number of differing media formats.

*They made me aware of the significance of providing accurate and succinct information when contacting media outlets. By providing information that will make other peoples jobs easier, it is more likely that your information will be published. It will also assist the practitioner in building rapport with future contacts which will ultimately lead to making the practitioners job easier in the long-term.

Comments

Today I'm commenting on Rebecca Rabe's blog

Comments

Toady I'm commenting on Monique's, Alex's and Erin's blogs

Week 7

I think the important points to remember from this week's readings were:

*With increased demand of media outlets (particularly print media), PR now has greater access to the media meaning they have a great opportunity to gain public attention for a particular promotion. However, it is important that practitioners follow news values (as well as knowing media deadlines) when releasing information so that the message they are trying to communicate is more likely to achieve media attention.

*It is important for PR practitioners to gain a sound understanding of hierarchies within particular media outlets as well as getting to know the needs of specific people within these organisations. By knowing these ins and outs, a practitioner will be more likely able to form strong working relationships with influential people, which is a major step in avoiding negative publicity.

*Getting to know different media styles is also a good way for practitioners to enhance the chance of communicating important information. For example, many magazines rely heavily on photographs in their media form, so in order to strengthen the chances of having your particular story published it would be wise for a practitioner to submit a media release that contains a number of photographs associated to the information which they wish to communicate. Furthermore, when submitting information, practitioners should take into account how much information a media outlet will need. For example, if you know a particular media form will only publish a story up to 200 words in length, there would be no point for a practitioner to submit an excessive amount of detail as this will make the jobs of people such as journalists more difficult, hence they are less likely to consider the information for publishing.

*When releasing information (such as by media release, media kits or media conference), it is important for the practitioner to have a target audience in mind so the decision as to the best media outlet to go through can be made. As a drastic example, if communicating information about an upcoming local band gig, a practitioner would be wise to pass this information onto local newspapers and radio stations as opposed to national media outlets.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that:

*It made me understand the importance of developing strong working relationships with key people within a media outlet. By knowing the needs of such people, practitioners are more likely to submit the appropriate information to them, which will not only make these people's jobs easier, but will also enhance the chances of positive media/public attention.

*the readings made me aware of the importance of knowing the ways in which particular organisations function. By knowing that not all organisations work by the same guidelines, the practitioner will become aware that researching the ways in which a company functions will give them insight into the best ways to structure the information they submit. This could be viewed as an underlying tactic of practitioners in seeking positive attention for their organisation/promotion.

Week 6

I think the key points to remember from this week's reading were:

* Practitioners must be active in assessing and responding to legal risks and so therefore must work hand in hand with lawyers to come up with strategies to minimise harm. Failure may result in PR outcomes being compromised.

*When organising campaigns it is important for practitioners to consider the way in which the material will be received as opposed to what it is intended to mean. By paying careful attention to this, a practitioner can avoid communicating information that could be considered misleading or deceptive. Provisions such as Trade Practices Act 1974 are imposed to determine such claims.

*The use of contracts in the PR profession are a pivotal part of not only fulfilling the objectives of the campaign, but they also clear up any uncertainties in the relationships with others involved in the campaign (e.g. material suppliers). For this reason, spending time and showing care in making a contract is an effective way of maximising the chances of success of a campaign as well as assuring that if any problems arise they can be dealt with swiftly by applying the conditions of the contract.

*Due to greater focus of ethical standards in the modern day, the role of PR practitioners has changed from using self-serving influence to participating in the development of corporate business strategy and making sure that the objectives of the organisation are balanced with responsibility to publics and stakeholders. For this reason practitioners are required to be listeners as well as speakers to ensure that ethical standards are not breeched.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that:

*They have given me a greater understanding of the duty of care needed by practitioners in all facets of the profession. With the increased notice taken on legal and ethical issues in the modern day, failure to take sufficient caution in implementing strategies can easily result in anything from a failed campaign through to a breech of law.

*The readings also made me aware of the importance of planning. As mentioned in my previous blogs, i considered the implementing of a campaign as the most important part of the profession, however these readings have once again reinforced the need for extensive research and consideration to be taken in order for objectives to be reached.

*Most importantly, the readings have made me understand that it is important to consider how material will be received by a public as opposed to simply what intentions/objectives the material is intended to have. Balancing the two seems to be the key to successful practice in the modern day.

Comments

Today i commented on Jessie Brown's blog. Last weeks class saw me comment on Madeline Briggs post.
Since commencing blogs i have also commented on Lauren's, Ngaio's, Brianna Dransfields', Monique's, Annika's and Brendon's all of which were good.
So many blogs, so little time!

Week 5

I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were:

· A basic model for a public relations project is a cyclical process involving the following:

1. Setting objectives

2. Planning an budgeting

3. Implementing the program

4. Evaluating results

· Setting objectives: These objectives usually result from a management concern, which leads to a need for action to reach a desired outcome. When setting objectives it is important that a target audience (i.e. those who take action for or against an organization, or those that can influence what an audience thinks and does) be defined. Once defined a fitting communication plan can be planned.

• Planning and budgeting: When planning, it is important that current opinions on the objective area are established. This can be done by consulting previous records, contacting sources that may know the answers to your research question and undertaking research such as surveys to find out more about peoples feelings/behaviours. It is also important that objective plans be realistic and measurable. It is important in planning that the most effective form of media be chosen to reach the nominated target audience.

Regarding budgeting, sufficient funds must be made available for the program to achieve its objectives otherwise there is little point in the program being implemented. Two types of budget are required: Firstly an estimate will determine whether the plan is in the right ballpark, and secondly, a more detailed budget must be prepared as the program develops.

· Implementing the program: It is important to plot the steps to be taken in a particular program, the time each step will take, as well as the relationship between each step. Finding a good range of suppliers is also important if the plan is to be successful. Having contacts with reliable, economical and trustworthy suppliers will add to the likelihood of a programs success.

· Evaluating results: Whilst many people argue success of P.R. practitioners shouldn’t and cannot be accurately measured, a recommended school of thought acknowledges that whilst it is difficult to precisely measure success, it is possible to come up with a realistic measurement if the right methods are used (eg. Balanced scorecards, key performance indicators).

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that:

They made me aware of the amount of effort that needs to be put into an organizations strategy for it to be successful. A program is not merely an idea that is put forth to the public, but rather a well researched plan that if done effectively can be of great benefit.

Furthermore, it has given me a greater appreciation of the work that PR departments do because I now understand the amount of work that goes into a program/campaign before it is released.

The readings have also made me aware that to be a successful practitioner requires effective communication not only within the organization but also with suppliers.

Week 4

I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were:

• The main purpose of internal communication is about influencing or changing the behaviour of employees to match the objectives of the organization. A good communicator must realise that “information can travel over wires (but) communication happens between the ears”. For this reason professional internal communicators should be involved in monitoring and managing factors that will influence peoples experiences and hence behaviour.
• For an organization to achieve its objectives it is important that employees be satisfied with there work environment. Employee satisfaction can result from communicating not only the requirements of the job and goals of the organization, but also providing feedback and recognition for their contributions. The communicating of this information has been found to be generally most effective when done face to face and by somebody of authority within the organization. However it is important to involve all members of the organization in the process of communicating.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that:

It made me realise the importance of a variety of different communication mediums. Whilst the use of non-verbal communication mediums (such as email, SMS, and in the case of P.R students, blogs) is becoming ‘the norm’, communicating face to face may be the best means of conveying a message.

Furthermore, regarding P.R practice, I have become aware that a practitioner must have the ability to communicate with a wide variety of different people both inside and outside an organization. They must also communicate in a way that will maximise employee satisfaction, which ultimately leads to a better chance of achieving objectives.

From the Insider Info readings, I learnt that public relations practice is not a restricted profession. There are a wide variety of jobs available in the field and the career opportunities are ever changing.