2. “The public relations (PR) practitioner serves as an
intermediary between the organization that he or she
represents and all of that organization’s
stakeholders/publics” (Newsom, 2013, p. 2).
Photo Credit: Greenrubino
3. Companies should have a major concern for their image.
It is important to how the public perceive them. You are
the front man for the company.
A negative impact on the publics opinion of the
company could quickly decline business leading to
bankruptcy or forcing a business to close.
It is your job to make the company appealing to the
public.
4. In 1923 Bernays wrote a book called Crystallizing Public
Opinion which was the first book ever written on the
topic of Public Relations.
Photo Credit: Slideshare
5. “Some historians credit Thomas Jefferson with first
combining the words public and relations into public
relations in 1807” (Newsom, 2013, p. 23).
Photo Credit: UVA Magazine
Early PR tactics where used in
many historical events:
1. The Boston Tea Party
2. Abolitionist/Antislavery
movement
3. 1888 Harrison-Cleveland
presidential race
4. The American Revolution
6. Public relations has evolved much further with the help
of modern technology and social media.
Photo credit: ILYPR
7. Article: “Trump considers executive order on voter
fraud”
"You have people that are registered who are dead, who
are illegals, who are in two states. You have people
registered in two states. They're registered in a New
York and a New Jersey. They vote twice. There are
millions of votes, in my opinion,“ Mr. Trump said.
“There is absolutely no evidence of voter fraud even
approaching (the) scale” (Becker, 2017).
8. IABC’s Code of Ethics:
I am honest—my actions bring respect for and trust in the
communications profession.
I communicate accurate information and promptly correct any
errors.
I obey laws and public policies; if I violate any law or public
policy, I act promptly to correct the situation.
I protect confidential information while acting within the law.
I support the ideals of free speech, freedom of assembly, and
access to an open marketplace of ideas.
I am sensitive to others’ cultural values and beliefs.
I give credit to others for their work and cite my sources.
I do not use confidential information for personal benefit.
I do not represent conflicting or competing interests without
full disclosure and the written consent of those involved.
I do not accept undisclosed gifts or payments for professional
services from anyone other than a client or employer.
I do not guarantee results that are beyond my power to deliver.
11. Do give credit, where credit is due.
Photo credit: UNI.EDU, 2016
Photo credit: The Orion
DON’T: Plagiarize your work
12. You now know the who, when, where, and why
of Public Relations.
Now go out there and represent!
Photo credit: ImageManagement
13. References:
Burnett, Bill. (2013). The Do's and Don'ts of Giving a Killer Presentation. Entrepreneur.
Received from: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230358
Coffee, Patrick. (January 2015). Canadian Journalist Suspended for Conflict of Interest
Role in PR Firm. PR Newser. Retrieved from:
http://www.adweek.com/prnewser/canadian-journalist-suspended-for-conflict-of-
interest-role-in-pr-firm/106845
Escudero, Nicki. (2016). The Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Content Marketing. Smarp.
Retrieved from: http://blog.smarp.com/the-biggest-dos-and-donts-of-content-
marketing
Guerra, Sarah. (2016). AP Style Presentation. Prezi. Retrieved from: https://prezi.com/4-
etmwszdkq3/ap-style-presentation/
IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators. (2014). Iabc.com. Retrieved 1 July
2016, from https://www.iabc.com/about-us/governance/code-of-ethics/
Kudooski, James. (2016). The Ethics in Public Speaking: Why So Important?
ToughNickel. Retrieved from: https://toughnickel.com/misc/the-ethics-in-public-
speaking
Merica, D. Bradner, E., & Schleifer, T. (2017, January 25) Trump calls for 'major
investigation' into voter fraud. Retrieved January 25, 2017, from
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/25/politics/trump-calls-for-major-investigation-into-
voter-fraud/index.html
14. Milic, M. (2011). PR Role in Organizations - SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.
SEE Business travel & meetings magazine. Retrieved 1 July 2016, from
http://www.seebtm.com/pr-role-in-organizations/?lang=en
Modern PR vs. Traditional PR: What You Need to Know | NBC Chicago
http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/inc-well/Modern-PR-vs-Traditional-PR-What-You-
Need-to-Know-267185901.html#ixzz4VHMCvENx
Modern PR vs. Traditional PR: What You Need to Know. (2016). NBC Chicago.
Retrieved 1 July 2016, from http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/inc-well/Modern-PR-vs-
Traditional-PR-What-You-Need-to-Know-267185901.html
Morris, Tim (2014). Ivy Lee and the Origins of the Press Release. Behind the Spin Public
Relations for Students and Young Practitioners. Retrieved from:
http://www.behindthespin.com/features/ivy-lee-and-the-origins-of-the-press-release
N.A. (1995). Edward Bernays, 'Father of Public Relations' And Leader in Opinion
Making, Dies at 103. The New York Times. Retrieved from:
http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/08/16/specials/bernays-obit.html
N.A. (2007-2017) Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Member Code of Ethics.
Public Relations Society of America. Retrieved from:
https://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/Ethics/CodeEnglish/index.html#.WHzy4H2PzVK
N.A. (2013). Associated Press Style. IN Slideshare. Retrieved from:
http://www.slideshare.net/cubreporters/a-pstyle
N.A. (2014) 10 Dos and Don’ts for an Effective Presentation. Renderforest. Retrieved
from: https://www.renderforest.com/blog/tricks-for-an-effective-presentation
15. N.A. (2017). IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators. International
Association for Business Communicators. Retrieved from:
https://www.iabc.com/about-us/governance/code-of-ethics/
Newsom, D., Turk, J. V., & Kruckeberg, D. (2013). This is PR: the realities of public
relations (11th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
PRWeek staff (2015). Campaign of the Year for 2015. PR Weekly. Retrieved from:
http://www.prweek.com/article/1337376/prweek-campaign-year-
2015#42AC76b71D7Xs7F6.99
Vittorioso, Steve. (2011). Twelve Common Mistakes of AP Style. Inklings Blog.
Inkhouse. Retrieved from: http://blog.inkhouse.com/twelve-common-mistakes-of-
ap-style
Voss, J. (2016). Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Member Code of Ethics |
Statement of Professional Values | Code Provisions of Conduct. Prsa.org. Retrieved 1
July 2016, from
https://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/Ethics/CodeEnglish/index.html#.V3YjFJMrLzW
Editor's Notes
Public Relations serves as a liaison between the organization that it represents and the public. It is about reputation. The result of what is said and what others think about that. It’s a reputation that aims for earning respect and support and influencing others opinions.
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defines public relations as a management function that involves anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes and issues; counseling management at all levels with regard to policy decisions, courses of action and communication and taking into consideration public ramifications and the organization’s social or citizenship responsibilities; researching, conducting and evaluating on a continuing basis and being involved in strategic planning for the organization. (Newsom, 2013, p. 3)
There are a number of possible origins for where Public Relations started. In 1923 Bernays wrote a book called Crystallizing Public Opinion which was the first book ever written on the topic of Public Relations. Bernays was referred to as “the first and doubtless the leading ideologue of public relations” (Newsom, 2013, p. 23). Edward Bernays took a psychological approach to public relations. “He was instrumental in the formation of opinion-shaping methods that were used on behalf of many business and industrial enterprises, welfare and civic groups, and governments at home and abroad” (N.A. 1995). Several societal changes were made by Bernays in his time period such as making it appropriate and acceptable for women to smoke in public. This was done for an employer of Bernays, Lucky Strike Cigarettes. Bernays, nephew of Sigmund Freud took the direction and communication tactics of public relations to a whole new level which paved the way for future PR professionals.
“When the PR industry was first pioneered, it was created as a way to communicate proactively with media rather than always being in crisis mode when the media got hold of a story. Over time it has become a powerful marketing tool, creating awareness and connecting audiences with brands through credible third-party endorsements (i.e. the media)” (Fortney, 2014).
“PR has been used to promote wars, to lobby for political causes, to support political parties, to promote religions, to sell products, to raise money and to publicize events and people” (Newsome, 2013, p. 25).
The American Revolution patriots used “newsletters, newspapers, heroes, slogans, symbols, rhetoric, organizations, press agentry and publicity—as well as rallies, parades, exhibitions, celebrations, poetry, songs, cartoons, fireworks, effigies and even crude lantern slides” (Newsom, 2013, p. 28).
“Thanks to social media and other tools, today PR is truly about relating to your audiences and engaging with them indirectly and directly” ("Modern PR vs. Traditional PR: What You Need to Know", 2016).
“It is very important to create trustful consumer attitude towards a company/organization, which is done through public relations, influencing the public trust in such company and its image not only in the eyes of consumers, but also its stakeholders, government organizations, investors, social community, suppliers, distributors, employees, and competitors” (Milic, 2011).
“Marketing is interested in clients only, whereas PR is about creating the best overall conditions for the organization” (Milic, 2011).
Professionals in the eye of the public should convey clear, accurate, researched information. As we can see here, President Trump has no evidence of voter fraud but continues to tell Americans there is. This makes President Trump look not creditable to the public.
Ethics in Public Relations roles are no joking matter. A person working in public relations must perform and adhere to moral principles. “The value of member reputation depends upon the ethical conduct of everyone affiliated with the Public Relations Society of America. Each of us sets an example for each other - as well as other professionals - by our pursuit of excellence with powerful standards of performance, professionalism, and ethical conduct” (N.A. 2007).
The IABC for conflicts of interest simply state “I do not represent conflicting or competing interests without full disclosure and the written consent of those involved” (IABC, 2017). Within the 11 ethic rules listed by the IABC there is no mention of competition amongst professionals but it seems to me that in the field healthy competition among professionals perseveres an ethical climate while fostering a robust business environment. The IABC simply states “I communicate accurate information and promptly correct any errors (IABC, 2017).
. The PRSA guidelines conflicts of interest are too “Act in the best interests of the client or employer, even subordinating the member's personal interests. Avoid actions and circumstances that may appear to compromise good business judgment or create a conflict between personal and professional interests. Disclose promptly any existing or potential conflict of interest to affected clients or organizations. And encourage clients and customers to determine if a conflict exists after notifying all affected parties” (PRSA, 2007). A good example of this would be Leslie Roberts, newscaster and executive editor for Global Television. Roberts was working as a Creative Director and also Co-owner of Buzz PR. What this means is the Roberts was doubling as a journalist and also an advocate. “Breaking through the wall between media and PR” (Coffee, 2015). Working these two positions is an ethical conflict of interest. Roberts was suspended from both positions.
It seems that within the Public Relations field that competition among professionals can be healthy and welcome so long as it is done ethically. In regards to competition among professionals, the PRSA states to “Follow ethical hiring practices designed to respect free and open competition without deliberately undermining a competitor and preserve intellectual property rights in the marketplace” (PRSA, 2007).
In the Public Relations field it is essential to relate accurate and truthful information. Relaying anything but the absolute truth would be completely unethical as truthful information “is essential to serving the public interest and contributing to informed decision making in a democratic society” (PRSA, 2007). The PRSA guidelines state that a member shall “Preserve the integrity of the process of communication. Be honest and accurate in all communications. Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible. Preserve the free flow of unprejudiced information when giving or receiving gifts by ensuring that gifts are nominal, legal, and infrequent” (PRSA, 2007).
DO: Use Associated Press Style for your presentation. In journalism and public relations you must use AP or Associated Press style. “Strictly using a particular usage style provides consistency, accuracy, and clarity in grammar, punctuation, and other language issues” (Cubreporter.Org, 2013). AP style aims to be the most clear and accurate to everyone and is the least offensive.
DO NOT: Assume your writing is in correct AP style format. Use the Associated Press (AP) Style learning manual to double check your work. Look for common mistakes such as the words More than and over, because and since, that and which, and further and farther. Also make sure all your abbreviations are written correctly according to the manual. Common mistakes include state abbreviations. Also be sure to check you have the proper format for time, dates, titles, and numbers. (Vittorioso, Steve, 2011). AP style format looks much different than you’d typically see for these things.
DO: Be honest with your audience. Nothing can hurt your presentation as much as delivering inaccurate information. If you are not sure about a fact, don’t use it. Ethics in your presentation is the most valuable tool. “Ethics in public speaking demand that you are honest and accurate in the information you are presenting to your audience. Do not mislead your audience intentionally. Do not distort the facts to suit your aim” (Kudooski, 2016). How would you feel if you listened to a 45 minute presentation to later learn the information was inaccurate?
DON’T: Plagiarize your work. “Avoid using another person’s work without permission. Give credits to whomever you are using his or her work as your reference” (Kudooski, 2016). Giving credit where it is due while delivering your presentation will let your audience know that you have thoroughly researched the topic and that the information you are delivering is credible. In turn you will seem more credible.
