Public Relations Strategies and Tactics Tenth Edition Dennis L. Wilcox Glen T. Cameron This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; any rental, lease, or lending of the program. Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Politics and Government Chapter 19 Politics and Government Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 19 Objectives Describe the basic purposes and functions of public relations in government Explain what public relations professionals do at the federal, state, and local levels Define public affairs, government relations, and lobbying Describe the roles public relations plays in election campaigns Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Government Organizations Government entities employ public relations specialists to Promote their services Orchestrate fund-raising Spread news of their successes/crises Assist with smooth daily operations/crisis management Implement campaigns that address social issues Develop long-range plans and vision Basic purpose of government public relations Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Federal Government The White House Apex of government public relations efforts Congress Federal Agencies Role of public affairs officers (PAOs) Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

State Governments Each of the 50 states disseminates information about its programs to various constituents States also compete for develop campaigns to: Encourage tourism Attract new residents Advance the interest of the state Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Local Governments Information flow occurs in many ways but the objectives are always to inform citizens about and to help them take advantage of government services Cities employ information specialists to: Attract new business Increase tourism Compete for federal funds for ambitious projects Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Government Relations by Corporations Closely related to lobbying, this is a specialized component of corporate communication Particularly important for highly regulated industries Actions of governmental bodies on all levels have a major impact on how businesses operate Public relations specialists spend a lot of time: Collect information Disseminating information about the company’s position to a variety of key publics Give or write speeches Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Lobbying The term lobbyist may have been coined by President Ulysses S. Grant for those who sough favors from him while he tried to relax in the lobby of the Hotel Willard in Washington D.C. Today, lobbying is closely aligned with governmental relations or public affairs, and the distinction between the two often blurs A lobbyist directs his or her energies to the defeat, passage, or amendment of proposed legislation and regulatory agency policies Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Lobbying Cont… Lobbyists can be found at the local, state, and federal levels of government The public perceives that only big business lobby but a variety of special interests do it as well Pitfalls of lobbying Grassroots lobbying Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Election Campaigns The cost of running for office in the United States is the highest in the world During election years, an army of specialists, including public relations experts, are retained by major candidates to organize and raise money for election campaigns Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Election Campaigns cont… Some consultants specialize in direct mail and telemarketing Other firms handle mass mailings on behalf of the candidate The Internet plays an important role in Raising money Generating high visibility for candidates Increasing the number of registered voters Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.