Public Relations and Politics: The Image Industries Chapter Outline  History  Industry  Controversies

 Public relations is ▪ The art or science of establishing & promoting a favorable relationship with the public.  Public relations is different from advertising.  How are these two things different?

 Public relations & advertising ▪ Are persuasive endeavors & work together in integrated marketing  Internal publics ▪ Those within the client’s organization  Includes employees, stockholders, and members.

 Precursors of Public Relations  People have always had opinions and others have always tried to influence those opinions.  Ancient Greeks ▪ Hired Sophists to help fight their verbal battles in public forums.

 Precursors of Public Relations ▪ Ancient rulers ▪ Used spies to keep in touch w/public opinion & spread favorable rumors ▪ Most U.S. settlers were indifferent to American independence. ▪ Patriots used PR techniques, such as the Boston Tea Party to gain support for the war.

 Quick-witted people from sideshow barkers to Broadway press agents ▪ Worked to generate publicity for their clients.  Dramatic means they used was known as hype. ▪ P.T. Barnum planted stories filled with lies about his attractions, ▪ Named his circus “The Greatest Show on Earth.” ▪ What are recent examples of “HYPE”?

▪ In the 1800s, public relations techniques were used by ▪ Land speculators & railroads to entice people west. ▪ Railroads encouraged the westward migration

 A popular eatery that you enjoy has caused numerous people to get sick,  Local authorities say its due to undercooked or tainted meat  This has resulted in the death of two children  Would you still eat there? Why/Why Not  What would have to happen in order for you to go back or continue eating at the restaurant?

 Public Relations As a Profession  Ivy Ledbetter Lee ▪ The father of the modern public relations industry. ▪ A former newspaperman, he was hired in 1906 to rebuild the tarnished images of U.S. coal mine owners, including John D. Rockefeller.  Lee believed that the goal of public relations was not to fool or ignore the public. ▪ Often credited with being the originator of modern crisis communications

 The FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” Program ▪ Started off as a reporter’s request to name their most-wanted fugitives.  Subsequent positive publicity after the story culminated into the “List.”

 Today, countries with expanding economies such as  Korea and some countries of the former Soviet union, ▪ Hire PR firms to improve the perception that international investors have of them.

 After September 11th, 2001 attacks on the U.S. ▪ U.S. set up media to sway anti-U.S. sentiment in Arab media: ▪ “Al Hurra” is a slickly produced Arab-language cable television network. ▪ Radio Sawa is an Arab-language radio service. ▪ Radio Farda is a Farsi-language radio service. ▪ Hi Magazine is a geared towards Iraqi elites.

 After poisoned Tylenol capsules in 1982, ▪ President of Johnson & Johnson & company execs had a teleconference  600 reporters in 30 cities ▪ Let company explain the precautions Johnson & Johnson made to protect consumers.

 News reports indicate that there is a spike in muggings and assaults at the local community college  You find out several students were robbed at gunpoint after an evening class  You are in charge of developing a solution to this problem and calming community outcry  What are some things that you can do?

 PR Strategies  News management techniques include: ▪ Publicity stunts ▪ To create human-interest stories, ▪ News hooks ▪ To interest media in information clients want to publicize, ▪ Leaks ▪ To test public reaction to a major policy ▪ Exclusives ▪ Interview with one news outlet to increase the impact of publicity.

 Crisis management ▪ The action used to repair a client’s public image following an emergency  Toyota Safety Recall (2013)  Idea Baby Bath Seat recall (2013)  Whole foods cheese recall (2013)  Companies use PR agencies ▪ To calm the public and restore trust in their products/services ▪ What companies is currently working to repair their tarnished image?

 Lobbying ▪ Attempt to influence the voting of legislators. ▪ Name comes from PR reps speaking to lawmakers in lobbies outside hearing rooms. ▪ Companies spend millions of dollars in lobbying efforts. ▪ Multi-million dollar associations are set up for influencing how laws are written.

 You are the account executive in charge of a new account  The client wants to generate a buzz for their new shoe line  You don’t have enough money to run ANY ads  What are some things you can do to get the word out?

 Public Relations Tools  VNRs have become controversial in recent years, ▪ Often called Fake News, when used without attribution. ▪ Used by news organizations to increase content ▪ Without added cost

 The Ethics of PR Tactics  PR professionals & journalists have a “love-hate” relationship. ▪ Neither respects the other’s job yet they need each other.  Journalists call PR people “spin doctors and “flacks,” ▪ Derives from the term for WW II anti-aircraft fire.  Spin ▪ Providing an interpretation of an event or campaign ▪ Persuading public opinion in favor or against an organization or public figure

 The Ethics of PR Tactics  To some, spinning ▪ Is the practice of twisting the truth so that what is said puts the best possible face on the facts. ▪ Critics feel that most spinning is a type of lying, or a half-truth at best  “The Big Lie” ▪ When people state something they know to be untrue and stick to it ▪ In spite of all evidence in the hopes that the press and public will become confused by the issue and forget about it.

 Greenwashing  Covering up environmental problems caused by the client ▪ By associating that client with beneficial environmental actions.  Many critics believe that freebies ▪ Including junkets, meals, and gifts designed to curry favor with reporters and magazine writers, amount to bribes.