Journal Review and Ideas by Darius Iqbal Cordova

Journal Review and Summary

I. Introduction

The first journal, “What is the role of public relation theory?” by Reginald Watts describes how public relation practitioner in conducting day to day operational lacks on standard operational procedure, especially on the strict line of academic-based one. It is imposed in the journal that most of public relation practitioners act on gut feeling only and sometime by the abstract concept of “experience”.

Meanwhile the infamous method of recruiting students of relevant degree (in public relation) in writer’s opinion is the method that has the most success probability in future implementation. Since university candidates with relevant degree even before arriving for the selection process, has been examined and trained during their education, Watts (2006) said that even the candidates has been through complex set of examination and training even before they enter the interviewer’s room.

The third point was about how public relation scientific-standard operation is invaded by nearby discipline such as advertising, marketing, lawyers, psychology, etc. But the main major that is continuously contributing to the discipline of public relation is Communication discipline, contributing some valuable communication model and method on how we can treat public relation scientific-based action as how it supposed to be with educational and research based action. Combined with psychology with its neuroscience and signal perception theory concerned in combining the sensory processes and mental decision processes, will make a good start for public relation future research.

The second journal, “What should public relations theory do, practically speaking?” by George Cheney explains that other than the lack of any certain approach or methodology on studying public relation, the writer also stated that public relation practitioner need to be concerned of its own image, as the history and perception of the society is self destructing toward the image of public relation as a profession.

Continued with some critical question regarding public relation practice, the second journal has become a genuine critics toward public relation practice by proposing thorough question starting from the main idea of the public relation image itself, the internal communication function, how egotistic public relation practitioner in analysing public responses, etc.

The following paragraphs will explain the correlation among the two journals, complemented by my own point of view, enrich by examples in case studies & theories.

II. Analysis

2.1 How public relations theory does not help?

At this point after I read the explanation written in both journals, I soon to realize that the existence of PR theories itself is like your idle hand, they exist but their use is lacking any significant aid, in this case toward public relation practitioner as a standard base of action (standard operational procedure).

The reason of this phenomenon was firstly, PR really need to redefine itself as what it want to be. It is explained in Theaker (2002, p.4) that PR practices itself can be taken into two main paradigm which are ‘art’ and ‘social sciences’, liberating everyone to take the definition and the practice to be more looser, more creative, and self redefining. By claiming that public relation is an art it grants permission for people to keep redefining what public relation is, thus no rendezvous will be met along way.

Unlike any other disciplines, the conceptual perception of public relation varies among organisations, the variety wont only enrich public relation study but it can also be self stabbing dagger since it will creates ambiguity and no clearance on what public relation can and supposed to be. “Within some organizations, public relations consists primarily of activities designed to generate publicity. In others, public relations practitioners are cast as technicians responsible for ensuring the communication necessary for marketing products or generating monetary donations. In still other organizations, public relations, arguably in accord with at least some aspects of normative theory, serves the managerial role of creating and maintaining long-term relationships with the strategic public on whom organizational success or failure depends.” (Swanger, 2008)

Another example that will amplify my point is book by Dr. Vanessa Gaffar (2007) in his book CRM dan MPR Hotel, subdividing public relation function into two departments CRM considered as costumer relationship management, focusing more in how to have a good relationship and good service toward customer. While MPR which stands for marketing public relation, focused more into hotel’s relationship with their outside public. Those are the clarifying example on how public relation can freely be distributed into the need of the company.

2.2 Mixed sciences, a breach or collaboration?

It is explained in the two journals that public relation as a science and even as a practice most of time are mixed with several discipline. Collaborating PR study with other discipline may create a new & well elaborated science that will be useful for the future of the organisation itself. But in the other hand, if the collaboration could not be done smoothly, then potentially the public relation department will lose its significance in the organisation which then can be breached by another function such as advertising, HR, etc.

“Sometimes the invasion is from advertising agencies, marketing consultants, and more frequently by specialists such as lawyers, accountants, management consultants, and defeated parliamentarians” (Watts, 2006) the word used by the writer which is invasion indicates that public relation’s territory can stood by on its own, but for the lack of any advance elaboration and low significance level, then it is forcefully taken by another discipline.

As also mentioned by 1 journal that I read, which is about encroachment, it is said that some other department such as legal, and or marketing would often encroach the autonomy of public relation function limiting its input in strategic management thus limiting its proficiency in decision making process (Bowen, 2006). If encroachment happen in an organisation caused by the lack of academic standard produced by and for the public relation itself, then the function wont be utilized at the best level.

However, when the scholar could make a stable concoction in mixing the sciences, then it could be a great breakthrough to the science itself, and in my opinion will make public relation science a flexible applied science. For example, until this very day there are a lot of mixtures in the combination with public relation study such as, management public relation, public relation and communication, public relation in media, etc.

So the underlined point that can be carried out is that a combination will be a great deal for public relation study and practitioners when used carefully as not to make any grater fuss about the originality and the independence of public relation department as sole practice, but when misused will produce such a grave threat toward the credibility and autonomy of public relation department in organisations.

2.3 The ideal public relation

The last but not the least question is how public relation should behave ideally. As stated as 7 questions in the Cheney’s journal, which I would take the liberty to presume that the questions are some kind of criticism on how public relation should be.

As stated by Theaker (2002, p. 52) that public relation practitioners should be regarded as professionals despite the origins of the industry in press agentry. There are several point to stand out from Theaker (2002) explanation, some are:

A. Professionalism

Some of practitioners that believes they are an artist instead of scientific scholar, refuse the advancement of public relation as academic-based profession. Professionalism here means to be able to adapt and continuously able to evolve into more stable a well rooted science as well as practicality concerned. As stated in the journal “along the way, PR has also had to define and redefine itself as a set of practices” (Cheney, 2006)

B. Entry Qualification

As previously mentioned the most criticized method of interviewing and underrating candidates from equivalent public relation degree should be abolished. Having studied for years in research level, also some basic knowledge in scientific based problem solving will make students in aligned degree with public relation department a high quality candidates.

C. Research and body knowledge

To have a solid and consistent body knowledge over the discipline will create an outstanding boost toward the credibility and the success rate of public relation department communication program.

D. Training and professional development

The emphasis is on practical level, associated more with profession and consists of systematic knowledge base founded on academic discipline, the application of that base to practice, and supervised placements in practice. With the expected results of increase of professional competence and reducing the gap between education and employment.

E. Codes and Regulation

To avoid the deterioration of the organisation, public relation officer need to conduct their communication planning based on codes and regulation that has been proven effective and rewarding toward the organisation’s reputation. Such as standard operational procedure, ethics, norms, etc.

III. Conclusion and Closure

As what is explained and discussed above, it can be concluded that public relation as a science still have a lot of room for improvement. Not merely in the base of theories used but also the usage of those theories in daily decision making program, and long term communication planning.

Also it cant be forgotten that, some of public relation study has the honour of collaborating with another discipline, creating a unique yet useful practical usage of the public relation as a profession, but it needs remembering that if public relation study was not strong enough to the root, then it can be a boomerang, backstabbing themselves to death.

Last but not least, public relation needs standardisation of their own conduct, so that public relation officer will gain credibility and trust from the public they are dealing with, and from the organisation they are working in.

IV. Bibliography

Bowen, S. A. (2006). Autonomy in communication: inclusion in strategic management and ethical decision-making, a comparative case analysis. Journal of Communication Management, 10 (4), 330-352. Doi: 10.1108/13632540610714791

Theaker, A. (2002). The public relations handbook. Retrieved from http://www.en.bookfi.org

Cheney, G., Christensen, L. T. (2006). What should public relations theory do, practically speaking?. Journal of Communication Management, 10 (1), 100-102. Doi: 10.1108/13632540610646418

Watts, R. (2006). What is the role of public relation theory?. Journal of Communication Management, 10 (1), 103-105. Doi: 10.1108/13632540610646427



Swanger, W. (2008). Revisiting fund-raising encroachment of public relations in light of the theory of donor relations. Retrieved from http://www.proquest.com

Gaffar, V. (2007). CRM dan MPR Hotel (Customer relationship management and marketing public relations). Bandung: Alfabeta.



By: Darius Iqbal Cordova / 135120207121001