Public Relation Theory and Practice Related to Public Relation Roles

Public relation have been really get attention from the scholars because public relation is complex and hybrid subject, it draws on theories and practices (Theaker, 2004). Some people don’t get the point about the differentiation between Public Relation and marketing through their activities, they see both of them are the same. Cheney George (2006) argues that identity/image, organizational culture, modes of representation, advocacy and audience, dialogue in idealism and practice, and social engagement are the center of public relation concept.

            In PR practice, a great deal of the symbols organizations produce are both the same as well as marketing and other communications function of organization (Cheney George, 2006) as their fields in communication studies. PR scholars and practitioners more concern in engage with organizations and negotiation with stakeholders, take an example from the case The Johnson and Johnson Tylenol Case.

            Tylenol was the most successful product in United State with over one million hundred users. Tylenol Extra-Strength capsules replaced with cyanide-laced capsules by the unknown person and distributed in many stores in Chicago. It caused many death, seven people unsuspecting died in horrible death. To manage that case, Public Relation Johnson & Johnson make some strategies to maintain their company from their relations and stakeholders. (Wells, Harris, Hart, Hibbard, & Jurgensen)

            Historically, Public Relation have been through many hard ways, Pubic Relation has struggled to gain both academic legitimacy and ethical credibility. Public Relation have had define and redefine as a set of practice as corporate communication management and integrated marketing communication which advertising, marketing, and PR are often integrated in practices and theories.

            George and Lars (2006) really concern about PR theory and practice, therefore they questioned it on the concepts of identity/image, organizational culture, modes of representation, advocacy, audiences, dialogue in idealism and practice, and social engagement.

            PR Theory should be concerned about its identity/image, negative reputation about PR has to be a concern to both theorist and practitioners. The role of PR in organization is to establish and maintain about their image, identity, or good reputation due to PR always connected with public. Public relation practitioners are constructing positive image about the organization and serving what the public wants to the organization. Public Relations practice is the discipline concerned with the reputation of organizations (or products, services or individuals) with the aim of earning understanding and support (Theaker, 2004).

            Organizational culture taken into account in PR theory, “Like many communications functions of organizations that are primarily “externally” directed, PR has tended to ignore, hold static, or even render invisible the internal affairs of organizations, including the values, opinions and preferences of employees.” (George and Lars, 2006: 101). Actually Public Relation shouldn’t ignore, hold static, or even invisible the internal affairs of organization because the role of public relation not only maintain their organization relationship with the public but also with the members of the organization itself.

            Multiple sense of “representation” enrich PR Practice. To informing PR theory through many consideration with its epistemological, political, and linguistic scenes to what its mean to stand for an organization or causes or industry. (George Cheney & Christensen, 2006).

            PR practice has same symbols of organizations as well as in marketing and other communication functions of the organizations, the messages that organization produce to reach external audiences, analysis and data gathering to understand their publics, and strategies. PR practice as well as marketing have the same goal which is they have to get the public to be concerned to the organization.

            About the role of Public Relation theory Reginald Watts (2006) had a thought and see public relation is a scientific discipline but one of the senior practitioners thought that Reginald Watts is wrong, he said that public relation is a craft, it’s about feel. The 1978 World Assembly of Public Relations Associations in Mexico agreed that:

“Public relations is the art and social science of analyzing trends, predicting their
consequences, counselling organization leaders and implementing planned programs of action which will serve both the organization’s and the public
interest.”
(Wilcox, cited in A. Theaker, 2004)

Public Relation is an art and social science. Nowadays the role of public relation practitioners is as a strategic maker (Grunig, 2001) which is the strategy adapted from public relation which is have been made through social methodology. According to Reginald Watts (2006) public relation role is to dissect and critically examine their relevant elements and apply them coherently to professional practice. Beside to be a strategic maker, public relation also a problem solving, the decision that they made underpinned with research-based solutions. The role of public relation theory is to dissect and critically examine their relevant elements and apply them coherently to our
professional practice.

In Tylenol case, their public relation do some strategies to solve the company problem. Their first step is decided how protect the “people” and save the product, they action is using media, by the media they told to all consumers to not consume the product until the extent of the time determined. They also held a press conference to give a statement about what happened to the company, they take a responsible for what happened to their consumers, not just letting what happened happen.

In give an advice and develop a field have to have a basic which is a knowledge-research-based so the result of the research can be developed into a theory, but public relation practitioners are better at a technician rather than theory, “They have known how to secure media coverage, prepare press releases, write speeches, write and design brochures, produce video news releases, lobby representatives in Congress, stage a special event, or prepare an annual report.” (Grunig, 2011: 2)

Public Relation seen as the same as marketing, in fact they are different. Therefore the role of public relation theory is distinguish between that two things. Public relation has been through a variety academic obstacle to gain academic legitimacy and ethical academic. To maintain and develop the existence of public relation, public relation scholars have to deliver their thought or ide about public relation based on the knowledge which based on research.

 Public relation have two abilities as a technician and managerial, as a technician public relation known on how to hold a press conference, write a speech, and held an event. As a managerial role, public relation seen as a problem solver.

Bibliography

George Cheney, & Christensen, L. T. (2006). What Should Public Relation Do, Practically Speaking? Journal of Communication Management, Vol 10, 100-102.

Grunig, J. E. (2001). The Role of Public Relations in Management and Its Contribution to Organizational and Social Effectiveness. Taiwan: University of Maryland.

Theaker, A. (2004). The Public Relation Book. Taylor & Francis e-Library .

Watts, R. (2006). What is The Role of Public Relation Theory? Journal of Communication Management, Vol 10, 103-105.

Wells, J., Harris, V., Hart, D., Hibbard, B., & Jurgensen, J. (n.d.). Case Study: The Johnson & Johnson Tylenol Crisis. Retrieved from Crisis Communicatin Strategies: http://www.ou.edu/deptcomm/dodjcc/groups/02C2/Johnson%20&%20Johnson.htm

Aazarah Ayu Anggraini

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