Role of Public Relations Theories

By Arintya Iga Permata; 135120207121005

Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Social and Political Science

University of Brawijaya

We must ever hear about public relation in university major, articles, or maybe on your textbook. On the other side, do you know what is the real meaning of public relation? Maybe not all of you know about that. Basically, public relation has a lot of meanings based on many researchers. For example, according to Rachmat Kriyantono (2012) “Public relations is the management of communication between an organization and its publics.”

In corporate management, PR has an important role where a PR should take immediate action to safeguard the company's reputation and build public confidence in the event of a crisis. In order for the self-image of a company can continue to survive, a PR should maintain communication to the public and does not close - up mistakes.

Public Relations practitioners has an importance role to bring understanding and effect consistency relations between organization and public. Every practitioner activities should be accountable. A practitioner needs some subjects based on research to be professional. Professionalism meant possession of a body of knowledge greater than that of the recipients (Watts, 2006).

There are two journals of Public Relation theories. First, the journal What is the role of public relation theory? by Reginald Watts. In this journal, discuss about the role of public relation theory which can be a basic for us when we are rolling to be a public relations because we live in an intense and increasingly knowledge-based society. He thought that a practitioner needs profesionalism, but it is not as easy as you say “in my experiencce” because it was not enough to ensure acceptance of advice. Beside that, knowledge needed to be based on research (Watts, 2006).

The second journal is What should public relations theory do, practically speaking? by George Cheney and Lars Thøger Christensen. This journal concerns specifically about the recently problems of PR theory through the common questions on PR theory itself.

Public Relation is approaching its own Rubicon, the condition when they once open the information toward media, it would not easy to get the words back. So, as a public relations we should have knowledge and good skill especially strategy.

Here the example case of Public Relations problems that using research-based solution. Public Relation crisis that happened in J.J Tylenol & Exxon Valdez case which are facing problem with different way. On 1989, Exxon Valdez facing the crisis because of million gallons of oil that spewed out of the vessel into Prince William Sound, a rich natural habitat. To solve the problem, they send peoples who are less experienced and not nimble in addressing the problem instead. In addition, Exxon is too slow to take an action before it becomes a big crisis.

Different from Exxon Valdez crisis that not resolved the crisis immediate , Johnson & johnson as corporate that has a crisis on 1982 when cyanide-laced Tylenol tablets caused deaths in the Chicago area. Their strategy to keep the company trust, they removed the products from market, give compensation cost, apoligize to publics then recover the loss stock crisis (MItchell,1982).

Based on those two journals, we can find that public relation theory is a must for a practitioner because they can have a base for their statements. On the other hand, doing public relation theory is not as easy as the theory itself said because there are a lot of side seeing of public relation.

Bibliography

Mitchell, M. L. Economic association international 1989: the impact of external parties on brand name capital: the 1982 Tylenol poisonings and subsequent cases

Watts, R. (2006). DEBATE PAPER What is the role of public relation theory?. Journal of Communication Management, Vol. 10 No. 1, 103-105. doi: 10.11.08/13632540610646427