Journal Review IV by Meryana

Review Journals of
 “A critical review of the Four Models of Public Relations and the Excellence Theory in an era of digital communication” by Stephen Waddington
and
“Remembering the Public in Public Relations Research: From Theoretical to Operational Symmetry” by Michael Karlberg

Meryana Deasy Karina Sudarsono

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This review is based on two journals that I received before. There are “A critical review of the Four Models of Public Relations and the Excellence Theory in an era of digital communication” by Stephen Waddington and “Remembering the Public in Public Relations Research: From Theoretical to Operational Symmetry” by Michael Karlberg. Both journals is about public relations practice in nowadays.

        The first journal is “A critical review of the Four Models of Public Relations and the Excellence Theory in an era of digital communication” by Stephen Waddington. Here is explained about excellence theory which had reviewed before and also explained about four models of public relations. A glance of excellence theory, The Excellence Theory’s general theory proposed that the value of communication can be determined at four levels as follows (Grunig&Grunig, 2008). It is very easy to get excited about the fragmentation of traditional media and celebrate the upheaval in organisation communication created by social media. Digital networks and new forms of digital media are making it easier than ever for organisations to engage with their audiences by creating their own text, images and video and sharing via social networks such as Google+, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. But we only get excited about the potential for new forms of digital media to disrupt organisations because so many organisations are wedded to publicity and one-way propaganda as a means of communication.

         According to Grunig & Hunt (1984), there are Four Models of Public Relations. The first model is publicity or press agent, the second is public relations information model, the third asymmetric persuasion, and the final one — the two-way symmetrical model — has become accepted as a formal definition of best practice for communication in Western markets between an organisation and its audiences. The Four Models of Public Relations and the Excellence Theory were milestone texts in the project to professionalise public relations and shift away from propaganda and persuasion. But the Four Models of Public Relations and the Excellence Theory have signification limitations but then they were both conceived in a pre-social web era of well-defined organisational structures and modes of communication.

         The second journal is “Remembering the Public in Public Relations Research: From Theoretical to Operational Symmetry” by Michael Karlberg. This journal is explained the public relations research about J. Grunig and colleagues have proposed a two-way symmetrical model that reformulates public relations as a more inclusive, balanced, and ethical practice. Here is explained differentiate about Instrumental and critical research. Instrumental research refers no pragmatic research conducted under the premise that theories are instruments that function as guides to practice, with their validity determined by the efficacy of those practices. Meanwhile, critical research is concerned with theorizing, or critiquing, the broader social, political, and economic implications of public relations practices. It is concerned with the macro-level effects of public relations in contemporary society.

        According to J. Grunig and Hunt (1984), the fourth model identified  is the two-way symmetrical model, which is only now beginning to emerge. In this model, organizations employ two-way, balanced communications such as conflict resolution strategies, bargaining, and negotiating to facilitate the mutual understanding and adaptation of the organization and the public. In the two-way symmetrical model, the organization and various publics engage in dialogue for the purpose of mutual understanding and change. Formulation of the two-way symmetrical model prompted a fiurry of research aimed at testing its prescriptive value, both for organizations and communities.

    From both journal we can conclude that both of them are explained about models of public relations and the other is also explained about excellence theory. Public relations nowadays are very so many, but some of them have not known lesson about public relations in practice yet. There are so important for us to learn. For public relations pratitioners, those journals is very important to read and learn, because there are so many knowledge which can get there. Overall I recommend to read both journals to get more knowledge about public relations practice.

References:

Grunig. J., & Hunt, T. (1984). Managing public relations. New York: CBS College Publishing

Grunig, J.E., & Grunig, L.A. (2008). Excellence Theory in Public Relations: Past, Present, and Future. In A. Zerfass., B. Van Ruler., K.Sriramesh (Eds), Public Relations Research: European and International Perspectives and Innovations (pp. 327-347). GWV Fachverlage GmbH, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag fÜr Sozialwissenschaften

Karlberg, M. (1966). Remembering the Public in Public Relations Research: From Theoretical to Operational Symmetry. Journal of Public Relations Research: S(4), 263-278

Waddington, S. (n.d). A Critical Review of The Four Models of Public Relations and The Excellence Theory in An Era of Digital Communication