Journal Review

Public Relations Theory

By:

Novitayanti  ̶ 135120207121008

Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences

Brawijaya University

This writing is consist of my review about journal “International Public Relations: Critique and Reformulation” by Carl Botan, 1992 and “A Postmodern Critique of Public Relations Theory and Practice”, by Derina Holtzhausen, 2002. The aims of this review is to explore critique about Public Relations.

First journal is talk about International public relations is also always intercultural public relations because the process is characterized in different nations by historical contexts (Botan, 1992). There are several possible models for PR in MNC’s, but the two most common models are the ethnocentric and polycentric. The ethnocentric model it assumed that there is no major difference between motivationg and persuading people at home and in other countries, because this assumptions it works in central. And naturally people will respond to the same stimuli in the same way. The second approach is polycentric model which host country PR practitioner exercise a high degree of autonomy. They are entrusted with carrying out with plans and programs based one their own experiences and contacts. This model does use practitioners who know and understand the host country merely a site for fulfilling organization needs.

It also discuss about the role of assumptions in public relations theory and research. Grunig (1998) in Botan (1992) said presuppositions consist of assumptions about the word and values attached to those assumption. In this way, the public relations function is ancient, dating from early Egyptian and Mesopotamian. The view of public relations has at least two advantages over the more narrow business oriented view. First, it is consistent with the proposition that public relations is developing as an applied social science. Second, it is the definition itself is broad enough to allow making meaningful comparisons about public relations between cultures that may use it differently. The view of public relations is limits comparisons to only cultures that use it in the same or similar ways.

Then, the public relations matrix. There is level of national development, means not only the level of economic development and market competitiveness, but development of the information infrastructure and level of national unity as well. Differences in the level of national development are important because they influence who public relations is called on to serve and how. It determines the amount and kind of media esources available for public relations, literacy rates, and whether there is a competitive economy that uses public relations.

In this journal the author adopt several perspectives about the approach usually used by MNC and also divide the topics into three part which is clear and easy to understand. The examples of every definition and approach also explained there, it explained well (some countries) and the author differentiate between one country with other country.

Second journal is discuss about the theory and practice of public relations based on a modernist understanding of organization, also the alternative perspectives on the societal and organizational role of public relations.

The theories of public relations have been developed within the modernist organizational context, as become clear, such as the exellence theory and communication management. The author distinct the theory of critical and postmodernism which is in scope of public relations, the critical approaches are limited. Critical theory contrary with postmodernism, this theory want to defend some boundaries between disciplines and reject the break between modernity, which postmodernists refer to as a rupture.

The focus of public relations as a strategic management function are manage crise through issues management, strategically manage relationships, strategically anage public relations programmes and campaign, etc. These focus on management and strategy. In this case, it is related with the first journal, because the strategy of public relations is can not be separated with culture.

Public relations practitioners as the agents of power especially in postmodernism is plays in maintaining managerialism or corporatism. It is not againsts management but rather against managerialism. This metanarratives in public relations is two-way symmetrical model of public relations practice. In the first journal it related with the assumption of the public.

This journal also discuss about the crisis of representation. Postmodernism generally highlights the role of signs and symbols in society, and interprets these signs and symboles as cultural artefacts with distinct political, ideological and social undertones (Holtzhausen, 2002).

Generally, these journal already give the new knowledge about public relations in postmodern approach and how to handling crisis, also the critique about public relations. These journal are good, but some of the topics can not be understood because there are less cases. To know more about the description of the main topics of these journals, i recommend you to read both of these journal.

References

Botan, C. 1992. International public relations: Critique and reformulation. Public Relations Review. 18(2), 149-159. ISSN: 0363-8111

Holtzhausen, D. 2002. A postmodern of public relations theory and practice. Communicatio. 28(1). doi: 10.1080/02500160208537955