The last day, the last hours of the Theory and Issues in PR module. In fact the classes ended on the 24th of March, but from then and until now we had the opportunity to revise everything we have learned during this course and to continue our blogs.
This is my last post for this class but hopefully not for PR profession. And here I would like to sum up what is written in my blog.
Public Relations is the art and science of establishing relationships between a company and its audience. It plays a key role in creating communication channels between these players and in spreading the message across people. such interaction is supposed to be a two-way mutually beneficial dialogue resulting in particular public actions. This is the good side.
However PR has a doubtful side: propaganda, spinning, fiction, manipulation, ethics and moral issues, "window-dressing" through CSR and NGO, women's discrimination, transparency and authenticity etc.
In addition to this the "bad" side of PR is the loss of people's trust, critique and an undermined reputation.
Truthful and devoted to the profession practitioners still struggle hard to improve and "lift" the face of PR. Using new technologies, new media, new global opportunities, new advocates and new "brains" these fighters are moving towards people's interests, ethically and legislatively regulated activities, charitable and socially responsible deeds and of course towards a good name.
In conclusion I'd like to say that PR is an essential part of our everyday life. Every single person is introducing and promoting him/herself to others, is doing his/her own PR even without realising it. PR professionals help people communicate, have a dialogue, say their opinions, concerns, share their information and experience and so forth. What could happen if PR didn't exist? There would have definitely been an analogue to this profession. Nonetheless people's feedback, evaluation and analysis are crucial for its reputation and existence.
It is not truth that this profession has almost died out - there are plenty of new ways and opportunities for development, it is just important to look attentively around, understand people's needs and create.
Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Do you trust polititians?
Good day to you my reader!
During one of the sessions we had been discussing Political PR and the debating teams had crossed each other on whether "political PR has undermined public trust in politicians" and whether it "is the single biggest threat to our democratic health". This case made me think about the following: Do people still have enough trust in politicians?, What are the statistics?, How has it changed comparing to previous years? and What are the reasons?
Today trust is elusive. People once treated as experts have now lost their credentials and can not be trusted any longer. Many politicians say they operate in the public interest but do never fully disclose their own agendas and motives. Often the roles they perform in the political structure are unrevealed as well. Such "closed" authority's intentions cannot represent the public interest, but are efficiently promoting themselves through compelling influencers' speeches, motivations and fictions. Democracy's face is damaged because of similar politicians' reputation and actions. But how dramatic is the question?
Having made a bit of research I found out that trust in politicians is nowadays as as ever and that only 13% of people in the UK "trust politicians to tell the truth" according to an October 2009 poll by Ipsos Mori. The given reasons for that are: "the stories in the press", unreasonable and not trustworthy behavior, politicians are "out of touch with the needs of people", "too many promises that haven't been fulfilled". To read more: "Trusted" professions asked about faith in politicians.
Moreover I found the Edelman Trust Barometer - the 2010 Annual Global Opinion Leaders Study - which is a very curious document reporting globally a modest increase of trust in government, business and a CEO as a spokesperson for a company, and a decline of trust in media.
So how can people trust politicians if they are not being honest? How comes that their policy often changes when they win the elections? Of course we cannot generalize and call all politicians "liers" or "spin doctors", but the actions of a few damage the reputation of a 100. Citizens should say their concerns and disagreement aloud otherwise we will get only more untruthful politicians to threat our democratic health.
During one of the sessions we had been discussing Political PR and the debating teams had crossed each other on whether "political PR has undermined public trust in politicians" and whether it "is the single biggest threat to our democratic health". This case made me think about the following: Do people still have enough trust in politicians?, What are the statistics?, How has it changed comparing to previous years? and What are the reasons?
Today trust is elusive. People once treated as experts have now lost their credentials and can not be trusted any longer. Many politicians say they operate in the public interest but do never fully disclose their own agendas and motives. Often the roles they perform in the political structure are unrevealed as well. Such "closed" authority's intentions cannot represent the public interest, but are efficiently promoting themselves through compelling influencers' speeches, motivations and fictions. Democracy's face is damaged because of similar politicians' reputation and actions. But how dramatic is the question?
Having made a bit of research I found out that trust in politicians is nowadays as as ever and that only 13% of people in the UK "trust politicians to tell the truth" according to an October 2009 poll by Ipsos Mori. The given reasons for that are: "the stories in the press", unreasonable and not trustworthy behavior, politicians are "out of touch with the needs of people", "too many promises that haven't been fulfilled". To read more: "Trusted" professions asked about faith in politicians.
Moreover I found the Edelman Trust Barometer - the 2010 Annual Global Opinion Leaders Study - which is a very curious document reporting globally a modest increase of trust in government, business and a CEO as a spokesperson for a company, and a decline of trust in media.
So how can people trust politicians if they are not being honest? How comes that their policy often changes when they win the elections? Of course we cannot generalize and call all politicians "liers" or "spin doctors", but the actions of a few damage the reputation of a 100. Citizens should say their concerns and disagreement aloud otherwise we will get only more untruthful politicians to threat our democratic health.
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