IMTS Human Resourse Management (Public relation mgmt) by IMTS INSTITUTE

I ns t i t ut eo fMa na g e me nt & Te c hni c a lSt udi e s PUBLI CRELATI ON

MANAGEMENT

500

HUMANRESOURCEMANAGEMENT

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IMTS (ISO 9001-2008 Internationally Certified) PUBLIC RELATION MANAGEMENT

PUBLIC RELATION MANAGEMENT

IMTSINSTITUTE.COM

PUBLIC RELATION MANANGEMENT

CONTENTS:

UNIT-I

01-33

Public Relations, Elements in public Relations:Evolution of PR functions PUBLIC OPINION,TOOLS OF PR,The Public Relations Principles, SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

UNIT– II

34-75

STATUS OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENTS, PUBLIC RELATIONS IN PUBLIC SECTOR, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF STATE GOVERNMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENTS, IMPACT OF THE PR ASSOCIATIONS OF THE INDIAN SOCIETY, THE PR MESSAGE DESIGN, BUDGETING IN THE PR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PR PROGRAMMES

IMTSINSTITUTE.COM

PUBLIC RELATION MGMT.

UNIT – I

Public Relations: Public Relations is a communication technique frequently used in dealing month employees, trade unions, trade associations and also with the government, the press and other media, rival industries and organizations and the general public. Public relations departments organize and maintain an efficient system of internal and external communications. They perform a council function for management and workers as well as for the public. Thus a vital function of the PR. Department is the ensure a streamlined communication system a system that keeps channels of communication open all the time to people within an organization as well to the various external publics. Definitions: Welster’s new international dictionary deserves Public Relations as: “The promotion of report and good wills between a firm or institution and other person, special publics or the community at large, through the distribution of interpretation material/development of neighbourly interchange, and the assessment of publics. “The degree of understanding and goodwill achieved between an individual, organization or institution and the politics.” -“the are on science of developing reciprocal understanding and goodwill” Denny lyriswold publisher of “Public Relations News” defines P.R. as “A public relations is the management functions which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an organization with the public interest and accents a programme of action to earn public understanding and acceptance. Scot. M. Cutup and Allen. H. Center author of the famous book “Effective Public Relation Say: “Public Relations is the planned effort to influence opinion through good character and responsible performance, based upon mutually satisfactory two way communication.” According to the Institute of Public Relations; U.K P.R. is defined as ; “ the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its public. Simpler Definitions:

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. D.S. Mehta defines P.R. as “as an attempt through information persuasion, adjustment and contacts to seek support for some activity, cause movement institution product or service. Set us see what P.R. is as seen in these definitions: A planned effort or management function Evaluation of public attitudes and opinions The relationship between an organization and its publics. Elements in public Relations: Public relations involve four major elements. They are inter -related and overlapping. In fact, one leads to another these are: a) Two way communication b) Mutual understanding c) Raring for public opinion d) Social Responsibility a) Two - way Communication: Public Relations philosophy puts great emphasis on the need for two way communication. Many misunderstanding spring from a total lack of or an inadequate communication. So a P.R. has to improve existing channels of communication and to establish two way flow of information. Managements are constantly advised to give prompt and regular information to employees and the public. Public relations methods can do much to resolve such conflicts to reconcile differences or even as a preventive measure but let nobody underestimate the difficulties involved. b) Mutual understanding: In any public relationship, there are at least two parties involved. First there is two Organisation which has something to promote, often in competition with others. Second, there are the “publics” to which the organisation directs the efforts. Thus there are two interests to be met: the private interest and the public interest each. Group has it s own interests in mind. Resolving there conflicts of interests are the essential part of public relations because satisfying those interests is essential to the enduring success of the organisation. This can only be done by achieved ‘mutual understanding between the organization and all these interests, for this two way communication is necessary by providing information to the people and seek “public favours” through an informed “public opinion”

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. C. Caring foe public opinion: Public opinion has been discussed as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;source springâ&#x20AC;? of public relations. Public opinion is the consensus of individual opinion if the majority among the masses, based on their attitudes and widely held beliefs, moulded be public interest. Public relations provide the necessary information to various public interest groups, in the interests of the organization. Public opinion impinges on an organisation at many levels with official bodies; Contacts with stockholders, relations with distributions, wholesalers, etc, reactions of buyer or consumers and internal relations with employers. In all these fields there is a need for constant endeavor to establish and maintain mutual understanding and to keep a watch for possible cause of disharmony. Dissent and murmurs should not be ignored. To assess the information needs of the public it is important to be a good listener. Listening helps to get feedback on what others are thinking. So a PRO must be a good listener. d. Social Responsibility: All organisation work in the name of the people with the main aim of servicing their interests. For the organisation to profit or gain through its efforts, it has necessarily to first achieve the acceptance and approved of the people for its role. Public relations seek to attune itself to the needs and aspirations of the community it serves and identifies the interests of the organisation with that of the community. Evolution of PR functions Public relations are an approach of managing the human climate for the ultimate benefit of the organization and its publics. The four primary functions of PR are a. Analysing and predicting issues and opportunities b. Information gathering and monitoring trends c. Communication planning and information dissemination d. Advisory and counseling role of the PR. A. Analysing and Predicting issues and opportunities The PR functions by analyzing issues of importance and relevance to the organization or predicting opportunities that have the potential to benefit the organization. Be it issues, emergencies, crises or any problems, it is the function of the PR to see and identify the problem early. The difference between an issue a crisis and an emergency. An issue is a matter in dispute or a subject of controversy. An emerging issue is a matter that shows signs of developing into a controversy.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. A Crisis is a stage at which all future events affecting a person or an organization are determined. Arises are of great importance as they are a major turning point resulting in permanent drastic change. An emergency is an unusual, sudden occurrence that needs prompt action. To successfully handle there problems. A PR should: a.

Analyse the reasons for grievance. Is there a gap in communication? or anything wrong with the activities of the organisation?

Find out the source of the grievance and the nature of people who are responsible for it.

Analyse the facts about the subject of the grievance and study all the report and documentation. Discuss with the expect committee.

Review outside reports.

An objective study of the present attitudes of the concerned department among critics, competitors, public media etc. would be advisable.

Determine the action plan, coordinate, form a broad coalition assign responsibilities and inform the management for policy decision.

PR professionals should device a new approach which should be aimed at narrowing the gap between emerging public goals and goals of the organization. This is known as the interactive approach. The two pre-requisites for using the interactive approach are: a) Management is ability to anticipate external change and b) Its willingness to adjust the organizations normal operations to minimize the gap between performance and expectations. The elements of a successful PR programmes for dealing with issues and pursuing opportunities are a) Identifying issues and opportunities b) Evaluating their impact and setting priorities c) Establishing the organizationals stance, d) Designing the action and response e) Implementing the plans and f) Feedback and evaluation.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Information Gathering and monitoring Trends: Public opinion is constantly changing and it today the opinion of the people affects the organization. So a PR person must analyze what goes on in the minds of the investors, employers, consumers and others. For example, the structural change in the country is economic policies or industrial policy may have direct hearing on the performance and productivity of a company. The September 11 plane crash on the Twin towers shave caused soaring prices in gold and various other commodities in the market. This resulted in bringing about major policy decisions in organizations in terms of laying off employees, increasing prices, among a host of other things. Information gathering and monitoring trends have been the fastest grouping and the most significant fact off the development of the PR in the last decade. It involves the identification evaluation and communication inward to the organization of information about the outside world that may be value to the organization in managing its affairs. Through close association with public agencies, the media links with other fraternal societies, through clippings service, professional journals and allied publications, even reports of allied or competitive interests in the field. The PR department can often detect trends anticipate events of relevance to the organization, for example in the case of socio-politics pressure etc. The information gathering network immediately maps up the â&#x20AC;&#x153;intelligence so gathered, passes it through the relevant departments, for measuring its applicability and relevance documents the same in terms of an action plan for the management to take a decision. While keeping track of the changing public attitudes towards an organization or its publics, the PR produces an information base for the management to act upon. Monitoring trends in the environment also helps in modifying trends the environment also helps in modifying certain policies and in chalking out relevant communication strategies to improve the attitude of the public, thereby avoiding misunderstanding and loss of goodwill. Communication Planning and Information Dissemination: Communication planning and information dissemination is another important function of the PR. It involves identifying the target audience, careful planning of messages aimed at bringing about positive opinion and dispelling misunderstanding if any. It is just not enough to frame a good public policy. The challenge lies in planning and communications all the good deeds of an organization to its public, both internal and external in a very effective manner.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Transmitting of an idea can get to be the most difficult task and choosing the right medium or mix of the media to take the message to the intended audience is an integral part of communication planning and information de ssen9munation. After gaining understanding of the public opinion about the organization and modifying or improving the policy by influencing and counseling the policy makers, the immediate task facing a PR person is the planning of communication activities and campaigns that will explain the company, its products and services to the publics. Overcoming misinterpretations of the organizations policies should also feature in the programming of communications. Letting the people know about campaigns, projecting the corporate image, product publicity, dissemination of information about actions and motives or changes in the organization among the employees, communicating to the company is investors; comparing to improve customer relations are among various other programmes. After planning a communication message the immediate task of practitioners of the PR is to choose the right media by knowing the intended audience. The media of communication are vehicles for disseminating messages like T.V, radio, cable T.V. and also like hoardings, posters, transit media like of bus panels, bus hoardings brochures, pamphlets, booklets, point of purchase and window displays, films, trade fours, exhibitions, direct mail etc. Information dissemination is carried out through press releases, press conferences, press briefings, video and audio news releases, conducting open house, exhibitions, public events, public service announcements, press rejoinders letters to the editors etc. I Information dissemination function of the PR encompass the total process of projecting the corporate images. It includes assuring compliance with requirements of the public law, whether with regard to maintenance of antipollution standard, payment of taxes, or product safety information. It also includes communicating the organization is views to the leaders of the government, as well as to employees, shareholders and other publics. Advertising and Counseling Role of PR: The eyes and ears of the policy makers in an organization are the personnel constant information gathering and processing helps the PR personnel in analyzing trends and in predicting consequences of policy. This gives them enough information to guide and counsel public policy-information. A scholarly and comprehensive definition of the PR by or Rex Harloa, a social scientist clearly sums up the Role of PR as an and to management in policy formation. Pr is a distinctive management functions which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication understanding acceptance and cooperation between an organization and its public informs the management of problems or issues; helps management to keep informed on

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. and responsive to public opinion; defines and emphasizes the responsibility of management to keep informed on and responsive to public opinion; defines and emphasizes the responsibility of management to serve the public interests; helps management to keep at least of and effectively utilize change, serving as an early warning system to anticipate trends; and uses research and sound and ethical communication techniques as its principal tools. This adversary role of the PR is not only towards the top management of an organization but also towards the other departments and divisions in that organization. It hears a direct responsibility to identify and recommend to the management appropriate decisions and policies to assure the maintenance of a balanced PR perspective. The PR recommendation may be as simple as advising about the best of making a public announcement of the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s action likely say rise in the bus fares of the public transport corporation. It could be as complex as to recommending a change in the basic corporate policy like an automobile manufactures setting up a tyre factory too. It is a fact that the success of the PR professionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance of this function determines the intimate success of the entire organization. PUBLIC OPINION: Public opinion is an expression of a belief held in command by member of a group of public on a controversial issue of general importance. The dictionary of mass communications defines a public opinion as the expression of all member of a group, who are giving attention to a given issue. The process starts with an interaction of individually attitudes, mind-sets and beliefs concerning an issue. Public opinion is usually expressed after controversy, distribute and debate over some controversial question which concern the welfare doctrines and value system of a group. Public opinion is aroused, wherever a contemporary issue or question of some concern issues about which the member of the group are likely to have disagreement. An issue is a situation which treatments to disturb the prevailing values, beliefs and attitude of a groups. Creating more or less of a crisis and arousing discussion and the expression of public opinion. A reservation for women is one such issue. The testing go nuclear material causing environmental pollution is an international issue etc. Public opinion is not just the opinion of the majority of a group. The attitudes and previous experiences of the individuals making up the public as well as the complexity of the issue determine the cause of public opinion. The opinion must be representative of the group as a whole. Thus public opinion is a potent force to reckon with particularly for a public relations functionary.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Opinion Formation The basic objective of public relations is to measure, analyze and influence public opinion which develops from the attitudes of individual comprising the public. Attitudes are the feelings or needs of a person for and against some person. Organization issue or object. They represent the predisposition of an individual to evaluate controversial questions in a favourable or unfavourable marine. An expressed attitude is an opinion. Change in attitude may occur under various conditions and it can be Brought about through Communication by creating new beliefs, or by appealing to the creating to arouse favorable unfavorable or unfavorable attitudes. Appeals to the physical social and economic needs of people are considered to the effective in changing their attitude. How is Public Opinion Formed Attitudes and their expression in the form of opinions are the psychological phenomena of an individual. Public Opinion formed by individual composing group, who express their even opinion on a controversial. Public opinion is a composite opinion resulting from the interaction of the individual opinion the member of a group. The transformation of individual opinion into public opinion by group stimuli is a distinctive characteristic of the public opinion process. This is what we call public opinion. Public opinion involves a transformation of individual into group opinion influenced by opinion leaders other members of the group or members outside the group. A part from group pressures, individual opinions is influenced by their need, emotions, experience heredity, culture, economic status and education. Propaganda: Public opinion is moulded based on opinion by individuals and groups which are deliberately designed to influence opinion or action by other individual or group with reference to pre-determined end. Propaganda intends to advance a cause e.g. a religious with and hence can be considered as legitimate persuasion, it has come to acquire a negative image because it has been used to unleash hatred and fear during break. Propaganda has therefore gained notoriety as brainwashing and barbarity. It is characterized by the one as more of the following: a) Use of words with double meanings b) Appeals to prejudices of people and arousal of negative emotions like fear, hated etc. c) evasion of truth, suppression of facts, distortion d) provocation, playing up trivia

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. e) presentation of only one sided arguments f) repetition Publicity: Publicity is as essential as advertising in the communication objectives and process of an organization. It is a tactical tool, with high degree of credibility and one which lends itself to natural dramatization. Publicity on the other hand is free-of-cost write up, on the product or service and issues of an organization and its activities in the news columns or editorial columns of a newspaper, television etc. It is information generated and put across by journalist on their over on a special request by the company is spokesman. Publicity is a result of significant â&#x20AC;&#x153;newsâ&#x20AC;? on the product or service, organization or an event concerning the product or organization itself. Publicity must be must be essentially interesting, new, information and necessary for the readers or viewers of the media in the eyes of the reporters of editor. Publicity is considered more credible than advertising because media is seen as the source of news. Handling publicity requires special skills. It handled well. It offers tremendous benefits. Most of the activity in public relations consists of publicity with some promotion. Publicity material includes new releases pictures, articles and background material. Hence it is important to prepare publicity message keeping in mind the channels of mass media to be used, their audience and editorial provincial. Publicity and promotion are highly creative fields. The publicity messages compete for attention. It is here that the write of creature and skilled people stand our, good publicity come with experience and a public relations person must make good use of both publicity and advertising to enhance the Public Relations goods & continued on pg (26): TOOLS OF PR:Publicity media:Media used for publicity are necessarily the mass media. The press, TV, Radio, Films and documentaries comprise the publicity media, choice of publicity media will depend on the needs of the organization and unit of publicity. Kind of audience to the reached and the available budget. PUBLICITY MEDIA: Media used for publicity are necessarily the mass-media. Choice of publicity media will, however, depend on the needs of the organization and aims of publicity, kind of audience to be reached and the aims of publicity, kind of audience to be reached and the available budget.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. THE PRESS: A press release is the most common type of publicity. Which will be of interest to the readers? The following must be kept in mind while preparing a press release 1.

Indicate clearly the name or organization, address and telephone number along with the senderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name, designation, etc.

The data for release should he indicated.

Content should be newsworthy, error-free and written in a journalistic style and typed on one side of the sheet only.

It should be brief and unambiguous.

It should have a headline and should be signed.

It should be released well on time for publication.

EDITORIALS / ARTICLES / FEATURES: A public relations person, having good rapport with the media and having sufficient persuasive skills, can recommend subjects for editorials by providing background material and suggesting possible lines of approach. A sufficient knowledge of the editorial policy helps to identify the most suitable medium. Newsworthy material on special events, anniversaries, landmarks achieved, major policy changes or any controversial issues could serve as themes for editorials. Columnists are always on the lookout for newsworthy material. A feature or article thus becomes an ideal tool to talk about a common problem and suggest their product as the solution. These articles could be prepared by the public relations personnel or got done through a columnist by appropriate briefing. LETTERS TO THE EDITORS: This is yet another means that could be used by the public relation person to put forward the views of the organization to inform people to correct a wrong impression. Since letters to the editor are a feedback from the public, those letters which make a forceful point, do get published without difficulty. TELEVISION: Television has great force and scope as a publicity medium-which allows the use of the printed words, spoken word, pictures in motion, colour, music, animation and sound effects, all blended into one. With satellite communication, the impact of TV is persuasive, worldwide and powerful. TV is an effective medium for developmental news also. The public relations practitioners and the mass media depend on each other for news. Public relations practitioners

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. can make use of the medium by providing filmed news release to the TV stations. The news release will not be accepted, if it is too sales-oriented or resembles a paid commercial advertisement. The best approach will be to take a low profile approach in which the company presents facts of or information or educational nature. With the arrival of cable television and growing competition among television companies, the publicist in India has unprecedented opportunities to cash in on. Industrial news, business programmes, development features, interviews, talks, discussions, analytical programmes can all be used with great advantage besides the use of short telefilms, or sponsoring of popular programmes. HOW TO PREPARE PUBLICITY MATERIAL FOR TV? The very first decision is to decide on news-worthy subjects. The second step is to identify a producer for the purpose. Ideally, a TV news release should not exceed 90 seconds. The story should be arranged in an “inverted pyramid” style. After the film footage is shot, the edited film clip with a written script indicating the visual input in the film alongside, to enable the news reader to lend his/her voice over. On special occasions, like a major landmark achieved by ur company, or a crisis situation say a fire, or any disaster, the TV team may approach you for coverage. As a Public Relations practitioner, you must facilitate the coverage by providing them access to the place and supply background information about the occasion. Whenever the coverage is after a crisis situation, the management’s point of view should be included. RADIO: Radio, like TV, can be effectively used in Public Relations. It is a mobile medium with a flexibility no other medium can match. It possesses the qualities of a direct personal medium as it uses the spoken word and human voice for the most part to convey its message. HOW TO USE RADIO AS A PUBLIC RELATIONS MEDIUM: The Public Relations practitioners whether from the private or the public sector, can use radio as outlets for news about the company’s performance and news developments etc. the All India Radio’s code however does not permit mention of the name of a private company in a news bulletin or news reel. News is selected for broadcast based on its news worthiness to the listeners. A radio news release should be written in radio style so that it can be used by an announcer without much editing. The All India Radio has a number of programmes pertaining to current affairs, industry, panel discussions, etc., which can be appropriately utilized by the practitioners. Public relation

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT.

personnel can serve as a news source for the broadcasting stations. Popular programmes can be sponsored by the company. FILMS: Film/documentaries make a powerful impact on the audience because of their audiovisual qualities. Films can be made on different formats line 35 mm, 16 mm and video. As a Public Relations professional we need not necessarily be expert film makers, but we do need a working knowledge about the various aspects of film making. This will facilitate decision-making, appreciating the inputs and providing guidelines to the producer. They can be used for the internal or external public. It could even be a documentary on the organization. One could even sponsor a film for the Films Division under the Information & Broadcasting Ministry. When a producer is hired, the public relations person is expected to provide guidelines on the aim of the film, content, length, presentation, background material and information about the target audience. Films could be used for training employees, educating consumers, development efforts for community relations or to build motivation among employee s, or safety precautions, or companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievements or even for coverage of special occasions. VIDEO: The video tape has revolutionalized communication in the field of entertainment, information and education. Video equipment has the advantage of playing back the image and the sound immediately. It does not need processing as in the case of film. It is possible to reshoot on the same film, if, the results are not satisfactory. Video tapes can be updated; in others words a few shots can be replaced for updating the programme without disturbing the rest of the programme. Video also has the choice of computer backed special effects. When we compare the cost and time frame, video works out economical. Video has its disadvantages also. The video tapes may get jammed or damaged with repeated use. As compared to film the video-tape has a shorter life span. As film making is expensive, time-consuming and cumbersome, more and more Public Relations professionals use video films. NEW TECHNOLOGIES: Apart from using local media and the very simple and traditional media like bulletin boards, posters or even rural fairs/festivals, the more aggressive and large corporations like multinationals, have to use the more sophisticated technologies like

E-Mail, Facsimile,

teleconferencing etc, for exchange of information. Computing, data communication facilities and

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. use of network linked through high- capacity multipurpose satellites in international system, affords worldwide access to specialized information. ORAL COMMUNICATION: Oral communication is used as a medium chiefly in employee communication for training them or informing them ‘about the company’s policies. It is also used in consumer, dealer, community and stockholder relation programmes. Oral communication may be carried on through meetings, telephone calls, public address system, panel discussions, counseling etc. Informed conversation between supervisors and subordinates also fall under this category. Oral communication is very effective, speedy, and with little expense. MEETINGS: A meeting is the coming together of two or more persons. It could be just a meeting of two department heads, a small group meeting, committee meeting etc. Yet every meeting is arranged with some purpose e.g. to resolve conflicts, brief the employees, solve problems, obtain reactions to a new scheme etc. Meetings are planned by sending notices containing the agenda, well in advance to members, to enable them to prepare for the meeting. All arrangements must be made for smooth conduct of the meeting. Listening is important and hence every participant must be given a chance to speak. The chairman must initiate, direct and control the discussions and facilitate reaching of conclusions. SPEECHES: Formal speeches are the quickest way of conveying information. Preparation of speeches and sometimes delivering the speech are jobs of the Public Relations department. Speakers must be trained and knowledgeable. The Public Relations department may also form a speaker’s bureau from among the volunteer speakers who are the executives of the company and possess competence on the relevant subject. The public relations department may help in research, speech writing and training of speakers. The content of the speech must be newsworthy and of public interest. The timing and venue should be considered carefully. Any crisis message should be conveyed in a dignified and composed manner. Voice should be well modulated with sufficient pauses in between. PRINTED LITERATURE: Every organization, whether in business or service, needs publicity literature to promote its products, services or activities. These can take various forms like house journals, annual reports, brochures, catalogues, booklets, leaflets, direct mail etc. The objectives of all these

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. remain more or less the same-to inform or persuade a target audience about a product, service or idea. HOUSE JOURNAL: A house journal among others is a selective media and we can identify the audience. There are tow types of house journals: Internal and External The internal journal is one of the important tools for effective employee communication. The external house journals, however, aim at some segments of external ‘publics’ like dealers, shareholders, etc. A third type is a combination of both internal and external, meant for employees as well as external publics. The primary objective of a house journal is to create a forum for exchange of thought and vision on various issues concerning an organization and its employees. If carefully produced, serves as an important link between a management and its various employees. A house journal reaches employees belonging to different disciplines, cadres and interests, thus bridging the gap and creating a fellow-feeling among them. Format of house journals differ depending on management philosophy and availability of funds. Some may have a newspaper format and be just functional, while some others could have a booklet form with varying degrees of lavishness. HOW TO BEING OUT A HOUSE JOURNAL: The Public Relations person in an organization ideally would be the editor of the house journal. Before publishing the journal, decisions about its editorial policy/objects must be got approved from the management. A look at a house journal can reveal whether the organization is an open or a closed one. A journal of a closed organization tends to be a one-way channel of communication, putting the company’s views to the employees. Such magazines are obsessed with coverage about top executives especially the Chief Executive Officer/Chairman/Managing Director of that company. An open company on the other hand ensures the editorial integrity of its publications and could have its employees contributing the news items and articles. When the reader’s letters are published, employees have a genuine opportunity to put forth their point of view, and the house journal, like any other reading material, competes for reader’s time. In bringing out a successful house journal, the following steps have to be gone through. PLANNING: Develop a concept that best serves the company. Get management the format (i.e., the size whether to have tabloid format or a magazine format) and periodicity of the publication approved. This will, however, depend on the aims of the journal, target audience, and availability of budget.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. ORGANIZING: Once we have taken the approval of the management, we will have to organize staff to get going with the job. The more frequent the number of issues, the greater the need for more staff. It is advisable to develop a brand of freelances/correspondents from among our external “publics”, if the house journal caters to them. A detailed schedule for collection/writing of stories, production, printing, mailing, etc. is to be worked out and adhered to strictly. PUBLISHING: We must inculcate the habit of planning several issues ahead in addition to the one being worked on at the time. As the journal reflects the style of the editor, we must strive to develop a ‘personality’ for our house journal. DISTRIBUTION: The purpose of a house journal is not served till it reaches the target audience. We must select the quickest and most economical means possible to get the journal into the hands of the readers. Some companies distribute the journal to their employees at their work place; others mail it to their homes to ensure that it reaches the family members as well. In order to get feedback, it will be appropriate to include a questionnaire to elicit views about the articles which are liked most or disliked by the employees, and the reasons for that. Cable TV network is used in their townships to reach out to the employees in their homes. ANNUAL REPORTS: Annual reports have come to be recognized as an important Public Relations tool for corporate communication. Annual reports can serve as prestige publications to be sent to the shareholders and attract prospective investors. The Public Relations department of a company does not have a direct responsibility for preparing the balance sheet and the statements of accounts; it does advise the management on the overall approach of the report, the theme of the chairman’s statement and on the format and presentation of the report while providing information through the Annual Report. a.

The investing community in general, the potential shareholders who are on the look out for investing in a suitable company;

The banks, financial institutions, etc

The financial press;

The business community in general

The profile of the company during the year under review can be projected in the Director’s report. It could be made attractive and colourful with the use of glossy paper and

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. graphic aids like bar charts, diagram, pie charts and photographs of the development activities of the company. Bringing out Annual Reports is a statutory requirement. It is to be published before the Annual General Meeting. An Annual Report needs planning to the minutest detail. As the Annual Reports contains Balance Sheets, we must be careful about proof reading to avoid errors. It is advisable to get the final proofs cleared from the Company Secretariat Department which has prepared the manuscript and the statement of accounts. PHOTOGRAPHS: Photographs have tremendous potential to attract the attention and offer proofs of facts or events. Photographs, provide a great creative opportunity to a public relations practitioner and serve as an important tool, they can also be used to illustrate house journals or other company literature. Good skill, imagination and quality of prints are important to high quality photographs. Photographs may be taken by a staff photographer or a professional photographer may be commissioned. Dramatic use of light and shade can also make black and white photographs very arresting.

Photographs must be kept catalogued for every reference and should be properly captioned when issued to the press. BROCHURES: A brochure is a multi-panel publication that covers information usually on a specific subject. A brochure is also called a pamphlet, a flayer or a folder. A booklet has much the same purpose as a brochure except that it has more pages that may be stapled together rather than folded. Organisations need brochures and booklets for a variety of reasons: to explain a new programme, process, a product, a new building plant, or laboratory, to ask for donations, or to sell a product by describing its virtues. Such publications are reasonably inexpensive, relatively fast to produce, and are attractive to read, if prepared carefully. The first step is to identify the aim of the brochure. In other words, what problem is it going to solve? What information is it supposed to disseminate to the target audience? The copy or the text is the most important part of the brochure. We should identify the person who will write the copy. He can be from within the organization or from the advertising agency. The copywriter must be given the right brief so that he can develop the text. Pictures, graphs, charts must also be selected carefully to go with the copy.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. A brochure may have a fold configuration of four, six or eight panels. MEDIA RELATIONS: Some of the tools for maintaining effective media relations include organizing of press conferences, holding press briefings and arranging press visits or facility tours for the media men. PRESS CONFERENCES: As a Public Relations practitioner, it is our sole responsibility to organize the press conferences. A press conference is generally used as the occasion for the release of news simultaneously to all media, provided the subject is newsworthy. We should not fall to the temptation of calling a press conference, if the subject does not demand discussion between our organization’s spokesperson and the media. If, however, our organization has to announce a major policy change or speak about a labour-management rift, or launch a product which requires demonstration, the occasion demands a face-to-face dialogue and not a one-sided statement. This calls for a press conference. Let us consider the following carefully before holding a press conference: •

Decision about the spokesperson who will address the press conference. Remember, as public relations persons we need not address a press conference. Ideally, it should be done by the head of the organization or a department.

•

Prepare a press kit which must contain a press backgrounder, news release, pictures, literature about the organization, a writing pad and a pen or a pencil.

•

Make a list of invitees from the media carefully.

•

Decide a venue which is accessible to the media persons.

•

Make arrangements for the transportation of media persons from a convenient place to the venue and return journey.

•

Decide the timing. It should neither be too early or too late in the day. The conference should end at such a time, that the media persons are able to get back to their place and work for filing the story on time.

•

Arrange hospitality. In face, as a public relations officer we should be in control of the press conference from

start to finish. After the chief spokesperson and the media persons have taken their seats, we must give self-introduction and introduce the spokesperson who will be addressing them. Normally, after setting the conference in motion, we should take a seat and interfere. At times, we may have to intercept to rescue the spokesperson that may have been cornered by a reporter’s question.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. For good media relations, it is important to establish a personal rapport with the media persons. Press conferences should not be the only occasions when we meet the press. It serves our cause better if we have a friendly press. PRESS BRIEFINGS: Press briefings are different from press conferences in that they are informal and do not require elaborate arrangements. Press briefings can be both proactive and reactive. By proactive, it is meant, that certain clarifications or point of view is required to be given after a crisis situation. In this case, some media persons are invited for press briefings. In case of reactive press briefings, a press person seeks an audience with the chief spokesperson for seeking certain clarifications or to have his point of view, before filing the story. PRESS TOURS: In press tours or facility visits much of the exercise is similar to organizing a press conference. More elaborate arrangements are, however, required to be made as it may involve transporting the party to a long distance. The occasion could be a landmark achieved, commissioning a project or a crisis situation like an accident. While inviting a reporter to joint the press tour, it is always advisable to write to the editor or chief of the bureaus of different newspapers. As a Public Relations person, you would do well to give detailed considerations to the following before organizing a press trip 

List of media men



Suitable travel arrangements

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Accommodation at site

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Briefing press party at site

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Background information



Hospitality

EXHIBITIONS: Exhibition can be of a general nature of communication and help to increase the reputation and the image of the company. It can become a meeting place for existing customers, potential customers and help to identify new sales area/outlets. New products can be launched. It also enables in assessing performance of the competitors in terms of product, service and presentation.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Planning an exhibition should involve the following considerations 1.

A clear idea of what is to be achieved through the exhibition

A convenient and appropriate timing

A budget drawn up with allocations for each item

Designing of the stand and preparation of other display devices like posters, photographs, animated flow diagrams, murals, sculptures, audio visual aids, etc.

Arrangements made for publicity, advertising, press conferences and preparation of literature for distribution.

Insurance, transport, lighting, hospitality, receiving of VIP visitors, allocation of duties, emergency precautions to be taken care of.

Visitor’s inquires answered fully and a visitor’s book provided to help evaluation efforts. Exhibitions are an expensive media. The costs include expenditure towards space,

designing, construction of stalls, transport, delivery, hospitality, insurance, printed literature for advertising etc. Hence, it is necessary to plan it well so that a maximum benefit occurs from it. OPEN DAYS: Open house is an important tool to build rapport with the community/neighborhood where the plant is located. The Public Relations departments organize visits for employees’ families and community at large, to visit the plant to see the product manufacturing process and a tour of the company. There may be exhibits, films and other activities also. This is done on a few chosen days in a year which are referred to as ‘open days’. It is important, however, to make suitable arrangements to receive visitors, answer questions and take them on a guided tour. This entails the provision of trained guides and also hospitality for the visitors. In fact open houses and tours of the plant should be geared to serve a wide range of audiences, from employees, community members, press to elected representatives of parliament and legislative assemblies. SPECIAL EVENTS: Special events are the most visible component of a community relations programme. The events, however, must be well chosen. The special events should reinforce key messages that we are trying to communicate to any target audience. The special events can range from participating in a community related activity e.g. a local festival, to sponsoring a national or

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. international event. ITC one of the leading corporate sector organization in India, organizes music concerts every year known as “ITC Sangeet Sammelans”. Free entry passes are distributed to community through their outlets. In planning any special event, large or small, it is important to have a management structure that is ultimately responsible for the event, and to make timely decisions. The event itself needs publicity for better response from the target audience. Mass Media When we discuss mass media, it is imperative to study the background of the communication process. Communication may be categorized into three levels. 1.

Person – to – person communication (Oral Communication)

Group Communication

Mass Communication

Oral Communications: Oral Communication is direct communication between two individuals. It is otherwise called communication or face- to-face communications. Group Communications: This form of common direct and helps intimate and participatory exchange. The relationship of group members, and the source variable determine the kind of effect that group communication has. Conference, meetings, and even village markets are examples of group communication. Mass Communication: As the population increases the need for mass communication experienced. It was a difficult task to convey a message intended for a large section of the population through the medium of person – to – person communication Convey med information and ideas to sizeable and diversified groups spread throughout the country at the same time, communicators started using various technologies for conveying message through the mass media to mass audiences. This was “Mass communication”. The mass media included newspaper, magazines the radio, television and films. Two important factors make them mass media. The first is that their reach extends to a vast heterogeneous mass of the population living in wide and extensive areas of a country. The means we employ to communicate messages to the masses are highly technological and

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. scientific like printing machines, electronics cameras, broadcasting satellites. Another feature of the mass media is that they are based on the idea of mass production and mass distribution. Organizing Press Conference A Press conference is an important public relation tool int eh spoken word category. This is face to face communication which provides an opportunity for the media to gather information, clarify doubts and raise issues instantly. Organizing a press conference requires: • Advance planning • Clearly defining the objectives of the conference. The first step towards organizing a press conference is selecting the TIME and VENUE, keeping the convenience of the media people under consideration. The invitation must reach the media people well in advance. Transport and hospitality aspects should be taken care of. The facilities available should be befitting both the press and electronic media. A well conducted press conference can add immeasurable to effective media relations. The objective of the conference must be made clear to the persons and take them in to confidence. ORGANIZING PRESS CONFERENCES: A press conference is an important public relation tool in e spoken word category. This is face-to-face communication, which provides an opportunity for the media to gather information, clarify doubts and raise issues instantly. ORGANISING A PRESS CONFERENCE REQUIRES: 

Advance planning



Clearly defining the objectives of the conferences

The first step towards organizing a press conference is selecting the TIME and VENUE, keeping the convenience of the media people under consideration. The invitations must reach the media people well in advance. Transport and hospitality aspects should be taken care of. The facilities available should be befitting both the press and the electronic media. A well conducted press conference can add immeasurably to effective media relations. The objective of the conference must be made clear to the media persons and take them in to confidence about what you wish to highlight. The press conference could be filled with witty and tactful answers to questions but no offensive feelings. As a public relations communicator it is your duty to ensure reasonable attendance; smooth proceedings; good humour and relaxed

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. atmosphere. This would lead to a candid portrayal of your organization to the media as well as to the public. You must create occasions to meet the media persons and try to share views on the relevant issue involved. Whenever possible, a press kit containing a press release; introductory publication; profile report of your organization; copy and pencil or pen; relevant photographs should be provided for the convenience of the media persons. Sometimes ‘Informal Press Briefings’ are arranged. These briefings are generally meant for special correspondents covering a particular field like political, economic or cultural or specific matters like crime, accidents, court cases, murders, fire sabotage, communal riots, etc. The aim of these briefings to explain the detailed background of the events and allow the correspondents to clarify doubts or raise questions.. HOUSE JOURNALS: A well established organization publishes house journals. A house journal, in a board sense, reflects the concern of the management in the welfare of employees, their safety, service conditions, security and the like. It also promotes the employee management relationship both enjoying the resultant benefits. There are two types of house journals. Those meant for employees are known as “Internal House Journals”. Organizations interested in maintaining close liaison with their regular and potential customers, share-holders, dealers, etc. who are different from their employeespublish house journals that are known as “External House Journals”. It is usually noticed that the internal house journal is given less attention than the external house journal, when both are published. The usual reason given is that external journal goes to important publics, including shareholders, investors, dealers, government officials, MPs and MLAs, and some even to target publics abroad. Care should be taken to see that such a marked difference does not appear in printing the two publications. Good quality paper which is suitable for better printing could be used for both, thereby giving no room for any compliant of discrimination. That’s why, many big organizations opt for a single house journal for both target publics. PRODUCING A HOUSE JOURNAL: Before the launching of an internal or external House Journal, one has to complete certain legal formalities under the Press and Registration of Books Act 1867. Producing and distributing a house journal needs the following steps:

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. a)

Registration of the house journal with the Registrar of Newspapers for India, New Delhi;

Fixing of printing press;

Choice of paper for use in the production of the House Journal;

Securing of postal concession; and

Compilation of a general mailing list.

To ascertain if the title of the journal is permissible, a list of three tiles for the proposed House Journal has to be forwarded to the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) for clearance. After the receipt of his clearance and registration number, a formal application in a prescribed form has to be made to the concerned District Magistrate of the area from which the Journal is to be published. The District Magistrate forwards it to Press Registrar who then issues a certificate of registration. Simultaneously, quotations for printing the Journal have to be secured from local presses and the printer has to be fixed up. Both the Printer and the Editor of the Journal have to appear before the District Magistrate for obtaining a declaration. After securing the declaration, postal authorities have to be approached for postal concession for posting the Journal at confessional rate. This is, or course, easily secured. Care has to be taken to ensure that the copies of the journal are posted on date/s and at the post office specified in the concession order. A mailing list has to be complied for the Journal. It will consist of the names and addresses of persons, officials, VIP etc., to whom the copies of the Journal have to be sent regularly. The mailing list so compiled has to be revised periodically-say once in three months-so that the names and addresses are up to date. One copy of the publication if it is in English, Hindi or Urdu is to be forwarded to the RNI. Language publications need be sent to the Press Information Bureau of the Government of India. Choice of paper for the cover as well as inside pages of the Journal is made, according to the budget available. Generally, for the sake of caution the number of pages is kept at a minimum in the initial stages; this is gradually increased with the passage of time. THE PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS In the earlier block, we described in detail the process of communication as it relates to the process of PR. It is clear that the principles governing and guiding all PR activity depend on the principles of communication as these have evolved over a period of time. Though the Public Relations, Publicity and Advertising are viewed as different areas of specialization, the underlying concept for all these is similar, as they are essentially drawn from the principles of communication.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Briefly, these principles include the framing of a message by a source that that sends it through a channel to the receiver, which interprets the message, and, in turn, communicates his response or reaction back to source. However, since the PR communication is essentially persuasive in nature, the Public Relations have acquired an identity of their own, directly related to the objectives of the profession. Thus, the PR has incorporated a few more aspects, which may be termed as ‘principles’ governing the nature, process and function of the PR as a profession. Principles in General Before we discuss the principles of communication and the PR, we shall first examine what is meant by the term ‘Principle’. It implies either i) the basic general truth of the concept or ii) the guidelines within which the concept is supposed to operate. The Principles of the Public Relations and communications While it is true that often deliberate communication processes bring about considerable desired changes, it is also true that a great deal of communication effort either fails or has unexpected effects. It is, therefore, necessary to examine a few salient factors on which much of our communication depends. You have already gained an understanding of the various communication theories and models in earlier courses. We shall, therefore, only list some factors on which the success of communication depends: 

Knowledge of the exact frame of reference and the field of experience of the receiver/audience/target public is of utmost significance. This is known as the predisposition of the receiver, based on his socio-economic background and cultural moorings, his education, experiences and exposure, which moulds his outlook on life. Only such communication, which keeps the receiver’s frame of reference in mind, can be successful.



The receiver’s tendency to believe what is comforting to his firmly held beliefs shields him from guilt or fear.



The basic needs of the individual, such as individual worth, group acceptance, selfadmiration, security, his skill, knowledge and power, motivate an individual to react to persuasive messages.



The basic need for harmony between the needs and desires of the individual and social demands and pressures he faces is equally important. According to a basic communication principle every person inherently moves towards acceptance of what enhances harmony, and shields himself from what might create dissonance within him.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. 

The fidelity of the message is also a very significant factor. Does it reach the recipient in thr form in which it has been sent? In other words, does the receiver interpret the message exactly as intended by the source?



Finally, the overriding factor in all communication efforts is the skill and experience of the communicator. Masterly skills can work wonders. On the other hand, amateurish efforts can prove to be counter-productive.

Thus, barriers to effective communication can be many. The flaw may be in the source, receiver or the message itself. Influence of the Group in Message Acceptance Another important principle of communication that has direct relevance to PR effort is the influence of group membership. Berelson and Steiner, renowned communicologists, hold the view that, on matters involving group norms, the more attached people are to the group, or the more active they are within it, the more their membership determines their response to communication. This predisposition determines the recipient’s perception of the communication and the degree to which he exposes himself to an idea. It is a well known fact that people are more likely to talk about controversial matters with like-minded people than with those who do not share their views. Those who are already interested in a subject and inclined favourably towards it are the ones who are most willing to receive information about it. To state a simple example an anti-cigarette campaign may not interest chain smokers. In fact, as far as PR is concerned, the principle seems to be that those who read about an issue or a controversy also tend to listen, and those who pay attention at one time tend to pay attention at another. Berelson and Steiner are of the opinion that the effect of the communication programmes which try to convert opinions on controversial issues is usually very little. If the issue matters to the audience, predispositions may block conversion. If the issue is not important, it may get little attention. It is vital, therefore, for any PR professional to recognize the complexities and pitfalls, as enshrined in these communication principles, and to eliminate possible errors before launching any communication programme or campaign. The Public Relations Principles Till very recently, it was believed that the essence of mass persuasion was exposure of an idea, a brand, a name, a product to the target audience. The success of communication was measured in terms of the number of people reached and the number of exposures. Today, we know that not only do individuals respond differently to the same stimuli, but the response to a

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. communication is also very selective. The P professionals, therefore, need to evolve a new set of principles to guide their efforts. Let us then examine the following: I. efforts involved in modifying or altering the attitude of an individual towards a particular object, idea, person or institution; II. also suck efforts as systematic scanning, monitoring and interpretation of the relevant social environment, and how these impinge on the performance of the organization. A) Honest Communication: Increasing literacy rates and growing education has led to an attitude of skepticism towards a kind of communication that seeks to influence, motivate or persuade them thus, the first principle ought to be that PR communication should be honest and sincere. Blatantly insincere PR efforts are not only ineffective but build up resistance to the acceptance of any future persuasive efforts. B) Tackling Information Overload The mass media message output being phenomenal, the mass audience suffers from what has come to be known as ‘information overload’ i.e. communications being targeted by different interest groups from all sides to the same audience. It is necessary, therefore, for the PR practitioner to be careful in ‘positioning’ his PR messages. Instead of directly sending persuasive messages, one can adopt a strategy of injecting ideas and information into that broad stream of communication, for example, a newspaper which flows incessantly to the target publics. These may be picked up along with all other ideas and information, and subtly help become part of a receiver’s thinking, which moulds his attitude. This requires tact, and comes with experience. C) Use of the Intermediates or Opinion Leaders Nearly five decades ago, Berelson, Lazarsfeld and Gaudet propounded the two-step flow theory of communication. “Ideas often flow from radio and print to the opinion leaders and from them to the less active sections of the population. While the concept Relations of the ‘opinion leaders’ is useful, the problems are involved in locating them as they are not clearly identifiable by position or otherwise. However, there is evidence that some media are far more suited to imparting information and ideas to opinion leaders in the areas they cover than others. Choice of appropriate media is, thus, a crucial task for the PR professional. Further, the two-step process is now being partially displaced by the instant visibility being achieved through the audio-visual media like the TV, Video and Films. These media bring the ‘reality’ directly into the lives of the mass audience. The greater impact of the TV, higher literacy/educational levels, and more leisure time has transformed the way in which the PR influence is generated.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. 

The researchers have identified three separate groups in the “leader” category. These are:



Vocal Activists who devote themselves to advocating a cause;



Leaders such as the mass media and key educators;



Power Leaders like, the politicians, bureaucrats, judges and others who have the power to take actions that affect organizations and society.

Among the three most important groups is that of the Power Leaders, who can actually make things happen. The other two groups have access to the power leaders, but have little power themselves. However, the information input that gets to the Power Leaders is much more from the vocal activists and opinion leaders than from the general public and the public organizations. As a result of this disproportionate pattern of input, Power Leaders often tend to assume that the distorted impressions they receiver from the small articulate groups are what the public feels. This aspect has to be borne in mind, when the PR professionals interact with Power Leaders. D) Choice of Tools Further, the growing visibility of events, through the mass media, has led to higher public reaction levels. Therefore, as a principle, the PR professionals need to know all that could be made to capture the imagination by becoming real forces in people’s minds actions, emotionstirring speeches, films, events, dramatizations, events, displays, exhibitions or symbols, have a chance to capture the public attention, and win public support. E) Ensuring Receptivity Finally, for the PR to be effective, the basic principle that always needs to be kept in’ mind is that the target public must be in a ‘posture of receptivity’. This is of critical importance in PR. It is a recognized fact that the favourable inclination of an individual towards all messages from a given source is the result of his total experience with that source. The character of an organization is exemplified by its actions and the sincerity of its previous attempts and efforts. On this depends the acceptance or rejection with which the organization’s communication is met. The communication gap between the organization and the employees, that affect the morals of the latter, is extremely harmful, and could tell upon the performance organization and its image. For instance, if the workers in a type-manufacturing have apprehensions about emissions of poisonous gases and the impact on their there is a need to educate them on the anti-pollution measures undertaken so t there is no threat to their health. This could foster a positive attitude towards the organization.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Similarly, the attitude of the external audiences or publics is of paramount importance if an organization is to gain social acceptability. Take for example, the case of a cigarette manufacturing firm. The external audience, or particularly the health conscious and environmentally sensitive publics, cannot be expected to have a positive attitude in view of the harmful effects on health and environment. However, if these publics are convinced that this organization is making a positive contribution to so in, the form of the much needed foreign exchange it is earning, and the employment it is generating, then a change to some degree, could be brought about in their attitude. It is clear from the earlier discussions that effective public relations involve changing the attitude of the internal and external publics towards the organization in a desired direction. But, how are the attitudes changed? How are Attitudes Changed? Changes in attitude occur when an existing attitude no longer provides a person with satisfaction or when the asp rations of the person are raised. Changes in attitude all accomplished by communications aimed at creating new beliefs or by appealing to emotions that arouse favourable or unfavourable attitudes. Changes in attitude are brought about when an individual experiences problems, frustrations or dissatisfaction with his cherished beliefs, selfimage, economic status, value system and other circumstances. Appeals to the physical, social and economic needs of the people are most effective in changing their attitudes. Attitude change is directly related to the immediacy of the issue to the individual. A issue, directly affecting the satisfaction or personal welfare of a person, is likely to cause a change from a passive attitude to either a positive or negative attitude. Factors Influencing Attitudes : Attitudes are influences by value symbols: these are criteria by which persons, institutions or events are judged to be good or bad-wealth material, possessions, prestige, physical appearance, etc. These value symbols are important factors in determining value judgements, and in influencing the attitude of the people. Events play an important role in changing attitudes. Happenings or occurrences of direct significance to the members of a group are major determinants of attitudes and opinions. These have a stronger impact on attitudes and opinion than the simple communications. The PR practitioners, in view of this, plan events, and try to use to change attitude and opinions. Some events could have a temporary effect on the altitudes but events that persist over a period of time, could have more lasting impressions on the attitudes. Options arc the public expression of active attitudes. The opinions of individuals are activated by their attitudes, which are motivated by mental and physical forces that induce them to express attitudes in the form of opinions. The public relations practitioners should understand

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. the motives that cause people to express their opinions so that the public relations communications could appeal to the needs and motives of the people. Analysing Public Attitude As discussed earlier, effective public relations involve shaping public attitude and public opinion. However, a prerequisite of such an effort is to gauge and analyze the existing public attitudes on various issues relevant to the organization. The evaluation is done through a scientific rigour, called Research. If a major policy decision like the Golden Handshake or the voluntary Retirement Scheme is to be introduced, it is imperative that a systematic study of the attitudes or opinion of the employees be undertaken. Public opinion research includes image surveys, motivation research, effectiveness surveys and studies of individual publics. Two or more of surveys may be used concurrently in determining the character of opinion. Opinion research seeks answers to what people think about an organization and why they think as they do so. That constitutes is the public reactions to organizational policies, practices, services or products. In addition to determining the views of the public as a whole, studies are made of opinions regarding individual publics such as employees, stock holders, dealers, etc. The effectiveness of the public relations activities in creating favourable public opinion towards an organization is also studied to determine possible improvements in the communication programme. Image surveys determine the institutional profile or corporate image in the public mind by ascertaining its attitude towards an organization, how well it understands it and what it likes or dislikes about it. Image survey seeks to understand how well a company is known, its reputation and what the public thinks about its products, services, prices, advertising personnel and practices. Motivation Research seeks to find out why the public looks with favour or disapproval upon an organization. It seeks to discover through in-depth interviews with a representative sample of the population, the factors that motivate the public attitude towards an organization. To understand the motives that influence an individuals opinion, it is necessary to explore the psychological factors that shape that person’s attitude towards an organization. The ‘public image’ of an organization may be affected not only by its policies and actions, but also by the attitude of the public towards the industry of which the company is a part. Motivation studies are undertaken to discover the underlying emotional factors that influence the public opinion about an organization. Effectiveness Surveys are used to measure the impact made by the public relations activities of the organization on public opinion. These surveys are used to measure the response

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. of the public to the communications of the organization, as well as to measure the public opinion of specific events such as open houses, anniversary celebrations and so on. Content Analysis Study is a technique through which an objective, systematic and quantitative analysis is made of the content of one or more of the mass media. Through this technique, an organization can determine what is being published or broadcast about it and the context in which it was presented. SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT There is a very close relationship between the PR and the Social environment in which it operates. The official statement on public relations says â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;public relations help our complex pluralistic society to reach decisions, and function more effectively by contributing to mutual understanding among groups and institutions. It serves to bring private and public policies into harmony.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Also Public Relations serve a wide variety of institutions, such as business, trade unions, government agencies, voluntary associations, foundations, and hospitals, educational and religious institutions. To achieve their goals, these institutions must develop effective relationship with many different audiences or publics such as the employees, members, customers, local communities, shareholders, other institutions, and also with society at large. In a democracy like India, with its diverse cultures, religion, language and wide socioeconomic disparities, the Public Relations assume greater significance, their importance to the task of binding these groups into a harmonious whole by shaping the public opinion. No organization can function in a vacuum. Firstly, it must interact with and work in a social environment, which is in a constant state of flux. The basic element of a sound PR programme lies in the social philosophy of management, which places the interests of the public on the top priority. Secondly, since the right of an organization to operate is conferred on it by the public, this privilege might be withdrawn by the same public. These organizations serve the primary needs of the people dependent upon it for employment, wages, income, goods and services, social and moral satisfaction. The Social philosophy of management is reflected in the policy decisions taken in the public or national interest. For instance, in the recent past when the industrial units of India, both in the public and private sectors, were called upon to step up exports to help tide over the problem of depleting foreign exchange reserves, the more enlightened organizations responded to the challenges and contributed their mite towards solving the national problem.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Organizational Objectives vis-à-vis Societal Objectives The Public Relations department of any organization has to work towards the realization of certain objectives. These objectives are designed within a broad framework to help foster and sustain mutual understanding between the organization and its publics. The objectives of the Public Relations Unit represent an action plan with responsibilities delegated at various levels of the PR setup. However, these objectives, themselves are drawn from the overall goals and objectives of the organization. How does an organization set its task in terms of objectives? Every, organization has to operate in a Social milieu. Often, contradictions occur between the overall social objectives and the given objectives of an organization. As a result, an organization has to work towards the realization of its objectives to conform to the realization of its objective to conform with the realization of the social objectives. To cite an example, the Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL) has formulated an objective to earn profits in the wake of the ongoing economic reforms to bring about selfsufficiency of the Public Sector. At the same time, the BHEL operates against social objective of supplying cheaper power to the consumers, particularly the peasants and artisans. Thus, power generation at a subsidized rate clashes’- 4th profit objective of the BHEL. It is in such cases that the principle of Public Relations comes into action. The PR department in a particular organization has to convince its management about the rationale behind its objective, keeping in view its social objective. Thus, the pursuance of social objectives might call for a degree of sacrifice of immediate profit, but, in the long run, it could reap more benefits in terms of social acceptability. Now, let us discuss the social goals which every organization has to bear in mind while retaining its objectives: 

Overall economic progress,



Social harmony and tranquility,



Social justice,



Respect for cultural values and practices, and



Development of human resources.

These social objectives are not static but change with the changing environment. It is a principle in Public Relations that these changes are to be monitored and analyzed. Management by Objectives and the PR

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Let us introduce you to a relatively modern concept called Management by Objectives (MBO). We shall first try to understand the need for such a concept in the Public Relations. This concept seeks to 

provide a focus to three PR activities,



organize the PR activities for effective realization of objectives, and



involve the personnel at various levels.

After understanding the need for such a concept in the PR, we shall discuss the various stages in the implementation of this concept. The PR goal should be clearly stated by the top executives of the PR Unit, and the approval of the management obtained. Thus, the PR goal is accepted as an organizational goal. 

The goal should be defined in terms of specific objectives.



The individual objectives for different levels in the PR set-up top, middle and lower should be well defined so that the action plan could be carried out correctly.



Measurable standards m terms of implementation should be worked out. This will help m judging the performance of the individuals and the unit, as a whole.

For instance, if you are a PR Manager of an organization, which is poorly projected in the press, your goal would be to improve the organizational image. This broad goal could be translated into specific objectives such as: 

establishing rapport with the press.



to liaise with the press to arrange for publishing features, special articles and interviews to enhance awareness of your organization, and



to organize press conferences, press visits, exhibitions, and so on.

Thus, we see that working by objectives enables the Public Relations Unit to perform its function methodically and effectively. RELATING THE PR OBJECTIVES TO PUBLIC INTEREST 

A Public Relations Unit sets itself a task in the form of objectives. These are shaped, keeping in view the objectives of both the organization and society at large.



The PR Unit, through its various activities and communications, constantly strives to educate its publics on the objectives of organization and the efforts it is making to realize the same.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. ď&#x201A;ˇ

To illustrate, let us think of a two-wheeler manufacturing organization, which may have set its objective of becoming a market leader. The PR Unit in the organization must address itself to the task of educating various publics, such as employees, dealers, auxiliary suppliers, stockholders, etc. While such an effort is bound to motivate the publics, such as employees and dealers, in realizing these objectives, the esteem of the organization will also go- up in the minds of the other publics.

ď&#x201A;ˇ

Another dimension to the PR role is that of monitoring and analyzing the opinions and attitudes of the various publics, their aspirations, and expectations from the organization. This could be done by conducting surveys. The result of such surveys can form the basis

for advising the management about modifying or adopting new objectives. Efforts of this kind certainly help the organization to redefine its objectives in the light of the attitudes of the various publics, and enable it to perform to the greater satisfaction of its publics. The PR Unit has a vital role to play in this important exercise.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT.

UNIT– II STATUS OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENTS We have already discussed the need for the PR today in different organizations, whether in the government or in the private sector. We have also identified several imperatives of the PR professionals. In this section, we shall elaborate n the status of the profession. As already mentioned, there is no hard and fast rule about the PR department set up. Much depends on the needs and the products of the organization. The Public Relations by the very name imply that these seek public sanction for the organization to fulfill its goals. And the organizational goals and objectives determine the role of the PR personnel. Status of the PR Department in the Organizational Structure An organization might have departments, such as Production, Finance, Marketing, etc., which is concerned with their respective spheres of responsibility. But the PR department has an overall responsibility with both internal and external communications. In short, it forges links among various departments as also between the lowest ranked employees and the top management besides linking the organization with its external publics. Therefore, a PR department must have full and continuing access to the top management. Since the PR professional is the “official spokesman” for his organization, he should, in order to be effective, report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is the ultimate policy maker. Since the PR professional is also the “official” link between the organization and the identified target public, especially the media, lie must have access to the departmental chiefs. This does not imply that the PR professional is the only “official” link between an organization and the publics. The Company Secretary, for example, would deal with the shareholders; the Company Personnel Manager would deal with the employees; the Company Accountant would deal with the financial institutions; and so on. But the PR man would need, as occasion warrants, to deal with all those several publics. One of his most significant publics is the Media, both the press and the electronic media. It is also important to stress here, in defining the positioning of the PR within an organization, that there should not be too many “official spokesman” for an organization. Ideally, the spokes person should be the PR man, in consultation with the CEO and departmental chiefs. Conflicting reports in the Press would negatively affect the credibility of an organization, apart from detracting from the PR person’s authority, which would be detrimental to the conduct of his work. An eminent PR practitioner, Edward Barnes, has defined a PR person as “a practitioner, a professional equipped by education, training and experience, to give counsel to the client or

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. employer on relations with the publics on which the subject depends. He sets about his task by studying the relations of the subject and these publics. He then advises them on the attitudes and actions necessary to attain the social goals and then interprets the subject to the public. Thus, the PR counsel functions on a two way street. He interprets publics to client and client to publics.” This aptly describes the positioning and status of the PR within an organization. Trained Personnel for Good PR Training underlines the importance of the right PR man for the job. Good PR men can do the organization a lot of good but bad PR men harm a corporation greatly. Today, we need well trained men and women in the PR, who could counsel, deliberate, and be judicious in their approach and execution. Daniel J. Edelman, Fellow, the Public Relations Society of America, Chairman and CEO, Edelman Worldwide Inc. Chicago, says ; “The public relations profession is gaining power and respect among decision, makers in America. As practitioners, we are obliged to be aware of the problems facing our country, to counsel our clients on ways to take leadership positions to address these issues”. As in the developed world, so too, in, India, the PR practitioners are gaining greater status. As trained professionals they must be aware of our several problems and seek to address them. As stated earlier, the communicators in a developing economy have a more difficult and meaningful role than those in more advanced countries. THE PR STANCE ITS RELEVANCE TO THE ORGANIZATION AND SOCIETY As we have mentioned in this Unit earlier, in Section 2.1 the Public Relations must have their roots in the environment. You have learnt in earlier units about the origin of the PR how “Vox Populi, Vox Dei” resulted in the birth of this profession. The Voice of the People is still the Voice of God, all these many centuries later. To that extent society has not changed. But society has indeed become more complex today, resulting in several pressures and demands. The PR Vs Societal Needs Today, more than ever before, an organization exists by societal/public sanction. Public opinion is having an ever increasing say in the management of organizations. And, simultaneously, the demands being made of the PR practitioners are increasing. Let us illustrate this point by an example. Let us take the scenario of a large company in the private sector, which has a large foreign shareholding. And let us take you back to a period before the Indian economy was liberalized. This particular company wanted several lines of diversification to be sanctioned by the Government. This was a difficult proposition in a closed

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. economy. What could be done? It first decided on a corporate business objective, and then linked this to the corporate PR objective. So, let us say the business objective of this company was: “To make profit, to grow and to diversi1,” Its PR objective, which had to essentially tic in with its business objective, was: “To invest in nationally responsible activities and create substantiated image that the organizational activities were aimed at bringing socio-economic benefits to the country. Therefore, it was a responsible corporate citizen.” This being the PR objective, you could see how closely it was linked to the business objective, and how inextricably both were linked to the environment. Au organization is but a part of a society and lives and breathes in the social environment. The PR men must therefore, act as the company’s interface with society. That makes it vitally necessary for PR practitioners to understand society and be sensitive to its needs so that it could relate these needs to their own organization. To translate this PR objective into action, one needs time. The PR process takes time, because of their dealing with intangibles. This particular company went on to diversify in nationally relevant sectors, by which means it was fulfilling its PR objectives. It was also engaged in specified nationally needed social activities. Needless to mention, despite a restrictive environment, its projects got clearance, and it went on to become one of India’s most successful diversified organizations. Here is a need for caution. It would be erroneous to presume that it was PR alone that made this company successful. It was the company’s appreciation of the country’s needs at that point in time, and its extreme sensitivity to the environment that helped to pave the way. In short, commitment was genuine. The PR played a major role in communicating this to the publics; it acted in tandem with the corporate policy, its own objective being an extension of the corporate business objective. This is an ideal situation, and good example of the effective use of the discipline of the Public Relations. The PR effort, therefore, is performance followed by recognition. The PR Objectives and Corporate Business Objectives: Link Let us examine a specific case of a corporate business objective, and define the relevant possible PR objective. Ideally, the two need to harmonize. You are a PR professional in an agricultural company in either the country’s public or private sector the question of foreign shareholding may not be relevant. But, if your company’s business objective is “to continue to make profits and expand”, perhaps your PR objective would be “to create an atmosphere of understanding and trust between the organization and its relevant publics (perhaps here the farmer) both nationally and internationally”. Implicit in this objective is the planning and execution

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. of different types of communication, reaching out to the heart of the rural India, and also linking our own producers, i.e., the farmers with overseas markets, thereby fulfilling the national objective of exporting the famous agricultural commodities of India. For a PR practitioner, this simple objective brings in its wake a variety of factors; communicating to different audiences, in different languages, using various kinds of media and messages. This task implies knowledge of the following: I. the farmer, II. the products, III. the markets, and IV. the global needs. It implies a whole host of information, and knowledge including understanding of the environment and objectives of the organization. Today, India is opening up to the rest of the world. As PR professionals, you would need to understand newer needs and match your organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs with those of the nation. Qualities Required for the PR Department From these two examples, you would learn that the PR practitioner needs to be a part of the planning process in his organization. Besides being in constant touch with top management, he also needs to study and master the art of mass communication, journalism, psychology, advertising, social sciences, etc. He should, first and foremost be tuned to society and the environment. He must understand the government policies, political systems, and their nuances and economic imperatives: he should have communication skills, be tactful and informative in his dealings with a cross section of the publics; he should be able to deal with his colleagues at all levels from top to bottom. A thorough familiarity with the political, economic, social and cultural environment and an awareness of changing trends is absolutely essential for a successful PR activity. DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO ORGANIZING THE PR DEPARTMENTS The nature of the PR function demands access to information. Hence, the PR person must have continuous interaction with all departments including top management. In this section, let us consider the different approaches that an organization might follow in organizing its PR departments. Let us here mention again that the PR is essentially a stafffunction, which creates a conducive climate for industry to function effectively in society.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. The PR Flow in an Organization The human mind knows no barriers. Since the PR essentially deal with human beings, we often think of the PR in the form of a jig- saw, several elements combining to form the whole, each section as important, relevant, and dependent as the others. We have mentioned the PR as a staff function, which cuts across both staff and line functions. Therefore, the PR activity has to be involved in the organization with marketing and Production which is line functions, and Finance and Personnel, which are more in the nature of staff functions. Outside the organization, it needs to be involved with society, at large, with particular reference to the specified target publics. Due to the nature of its activities, the PR departments should not have a hierarchical approach. It is important to ensure that through the PR are the direct responsibilities of the CEO, dotted line relationships of the PR practitioner must be maintained with all other functions. With its function assuming greater importance today, PR, in many instances have become broad appointments along with other staff functions. The term ‘dotted line relationships’ here refers to the indirect links the PR have to establish in an organization for effective functioning, and differ from the direct line of hierarchy within the organization. Let us now illustrate the ideal reporting, relationship(s) of the PR practitioner in an organization, public or privates A similar reporting relationship should also be adopted for the PR in educational and voluntary organizations. Let us again, in a chart, indicate the ideal staffing of a PR department. This, however, would depend a lot on the size of an organization, and its diversity (if diversified). Let us take the instance here, for the sake of illustration, of a large (diversified) organization, whether in the public or private sector. It is important to ensure that though the PR are the direct responsibility of the CEO, dotted line relationships of the PR practitioner must be maintained with all other functions. With its function assuming greater importance today, PR, in many instances, has become a broad appointment along with other staff functions. If the company’s operations encompass the whole country, the PR practitioner would need dedicated resources in the main cities of its operations.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Role of the PR Consultancies Other than having the PR personnel on their staff, an organization can also have the option of hiring the services of outside consultants. Consultancy services are provided by advertising agencies or independent consulting firms. The quality of the PR service depends much on the ability and experience of the practitioners. There are certain advantages in using outside consultants, e.g., they can give unbiased, objective advice, and might have wider experience having worked for several clients. They might be paid for the work commissioned, and the hiring agency is free to terminate the contract. As against this, there are practical disadvantages. There is lack of continuity in operations; also they might have very little practical knowledge of the company and, hence, might, not be able to provide speedy service. On the other hand, having an internal PR department has the advantage of the PR staff being able to establish friendly relations at all levels, and promote better internal relations and speedier press information services. Also, as the organization grows, the specialists could be recruited. But for short term goals, it would be better to hire expert service. Whether an organization should have outside consultant or their own public relations department, would, however, depend on the size of the organization and the nature of its public relations activities. In developed countries, the PR consultants have a major role to play. In India, the concept is catching on. The future envisages greater role for the consultants in India. Points to Remember About the PR Set-ups 

The size of the organization, its objectives and needs determine the nature of the PR set up in it.



The PR department size could vary from a one-man show to a complex multi-department set up, with specialized sections, staffed with skilled personnel in charge of specialized activities.



The PR department links all departments within an organization, i.e., it is in charge of internal communication, both horizontal and vertical. Hence, the PR chief must have access to the top management.



It links the organization to its external publics i.e., it must establish external communication tá promote the image of the organization.



An organization could perform with its own. PR staff.



An organization could hire an outside PR consultant instead of having its own PR staff.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. 

For certain special campaigns, an organization might additionally seek the services of the expert consultants in addition to having their

STRUCTURES OF CENTRAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT PR DEPARTMENTS We shall now examine how the Government PR machinery functions at various levels, and the functions they perform. History of Indian Information Services The earliest Information Service of the Government of India was organised under the Central Bureau of Information (now called Press Information Bureau), which started after the First World War (1919), and war placed under the Home Department. The year 1923 saw the Central Bureau of Information becoming a permanent organization, and the information activities of different departments were brought under it. A Director General of Information was appointed in 1939 to control and coordinate the war publicity through the then available media. It was in October, 1941, that the Department of Information and Broadcasting was created, and various government publicity agencies working under the control of the other departments were brought under its unified control. However, the Directorate of Public Relations continued to operate under the aegis of the general headquarters. Broadcasting existed in a small form in 1927. It took more than a decade for the Broadcasting Services to be changed from the Indian State Broadcasting Service to the All India Radio. In 1941, the newly created Department of Information and Broadcasting took over the subject of “Broadcasting” from the Department of Communications. The Department of Information and Broadcasting became the central agency for the Publicity and Information activity of the Government of India. In 1947, the department was designed as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Since Independence, India has built up an extensive network of mass media facilities, using both the traditional media, and the state-of-the-art satellite communication. The two have blended to create the information revolution in the country that has had an impact not merely on the country’s consumer expectations, but has also given rise to political awareness. There has been a rapid socio-economic transformation of society. And now communication itself knows no territorial barriers, with CNN (Cable News Network), Star TV and BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) are reaching even our remote villages. The possibilities that this kind of reach opens up for both Government and Industry are mind boggling. The Indian villagers in the remotest villages of Purulia in West Bengal or Anaparti in Andhra Pradesh are now aware of not only India, but of the entire world around him.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Need for the Government Information Machinery For any government to function effectively the need for establishing rapport with its people is important. More so in democracies like India, where, the popular support is essential for the government to exist. This necessitates gauging public needs and aspirations, and giving these priorities in formulating national policies. It is, therefore, important to convey to the masses the programmes, plans and achievements of the government so that the benefits percolate to all sections of society. It is equally necessary to gather feedback on public attitudes and opinions. This is done to modify or suitably alter any policy. These tasks of communication and collection of feedback are accomplished by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. All news about the Government of India is communicated to the media through the information or PR man in the ministry. It is the function of the information officer to give publicity to the programme of the ministry to which he is attached and to keep the ministry informed of the public reactions. Media Units of I & B Ministry Public information of government of India is handled by departments under I & B Ministry called ‘Media Units’. The Media Units which keep people informed about plans and programmes of the Central Government are: All India Radio, Doordarshan, Films Division, Press Information Bureau, Registrar of Newspapers for India, Publications Division, Directorate of Field Publicity, Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity, Photo Division, Song and Drama Division and its Research and Reference Division. Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Development Corporation, Film and Television Institute of India, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, and the National Centre of Films for Children and Young Persons. A. All India Radio (AIR) is headed by a Director General. Our radio stations, spread throughout the country, comprise a vast network serving 90% of the population, and covering almost 90% of the country. The News Services Division of AU India Radio is one of the largest of its kind in the world. AIR, as a media, has the largest reach in the country. B. Doordarshan Kendra (DDK): Indian Television Network was designated ‘Doordarshan’ in 1976, when it was de-linked from AIR. In these 20 years, it has expanded its scope of work remarkably, and new stations are being established throughout the country, though AIR’s reach is still higher Here too, there is a Director General in charge at the Centre. The SITE (Satellite Instructional Television Experiment), through which satellite teaching was imparted in remote rural areas, was conducted in 1975, and proved effective in providing the rural India with programmes on education, social awareness, health and

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. family welfare, national integration, etc. Today, with our own satellites, instructional, educational and entertainment programmes are beamed all over the country. C. The Films Division (FD): It was set up, in 1948, to use the medium of ‘film’ to impart information on important aspects of the country’s life and on vital issues like national integration, family welfare, eradication of social evils, like unsociability and the caste system, by producing documentaries and instructional films. D. The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) primary function is Press to keep people informed of policies, decisions and programmes of the government. It also feeds news to the electronic media. It provides services in English and regional languages. The P18 is one of the largest public information agencies in the World. E. The Office of the Registrar of Newspapers, which came into being in 1956, is responsible for studying various aspects of the growth of the Indian Press, with particular reference to ownership and circulation patterns. F. The National Film Archives of Indian (NFAI): This was set up, in 1964, with the objective of acquiring and preserving the heritage of the National Cinema and the best of World Cinema, to classify document data and encourage film research. G. The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) has completed over thirty years of service as a national centre for teaching, training and research in Mass Communication. It conducts a number of short term and specialized courses to meet identified needs. H. The Photo Division is the largest photographic unit of its kind in the country, with a valuable collection of photographs relating to news events as well as socio-economic development. It supplies other units with photographs for visual publicity. I.

The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) imparts technical training in the art of film making and provides in service training to the Doordarshan personnel.

The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), set up in 1980, covers a wide gamut of activities like production of films, export of Indian films, import and distribution of foreign films; construction of cinema theatres, import of raw stock, helping in developing technology, and the production and recording of video cassettes and their marketing.

K. The National Centre of Films for Children and Young Persons (NCFCYP): Earlier known as children’s Film Society of India, this has been set up with the objective of promoting films suitable for the children and young persons. It concerns itself with providing clean entertainment by producing, acquiring and distributing such films and organizing the children’s film festivals.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. L. The Directorate of Film Festivals was set up to promote good cinema and Indian films in India and abroad. It helps this by organizing film awards, film festivals within India, and by participating in International Film Festivals. M. The Publications Division produces, sells and distributes books and journals on matters of national importance for internal as well as external publicity. It is one of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest publishing houses in the public sector. Yojana a fortnightly is devoted to planning and development. N. The Directorate of Field Publicity is the largest rural oriented publicity set up in the country, operating at the grass roots level. Through its field units, located in different parts of the country, it organizes publicity programmes to educate the people. The public reaction to government policies and programmes are also collected and feed back to the concerned ministries and thus the Directorate serves as a two-way channel of communication. O. The Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP) acts as the central agency for dissemination of Government programmes in economic and social development through advertising and the visual media of-communication via advertisements, printed publicity materials, exhibitions, and other outdoor publicity. P. The Song and Drama Division utilize the entertainment media for fulfilling national objectives. The media includes the drama, folk recitals, ballets, etc., on themes of national need and relevance. The Research and Reference Division of this centre was set up in 1950 to provide Research and Reference material to ministries, media units, and other public agencies mainly in the form of backgrounders. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The staffing of all these units is elaborating as it penetrates into almost every nook and corner of our vast country. East unit designs its own requirements guided by the national objectives. The State Government PR Machinery Let us now briefly examine the state of the PR machinery, in the state governments. As in the case of the Central Government, the States also have their own media units to disseminate information for public. The District PROs are the key persons in this structure. Each of the States has a Directorate of Information and Public Relations which coordinate activities at the State level through field publicity offices. The strength of these units is not very large, it is dependent on specific needs. Each directorate may have sections like:

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. 1) The scrutiny section to watch out for public reaction; 2) The planning and development wing; 3) The cultural development section; 4) The information wing to feed the press; 5) The publications wing, 6) The field publicity and exhibition section; 7) The advertisement wing 8) The special campaign wing; 9) The research and reference wing; and 10) The photographic unit. STRUCTURING OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENTS IN THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND VOLUNTARY SECTORS a) The Public Sector, since independence, has witnessed tremendous growth in terms of size, depth, generation of internal resources, turnover and total investment. The Public Sector in India comprises utilities, such as the railways, road transport services, posts and telegraphs, power and irrigation, various defense establishments and departmental undertakings such as the Integral Coach Factory. The Central Public Sector Undertakings also include companies with 51% of the Central Government share holdings. These may be categorized as: 1.

Those producing goods, such as coal, petroleum, steel, engineering, pharmaceuticals and agro-based industries; and

Those rendering services like transportation, trading, technical consultancy, tourist services, and financial services.

The nature and special features of the public sector like the large work-force employed, chronic losses, its policies and quality of products-often evoke more public interest than the private sector does. In view of this, the PR personnel should be folly committed to the philosophy of the public sector; and public sector units must have professional set-ups, with adequate staff and functional facilities. The PR Chief must have direct access to the primary sources of information in the organization, and know the basic philosophy of the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industrial policy. b) The Private Sector: The Public Relations in private sector have to flow over all departments, like personnel, sales, production, etc. Here the PR activity includes relations with the shareholders, distributors, dealers, suppliers, customers, government, local community, press,

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. and the employees’ relations. The task is mainly that of maintaining a two-way internal communication between the management and its employees as well as the external public. The projection of the image of the organization being the important function, the activities, objectives and size of the organization would determine the PR department structure. As these are business organizations run on profit motives, the growth and the very existence of the organization will depend on the success of the PR activities. The growth of the PR set up in the Private Sector in India has been adhoc and unplanned. But it is important to ensure that the head of PR set up should be a professional person. C) The personnel in Voluntary Organizations: As Voluntary Organizations are run without profit motives, they reed to raise funds to fulfill their social tasks. The PR task in a voluntary organization is a constant public relations exercise since the majority of the workers are unpaid. The public image of the voluntary organizations needs to be promoted to attract financial support. The PR person may be a voluntary worker himself, or the organization might use officials from the headquarters only for the work. A progressive voluntary organization may also hire the services of consultants.

PUBLIC RELATIONS IN PUBLIC SECTOR: The Public Sector was launched in the country without defining its basic concept. Its performance was measured by its immediate profitability. The under-utilization of capacity, excess staffing, large gestation period, lack of professionalism are some of the ills pointed out by the media. Public sector, in the eyes of the common man was synonymous with inefficient production and a loss making organization. SPECIALIZED ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATION IN PUBLIC SECTOR UNIT: The PR activity has the function of projecting the other, less know, but positive, macro of the public sector that it 

Contributes to national economy



is a profitable and productive core sector



Has social commitment



Contributes to revival of sick units



Is self reliant in the key sector of economy

In addition the individual enterprises activity must also be highlighted about the policies, programmes, targets, capacity utilization, achievements and socially beneficial schemes. These

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. facts can be used to counter adverse criticisms and they influence public opinion in favour of public sector enterprises. THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PERSON IN PUBLIC SECTOR: The PR person must be a dedicated professional who is well aware of the concept of the public sector. He/She must have direct access to the Chief Executive, attend all meetings and be fully involved in the task of creating understanding between the enterprise and public. He/She has, therefore, to be a skilled communicator, besides having a good grasp of publicity techniques. It is his efforts that can keep the Trade Union in touch with the management and ensure harmony. Communicating with the Press and the public both internal and external is important. The responsibilities include issuing of press releases arranging press conferences, writing articles, institutional advertising, supervising photography, arranging press visits, recording and filling all press cuttings to evaluate media coverage. The PR person being the source of information, must also answer queries, telephonic or in person, make speeches, arrange visual aids, exhibits slides, films and also be responsible for the company’s internal and external publications like house journals, pamphlets, annual reports, brochures etc. COMMUNITY RELATIONS: Local public opinion being very important, every company must try to promote a favourable image that the plant is socially beneficial to the community. This can be done by supporting local causes. To foster good community relations, an organization must have knowledge about the community’s problems, attitude, economic and political condition, composition or population, existing facilities for education, and recreation, medical aid, local opinion leaders and other business organization or welfare agencies etc. Community problems may include traffic, flood control, fire protection, water supply pollution, garbage disposal, preservation or historical sites etc. Good community relation can be fostered by participating in solving these issues in cooperation with the civic department. Some industrial houses ‘adopt’ local villages or communities to provide all facilities to them. A two way communication programme must be evolved to hear the grievances or suggestions from local community leaders through arranged visits and to announce community service schemes. Apart from welfare schemes, organizations also arrange several cultural programmes or sports events as a part of PR activity. Music shows, dance and drama lend an aura of richness to community relations programme which is essential for a company’s prosperity and promote a sense of ‘belonging’. Thus, good will of the community can be earned.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. CONCERN FOR ENVIRONMENT: Apart from social welfare issues, environment protection has acquired importance for any organization. Social and political pressures are put on PSUs to recognize their obligations and act in a socially responsible manner. They need to be sensitive to the environment as the general publics are educated, have broader perception, and have become more environment conscious. The Public and media attention was very recently, focused on the damage caused to the environment are chemical gases emitted by some factories. The damage to the Taj Mahal by noxious gases from Mathura Refineries has not been forgiven by the people. CFC (Chloro fluro Carbon) which is used in arsenals, refrigerators, air conditioners, plastic foam etc. is seen as a potential danger to the earth’s ozone layer. Every organization has to have regard for the environment and take adequate precautionary measures to avoid any possible ecological damages. Adequate steps taken by an organization for environment protection include 

Effective discharge channels for effluents



Proper treatment of toxic gases



Water and air purifying installations



Recycling of industrial waste



Prevention of all types of pollution



Periodic audits to ensure efficient and pollution free functioning.

PUBLIC SECTOR UNIT IMAGE: PUBLIC SECTOR FOR PUBLIC GOOD: Although public sector units have been criticized for some lapses, the PR person in the public sector has a lot to say in its defense by promoting positive aspects. Public sector has assumed great importance in its role of fulfilling a social need. It provides employment and takes care of its employees by providing subsidized education, canteen, water, electricity and other welfare services. The PR campaigns can highlight this role of public sector for Public Good. A company, as we know, deals with several publics. In course of its dealings, the public like employees, dealers, suppliers, media, community leaders, come to acquire a certain impression of the organization in their minds. They way the various publics view the organization, becomes the corporate image. Hence, every corporation has to worry about its multifaceted image or the total image. A company is evaluated not only by its financial performances but also on other factors like its treatment of its employees, its philanthropy, general public welfare etc. Publicity can only flow performance. This greatly helped to promote the image of the company as a socially

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. responsible one and not just another industry with only a commercial outlook. Similarly, AIR INDIA’s sagging image received considerable boost when it helped to evacuate over an Iakh of Indians stranded in the Gulf, during the Gulf War by making 488 flights in record time. Institutional advertisements greatly contribute to image- building. The ad uses press clippings on the performance of this PSU, to highlight their achievement, thus it makes the message more effective and credible.

PR in Private sectors: The private sector has witnessed tremendous growth since independence, because of factors like political stability and government assistance to private sector in various forms like providing technical collaborations, easy finance, infrastructure, subsidies, incentives and special schemes. TYPES OF PRIVATE OWNERSHIP: Private sector, business/industrial organizations are those where ownership and control lies in the hands of a private individual or individuals. These enterprises may differ in the pattern of ownership and can be classified into the following categories i. Sole Proprietorship: Where on individual is the proprietor who will have absolute control of the business. These may include a small trader, a shopkeeper, a smallscale entrepreneur or even a prosperous industrialist. ii. Partnership: Partnership is an association of two or more individuals who combine themselves with their collective investment to run the business for profit carried on by all of them or any one of them acting for all. This is regulated by the Indian Partnership Act iii. 1932. iv. Private Limited Company: These are mostly family business like the newspaper “The Hindu” where the principal shareholding is in the hands of a small group of individuals. The number of shareholders is restricted to 50 and the public has no scope for participation in purchase of shares. v. Public Limited Company When successful business need to be expanded, a company may decide to o public’ i.e., it will sell shares to the public which will get quoted in the stock exchange and may be purchased by the public. Thus, these public limited companies can grow more e.g. Ashok Leyland Limited.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. vi. Co-operatives: This is a type of ownership by members on the principles of sharing profits according to the value of the purchases. Co-operatives are regulated by the Co-operative Society Act (1912). Examples of such companies are the Chittoor Co operative Sugar Mills, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. vii. Multinational: Any company that operates in two or more countries is a multinational company. Although small businesses have not participated in expansion into the international market, there is every possibility even for a small entrepreneur to do so. With the unprecedented expansion of national enterprises in to international market it is considered a corporate opportunity for growth to go multinational. By doing so, capital can move to areas where cost of production is low. Lower production costs in competitive global economy, are thus, a means tp profit and increased growth. This is why MNCs in India are Nestle, BPL, and Procter & Gamble etc. Every sovereign country has its own set of regulations regarding the entry and operations of MNCs. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANIES: The difference between a Private Ltd. Co. can he briefly summarized as follows i. Formation of the Company Private Limited company is formed with a minimum of 2 members and a maximum of 50. Public Limited Company needs a minimum of 7 members with no upper limit to the number if shareholders. ii. Name of the company: A private company should add ‘Pvt. Ltd’ to its name while a public limited company needs only add ‘Ltd’ to its name. iii. Starting Business: A Pvt. Ltd. co. can start its business immediately on obtaining the certificate of incorporation whereas a public Ltd. Co. needs to obtain a certificate of commencement of business from the Registrar. iv. Meetings Holding of a statutory meeting and filing of a statutory report is necessary for a Public Ltd. co. unlike a Private Ltd. Co. v. Shares A private company can issue shares of any kind but has a lot of restrictions in the transfer of its shares. A public Co. can issue only equity and preference shares but has vi. Restrictions in the transfer of its shares. vii. Directors: Directors can be elected by a single resolution with no upper age limit restrictions in the case of Pvt. Ltd. Co. A Public Ltd. Co. can appoint Directors below the age of 65, each director by a separate resolution. One-third of the directors retire by rotation every year but are eligible for reappointment.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Role of Public Relations in Private Sector Private sector organizations operate for profit in a competitive environment using aggressive marketing strategies. They also rely on many categories of public for the manufacture and marketing of their products. A sound PR programme gives priority to the interests of its public in every decision affecting the operation of its business. This is on the assumption that the organization operates because of the support and cooperation of all these people put together e.g. shareholders, employees, customers and community. Although, the interests of these publics may be in conflict, the management has to maintain a fir ratio of benefits to all these groups to secure the goodwill of the general public. CO-ORDINATION AND COUNSELLING: It is the responsibility of the PRO to assist the management in framing and executing satisfactory management policies towards each of these specific publics e.g. evolving marketing policy for better relations with consumers, dealers and distributors, personnel policies for improving internal relations among employees, purchasing policy for sustaining supplier’s goodwill etc. Besides, PRO has also a role in maintaining inter-departmental co-ordination. The Tata group is proud of having The Taj Group of hotels as one of its members. The company embodies the values and beliefs of the group. Innovation, integrity and dynamism. Strengths that each and every one of the group’s 270,000 employees considers his personal responsibility. Strengths that have given the Tata group an unassailable reputation for quality. Behind the group’s turnover of Rs.l5,000 crores and wide range of products and services stands a century of trust and a tradition of first. Backing every product and service that bears the mark you see on this page. The mark of Tata an organization that makes available. INDIA’S MOST TRSUTED World-class hospitality at over 25 of MARK India’s prime tourist destinations. Being home to over million international guests each year. Combine this with the fact that it boasts of many hotels # I hotel chain. A success story made even more remarkable by its pioneering efforts PLANNING COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES: Having read the earlier unit, the PR process and its four stages-research, planning, executing and evaluation are known to you. PR has an important role to play in carrying out each of these functions so as to bring about a favourable attitude among the publics towards the organization. This is done through the strategic use of various media and tools like institutional advertising, publicity, company publications, public speaking, exhibitions, meetings, open house,

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. special events etc. Thus PR is responsible for all corporate communications about which we will be reading in greater detail in the subsequent units of Block V. IMAGE BUILDING: Any company, even a private one, is open to public scrutiny and in course of time the public begins to view it with some particular perspectives and form impressions which may be true or not so true. This overall impression of the company in the minds of its various publics, for example-its credit worthiness, its quality of products, its concern for its employees, its discharging of social responsibilities-all contribute towards the overall image which is the corporate image. Hence companies go out of the way, to talk about themselves, to project themselves as being reliable, strong, competent, responsible, dynamic etc. To promote its image, a company uses its corporate name, some emblem, or s slogan, which it carries in all its communications. Personal contacts, verbal communication, audio-visual aids, exhibitions, publicity and institutional advertising are often used to convey the corporate personality. PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING: Businesses have to be flexible to survive in the global market place or they go the legendary dinosaur way. PR, therefore, must prepare the management for new thrusts, and help in planning out long-term strategies. PR must know what is happening to business and try to bridge the gap between the various levels in an organization. The enterprise must be seen as a whole and the sales department must have co-ordination of all departments. Since marketing success involves both customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction, PR’s role can have vital implication for sales. To illustrate, we have the case of Asian Paints a company who’s well planned marketing strategies coupled with PR efforts, have helped them capture a good segment of the market and retain it. This was achieved through innovative decision- makers like interior decorators and architects, and appreciating regional differences in consumer perception, by focusing on varied festivals like Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Onam in Kerala, Durgrapuja in Bengal, Deepawali in North etc. CRISIS MANAGEMENT: Public Relation is not an emergency activity alone. It is not a ‘fire-alarm’ service. All the same, PR has an expanded role in crisis management e.g. during a labour strike or a product recall. White it is better to be alert for signs of dissonance; it may not be always possible to anticipate a crisis. Constant monitoring and feedback may help to detect early warning signals. Long-term effects should be kept in mind. Communication links should be strengthened for negotiations and to present the company’s side of the story in order to combat rumours. PR’s role in private sector is therefore, informational as well as promotional; preventive as well as curative.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. AREAS NEEDING PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORTS: Education cannot be viewed in isolation as it affects a lot of other spheres and in turn is influenced by several others. Therefore, education in its broadest sense, involves a lot more publics than academicians alone. The apathy towards PR in education springs from an inadequate perception of what good communication can accomplish towards establishing a smooth relationship among the various publics e.g. parents, teaching faculty, non-teaching staff, local authorities like sports institutions, transport service, post office, book publishers, business houses, doctors etc. The student community has a lot of grievances against authorities. These include objection to study of compulsory languages, outdated syllabus, and lack of employment opportunities or career guidance, teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; apathy, irregularities committed by an administrative staff etc. On the other hand there are complaints galore against studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; indiscipline, politics in campus, ragging of fresher, mass copying, drug abuse. Only a proper PR campaign can help to involve the concerned public in solving the chronic maladies that afflict our campuses e.g. Good links with industry and business can help providing career counseling and placement service. The curriculum in turn can be framed for deserving candidates. Similarly medical professionals could be involved for awareness campaigns against AIDS drug abuse etc. Sport institutions could help spot and nurture young talents. Thus PR could help to make educational enriching experience for all round growth and development of an individual. Tools and Media Some of the commonly used communication channels for Pr activity in educational sector are PTA meetings, speeches, senate/ Syndicate /meeting /telephone queries/visitors conducted VIP visits, Exhibitions workshops seminars posters brochures, charts audio visual and new letters souvenirs press releases advertisements bulletin boards campaigns etc. FACTORS WHICH JUSTIFY GOVERNMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS: Let us examine the various factors, which determine the need for government public relations. PUBLIC OPINION: Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people. Free discussion of government policies is the very basis of a democratic society. The policies and

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. actions of democratic governments are open to criticism by press and public debate. Public opinion therefore plays a dominant role in shaping the policies and programmes of a democratic governmental policies, it is necessary to inform the objectives of the policies to the public. With this end in view, the need has been felt for an organized pattern of government information and public relations service. As this need grew, so did the means, of making official information widely available. FEEDBACK: It is also essential for all democratic governments to know the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reactions towards their policies in order to modify them according to the wishes of the people. The need has been felt for an agency within the government for the dissemination of public information, and making a correct assessment of current public opinion and reactions to the policies of government. This agency should be able to keep the government well-informed about the changing trends in public opinion. This explains the growth of Official Information and Public Relations Service, in several countries, as a necessary concomitant in the machinery of government, both at home and abroad. MASS MEDIA: The growth of mass media is another factor. Alongside the steady expansion of newspapers and periodical press, came the development of the cinema, radio, television and other media of mass communication. These media are the principle vehicles of disseminating information. They are also effective instruments in forming and moulding public opinion. The relations with these media have to be very carefully cultivated and conducted by the government. Government needs their assistance for publicity purposes and presentation of its policies to the people in a fair manner. The press relations in government mainly relate to 1. Getting adequate free space in the newspapers for government communications and press releases; and 2. Ensuring fair comment and preventing false criticisms of its actions. In its dealings with the press, Akashvani, Doordarshan, film and other media, the government should have an agency, which could act as a link between the government and media. The government in these dealings is chiefly represented by the official information and public relations service i.e. the Information and Public Relations department. FIVE YEAR PLANS AND DEVELOPMENT: Another major factor, responsible for the creation and expansion of information service, both at the central and state levels, is the launching of Five-Year Plans. Development projects aimed at the overall development of the people can be successful only when the beneficiaries concerned are aware of such schemes and make use of them for their economic development. It

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. is said “a widespread understanding of the plan is an essential stage in its fulfillment”. This highlights the need for adequate and effective flow of information to the people about the plans and economic development schemes. Hence the need arose for stepping up information machinery in order to motivate the masses to accept newer ideas and practices and work towards eradicating social evils. For this there was a need to communicate to the target publics about the objectives of development plans.

RIGHT TO INFORMATION: In a democracy, a government is accountable to its citizens. To ensure such accountability the people have a right to know about the policies, programmes, activities, doings or mis-doings of their representatives in the legislature, executive and even the judicial branches of the state. Without a well- informed citizenry, a popular government will be ineffective and nonparticipating. Free flow of information through various media is, therefore, highly essential. The people are new demanding the right to information, to have access to al governmental information, in order to know every thing being done by the government. Article 19(1) A, of the Constitution of India guarantees to its citizens “the right to freedom of speech and expression”. Thought this right has been guaranteed, the Official Secrets Act, 1923 still continues to be a restraint; People have no right or access to al official information. Therefore, there has been a demand in India to amend the colonial legacy of the Official Secrets Act of 1923 and give the people, the right to information and the right to know. Moves are afoot to give shape to the Right to Information Act. When this right is conferred on the people, there will be tremendous pressure on the government to provide information to the public. This will automatically enhance the importance and scope of public relations in government. INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION AND INFORMATION SERVICES: Public Relations as a management function, has a distinct role to play in government to keep the people constantly well informed about the policies and programmes of the government and also in collecting feedback on public opinion. To achieve these objectives, there is a need and also in collecting feedback on public opinion. To achieve these objectives, there is a need for an administrative service or ‘information administration’ to communicate ideas to the people through all available media. This is also known as Indian Information Service in the centre and the State Information and Public Relations Service in the states. OBJECTIVES: The objectives and functions of the government Information and Public Relations Service / Information System/Information Administration may be summarized as follows

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT.

1. Dissemination of public information and government policies programmes through various media of mass communication such as newspapers, radio, television, publications, photographs, exhibitions, audio-visuals, films, traditional media etc. This is known as ‘onward information’. 2. Conveying to the government the popular reactions to official policies in the form of press clipping service, daily summary of press reactions and feedback reports as received from the field officers, otherwise known as ‘Feedback Information Service’ or ‘Inward Information’. INFRASTRUCTURE: The information administration or the government information set up in the states before 1959 was being run on ad hoc basis without any permanent arrangement. The Venkateshwara Rao Committee (1959), perhaps the first Committee after independence, which had gone into the basics of information set up, not only highlighted the need for a permanent set up of the information administration as an essential arm of the government, but clearly indicated that publicity should be a sustained effort. The word ‘Information’ in relation to administration has a specialized meaning. It means administration of the governmental information for dissemination to the public. Therefore, information administration is management of the dissemination of government information at national, state, district, sub-division and village levels. STRUCTURE

AND

FUNCTIONS

STATE

GOVERNMENT

PUBLIC

RELATIONS

DEPARTMENTS: Along side the growth of information machinery in the Central Government the information and public relations administration has also developed in all the State Governments of the country. If the Indian Information Service handles the dissemination of public information at the Centre through the various media units, each State Government has its own state information service to manage the department of information and public relations. In the State Governments and the union territories the nomenclature of the department varies from state to state. If Andhra Pradesh has a “Department of information and public relations’, the Department in West Bengal is designated “State Department of information and Cultural Affairs” in Madhya Pradesh as “State Department of information and Publicity”; in the Union Territory of Andaman, and Nicobar Islands it is “Department of Information, Publicity and Tourism”. However, in a majority of the Sate Government the nomenclature is “the Department of Information and Public Relations”.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. For the purpose of this unit, you will study the functioning of the Andhra Pradesh State Information and Public Relations Department which almost reflects the functioning of departments in any other state governments. ORGANIZATIONAL SET-UP-SECRETARIAT: As in the case of other government departments, the subject of Information and Public Relations is under the charge of a Secretary to Government in the General Administration department in the Secretariat. It is called General Administration (Information and Public Relations) Department, which is mainly concerned with the framing of policies, laying down rules and procedures, financial control, legislature work, general direction and annual review. The information policies of the government, as approved by the Minister for Information & Public Relations, are transmitted by the Secretary to the Directorate for implementation. As such, the Secretary functions as a link between the Minister and the head of the department of Information and Public Relations. There is a separate minister in-charge for the Information and Public Relations portfolio, which is responsible for major policy decisions. In this task, the minister is assisted by the Secretary and his Secretariat. DIRECTORATE: Directorate of Information and Public Relations in Andhra Pradesh, as a line agency, is the executive arm for implementing the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Information and Public Relations policies. Earlier, the department was headed by Director, but now it is headed by a Commissioner who is an I.A.S. Officer. He is also the ex-officio Secretary to Government (Information and Public Relations) in the Secretariat. The Commissioners, as the Head of the department, is assisted by one Director, five Joint Directors, one Radio Engineer, five Deputy Directors, two Divisional Radio Executive Engineers and one Accounts Officer, besides the non-gazetted staff numbering 282. The Commissioner, who provides the critical leadership also co-ordinates functions and acts as the eyes and ears of the stage government. REGIONAL SET UP: Andhra Pradesh is divided into six administrative zones. The set up of the State Information and Public Relations department is also divided into six regions, each region headed by a Regional Deputy Director. These Regional Officers supervise the work of 23 District Public Relations Officers, 8 Assistant Project Officers (Tribal Welfare Publicity) and six Assistant Directors (Information centers) located at different places in the State. DISTRICT SET UP:

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. There are 23 districts in Andhra Pradesh. Each District has one District Public Relations Officer, assisted by Divisional Public Relations Officers, Assistant Public Relations Officer. AudioVisual Supervisor, Cinema Operators and other supporting ministerial staff. Each District Public Relations Unit is provided with a Mobile Publicity van to organize film shows and a Video van for purpose of showing video films. SPECIAL PUBLICITY CELLS: To publicize the developmental activities undertaken by the government for tribal, and to counter the propaganda by the extremists, eight special publicity cells, each headed by Assistant Project Officer, have been established in different tribal areas. SUB-DIVISIONAL SET UP: The districts of Andhra Pradesh are divided into 70 Revenue Sub-Divisions, each headed by a Revenue Divisional officer. The information and Public Relations set-up has been expanded up to sub-divisional level with the appointment of a Divisional Public Relations Officer for each sub-division. These officers organize field publicity programmes in different villages. FUNCTIONAL OF THE DEPARTMENT: In order to effectively achieve the two-way communication between the people and the government, this department has set for itself the following major functions 1. Publicity activities of government through the media of mass communication like the Press, Radio, Doordarshan, Publications, Exhibitions, Films, Song and Drama, Oral communication etc. 2. To keep the government informed of the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reactions to the policies and programmes as collected by the field officers and also as reflected in the press; 3. To have close liaison with the Government of India media units like All India Radio, Doordarshan, Song and Drama, Films Division, Directorate of Field Publicity, etc. and also to establish rapport with all the newspapers and periodicals for effective media coverage of State Government activities : 4. Installation and maintenance of community radio sets and community television sets, public address system and audio-visual equipment. The media-wise breakup of the Directorate is as follows 1. Press wing 2. Photo wing 3. Publications wing;

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. 4. Advertising wing; 5. Exhibition wing; 6. Song and drama wing; 7. Films wing 8. Electronic media wing; 9. Information centres wing, 10. Field publicity wing; and 11. Research and reference ‘wing. The Press Wing: The press is an important medium used in public relations for influencing the educated sections of die, society. The functions of the Press Wing are: 

To issue press notes. features and backgrounders;



To arrange press conferences, press briefings and media visits;



To prepare a summary of press reactions to government policies and programmes;



To supply photographs to newspapers; and



To give accreditation to eligible correspondents and reporters.

The Photo Wing: One picture is worth a thousand words’ is an apt saying. Therefore, photographs are used extensively in die print media for confirming greater reader interest in events. This Wing undertakes extensive photo coverage of important news events and of the Chief Minister’s visit all over the state besides the visits of VIPs to the state. It supplies photographs to the press,, as well as to Doordarshan for wider coverage, and maintains a library of negatives. Research and Reference Wing: Tile Research and Reference Wing acts as a ‘Think-tank’ for die department. Its functions are summarized as follows: 

maintenance of diary of important events;



preparation of backgrounders on various fields of development like agriculture, power, irrigation;



personal profile nothings on eminent persons of the state;



compilation of the year book on the state

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Publications Wing: The printed word, reinforced with pictures, is a potent medium for influencing the literate population. The department, therefore, brings out a monthly journal Andhra Pradeshâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and other ad hoc publications and posters. The publications include books, brochures, pamphlets, folders, leaflets which highlight the states achievements in different fields including art and culture. Advertising Wing: The main objective of government advertising is to create a favourable image of the government in the minds of die public based on its performance. It also seeks to secure acceptance of its policies and programmes. The advertising wing of the department releases both classified and display advertisements of the state government to various newspapers and magazine& Exhibitions Wing: Seeing is Believing. Exhibitions which are based on this axiom assume importance in the scheme of publicity and public relations. Informative exhibitions have added importance since they attract literate and illiterate populations alike. Ibis Wing has the responsibility of organizing major exhibitions in the states capital and guiding the district Public Relations Officers in arranging district level exhibitions besides coordinating and, presenting tableaux both at the Independence Day and the Republic Day parade in Hyderabad. In addition, it organizes a tableau and folk dance performance at New Delhi on the Republic Day. Song and Drama Wing: The performing arts can reinforce the reach and impact of mass communication. very effectively. This wing organizes traditional media programmes throughout the suite for the purpose of giving publicity to die activities of the state government in general and its achievements in particular. It provides scripts on development themes to the approved troupes it) the district Folk art-forms like Haktha Buffakatha are extensively used It also provides cultural programmes-support for government functions. Films Wing: Film is a powerful medium of mass communication. This is a particularly effective medium in a country like India where the percentage of literacy is low. The Films Wing arranges production of documentaries and newsreels through the Andhra Pradesh Film Development Corporation. It also arranges distribution of 16 nun films for screening through district Public Relations Officer. The Annual Film awards are also arranged by this Wing for best feature and documentaries within the state. Electronic Media Wing: The Wing has a complete video production unit which undertakes recording, production and distribution of video films to district units, besides feeding Doordarshan for telecast purposes. It maintains audio-visual equipment like projectors generators, cassette recorders, public address system etc. Each district has one video mobile publicity van which organizes video shows on development topics.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Similarly, the department has other wings like Information centres, Special cells for Tribal Welfare Publicity; Field Publicity etc. to undertake die dissemination of information about the activities of the government. All the wings work in a coordinated manner under a single window: The Directorate of Information and Public Relations. Policy Announcement of Public Sector- Units Let us now examine some of the official policy pronouncements on Public Sector. In l94M; die Industrial Policy Resolution accepted the concept of mixed economy and divided the industrial sector into four broad categories: a. The first category included strategic industries like defense, arms and ammunition, atomic energy, river valley projects and railways. b. The second category wits reserved for basic and key industries like Coal, Iron and Steel, Aircraft, Ship Buildings, Communication equipment and mineral oils. c.

The third category included important industries like cotton textiles, sugar etc. These industries, although private, were subject to stale control.

d. The remaining industries were reserved for private enterprises. In 1956 the Industrial Policy Resolution gave further impetus to die public sector by bringing industries of basic importance under its purview. With die report of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Undertakings, the scope of the Public Sector expanded into the area of consumer articles as well. In 1991, the new Industrial Policy sought to drastically liberalize the economy and redefine the role of the public sector. This was done to free the Indian economy from unnecessary bureaucratic controls. The policy admitted that governmental interference through MRTP had retarded industrial growth. Today key industries like power, telecommunication. steel etc., are open to die private sector. For PSIJ, die new policy hopes to usher increased management freedom, greater productivity, market-friendly approach and a new work culture. Roles and Responsibilities The Public Sector has played a dominant role in die development of economy and has been targeted with several responsibilities towards transforming the country into a ‘Welfare State’. In fulfilling its responsibilities it has recorded a number of achievements to its credit. These include  Developing basic infra-structure for production and investment.  Acting as a catalyst for overall development in the Key Sector of economy

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT.  Deploying massive investn6rit for creating opportunity  Venturing into Hi-tech and. Hi-capiud investment/Olt Realizing the vital necessity of catering to the opinions of different groups, while formulating policies, the Government of India worked on the National Policy on Education (1986) in a novel way-different from any similar educational exercises undertaken hitherto. Earlier, it was the various committees and commissions which went into the problems of education and came out with recommendations. But this one was a case of involving the public directly. In the year 1985, the Government of India adopted a thoroughly ‘public relations-oriented’ strategy. A status paper titled Challenge of Education - a policy perspective (1985) was brought out and copies distributed widely to everyone who was interested in offering suggestions. Thus, a nations-wide debate was set in motion. For, the public relations practitioners, this is an important landmark to note because the document was taken serious note of by several segments of the population: parents, teachers, students, industrialists, professionals, the media and so forth. The government succeeded in setting in motion a two way communication process through this effort. The comments and reactions of various groups were collected and analysed carefully to put them all in proper perspective. This was followed by a lively debate in the Parliament and the culmination of these efforts was the National Policy on Education - 1986. Perhaps few other sectors have made a conscious effort of this nature of set in motion a communication process of this dimension and magnitude. ‘The feedback received from the public not only helped in formulating a generally acceptable policy on education but has also ensured in taking steps towards improving the system. Some of these steps are: a. conscious and concerted effort for providing education, to all children upto the age of 14. b. encouraging non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to participate in this process. c.

re-orienting the content and process f school education (which has given a new look to the curriculum and curricular materials).

d. emphasizing on thrust areas in curriculum which have a bearing on values. e. having a common core curriculum for the entire nation. providing minimum facilities in primary schools. f.

appointing a second teacher in single teacher schools.

g. establishment of open learning system (establishment of Indira Gandhi National Open University, National Open School, etc.).

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. h. upgrading the competencies of school (and college teachers) through continuous in service programmers, etc In 1985, a small group formed a professional Public Relations Association to promote the cause of Public Relations, and to inculcate the PR professionalism. This group, led by Farook Mulla, Kali Mody and a few others, met in Bombay and formed the Public Relations Society of India. That was the birth of India’s first national public relations body. Formation As discussed in the earlier chapter, the concept of a national professional association was visualized as early as 1958, but a formal registered body under the Indian Societies Act, XXVI came into being in 1966. It was registered in the State of Maharashtra. Major Objectives In the Memorandum of the Association, the society adopted the following as its major objectives. a) To promote the recognition of Public Relations as a profession; b) To formulate, promote and interpret to the public the understanding of the objectives, potentialities, and functions of the Public Relations practitioners; c) To promote and seek to maintain high standards among the Public Relations parishioners; d) To exchange ideas, experiences and information’s on the value of the public Relations practitioners; and e) To foster the study and research in Public Relations. Membership Membership of the society is available to any person, “Who devotes the whole or a major portion of his time to the practice of Public Relations”. A special category of Corporate Members was created to involve a company, institution or association which believes in and engages the practice of organized Public Relations. The society also enrolls Non-voting members in “Associate and Student” category to encourage a larger participation in public relations activity. The PRSI has 20 regional chapters, and its membership strength is over 2500, including all categories of members. PRSI Organization The PRSI constitution permits a two-tier organization, the National Council and the Regional Chapters. The Regional Chapter is the grass roots organization, which enrolls members, holds meetings and workshops and organizes training programmes. Each Chapter

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. elects its own Chairman, Secretary and members of the executive committee, and runs the chapter under the overall guidance of the National Council. The National Council is composed of three or more representatives of each Chapter. The Chairman and the Secretary of the Chapter are members of the National Council by its constitutions. The National Council elects its own President and other office-bearers. The National President is elected each year at the annual election meeting of the National Council. Over the last 25 years, the PRSI has established a healthy convention, by which the office of the President is rotated among the four regions of the country. The National Council provides a broad guideline to the Chapters, initiates activities relating to education and research, and maintains close contact with the Government, Chambers of Commerce, Management Associations, Universities and other educational institutions. The National Council meets four times a year in different parts of the country. Often, the National Council meetings are followed by a national seminar hosted by a local Chapter. Code of Ethics As a professional organization, the PRSI took a major step to discipline it members, and encourage professional activities, by adopting a code of ethics in its First All India Public Relations Conference, held in Delhi, in 1968, in the presence of over 150 members and a delegation from International Public Relations Association. This Code was earlier adopted, delegation from International Public Relations Associations at Athens, Greece, and therefore, it is known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Code of Athensâ&#x20AC;? among the world community of Public Relations. The Code is largely based on the United Nations Charter on Human Rights After the adoption of the Code of Ethics at the All India Public Relations Conference, each member delegate was presented with a scroll embodying the full text of the declaration. Since then the Code of Ethics is reproduced in the Conference volumes for the benefit of the new members joining the society. PRSI Conference Even since 1968, the PRSI has been organizing the All India Public Relations Conference every two years. Later, in the eighties the conference was turned into an annual event to meet the aspirations of more Chapters wanting to host an All India Conference, To the PRSI, the National Conference brings in the major users of Public Relations- the Government, the Corporate Management and the Institutions - to present the various uses of Public Relations in their own environment. It is also an opportunity to educate its own members,

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. and members of the allied profession in the effective PR techniques being utilized and developed in India and abroad.

The Conference serves two objectives 1. To introduce Public Relations as a management discipline in non user organizations; and 2. To improve the professional competence of its own members by exposing them to the usage of Public Relations, and thereby, increasing the number of members by attracting talented persons from allied professions, e.g., Journalism and Advertising. To serve the first objectives, the PRSI invited prominent persons from the Government, top management of public and private sector organizations, the media, education, science and technology and international Public Relations to the Conferences as speakers and resource persons. To broad base the depth of public relations expertise, the Conference invited senior PR professionals to make presentations on a large variety of issues concerning the employer employee relations, the media relations, consumerism, financial PR, community relations, relations with the government, crisis communication and related areas. These conferences provided an opportunity of cross-fertilization among members form various organizations. The PRSI tock an important step forwarded by introducing Public Relations as component of the management development programme at the Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. However, the most important contribution of the PRSI came in the formulation of the India Foundation for Pr Education and Research, a trust created by the PRSI, and registered in 1990, to provide an academic and professional base for education and training. The trust was the result of almost ten years of planning in consolation with International Public Relations Association and similar foundations in the U.K and U.S.A. PR Publications by the Indian Authors The first Indian publication to make its appearance was Public Relations in India, by J.M. Kaul. This was followed by Public Relations: a Scientific Approach by Baldeo Sahal, published by SCOPE Publications. Public Relations: Problems and Prospects by Anil Basu. C.V. Narasimha

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. Reddi, yet another PRSI president, authored How to be a goof PRO, and also published a Handbook of Public Relations. Two recent publications worthy of mention are a Public Relations Manual by Sushil Bahl, the Chairman of the PRSI Bombay Chapter. PRSI Fellowship The introduction of the PRSI Fellowship in collaboration with Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, was another step forward. Launched in 1974, the Rs. 50,000/fellowship was offered to a scholar to spend two years in collecting data and case studies of the PR applications from selected India companies and organization. The entire exercise was carried out under the guidance of an experienced faculty nominated by the IIM Ahmedabad. The IIM, known for its case study -related method of teaching, recommended extensive documentation of Public Relations case studies of reputed well managed companies. The research conducted over a period of two years, was later put together by the IIM, Ahmedabad, with teaching notes for classroom application. The following case studies were compiled: Indian Airlines Lockout, 1973; Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore; Industrial Conflict in 1975; Organization of Pharmaceutical Products of India; ACCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s village improvement Scheme; and A product launched by Larsen & Toubro. INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION (IPRA) The IPRA, founded in May, 1955, is a world wide professional organization dedicated to the highest standards of public relations practice. Membership is open to competent professionals, who have practiced at a senior level or for at least five years and who operate internationally. The IPRA is an independent organization with no formal links to other public relations bodies. However, close functional relationships are maintained with national and regional associations.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. PR World Congress in India The Public Relations World Congress is held every three years under the banner of the IPRA. It is organized by the National Public Relations Association of the country where it is held in collaboration with the IPRA The Ninth World Congress, held in Bombay, in 1982. The Congress was addressed by eminent economists, scientists, educationists, and political leaders and public relations professionals from all over the world. The pint media, particularly financial and business press covered the proceedings in great details. From the Indian point of view the World Congress served two objectives 1. It vastly improved the image of Public Relations as a profession. 2. It exposed to the world community the depth of Public Relations in India, and the organizational strength of the PRSI, which involved the governments of the States and at the Centre, the corporate sector, the media and other allied professions. In the international PR case study competitions, two Indian case studies, by Glaxo India and Hindustan Copper, were selected for honorable mention. IPRA Gold Paper No. 4 The Ninth World Congress will, however, go down in history for its contribution of the PR education with the presentation of the IPRA Gold Paper No.4 a model for Public Relations Education for professional practice. The IPRA Gold Paper No.4 was the outcome of a systematic study of the state of public relations education as it existed in different countries. IMPACT OF THE PR ASSOCIATIONS OF THE INDIAN SOCIETY In the foregoing sections of this unit, you have learnt some facts regarding the growth and development of professional organizations in the PR discipline. The efforts of these organizations, to date, have made a significant impact on the Indian Society, particularly on the outlook of the government, the corporate sectors and various other organizations in the field. We give below an overview of this impact. 1. Wider acceptance of public relations from manufacturing industry to service organizations, educational institutions and non-profit voluntary organizations. 2. Greater understanding of the professional tools and techniques and decreasing importance of self styled quacks. 3. Greater opportunities of public relations education in the universities and other specialized educational institutions.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. 4. The number of books and the professional papers devoted to the Indian public relations is increasing each year. 5. With the introduction of the Public Relations Diploma examination, Public Relations as a career are gaining in popularity. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT Organizations need to speak up today, not just in defense, but also to glorify themselves for their initiative and accomplishments. These need to talk to all different publics, and to be honest, frank and transparent to all their publics - both internal and external. The communication message emanating from an organization is not just promotional in nature. Rather, a great many are aimed at building bridges of understanding with the external publics. All of this leads to one significant pointer. PR emerging as an independent and specialized profession. The scenario or perspective for Pr for the next two decades is that the practitioners will be gearing themselves to meet the challenges that will be confronting them. With counseling coming into its own, the PROs will have a field day. The new economic policy of liberalization makes it more challenging. Structural changes in the policy have had a tremendous impact on the corporate sector. Mere in house PR departments may not be able to cope with the global needs of the corporate conglomerates. Here the role of the PR counseling and use of the PR consultancy services are in the offing, which will help bridge cultural gaps with professional ease. To achieve its utmost potential, PR in the coming years will need to cultivate resources. For this, reliance on educational and professional institutes and universities in both undergraduate and graduate schools drawing upon social, economic, business law, behavioral research, and other relevant disciplines is imminent. The demand for competent people, both for generalists in counseling and the trained people in special services will rise steeply. The number of men and women engaged in this profession will steadily increase every year. With the prospects of government involvement and regulation, the importance of business government relationships will continue to increase. The need for the PR competence in this area will expand at a fast space. Because of the increasing complexity of our society, the rising level of education, and the growing sophistication of business management, the PR person will be required to uphold the highest standards and ethics. The rapid advances in communications and transportation will bring a vast expansion in international trade, and the field of international PR is fast becoming one of he most promising in

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. any branch of work. PR has a mounting need to help clients adjust themselves to a world striven with far-reaching and dramatic changes; and the practitioners will taken an active part in helping corporate and other organization develop policies. And now, a PR hotline In the West, the telephone hotlines are extremely popular with the consumers as these offers the convenience of asking questions, getting free advice or assistance for ordering products. The Telephone hotlines exist on every conceivable topic, from gardening tips and career counseling to sorting our marital problems and health advice. And now, a unique addition to this is the PR hotline business service, created with an eye to serving smaller enterprises, which cannot afford the high retainership fee for PR firms or those needing quick adjustment. What is even more unusual is that credit cards are also accepted in payment for services rendered. We are living in a time of great transition, moving into a period of even more far-reaching change, affecting every element of our society. In the free regions of the world, public opinion has and will continue to have the last word. Even in countries not counted as free, the power of public opinion is being felt today. The more enlightened and better informed public opinion is, the sounder its judgment will be. The more attuned our institutions (companies) are to the needs and aspirations of an increasingly complex society (our target groups), the more able these will be to grow and prosper through genuine service (PR) to the public welfare. Review Questions 1. Mention some factors which point the increased importance of Pr in the future 2. Name the first Indian President of he IPRA 3. The code of Ethics adopted by the IPRA at is also known as 4. In what way is the code of ethics important for the profession of PR.? 5. Highlight the key factors that justify the need for Pr in government. 6. Enumerate the factors necessary for successful implementation of education policy. What are the prerequisites of the PR planning? Strategic PR demands that certain requirements are met before the actual planning and finalization of plans takes place. First, we need to do some “fact-finding” or research. We must have a thorough ‘1nowledgeqf the organization. There are many questions about organizations that one could ask; A good understanding of the company itself and of-its related public is a must and most useful to determine how and what we plan. Besides, it is also important to determine how the target publics

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. view the organization. This could be done either formally through a proper market survey, or informally by questioning key people associated with the various target public of the organization. The second stage is “planning”. There is a large, variety of techniques to choose from in the planning of PR programme. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. The choice of the technique, or combination techniques to use depends on the specific PR planning objectives. Two of them, most relevant in the PR, are “Management by Objectives” (MBO) and Programme Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)J Both, in combination, are useful in the case of complex plans to ensure proper execution of the PR activities to achieve the desired results other technique is the well known “SWOT” analysis. The Strengths, Weakness and Opportunities of and the Threats to the organization must first be listed and then analysed threadbare. In planning, another consideration is the duration and period of the plan. Short-term ‘plans are designed to meet immediate needs, solve the pressing problems, and achieve modest but urgent goals. These plans are often designed to face contingency situations, or crises, and are therefore, more likely to be remedial in nature Long-term plans are preventive in nature. These are better for providing general direction and perspectives for short-term planning. Longterm plans provide for comparison of performance over• a longer period. They provide a way to measure progress over a period where succeeding campaigns could be made to supplement or reinforce one another. In short, the techniques of planning are a means to the strategic PR, and have a direct effect on the final campaign’s message, media, money, and monitoring, that is, all round effectiveness of the PR programme. NEED-ASSESSMENT AND SETTING OBJECTIVES In all PR planning, whether for government or private organizations, a firm, a company or an association, determining the organizational needs, and setting objectives becomes a primary function. How do we go about doing this? Look at the existing policies. Look at the competition. Dig into the material available in your files or at the library - in magazines, government reports, trade association material. Talk to people from the chief executive down wards, inside and outside the organization. Seek basic facts about the situation of the organization. Define the organizations publics with a specific focus. Evaluate the communications channel. You are then ready to determine the true needs and set the PR objectives. Therefore, you plan what to do (the programme), when to do it (the timing), how much to spend (the budget), and who will do it (the staff). Plans must be realistic in terms of the management’s overall objectives. It might not be worth doing it at all, if the results do not contribute to the management’s goals. The PR objectives must take into account the management’s overall goals. The PR objectives must not conflict with

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. the slated corporate goals. These must actively support what the organisation wants to achieve. If possible, the objectives should be written down in a statement, simply and clearly, so that these are easily understood by all, and could be the yardsticks to measure the achievement short— term and long-term. THE PLANNING PROCESS : A FRAMEWORK The planning process is an analytical step-by-step programme of action, while many methods and techniques have been used by the PR professionals a broad framework in the planning of a PR programme commonly used is: 

Appreciation (or analysis) of the situation;



Setting of objectives;



Identification of the public;



Selection of the media and PR activities;



Fixing the budget; and



Evaluation of the results of the campaign.

The PR department in an organisation has to tailor itself to the planning and budgeting procedures of the organisation to which it belongs. Planning, thus, involves strategic thinking i.e., identifying and selecting ways in which specific objectives could be achieved. Planning must also involve and get participation of the corporate management to ensure that the plan has adequate support. Well-defined objectives provide a framework for assigning responsibilities1 for detailing levels of achievement, for scheduling and timing of activities, and for assessing benefits and consequences of each line of action taken. The planning process could be broken into other smaller steps for arriving at a targeted programme and achievable objective. Lists could be drawn up of the various steps that need to be taken. One such list involve questions that have to be dealt with in sequence. For example: 

The problem to be tackled and solved;



The objective of the PR programme;



How PR hopes to solve these; and



Who will carry out the programme, at what cost, using what media.

Another list might present the following as being attributes of the planning and objective: 

Sincerity;



Durability;

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. 

Firmness;



Comprehensiveness;



Clarity/symbolism and beneficence.

As could be seen from these two lists, there are many ways to look at the planning function and objectives for the PR campaigns. In all cases, however, it involves having to survey the costs and benefits, the advantages and disadvantages, the consequences and dangers of each course of action, including an estimate of unintended or counter-productive effects. The objectives and plans should not be over ambitions. There should be sufficient flexibility for mid-plan corrections. There should be flexibility in implementation, depending on the prevailing conditions. A good plan incorporates several “What if...” situations, and various contingencies are planned for. Plans should also be unambiguous. There should be no room for ambiguity or Jack of clarity in the objectives of the plai1early defined goals contributes immensely towards the success of any plan As far as possible, plans should be based on facts. Plans should also pose no threat to the existing groups. If any such threat is im1ied, these groups would work to defeat rather than to support or help the plan to succeed. Tools of Planning Planning styles, cycles, and procedures differ from company to company, and also between the private sector and public sector organizations. The PR plan period usually follows one financial year. But, in some cases, it might be longer depending on the PR objectives, which may be short-term or long-term. Planning in the government departments and organisations is generally more time-consuming than in individual or multi-national companies. The levels of approval of plans in public sector companies are many more than in private companies. But, in both, the approval is almost always given by the top management, usually the Managing Director or Chairman. One tool often used by the corporate managers in planning the PR campaigns is brainstorming. The aim in this is to generate as many ideas as possible without being limited by the discussion or the need to find hurried agreement. The ideas submitted are grouped together according to concepts and then structured into a cohesive programme or campaign. A variation of this tool is the mixed scanning. It is a method to recognize patterns among alternatives. A pattern is first formulated, then revised when additional information is available. The pattern is again changed to fit the incoming information. The process is revised again and again depending on the patterns and reformulation possible. Another method is through sequential decision-making. Each alternative is surveyed, in turn, according to pre-determined criteria. Each is then coded according to these standards. The coding should allow for an adding of scores and for prioritisation of the alternatives. Those that

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. are too far from the prescribed criteria are then eliminated. Another set of scores and sequence of elimination is then work end through until the choice is made. Creative planning occurs when solutions are found, or, at least when attempts are made to find solutions and ideas outside the normal or conventional range. These methods or tools are not widely practiced in India as yet. But with time it will be necessary to develop creative PR plans and campaigns. It is in an area which will develop, and be an integral part of the PR planning in India in the near future.

TARGET PUBLICS In the PR we communicate with many different groups of people. It is necessary that we define our target publics clearly and then choose the strategy and media to reach them effectively. There are certain basic publics for any broad PR programme: 

The community—people around and outside the organization or its location;



Opinion leaders—people who command influence, such as the politicians, bureaucrats, social workers, etc;



The Media— the press, television, radio, etc;



The Employees — the people who work for the organization, from the top management to the lowest workers;



The Potential employees — people who work for rival organizations, etc.;



The Suppliers — of services and material;



The Customer and users — present, past, and future;



The Traders — distributors, wholesalers, agents, etc.; and



The Financial contacts—bankers, shareholders, investors, brokers, and insures.

The list is a basic list, but, for any one organization, there will always be a special list of all the groups of people with whom the organization does or should communicate. Another way of analysing the publics of an organization is in the form of a simple grid through which a PR planner can define and devise his organizational target publics:

General Public

Employees Shareholders Customers Trade Media Opinion Leaders Politicians and Bureaucrats

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. A grid of this kind could be evolved for each organization, and even each situation which requires the PR, and then used for drawing up a targeted and sharp focused plan for the PR campaign THE PR MESSAGE DESIGN Designing of an effective PR campaign involves two sets of factors. One is the audience factor and the other the message factor. The audience factor consists of answers to questions, such as: What would interest this group of people? What specific need your message fulfill for them as a whole, or as smaller segments? What psychological appeal would work best with this group of people? The interests and needs of this segment will determine which parts of your message should be projected and highlighted in the PR campaign. Message factors: These concern what should be the intrinsic content and style of the message. Many of these factors will be related to the audience, Primarily, what we are talking about here are factors like what words should or should not be used, what sources quoted would be credible, what should be the length of the message, what sort of attention - getting devices should be used, and so on. Pre-testing of message is one way in which we could sharpen the design and content of our message. THE MEDIA SELECTION FOR THE PR CAMPMGN In India some of the media are modern and effective but not all media are developed to the same extent as in Western countries especially for the PR programmes. The question, thus, is invariably whether we should use the existing media such as the Press, TV, or we use media such as the audio-visuals and video films. Do we have to go for the non-conventional media to put across our message? The media selection means using the media according to the objectives needed to support the campaign. The correct media selection saves time, money and effort, and helps in designing messages for special groups or audiences. Each medium has its own strengths and weaknesses. The media could also be selected so that they complement and reinforce one another. In any campaign, not all the media are used at the same stage. The media selection and decisions regarding the media mix are crucial components in the planning of PR strategy, and must be carefully selected to maximise its reach to the target publics to communicate the message. Media used in the PR are generally the same as in other communications, like advertising. Most common among these is the Press (and, therefore the Press Relations is a key function of a PR man or woman). In view of this, the objective of the PR programme or campaign should be to determine the exact media mix. If one is to categories and list the media available for an effective programme, the following chart would be of help in making the choice:

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. BUDGETING IN THE PR Budgeting is an essential part of planning in the PR. A budget is given, or set, everything that is planned for must fall within the costs. If no budget is given, the planning pr9ces must incorporate budgets for all the PR activities that are to be carried out. Budgeting requires setting of priorities, and places tremendous importance on being cost-effective Ineffective activities are quickly weeded out with well planned budgeting. Budgeting requires advanced planning, which immediately involves detailing of all steps, phases, and timing of activities. This also provides for smooter scheduling of activities and coordination of the programme when implemented. The main division or parts of a PR Departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget are: 1) Salaries of the PR staff, preferably broken down into man-hours, so you know how much work is involved; 2) Overheads, Office expenses and costs; 3) Transport, car and travel expenses; 4) Stationery and postage expenses; 5) Printing, photography and other production costs; 6) The media costs; and 7) Other costs, like hiring of equipments, conference rooms, hospitality, etc. It goes without saying that for these expenses proper accounting procedures have to be followed. Records should be kept of all expenditure and payments. Charges should be fair and reasonable, made known or estimated in advance, so that there would be no, reason for over expenditure or cost over runs. The budget for the PR activities is determined by the action that is proposed and the activities to be undertaken by the media. And each of these are budgeted, the total arrived at and sanctioned for implementation of the PR program. Two basic and vital factors in budgeting, besides the departmental expenses, are the objectives of the programme campaign and the target group to be reached. This then determines the task for the organization in achieving the objectives and the media to be employed. Clarity on both these areas helps the PR person to budget the programme clearly within the required time frame. Time frame is important in the budget evolution activity. The longer the period, the larger the budget required. Hence, the departmental expenses (organizational structure), the objectives to be achieved, the task involved, the media to be used, and the period (duration) of the programme, all go to make up the PR budget and appropriations. These are all interlinked, and require to be given the necessary attention.

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PUBLIC RELATION MGMT. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PR PROGRAMMES So far, we have looked at planning. We shall now get into other essential aspects of a PR campaign or programme, such as implementation, monitoring and evaluation of plans. The plan when put into operation must involve peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the PR and managementâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who are committed to achieving the objectives. Even the best conceived plans could be fouled up by the lack of involvement and effort of the personnel, like poor handling of funds, insufficient attention to details, etc. Efforts should be made to ensure that there are no lapses at any stage. Continuous monitoring of how the plan is being executed has several benefits. Feedback provided could be used to make necessary changes and to enhance the chances of the plan being successful. This will also avoid unnecessary wastage. If, however, the feedback shows certain aspects of the plan are going very well and the success needs to be exploited, then even more money could be assigned to this part of the campaign Such mid-course corrections are possible only if a plan is being monitored and assessed closely so that weaknesses, if any, could be corrected in time, and the successes further reinforced. The discussion on a good PR plan could be endless. We have, therefore, to limit ourselves to discussing only those qualities which have functional value to the implementation process. And these broadly speaking are three: flexibility, timing and appropriateness. Flexibility is important so that room is provided for adjustment necessary at any stage. Flexibility is also important so that adjustments could be made for the unexpected events. Timing is important so that the plan could avoid competing with other high-publicity programmes, and also fit in the mood of the situation. Nothing jars as much as programmes which run counter to the prevailing situation and mood. Plans should also be appropriate in as many ways as possible-from the point of view of the funds provided, the prevailing image, and goals of the organization. Again, the campaigns should not be outlandishly novel or incongruous with the current positive image.

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