Dissent PR – from suffragettes to slut walks
Responding to the use of PR to challenge inequalities in society, Bournemouth University, has run a series of seminars looking at ‘dissent PR’ and ‘protest PR’. My own contribution was to take a look at the role of women as activists and agitators over the past century. Here I share some musings from [...]
Online public relations is not that different—crowdsourcing isn’t a feasible strategy
There’s an old adage that decisions by committee really aren’t that effective, particularly as the eventual outputs and outcomes tend to be second rate. Plus no one is truly accountable or assumes an authoritative role and voice.
This tends to be an internal problem, perhaps reflective of a corporate culture lacking in vision and leadership.
Something similar [...]
In praise of PR silence
This is possibly the shortest ever post at PR Conversations. Normally we like to stimulate a conversation with a lengthy and considered post. We develop a line of thought and encourage debate and development of our ideas. But sometimes, it is better to write short – to express something in a few [...]
Lies and Secrets: the currency of public relations
You don’t have to dig too far to find criticisms of public relations as involving lying and other less than ethical practices. The normal response from the industry is denial, citation of codes of conduct and finger pointing at isolated ‘others’.
But is lying really an absolute ‘do or don’t do’ matter? In reality, doesn’t [...]
Integrated reporting and strategic public relations
Guest post by Benita Steyn
In November 2011, Benita Steyn and Estelle de Beer from South Africa delivered a paper, The Strategic Role of Public Relations in the Process of Integrated Reporting at the Corporate Governance and Strategic Communication Congress in Milan, Italy.
We welcome back contributor alumna, Benita Steyn, who kindly agreed to provide [...]
Who has seen the future of PR? (updated)
Guest post by Jean Valin, APR, FCPRS
Who has seen the future of PR?
Updated 6/22/2012 For PR Conversations readers, here is an update on this GA project which was generously supported by Enel–the Italian energy company. The study was customized to suit their needs. We conducted in-depth interviews with the heads of communication [...]
CSR Reports? Reporting of irresponsible behaviours; new book by Paolo D’Anselmi
Book review by Toni Muzi Falconi
Disclosure: Paolo D’Anselmi is an old friend of mine. I am grateful to the current leaders of PR Conversations for allowing me to introduce to its many visitors and readers Paolo’s most recent book—his first in the English language—which reveals a number of unique arguments adding much “food for thought” [...]
PR is what PR does – a question of ethics
Not surprisingly there’s been a great deal of discussion of ethics in relation to the News Corp phone-hacking scandal. Although journalism and corporate governance are facing the real ethical questions, public relations has been brought into the mix by many commentators. Indeed, the Vancouver Sun attributes any ethical lapses in journalism to the practice of [...]
Tim Marshall: Time for radical thinking and real PR leadership
Here’s an idea for the public relations and communications management profession to hang its hat on – and to show leadership. Let us be the driving force to set up a Genuine Progress Index (GPI) for the world.
World’s leaders in PR congregate in Stockholm
Marc Whitaker’s breathtaking chorus opening -fully embedded in the Forum’s context and contents; Sven Hamrefor’s intellectually challenging description of value networks; Mervin King’s key note on organizational governance and stakeholder relationships; FERPI’s six faced presentation of the Accords implementation process taking off in Italy in September; Anne Gregory and Ronel Rensburg’s engaging and courageous session on public relations’ value to organizational governance and management, and Karl Schwab’s lucid description of the coming phases of societal discontinuity and of the World Economic Forum’s vision of togetherness through a global multistakeholder platform, will remain in my mind as the more striking achievements of the Stockholm Forum.