Week 10 - chapter 11 & 16 : Risk, crisis, issues and Third sector

I think the keys to remember for this week readings were the tactics of crisis management and planning issues management as well as the Third Sector which now become a part of public relation.

According to this chapter, this topic is the most challenging areas of public relations practice. Firstly, the crisis it self can mean many things such as name, place or date in a negative way, and crisis also occur at any levels. On the other hand, issues are more complex to define since we will realize it happen when we get the impact. The other different thing from crisis and issues management is crisis tend to have beginning and an end while issues may never achieve resolution.

However there are some tactics which mostly used by an organization. For example, if we want to make an advertising for a product we will extremely giving any information about is so the public will get used to see that product, and media will be the best solution to achieve their goal, but in crisis, they will tend to minimalist their advertising, offering their product in each certain places, promote the product from mouth to mouth and keep their product in good condition is the simplest way to attract public.

To planning issues management, it is important to do the issues analysis and prioritizing, because when you do a planning, any priorities need to be set and get as well as get the reviews and implementing issues management strategies also crucial, so we have to identifying the issues as soon as possible. On the other hand, to make a long term strategic, we need be more brave to take some risk, in here role of the Third Sector will always continue.

This week readings has well described any information about crisis and issues management which very important in public relation industry and how we anticipate any problems, and also makes me understand about the Third society which will become more powerful in the future. So PR practitioners should be more aware to take any decisions.

Week 9 - A typical public relation program

I think this chapter adding more my knowledge about public relation in general. According to this reading, whether public relation practitioners make a big project or small project, generally they will start with development of objectives, through planning and budgeting, implementation, evaluation, and back again to the objectives.

This week reading also explained more deeply why does management invest in public relation. Basically, to manage something we need a good leader to arrange all the project, in here, role of PR person is so important. The leader of the management should be able to communicate to all categories. So a good leader will make a good management and it will automatically get a good campaign as a result.

However, to make a successful public relation campaign, there are several things that we have to focused on, like media selected; broadcast media, news conferences, publications, and sponsorship. Based on this reading, another important thing is budget prepared, Most PR person fully understand how to get communication support and and can quickly arrange to clarify the budget.

This week reading makes me understand enough about public relation in general, this chapter explained about some tactic of PR more deeply.

Week 8 - chapter 6 & 10 : Research and evaluation - Sponsorship and event management

I think the two keys point to remember for this week readings were what and when to a research and also the methodologies for the research as well as do a corporate partnership through sponsorship and also an event. I thinks both of them are the crucial things to reach PR goals. 

One of the most effective ways viewing the research process is in terms of inputs, outputs and outcomes (Pritchitt and Sherman 1994). This is means all the process which happen in research process are very important. For the input research, PR practitioners should more aggressive so they can get much information for their organization it self. Output research gather information on the appropriateness of the message and the content, and the quality of message and activity presentations (Cutlip et al. 1994). This can be referst to the strategy development or implementation phases. while outcome research more focus on which the original campaign objectives were met. Evaluation is often recognized as being the beginning of new effort not just the completion of a previous activity, and PR practitioners shoul be more concern about this.

Another important thing is the methodologies that we use to do the research, it can be formal or informal,qualitative or quantitative method. The research techniques also a crucial part of the methodologies, it can be by surveys, mail, telephone, face-to-face or even internet. Based on this reading there are also other research techniques that most commonly used, like in-depth interviews, focus group, ethnographic studies, case studies, analysis of existing data, organisational culture study, feedback analysis, media monitoring, content analysis, benchmark research, statistical analysis, and many more. Another method to reach a PR goals is how we manage sponsorship and event, they were become a crucial thing in PR industry. They will always work together since they were need each others. 

This week readings made me fully understand about research and evaluation things and also how to manage sponsorship and an event as well as how important to do research, planning our project, scheduling and being creative to manage successful public relation activities.

Week 7 - chapter 8 & 14: Tactics & PR in business

I think the point to remember of this week readings were the tactics method of delivery and public relation in business.

Since nowadays, due to technical development many people transferring information easily and comfortably, and PR practitioners use media relations as their reference to delivery their messages, while sometimes there are some problems which can happen because of technical problems. Following option which mentioned in this week reading such as, Mail, Faxes, News, Email, CD-ROMs, Videos, Websites are tools that has advantages and disadvantages that have to be considered.

So it is important to select the tactics correctly, like doing research, using media relations even it is requires careful consideration, printed materials ; brochures and flyers which best known as a the most easiest tactics ever, or annual reports about the experienced about their last project, newsletters, direct email, or somethings that more direct such as speeches and presentations or another "catchy" way like using celebrities or make an event and also advertising which is the best and effective tactics.

Business in public relation can also categorized by a tactic, because to make a good campaign PR practitioners has to understand enough about marketing, since we are all works with public, either internal or external. PR person should be more focus on promotions, media and finance and also management. Moreover, business also being the key for any job markets, so understanding business means that you've already one step ahead.

But no one can make sure that all of those tactics will success in the PR campaign, so the important thing is PR person have to realize about their objectivity then they can plan the strategy, realize how important strategic in business and we can start to focus on the audience.

This week reading really gave me a lot of tactics options and also how important to learn about marketing which is very important in the future.

Week 6 - Chapter 13 : Communities and public relations

I think the two points to remember of this week reading were advantages and problems of using new media to connect with social networks and how important a public for PR objectives.

The readings made me think that it is important for PR person to have a good connection with social networks either personally or generally. One of the PR's advantage is new media be able to reach people do their two-way communication. So in this case, role between organization, clients, and publics were so important. However, there's also a problem of this way where the two parties cannot interaction perfectly, so there will be some limitation of it.

The reading also made me think about how crucial for PR practitioners to engage with social networks because public will decide the successful of a PR project. Public will decide which one is suitable enough with their tastes and preferences.

Like mentioned in this reading that it is important for PR practitioners to increase their knowledge especially in this era where all kind of types were mixing up and so many possibilities will happen. In here, role of public for PR objectives are so important.

This week reading made me think about how important to have a good relations to the public as well as media relations and social networks because in the end they will needs each other feedback.

Week 5 - chapter 5 : Etchical Practice

I think the two key points to remember of this week reading were the role of ethics in public relation and ethics as a public relation strategy. Nowadays, it is important to public relation maintain a good relationship as well as having a good ethics with the public at large to create a conducive environment. The best way to do that is public relations practitioners have to serves the public interest by developing mutual understanding, contributing as well as facilitating between the organizations and public.
There are 4 roles played by public relations practitioner that mentioned in this article; the role of counselor, which involves objectives, analysis situation and the perception of the strategic. role of advocate to led to the current debate about public relation ethics, role of corporate monitor which inform corporate monitor for their organization and also corporate conscience to serve the moral keeper for both its communication and actions.
Another advantages of ethical practice is because it can be used as a public relation strategy , sometimes it is unavoidable that there will be a conflict between the organization and the public and have a good ethics will lead a good corporation and relationship each other. So the organization have to be more concern and responsibility of improving corporate citizen, transparency to building a commercially successful business.
This reading clearly informed me that the role of ethics is very important in public relation world.

Week 4 - Chapter 9 : Media Relations

I think the two keys point to remember for this week reading were the real connection between the media and public relations and also what PR practitioners have to concern about the media and audiences.

We all know that media will always be big businesses, and role of PR practitioners are also important. Media such as television, newspaper, radio, Internet, magazines, etc are the main tools that public will use for their life. Since public relation activities is helping people to understand as well as selling products or organization, media is the answer of the 'fastest-way' to transferring information to the public. On the other hand, media activities are keep updating their self of recent news, events, issues and changes which happen nationally or even globally. As a result, the PR practitioners will tend to use the media as their tools, which is quiet effective.

But there are some rules that public relation practitioners have to concern about using the media, such as knowing the media more deeply and also targeting the audiences correctly. PR practitioners have to concern about the vary type of the media, their location, their rules of production and also their location. So if PR practitioners know very well about all variety of each medium then they can work very well with with or within them. Here, roles of audience were also important, because audience are the target who can decide how successful the product it was. Since they will give some feedback such as input or criticize, so PR practitioners have to be 'smart' of targeting their audience.

Week 3 - chapter 7 : Strategy, planning and scheduling

I think the two keys points to remember from this week readings are how important as a PR practitioners to have a good strategy and make their planning well organized.

It is clearly written in the beginning of the chapter that strategy is a series of planned activities designed and integrated to achieve a stated organisational goal. Any kind of job that we take, strategic is very important as well as a public relation that focus on communication in front of public.

It was mention in the reading about an effective strategic communication plan, such as : being open and honest, two way and responsive, receiver-oriented, timely, clear and consistent and comprehensive. Those are the important points about maintaining strategic and planning. Budgeting and scheduling were also important to make the strategies more effective, but to get that points, we have to organised the strategies and planning nicely.

This week reading strongly enough covered and gave me a lot of information about public relation practice that I've never known before. The strategic, planning and scheduling of public relations is important to the effective management of the public relations. If there are good strategic, planning, and scheduling as well as controlling the budgets continuously, I think it will be easier to reach any goals that PR practitioners want.

Week 2 - Chapter 1,2,3 : Overview, a history of public relation in Australia and theory

I think the two points to remember for this week readings are public relation activities and skill needed in public relation. Those things are the crucial part to become a better PR person.It is important to know about the roles and key activities of public relation that may be undertaken as a consultant.

Even there are a lot of activities that mentioned in this book but there are 5 interesting points that we can focus on. Such as,
Communication – imparting or exchanging thoughts, opinions or messages through visual, oral or written means.
Promotions – activities designed to create and stimulate interest in a person, product, organization or cause.
Public Affairs/lobbyist – working on behalf of private organizations in dealing with politicians and public servants who determine policy and legislation to either maintain the status quo or effect change
Community Relations – establishing and maintaining relationships between organizations and community groups affected by each other
Media relations – establishing and maintaining relationships between the media and organization (Jane Johnston and Clara Zawawi)

This is simply implying to our mind that standard job of public relations is should be like this. They have to get all the requirements, and cannot choose one or two points from the above. Have a good communication with certain people is not enough, they have to know how to have a make a good relationship with their clients so they can lobbyist them as well as a good connection with the media release and do a great promotion to the public.

There are certain skills needed by all the PR person that mentioned in this book, and divided to many kind of skills, like vocational skills that more concern to the research, writing, presentation and media, then networking ability, being thinkers as well as critical and creative, also professional skills that ability to meet deadlines and plan ahead.

However, the readings made me think more about public relation activities and skills that is not easy as other people thinks, since PR person have to responsible about anything that coming out from their opinions and they also have to meet any kind of people with their own characteristic, which is quiet hard for certain people to do that and yes, this reading makes me more appreciating a job as a public relation.