Introduction
Public relations or PR can be defined as the practice and promotions required to manage the continuous course of exchange of information between the public and a nation or organization. Through public relations, an organization or nation can gain valuable exposure from the public and audiences by using news items and other matters of public interest. Unlike advertising, public relations involve exposing the credible 3rd party issues of the organization, individual, or nation, and thus it offers 3rd party authenticity.
Public Relations ─ Functions and principles
The principles of public relations can be used for building mutual understanding between the general public, investors, employees, voters, and customers. These principles enable an organization or nation to portray itself in a particular manner within the specified public arena. The principles of public relations allow one to carry out good PR so that they can be engaged in a constructive manner for connecting with the public or audience. Some of the principles include ─
- Developing and following a properly framed message framework
- Translating the nation or corporate-specific jargon into a plain language that the public can easily understand
- Demonstrating that the feedback has been listened to and will be considered for future
- Practicing authenticity in all forms of communication (Smith, 2006)
Further, the principles of public relations also include management functions that are deliberate and planned, where its performance depends on the interests of the public through effective 2-way communication. Since public relations can be defined as a management function where the exchange of information takes place, the principles of collaboration, recognition, and understanding become very important. The principles of public relations help to define public interest policies, tabulate the attitudes of the public, and specify the interests and procedures of the organization or nation so that a proper action program can be executed that earns acceptance and understanding from the public.
The major functions of PR can be classified into 2 classes ─ societal and organizational. These further include functions such as monitoring, communication or advocacy, conscience, and censoring social changes. While the societal functions include activities and interests concerning a particular society and the individuals and public connected with it, the organizational functions are concerned more with a particular organization. Thus, the societal functions of public relations can be further broken down into issues and crisis management, public affairs, government affairs, marketing communication, and consumer relations management. The organizational function can be broken down into employee, consumer and investor relations, publicity, and media and communications management. Whatever category the function of public relations falls in, it has been shaped such that, it can build up support and goodwill among the organization or nation and the public or community. The functions of public relations allow it to give the nation or organization a competitive edge so that a bond of trust and respect can be formed with the public and customers. Depending on the promotion of the nation, individual, or organization, the functions of public relations can shift between organizational and societal. (Watson & Noble, 2007)
Critical evaluation and significance
The significance of the article lies in the fact that it has aptly been able to show us the importance of a nation’s image and how to manage it during a crisis through the example of China when she got involved in the much-hyped “Made in China” disputation. This article also tells us how the public relations of China were able to get her out of the crisis situation and the methods that were used to do so. When the image of a nation comes under scrutiny then mere apologies are not enough to make the required amendments. Public relations along with other tools like media diplomacy are among the only strategic communication measures that can be used for enhancing the image of a nation. It was only through her public relations that China was able to deal with the crisis situation by the use of corrective actions. China’s public relations were able to bring her out of the situation and helped in forming a new image indicating sureness and determination.
The importance of public relations for the maintenance of the image of a nation is completely evident from the various strategies that the Chinese government used for repairing its image. The literature review of the article further tells us about the image repair schemes that were used by china during her crisis situation. It is here that we find the significant input of public relations in repairing the image of China. China used a corrective action consisting of 3 well defines stages for repairing her image. At first, china tried denial and bolstering as her image repair strategy, but this did not work since other nations started accusing her of yet other damages and also raised uncertainties about blameworthiness. The second stage consisted of her using an intermediate action where she tried to protect her reputation. The public relations insights used helped her to lessen offensiveness but still did not completely clear her image. Finally, she used a remedial action consisting of corrective actions where she promised to remedy all the wrongdoings and problems. This public relations strategy of China allowed other nations to see her cohered image enabling her to gain back the respect and trust she deserved from the other nations.
From the article, it becomes completely evident that nations use public relations for rehabilitating their image in the various forms of media. They can even conceptualize the notion of diplomacy as a means of a symbolic interaction procedure so that a nation can dynamically discuss and construct their image through the active help of the media by using various non-verbal and verbal symbolizations. The importance of public relations also comes from the fact that due to lack of public relation insights China had allowed others to raise suspicions and uncertainties as to what her actions and real intentions were when it came to image repairing. The only way China would have, and did, improve her image was through well designed public relation strategies along with her media strategies. Her public image campaign was able to rehabilitate her image enhancing her diplomatic efforts as well. (Peijuan, Ting & Pang, 2009)
Professional assessment
I have found this article extremely helpful because it made me realize the role played by public relations in managing the image of a nation during a crisis situation. Through China’s example I was able to practically understand and gain first hand experience about the actual methods that can be used in a situation such as this. This article also helped me understand the different stages that are used by public relation in repairing the image of a nation in times of crisis. By telling the readers how the government of China was able to handle its image crisis, the authors have brought us face to face with a lot about the Chinese culture too since, it has now become clear that China considers face saving to be a very significant communications device when dealing with repairing a nation’s political image. I am now able to understand how face saving actually protected China allowing her to preserve her dignity.
The one thing I did not find helpful about this article is that only articles from English language news agencies have been analyzed here by the authors while the Chinese language wire sources have been completely left out. Since we are dealing with the image crisis situation which took place in China, their news sources should have been given more priority.
Conclusion
I would recommend this article to public relation managers all over the world who have to deal with crisis management situations while having to keep up their nation’s image in front of the public. I would specifically recommend this article to the public relation managers who work with the politicians and leaders of the country. I would recommend this article to every political leader of the world since it helps to extend one’s partial knowledge about how public relations can be used for repairing the image of a nation in crisis. This article is also helpful since it tries to inspect how perceptions of public relations can be enforced on those of public diplomacy so that a nation’s image can be effectively managed through public relation insights.
References
Peijuan, C., Ting, L.P. & Pang, A. (2009). Managing a nation’s image during crisis: A study of the Chinese government’s image repair efforts in the “Made in China” controversy. Public Relations Review 35(2009), 213–218.
Smith, D.R. (2006). Strategic planning for public relations. London: Routledge,
Watson, T. & Noble, P. (2007). Evaluating Public Relations: A Best Practice Guide to Public Relations Planning, Research and Evaluation. NY: Kogan Page Publishers.