What is Your Public Relations Style?
by Dick Dyer, APR

Having recently taught an accreditation class on public relations communication’s theory, I was reminded of the differences in approach to public relations in this world. (The APR after a practitioner’s name stands for national accreditation in public relations under the auspices of the Public Relations Society of America and several independent public relations organizations).

Here are three different definitions of public relations. Which describes your organization’s approach to public relations?

“For me, public relations boils down to getting people to do what you want them to do.”
—James Tolley

“If you are communicating effectively, you will get positive recognition from the audiences you are trying to influence, which means people will think what you are doing is right and that you are doing it in the right way. When you get positive recognition your influence grows. You are perceived as competent, effective, worthy of respect—powerful. ”
— Robert L. Dilenschneider

“What I’ll call the ‘Department of State’ P.R. model is an idealistic goal, but a great deal of P.R. activity fits within a ‘Department of Defense’ analogy. There are vigorous P.R. battalions on both sides of many of the divisive issues our society is confronting, with limited or little hope of negotiation. These battalions seek dominant status for their viewpoints.”
— Lawrence R. Tavcar

Each of the above public relations leaders has unique approaches to the profession and the way any organization should look at their public relations function. Each is valid in their own way. Each appeared as examples of asymmetrical communications in the book, Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management by Jim Grunig.

Grunig’s point is that we have moved beyond what these leaders represented as late as 1990 as a definition of the public relations function. Because of Jim Grunig and researchers of his ilk, we have moved to a New World definition—that of symmetrical communications.

What’s the difference?

At one point or another in my career, I would have embodied any of the above definitions. Indeed, I lived and practiced according to those definitions of the public relations function. Was it wrong to do so? No, but now I realize that there is even a more effective approach.

Here are the key differences:

Non-manipulative strategies

Lord knows that public relations has had a bad rap for years for its appearance as a manipulative profession. We all know that public relations practitioners deliberately manipulate the facts in order to get target publics to believe certain things are absolute and inalienable. I have spent much of my career dispelling that myth (I have also learned that some people indeed do practice accordingly).

The problem with the above definitions of the public relations function is that none of them do anything to dispel the myth of manipulation. “Getting people to do what you want them to do,”—“You are perceived as… powerful,”—”…battalions seek dominant status for their viewpoints.” With quotes like these what are folks to expect of the profession.

Listening

Contrast these definitions with what Grunig calls symmetrical communications and you can see a major difference. Symmetrical communications means that you take your corporation or non-profit into a discussion with target publics to truly listen to ways that you can mutually benefit from proposed activity your organization would like to put forward. It means that you are willing as an entity to give up some things in order to gain a mutually beneficial relationship with your target audiences. It means that they perceive you are listening and that they have gained from the dialogue and resulting negotiations as well.

All of this is based around the concept you have read in this column before: “It doesn’t matter where you are—what matters is where your target publics are.” It is easier to move to mutually beneficial results if you start by listening in the spirit of true symmetrical communications.

Happy listening!

Dick Dyer operates his own public relations firm in Winthrop, Maine. He enjoys hearing from readers on column ideas and/or questions they would like pursued within this column. You can reach him by email dyerapr@fairpoint.net or by phone at (207) 512-2217.