CMNS2290 week 6 readings

I believe the key messages from this week’s readings were, to put it simply, about the need for comprehensive, efficient crisis and issues management. The textbook reading explained how PR practitioners are involved with predicting and identifying potential crises and are furthermore involved in setting up frameworks and guidelines in the event that one of these possible hazards does arise. The Taylor and Kent reading investigated the way which the internet can be used in the event of a crisis. The key message from this reading seemed to centre on the fact that the internet can be used to distributed relevant, helpful information directly to the public, media, stakeholders etc. The Campbell reading explained (in great detail) the necessary roles and structures which a company needs to set up to deal with any issues or crises that may arise. The reading on ‘Direct Relief’ outlined the benefits of having a multi-layered structure in place which is designed to deal with crises (in this case the crises were external of the company).

The key points from the reading could be applied to my group work – it is obviously essential for an organisation to install a plan designed to deal with crisis. My group should consider all the possible hazardous scenarios which could accompany the PR plan which we are undertaking.

The readings made me think more about PR theory and practice – I had never really considered how far in advance crisis plans should be thought about and installed. The readings also made me realise how quickly an organisation needs to take control of the situation (whether it be through the internet, media releases or press conferences) - making their case clear to the media, stakeholders and the public. The ‘Direct Relief’ reading was good as it allowed me to observe how valuable and critical it is to have frameworks and structures in place to deal with situations. Without one, ‘Direct Relief’ would have had much trouble and delay in providing aid to areas struck by natural disasters.

The readings related to the other reading I’ve done in previous weeks – a large part of crisis management seems to be keeping a positive relationship between an organisation and the public, stakeholders and media. This relates to the week 4 and 5 readings, which outlined the importance in maintaining a good relationship with all of company’s publics. If a crisis plan does not address the different publics, then it is likely that the publics will lose confidence in the organisation and may even take their business elsewhere.

CMNS2290 week 5 readings

I believe the key messages from this week’s readings emphasised the need for employee and community relations. The textbook reading outlined the fact that employees are the ‘nuts and bolts’ of a company - keeping them and the community (stakeholders etc) happy and informed seems to be critical for a company’s success. The first of the two case studies (Private Hospitals) showcased how the two-way communication model can be used to ‘add value’ to an organisation and its members. The second case study (immigration) displayed how it is important to build up a good relationship with the community (in this case, the community was secondary schools).

The key points from the readings could be applied to my group work – it is important for all members of the group to communicate and contribute equally. This would hopefully keep everyone happy and allow productive work.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice – it is obvious that keeping company relations positive (both between employers and employees and between company and stakeholders) is a vital priority for PR practitioners and companies. The case study on Private Hospitals was good, as it outlined the research, publics, strategies and implementations which should be undertaken to get the most out of employees, members etc.

The readings related to the other reading I’ve done in previous weeks – this weeks readings expanded on last weeks (media relations). Media relations is a large, important part of PR, however, this weeks readings showed me that employees and community should come first – if you don’t have their support, there can’t be a successful company. The case studies demonstrated the need for strategic planning (as outlined in previous weeks) to fully understand employee and community relations.

CMNS2290 week 4 readings

I believe they key messages from this week’s readings were about:

How important media relations are within public relations - the media are said to make up a large portion of stakeholders within the PR sphere. The online readings highlighted framing and interpretation as well as the relationship between the media, PR and the public sphere. It looked at how the media shapes public opinion and the benefits which a PR practitioner may gain through developing a strategic media campaign. The textbook reading focused on how to build a relationship with the media – the different media styles and how to use PR tools to target these styles.

The key readings could be applied to my groups work:

I think it would be important to identify the types of media which my group need to/intend to work with. The readings could further be applied to my group work by way of which tools could be used to target different media types and how to appropriately use them.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that they:

Helped me to get a better knowledge of how to effectively get a message across to the media, stakeholders and the general public. It demonstrated how important it is to recognise who the targeted audience is and furthermore, what tools are most successful at reaching this audience e.g. media conferences allow a larger number of people (perhaps stakeholders and journalists) to deal with a story. The readings further made me realise the importance of a good relationship between a PR person and the media.

The readings related to the other readings I’ve done in previous weeks:

In previous readings the need for strategic planning and research has been highlighted. This weeks readings further looks at the need to do this – the need to research what media to use to reach key publics and the necessity of planning how to do this (media releases, press kits, feature articles etc).

CMNS2290 week 3 readings

I believe the key messages from this week’s readings were designed to stress the importance of planning, research and evaluation when undertaking a Public Relations campaign. There was emphasis placed on the need for research in identifying, establishing, maintaining and evaluation when working on a PR strategy.

I think it is important to understand how the different methodologies and research tactics can be used before, during and after a campaign. The key message from the online tutorial were about the need to search for and use reliable sources in university work.

The key points from the reading could be applied to my group work by way of understanding the sort of research which should be done before we start the project and then the continuation of this research during and after the task.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice by way of the amount of effort and planning (both before, during and after) which needs to go into a PR plan. The reading also made me aware of the different types of research and methodologies which can be applied to a project being undertaken – the ways which each type of research may aid the success of both current and future projects. It also demonstrated how it is a good idea to look at a company’s previous communication programs in order gain ideas and knowledge regarding prior methods and research used and how these may now be improved upon.

The readings related to the other reading I’ve done in previous weeks in the way that they link to the need for strategic planning and communication – research would be part of a plan to reach a specific goal. The Plowman reading related to the week two group work reading in the way that they both discuss the need for cooperation within a group in order to maximize effectiveness. Plowman also examined strategic management and the need to plan ahead for possible future situations, as did the textbook reading from week two.