Public Relations Problem Research Articles

Strategic program planning

Most public relations practitioners are familiar with the four-step public relations process, but that process falls short of providing an adequate basis for the systematic analysis of public relations problems. What is needed is a coherent, consistent framework of analysis and planning that provides a rational approach to problem solving. This article describes a strategic program planning matrix system that will enable the busy practitioner to analyze an organization's public relations problem, isolate its central core of difficulty, establish an appropriate goal or goals, develop objectives to achieve those goals, design a welltargeted communications plan, and provide for the necessary evaluation. In public relations education, the matrix can be invaluable in teaching analytical skills and providing a framework of analysis for public relations cases and problems.

Industry's Voluntary Program: Community Awareness and Emergency Response Program and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act

This paper describes the chemical industry's Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) Program, and voluntary and mandatory actions by the chemical industry to comply with the major environmental legislation. The chemical industry started the voluntary CAER Program soon after the Bhopal Disaster in 1984; it is coordinated through the Chemical Manufacturer's Association. This program, which began in March 1985, is a long-term industry commitment to develop a community outreach program and to improve local emergency response planning. The Congress of the United States began, in 1985, to consider proposals for mandatory programs. This led to enactment of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, known as SARA. A portion of this Act, entitled Title III is also known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Although this legislation has many mandatory requirements, it should be emphasized that a significant degree of voluntary industrial participation is needed if the purposes of the statute are to be achieved. Title III has created an intricate and still evolving system that ties together the EPA, industrial plant managers, state emergency response commissions, local emergency planning committees and fire departments with jurisdiction over the facility. Each of these groups has a different role and responsibilities but must work cooperatively with other participants. Because of the intricate network of participants, the magnitude of the information flow, and the continuing evolution of the system, unique public relations problems exist in order to comply with Title III.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A public relations Footnote to the pete rose affair

Lost amidst the volumes of news coverage and commentary generated by PeteRose's unsuccessful challenge to the authority of the Commissioner of Major League baseball was the origin of the Commissioner's office in 1921. Albert Lasker, generally referred to as the father of modern advertising but who also was a public relations genius, created the position of Baseball Czar as a public relations solution to the public relations problem facing baseball in the wake of the 1919–1920 Black Sox Scandal. Lasker, majority owner of the Cubs, sensed the danger to organized baseball and moved innovatively and determinedly to solve it by bringing about the appointment of Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis as baseball's czar. Landis, who ruled with a strong, firm hand from 1921 until his death in 1944,established the supremacy of the Commissioner's Office—a supremacy that a popular Pete Rose could not challenge. Lasker's public relations solution was soon copied by the motion picture industry when it was hit by the Fatty Arbuckle Scandal.

Sierra club study shows who become activists

Members of active publics who join activist groups help to create constraints on organizational autonomy that are the major reason for public relations problems and programs to solve them. This paper reports the results of a study of members of the Sierra Club that was designed to help provide a link between two theories of public relations: a situational theory of publics and an organizational theory of the relationship between environments and the public relations behavior of organizations. Previously, the situational theory has been used to identify actively communicating publics who are most likely to develop organized cognitions about issues and to engage in behaviors related to those issues. This study extends the theory by asking whether members of some publics (all-issues, apathetic, single-issue, or involving-issue-only publics) are more likely to join an activist group than members of other publics. It then asks what incentives (material, solidary, purposive, or selective incentives) motivate members of active publics to become activists. Results confirmed the basic hypotheses of the situational theory. They also showed that members of the most active public, the all-issue public, are most likely to join an activist group and to participate actively in that group. Members of the active, all-issues public also to join an activist group for purposive, political actions and policies.

<Paper>Public Relations and Political Problem in Local Government

<Paper>Public Relations and Political Problem in Local Government

Book Security System Use and Costs in Southwest Public Libraries

A survey was conducted of large public libraries in the Southwest to assess either use of book security systems or information related to a decision not to use such a system. With a 75 percent response rate, most of the libraries (80 percent security systems, but very little information had been gathered as to ther effectiveness. Formalized cost-benefit analyses typically had not been conducted. False alarms had caused some public relations problems. However, security systems in the responding libraries had relatively few breakdowns. Results indicated that each library should have an individualized security program, considering the library's goals, budget, philosophy of service, staff and collection.

Ethiopian relief:A case study in failed relations

This study examines how InterAid, a private-sector relief agency, responded to the false charge that it had misappropriated $20 million purportedly raised for Ethiopian famine relief. Its response to the media followed sound and commonly accepted principles of press relations. But InterAid's public relations problem was not primarily press-related. Its fundamental problem was that it had failed to establish and maintain supportive relationships with its key publics. Consequently, when the media crisis occurred, InterAid had no reservoir of trust and good will from which to draw, for its key publics failed to perceive benefit in continuing their relationships with the organization. This study reinforces the notions that (1) effective organizational leadership requires abalanced program of generating income and generating non-monetary support from key publics, and that (2) an organization's application of sound crisis management strategies becomes meaningful only when it is grounded on the public's existing good will and trust in the organization.

Some observations about recruiting bright students for teacher preparation

Central to current debates about improving teacher quality is the identification, recruitment, selection, and retention of individuals who have the potential to be successful teacher candidates. Recent reform agendas have suggested the preparation and retention of high quality teachers for our nation's schools is an essential prerequisite for improving public education. However, as Schlechty and Vance (1983) noted in their study of the force, teacher education does not attract recruits from among the academically able. They note that is unattractive to the more academically able and disproportionately attractive to the less able creates a significant public relations problem for the occupation and probably serves to discourage potentially competent teachers from pursuing careers in teaching (Schlechty & Vance, 1983, p. 6). One result of this plea to improve the quality of teacher candidates has been increased efforts on many college campuses to attract more academically able students into teacher education programs. Although it is generally accepted academic ability alone is not a sufficient predictor of success in teacher preparation, most would agree it is necessary and even desirable for students to be academically proficient

Responding to Customer Concerns About Home Treatment Devices

Although most vendors of home water treatment devices use ethical sales methods, a few unscrupulous salespeople can cause serious public relations problems for water utilities. To be effective in responding to customer concerns, utilities should be proactive in providing information about tap water quality. Utilities should also be prepared to take action against fraudulent advertisers in their service areas.

Applying ethical theory to public relations

There seems to be a prevailing belief among public relations professionals that ethical problems can easily be solved by either reference to a simplified code or citation of a few well-worn platitudes. However, the route to a more complete understanding of questions of ethics is circuitous and often painstaking. By applying a number of ethical theories to a public relations problem, both the skilled public relations technician and the public relations professional may arrive at similar conclusions concerning moral obligations; however, the professional is in the most favorable position to effect change.

Ten Years of Excellence— Brochure Gets the Message Across

Although Roosevelt High School was a success, the school still faced a public relations problem. The result was a promotional brochure that describes the uniqueness of the high school.

Public relations problems in addressing internal and external audiences in campus union organizing drives

Public relations problems in addressing internal and external audiences in campus union organizing drives

The health insurance industry: structural and strategic issues in an uncertain environment.

Pressures on the health insurance industry emanates from the federal and state governments, from policyholders, from competitors and from rising inflation. The health care cost crisis presents the industry with major public relations problems. Health insurance firms are responding to pressures and problems in different ways.

Coorientational measurement of public issues

Public relations practitioners traditionally use public opinion surveys to measure the effectiveness of their programs. The more the public agrees with the organization's point-of-view, according to this traditional approach, the more successful the program has been. Broom argues, however, that such public opinion surveys “do not provide all the information needed to adequately describe corporate-public relationships on issues of mutual concern.” He introduces the coorientational approach to measurement, which he says provides additional indicators of public relations effect. These indicators include mutual understanding, accuracy, and congruency-in addition to the traditional objective of agreement. Broom discusses how these concepts can be used in identifying public relations problems, planning PR programs, and in measuring effects of programs. He then provides examples of actual use of the coorientational framework in public relations-related research.

HIATUSPORT—AN ON-SCENE COORDINATOR ROLE-PLAYING EXERCISE1

ABSTRACT “Hiatusport” is an exercise utilized by the U.S. Coast Guard as the culmination of training for on-scene coordinators (OSC) and staff. Emphasis is placed on management of information and resources to achieve response goals established for the federal government by the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan. In addition to the primary task of spill cleanup, significant public relations problems involving the press, political figures, and private citizens interject the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the on-scene command post during a major spill. For the problem, students are divided into groups and assume roles such as OSC and public relations coordinator. After a briefing on the opening situation, the first group occupies the “command post” and begins playing the exercise. Each of the four one-hour segments has specific objectives (e.g., evaluate spiller's action to determine if a federal response is appropriate). At the conclusion of each segment, a critique is conducted using a predetermined list of discussion points. The “Hiatusport” technique provides definite insights adaptable for use in other training programs.

System Security Research for the 1970's

Five basic needs for the improvement of system security are identified. Brief discussions are presented in the areas of system design, coordinated operation, more effective operation, and political- public relations problems. Recent results in the fifth basic need for system security, the development of more sophisticated approaches to the problems of system control, are presented. The results are in research areas sponsored by Electric Research Council Research Project RP90. Finally, several suggestions are offered for further research in this vital area of system control.

Tax Burden of the Oil and Gas Industry

Tax Burden of the Oil and Gas Industry

Effective Public Relations

Concepts, practitioners, context and origins - introduction to contemporary public relations, practitioners, organizational settings, historical origins foundations - ethics and professionalism, legal considerations, theoretical underpinnings, communication and public opinion, media and media relations management process - step one - defining public relations problems, step two - planning and programming, step three - taking action and communicating, step four - evaluating the program the practice - business and industry, government and military, non-profits, health care and education, trade associations, professional societies and labor unions.

Observations of Pen-Reared European Hogs Released for Stocking

In May, 1962, 26 pen-reared European hogs (Sus scrofa) were released near Crossville, Ten- nessee, in an attempt to establish another huntable population. Their behavior created public relations problems. They frequently left the boundary of the wildlife area and Tennessee Game and Fish Com- mission personnel returned them 22 times. A cruising radius of 1.5 to 2 miles may be typical for young European hogs. The stocking failed to establish a new population, apparently because the released ani- mals were too tame.

How Much Public Relations in Government?

JUST how important is the public relations (PR) function? Is it of equal importance in different types and kinds of organizations-industrial, business, nonprofit community services, governmental? There exist basic factors which have a bearing on the answers to these questions. In general, the following are at least some of the factors which limit the importance of the PR function. 1. If PR is concerned with the relationships of the organization and its various more or less sharply delineated publics, then it certainly seems logical to assert that, if these publics are small both in number and in kind, the PR problems of stich an organization might be said to be of limited significance. 2. If PR is concerned with the ways or manners in which these various relationships are conducted, then, if the degree of constraint inherent in a specific channel of relationships is high, the amount of permissiveness allowed must be severely limited. Thus, an organization characterized by high constraints will have little left to be done in its relationships not controlled by rule, code, or law. The PR function will be reduced directly as the constraints are increased. 3. To the degree that the function of PR is to facilitate information inward for purposes of policy determination and formulation, the amount and kind of information about the needs, wants, expectations, and satisfactions of the various publics of the organization will determine the significance of this function. If the amount of such information is small and the policy is itself sharply > The public relations function may be of unequal importance in different types of organizations due to limitations resulting from the number and kind of publics, the degree of constraints on policy-making discretion, and inadequate reporting of information from the employee at the point of contact between the organization and its publics to the policy-making centers of the organization. The public relations needs of a local unemployment compensation office are examined as a case study and show that whatever public relations problems appear are centered around the customeremployee relationship where the employee is the key figure.