Exploring Public Relations, 2nd Edition [2nd ed.] 0273715941, 9780273715948

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Exploring Public Relations

Exploring Public Relations Ralph Tench Liz Yeomans l

Second Edition Exploring Public Relations is the deinitive academic text on Public Relations. The irst edition, which published in 2006, has sold in its thousands and is now essential reading on courses in PR at undergraduate and postgraduate level. This second edition continues to provide a critical analysis of the subject and a sophisticated blend of theory with real life, and includes many case studies, activity exercises, discussion questions and full-colour photographs to illustrate the discussions in the text.

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New chapter on ‘celebrity’, keeping up to date with the latest PR stunts

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Rewritten chapter on Media Relations responding to changes in this fast-moving area

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More case material on internationalisation/globalisation - from Asia and South America speciically, showing the truly global nature of PR

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Glossary at the back of the book guiding the reader through the jargon

Liz Yeomans is subject leader for public relations and communications at Leeds Metropolitan University. Since joining the university in 1994, Liz has helped establish a centre of excellence in public relations education and training. As well as contributing to the BA (Hons) Public Relations programme, she has developed and taught new courses for working professionals – including the nationally recognised qualiication the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Diploma.

Second Edition Ralph Tench

Professor Ralph Tench is professor of communications education at Leeds Metropolitan University. Ralph was the subject leader for public relations and communications at Leeds Metropolitan University for 10 years where he oversaw the expansion of the undergraduate, postgraduate and professional course portfolio. He is widely published in books and academic journals ranging from management to education journals and has presented his research around the world.

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Cover image © Getty Images

www.pearson-books.com

Liz Yeomans

Visit www.pearsoned.co.uk/tench to access additional resources to help with your teaching and learning.

Exploring Public Relations Ralph Tench Liz Yeomans l

Second Edition

Exploring Public Relations Visit the Exploring Public Relations, second edition, Companion Website at www.pearsoned.co.uk/tench to find valuable student learning material including: • Extra case studies • Links to relevant sites on the web

We work with leading authors to develop the strongest educational materials in public relations, bringing cutting-edge thinking and best learning practice to a global market. Under a range of well-known imprints, including Financial Times Prentice Hall, we craft high quality print and electronic publications that help readers to understand and apply their content, whether studying or at work. To find out more about the complete range of our publishing, please visit us on the World Wide Web at: www.pearsoned.co.uk

Exploring Public Relations Second edition

Ralph Tench Professor Leeds Metropolitan University

Liz Yeomans Subject Group Leader, Public Relations and Communications Leeds Metropolitan University

Pearson Education Limited Edinburgh Gate Harlow Essex CM20 2JE England and Associated Companies throughout the world Visit us on the World Wide Web at: www.pearsoned.co.uk First published 2006 Second edition published 2009 © Pearson Education Limited 2006, 2009 The rights of Ralph Tench and Liz Yeomans to be identified as authors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. The use of any trademark in this text does not vest in the author or publisher any trademark ownership rights in such trademarks, nor does the use of such trademarks imply any affiliation with or endorsement of this book by such owners. ISBN: 978-0-273-71594-8 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Exploring public relations / [edited by] Ralph Tench, Liz Yeomans. – 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-273-71594-8 1. Public relations. I. Tench, Ralph. II. Yeomans, Liz. HM1221.E97 2009 659.2–dc22 2009013610 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 11 10 09 Typeset in 9.5/12pt Minion by 35 Printed and bound by Graficas Estella, Navarro, Spain The publisher’s policy is to use paper manufactured from sustainable forests.

Brief Contents Guided tour About the authors Foreword Preface Publisher’s acknowledgements

Part 1 The context of public relations

xvi xviii xxii xxiii xxv

1

1

Public relations origins: definitions and history

2

Management and organisation of public relations

19

3

Role of the public relations practitioner

35

4

Media context of contemporary public relations and journalism

68

5

Public relations and democracy

82

6

Community and society: corporate social responsibility (CSR)

97

7

International context of public relations

Part 2 Public relations theories and concepts

3

117

147

8

Public relations theories: an overview

149

9

Public relations as planned communication

174

10

Public relations research and evaluation

198

11

Audiences, stakeholders, publics

222

12

Corporate image, reputation and identity

237

13

Public relations, propaganda and the psychology of persuasion

252

14

Ethics and professionalism in public relations

273

Public relations specialisms

293

15

Media relations

295

16

Internal communication

316

17

Managing community involvement programmes

338

Part 3

vi

BRIEF CONTENTS

18

Issues management

364

19

Crisis public relations management

385

20

Public relations and the consumer

409

21

Business-to-business public relations

426

22

Public affairs

441

23

Financial public relations (FPR)

462

24

Public relations for information and communications technologies: principles and planning

481

25

Integrated marketing communications

498

26

Sponsorship

517

Part 4 Sectoral considerations

537

27

Corporate communication

539

28

Campaigning organisations and pressure groups

560

29

Public sector communication and social marketing

577

30

Arts, leisure and entertainment public relations

600

31

Celebrity and public relations

621

32

What next? Future issues for public relations

632

Glossary Index

645 653

Contents Guided tour About the authors Foreword Preface Publisher’s acknowledgements

Part 1 The context of public relations 1

2

3

Public relations origins: definitions and history Lee Edwards

xvi xviii xxii xxiii xxv

1 3

Introduction Public relations definitions Public opinion: justifying public relations Business, politics and public relations: country case studies Summary Bibliography

4 4 8 9 16 17

Management and organisation of public relations Anne Gregory

19

Introduction Importance of context External environment Internal environment Systems theory Location of public relations in organisations Future of the public relations department Summary Bibliography

20 20 20 24 26 27 32 33 33

Role of the public relations practitioner Ralph Tench, Meriel D’Artrey and Johanna Fawkes

35

Introduction Who are the public relations practitioners? Who does what: the bigger picture Role of the communicator What public relations people do: individual practitioners Skills for the ideal practitioner Role of theory in practice Professionalism

36 36 36 44 48 51 57 58

viii

CONTENTS

4

5

6

Education and research Summary Bibliography

60 65 66

Media context of contemporary public relations and journalism Neil Washbourne

68

Introduction Contemporary media context: the UK media industry Theories of media Regulating the media: from public interest to the market ‘Public interest’ Issues for public relations arising from the global media environment Ethics of journalism and public relations Summary Bibliography

69 69 70 72 74 76 78 80 80

Public relations and democracy Robert Leach

82

Introduction Conditions for representative democracy Criticisms of modern democracy Elections and voting Elections and political parties Pressure groups and democracy Democracy and multilevel governance Public relations and modern democracy Summary Bibliography Websites

83 83 84 86 88 90 92 93 95 95 96

Community and society: corporate social responsibility (CSR) Ralph Tench

97

Introduction Social and economic change Sustainable business: corporate social responsibility (CSR) Business case for corporate social responsibility: why be socially responsible? Organisational responsibilities to stakeholders Organisational responsibilities to society Corporate responsibility and irresponsibility Regulatory frameworks Ethics and business practice Summary Bibliography Websites

7

International context of business relations György Szondi Introduction Defining international public relations

98 98 98 103 105 105 107 109 109 114 115 116

117 118 119

CONTENTS

Factors and driving forces behind internationalisation International public relations agency networks Global or local approaches to international public relations Special areas of international public relations Public relations for a supranational organisation: the European Union Critical voices in international public relations Professionalism on a global level: public relations as a global profession Summary Bibliography

Part 2 Public relations theories and concepts 8

Public relations theories: an overview Lee Edwards Introduction Systems theories: emergence of public relations research Extending the systemic view Developing theory: alternative approaches Feminist views of public relations Diversity in public relations Summary Bibliography

9

Public relations as planned communication Anne Gregory Introduction Why planning is important Systems context of planning Approaches to the planning process Analysis Setting objectives Identifying publics Messages or content Strategy and tactics Timescales and resources Evaluation and review Summary Bibliography

10

Public relations research and evaluation György Szondi and Rüdiger Theilmann Introduction Context of research in public relations Designing research Qualitative vs quantitative research Research methods Designing research instruments Research applications Evaluation

ix

121 127 127 134 141 143 143 145 145

147 149 150 150 156 158 161 164 169 169

174 175 175 176 177 179 183 185 186 188 190 193 197 197

198 199 199 201 204 204 208 212 213

x

CONTENTS

Summary Bibliography

11

Audiences, stakeholders, publics Gerard Choo Introduction The passive audience The active audience Stakeholders and publics New thinking on publics Summary Bibliography

12

Corporate image, reputation and identity Daniel Löwensberg Introduction Organisational public relations Organisational image Organisational reputation Organisational identity Personality and culture Organisational identity, strategy and process: two models Summary Bibliography

13

Public relations, propaganda and the psychology of persuasion Johanna Fawkes Introduction Public relations and propaganda Public relations and persuasion Who says: the question of credibility Says what: the nature of the message To whom: the audience perspective To what effect: forming and changing attitudes and beliefs Ethical persuasion: is it possible? Summary Bibliography Websites

14

Ethics and professionalism in public relations Anne Gregory Introduction Importance of ethics and professionalism in public relations Definitions of ethics and morality Ethical theories (traditions) Duty to whom? Ethical issues in public relations Ethical decision-making models and their application Summary

219 221

222 223 223 225 228 231 235 235

237 238 238 239 240 240 243 247 251 251

252 253 253 256 257 258 262 263 268 270 270 272

273 274 274 276 276 280 282 285 288

CONTENTS

Bibliography Appendix 1: Chartered Institute of Public Relations Code of Conduct Appendix 2: Global Alliance Ethics Protocol

Part 3 15

293

Media relations Richard Bailey

295

Internal communication Liz Yeomans Introduction Definition and purpose of internal communication Where it all began: the in-house journalist Skills to strategy Employee perspective: ‘just a job’? Segmenting internal publics Organisations: culture, leadership and strategic change Line manager role: listening and interpreting Communication channels Ethical communication Summary Bibliography

17

Managing community involvement programmes Martin Langford Introduction Corporate community involvement (CCI) programmes Employees and community programmes Cause-related marketing (CRM) Developing community programmes Evaluating community programmes Summary Bibliography Websites

18

288 290 291

Public relations specialisms

Introduction Role of media relations Defining issue: advertising or public relations? Media relations principles Negotiated news: media relations in practice Media partnerships Old media, new media and me media Media relations techniques Summary Bibliography

16

xi

Issues management Paul Gillions Introduction Issues management: defining the field

296 296 296 299 301 304 308 312 314 314

316 317 318 318 318 322 324 326 330 331 333 335 336

338 339 339 342 345 351 357 362 362 363

364 365 365

xii

CONTENTS

Context of issues management Action planning: a framework for managing issues Summary Bibliography Websites

19

Crisis public relations management Martin Langford Introduction Crisis public relations management: the context Crisis public relations management vs operational effectiveness Where do crises come from? Communicating during a crisis The Internet and public relations crisis management How to prepare for a crisis Key principles in crisis management Summary Bibliography Websites

20

Public relations and the consumer Paul Willis Introduction What is consumer public relations? Tools and techniques The wonderful world of brands Key challenges Tomorrow’s people Summary Bibliography

21

Business-to-business public relations Dennis Kelly Introduction Core principles of business-to-business (B2B) public relations Trade journals and journalists Coordinating the communications disciplines Building corporate reputation Summary Bibliography Websites

22

Public affairs Kevin Moloney Introduction Scope of public affairs Public affairs defined Contexts of public affairs Public affairs: knowledge, skills and behaviour needed

367 370 383 383 384

385 386 386 388 389 390 398 399 401 407 408 408

409 410 410 412 417 419 422 424 424

426 427 427 427 433 436 440 440 440

441 442 442 443 444 447

CONTENTS

Ethics and public affairs Summary Bibliography

23

Financial public relations (FPR) Ryan Bowd Introduction Overview of financial public relations The landscape of the City: who’s involved in financial public relations Financial PR practice Emerging issues and trends Summary Bibliography Websites

24

Public relations for information and communications technologies: principles and planning Lee Edwards Introduction Information and communication technology (ICT): background and social impact Industry characteristics ICT audience characteristics Public relations in the ICT industry: a model Principles of ICT public relations practice Summary Bibliography

25

Integrated marketing communications Graham Hughes Introduction Definitions of integrated marketing communications (IMC) Strategic marketing communications planning Branding and integrated marketing communications Agency perspectives on integrated marketing communications Integrating the marketing communications mix Summary Bibliography Websites

26

Sponsorship Sierk Horn Introduction Sponsorship: the context Defining sponsorship Management of sponsorship Features and characteristics of sponsorship ‘Emotional marketing’ and the emerging sponsorship age Summary Bibliography

xiii

454 460 461

462 463 463 466 468 477 478 479 480

481 482 482 483 485 490 492 496 497

498 499 499 504 505 507 509 515 515 516

517 518 518 520 523 527 530 535 535

xiv

CONTENTS

Part 4 Sectoral considerations 27

Corporate communication Emma Wood Introduction Definition of corporate communication and key terms Context and principles of corporate communication Interface of corporate communication and overall corporate strategy How corporate communication influences corporate decision making Corporate communication objectives: stakeholders vs shareholders Practical application of critical reflection Summary Bibliography

28

Campaigning organisations and pressure groups Sue Wolstenholme Introduction Types of campaigning organisation Key issues for public relations practitioners in organisations and campaigning groups Campaign tactics People, politics and globalisation Building and evaluating consensus Practical guidelines for campaigning public relations Summary Bibliography Websites

29

Public sector communication and social marketing Liz Yeomans Introduction Theories of public communication Central government communication Local government communication Health sector communication A communication planning framework Summary Bibliography Websites

30

Arts, leisure and entertainment public relations Shirley Beresford and Johanna Fawkes Introduction Overview of the creative industries Concepts of culture Role of public relations in the creative industries Public relations objectives, strategies and tactics for arts organisations Trends and directions in the creative industries Summary

537 539 540 540 547 551 552 553 555 557 558

560 561 561 565 566 568 569 572 575 575 576

577 578 578 586 590 591 596 597 597 599

600 601 601 605 606 608 611 619

CONTENTS

Bibliography Websites

31

Celebrity and public relations Elliot Pill Introduction Background and historical development of the VIP (very important person) The rise of the celebrity Publicists, ‘PRs’ and the PR industry Why celebrities are good for the ‘bottom line’ Heroes, celebrity and the global celebrity industry Consumer reaction: why people ‘buy into’ celebrities How celebrity image is manufactured and maintained Summary Bibliography

32

What next? Future issues for public relations Ralph Tench and Liz Yeomans

xv

619 620

621 622 622 623 625 625 626 627 628 631 631

632

Introduction Future trends and issues for public relations Campaigning and pressure groups Internationalisation of public relations Publics Public relations’ identity Issues Technology Practitioner roles and professionalism in public relations Specialisation of public relations practice Media fragmentation Education Summary Bibliography

633 633 638 639 639 640 640 641 641 641 642 642 643 643

Glossary Index

645 653

Supporting resources Visit www.pearsoned.co.uk/tench to find valuable online resources Companion Website for students • Extra case studies • Links to relevant sites on the web For instructors • Complete, downloadable Instructor’s Manual • PowerPoint slides that can be downloaded and used as OHTs For more information please contact your local Pearson Education sales representative or visit www.pearsoned.co.uk/tench

Guided tour 36

CHAPTER 2

Anne Gregory

Management and organisation of public relations

Part 1

THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Introduction Everyone thinks they know what public relations (PR) practitioners do. They either hang out with celebrities and sell kiss ‘n’ tell stories to the Sunday newspapers or they whisper in politicians’ ears and ‘spin’ the entire national media. Don’t they? A glance at the contents page of this book will suggest otherwise. Each chapter addresses a particular area of PR theory or practice and while there are chapters on media relations and public affairs, the reality does not match the image (which may be disappointing for some). This chapter aims to show where people work in PR and what they do in

the jobs. It explores the problems caused by difficulties in defining the field, but also the opportunities for individual and professional development. PR practice is linked to PR theory and the need for individuals to undertake lifelong learning is stressed. The role of education and the question of professionalism are also discussed, along with the role of professional bodies. Traditionally, books about PR have tended to be either too academic to shed much light on the practice or ‘how to’ lists by retired practitioners who only describe what they did in their heyday.

Who are the public relations practitioners?

about the industry in Britain and in other countries (see Boxes 3.1 and 3.2 and then complete Activity 3.2).

There is a lot of confusion about who does what in PR – see Activity 3.1. It may be helpful to look at some facts

Who does what: the bigger picture

Activity 3.1

Learning outcomes

Definitions of field What is public relations all about?

By the end of this chapter you should be able to: ■ describe the principal external influences that contextualise public relations activity overall ■ analyse this external environment, select those factors relevant to any particular organisation and evaluate their impact using appropriate theories and analytical tools

■ identify the principal internal influences that affect the status and nature of public relations activity ■ identify the relevant underlying theories ■ provide an evidence-based rationale for proposing an appropriate public relations structure for typical organisations ■ describe, justify and evaluate the roles, location and tasks of public relations specialists within organisations and their relationship with other functional and line departments

■ speculate on the future role of public relations specialists, building realistic scenarios from current evidence.

Structure ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

This chapter aims to bridge that divide by setting practice clearly in a theoretical context and including examples of practice from different countries. It also reflects a range of experiences, through case studies and diaries, of being a practitioner at the start of the twentyfirst century. Throughout the chapter you will be able to read mini case histories and diaries of public relations practitioners who are working in different types of settings to help you appreciate the diversity of the practice and hopefully gain an insight into what people actually do.

Ask your friends and family what they think PR is all about and/or which PR practitioners they have heard of.

Feedback

Chapter 1 has already explored the historical evolution of PR and discussed the various definitions that are provided from a range of sources including academics, practitioners, national and international professional bodies. This lack of an agreed definition is, however, still a problem for the practice. Deciding what it is and what

Chances are that the responses will not be flattering and that the individuals named may be high profile themselves (such as Max Clifford – who wouldn’t consider himself to be anything other than a publicist) or certainly represent activities or individuals with a significant media interest (sport, music, politics). Yet the bona fide PR practitioner will not be seeking exposure for themselves, but for the client or the organisation they work for. You may also find that media relations is the function or activity most closely associated with these high-profile individuals. Take a quick look at the contents list of this book and the breadth and range of subject matter covered under PR. Are these activities reflected in most people’s understanding of the practice? Probably not.

Importance of context External environment Internal environment Systems theory Location of public relations in organisations Future of the public relations department

Activity 3.2 Comparing PR in different countries Look at the information in Boxes 3.1 and 3.2. What are the key differences? How does each country’s PR association define PR? Look at each of their websites (some sites have English translations).

Feedback Check out other websites – how do their ideas and statistics vary? How many have English translations? Does the UK site have other languages available? If not, why not? (See also Chapter 7.)

The Learning outcomes will enable you to focus on what you need to have learnt by the end of the chapter.

The Introduction section provides a concise overview of the themes and issues explored in each chapter.

The Structure section will enable you to quickly examine the key points which will be presented in each chapter.

The Activity sections will encourage you to take your learning further by conducting web research and engaging in discussions with others.

12

Part 1

Chapter 1 Public relations origins

THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Britain: public interest in private opinions While commercial interests adopted and drove the development of PR in the United States, it was the public sector, and local government in particular, that was the driving force behind the early use of PR in Britain (see Chapter 29). As noted in the introduction, little has been written about the history of PR in Britain, with the exception of Jacquie L’Etang’s (2004b) professional history. Her book forms the basis for much of the discussion that follows. In the same way as the business sector in the United States began to use public relations as a means of protecting itself against attacks from the reformists, local governments in Britain found themselves looking to PR techniques to reinforce the importance of their role in the face of potential central government cutbacks during the 1920s and 1930s. Local communities and businesses did not understand what the role of local government was and regarded it as a bureaucratic irritant rather than a valuable service. As a result, the focus of much early PR in Britain was on the presentation of facts to persuade the public – genuine truths about what local government contributed to the public good. It was assumed that the power of truth would persuade both the public and central government to be more supportive of local officials and

Box 1.1 Documentary film in UK public relations Documentary film was one of the most popular forms of both internal and external communication in both the public sector and corporations between the 1930s and the late 1970s. Under the influence of Stephen Tallents, state-sponsored film units were attached to the Empire Marketing Board, the Post Office (GPO), the Ministry of Information during the Second World War and, following the war, the Central Office of Information. One of the most famous documentaries of this early period was Night Mail (1936) made for the GPO, scripted by the poet W.H. Auden and with music composed by Benjamin Britten. The nationalisation of key industries after the war led to other public sector film units being set up for internal

policies. As early as 1922, the local government trade union, the National Association of Local Government Officials (NALGO), recommended that all local councils include a press or publicity division in their makeup (L’Etang 2004b). While central government did not make so much use of communications strategies in peacetime, the development of PR was also closely linked to the use of propaganda during the two world wars. Truth, here, was not so critical but its sacrifice was justified in light of the need to win at all costs. The need to unite a population under one cause did create opportunities to persuade using other messages and means. One of these was the British Documentary Film Movement, inspired by John Grierson, who focused on using film to educate the public on matters of public interest. Visual communications were thus used to present ‘truth’, in the form of a rational argument, in a compelling fashion (L’Etang 2004b). See also Box 1.1. The propaganda industry during both world wars spawned many post-war practitioners, individuals seeking a new profession in a world where propaganda was no longer required. In addition, many wartime journalists were left jobless once peace broke out, and frequently went into PR. In the years following the Second World War, the commercial sector in Britain woke up to the possibilities of communication and the industry started to expand more rapidly. Almost 50 years after the first US consultancies,

training and external promotion. Examples of these are British Transport Films (BTF) and the National Coal Board Film Unit. Corporate film units were connected to Dunlop and ICI, but it is the Shell Oil Film Unit that is regarded as one of the most celebrated of the Documentary Movement. The films were often released into cinemas and while many were indirectly related to the company’s activities (Shell’s first film was Airport (1934)), the themes were more general, thus exerting a subtle influence on the public. Another group of films made by the Shell Oil Film Unit were educational and unrelated to oil. These films covered topics such as traditional rural crafts, the evolution of paint, and the environment. When film was replaced by video in the 1980s, Shell continued as one of the key players in the audio-visual communications industry. Source: adapted from www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/ 964488/index.html (British Film Institute)

Boxes deliver a wealth of information about the public relations industry.

Mini Case Study 1.2 Basil Clarke – Britain’s first public relations consultant? Basil Clarke was a former Daily Mail journalist who founded his own consultancy, Editorial Services, in 1926, following a career in several government ministries where he directed public information. Editorial Services was founded jointly with two practising consultants, R.J. Sykes of London Press Exchange (LPE) and James Walker of Winter Thomas. Basil Clarke is credited by some as the ‘father’ of PR in Britain, partly because of his government track record and partly because he drafted the Institute of Public Relations’ first code of practice. Source: L’Etang 2004a

the first UK consultancies were established and in-house practitioners in commercial organisations became much more common (L’Etang 2004b). See Mini case study 1.2. Perhaps because of the early influence of public sector bureaucracy, PR practitioners were quick to organise themselves as a group in Britain, first under the auspices of the Institute of Public Administration and subsequently as an independent Institute of Public Relations (IPR). The IPR was established in 1948 under the leadership of Sir Stephen Tallents – a career civil servant and a keen supporter of publicity and propaganda from his tenure as Secretary of the Empire Marketing Board in the 1920s and 1930s, where he used communications to promote the reputation of the British Empire and its products among its trading partners. As the first Public Relations Officer in Britain, he joined the Post Office in 1933 and then moved to the BBC in 1935. Throughout his professional life, he used the widest range of tools at his disposal to promote the interests of his employer to the public, including radio, telegraph, film and, of course, newspapers. He was also a strong advocate for recognition of the publicity role as a profession in itself, with a specific and unique skills base. This was reflected in the Institute’s immediate role as a lobbying body to encourage recognition of PR as a separate profession (L’Etang 2004b). The IPR also served as a body through which practitioners could share their expertise and establish standards

13

for their rapidly expanding number. The vast majority of its founding members came from the public sector and subsequently set up the first interest group within the Institute, focusing in particular on the need to recognise PR as an important role in local government (L’Etang 2004b). This early institutionalisation of the profession means that, in many ways, the presentation of PR in Britain has been heavily influenced by the efforts of the IPR as the industry body. Key themes emerging from early years of PR practice have permeated the approach taken by the Institute, including: the importance of truth as the ‘ideal’ PR tool; the conception of PR as a public service; and the potential for PR to be used as a means for promoting freedom, democracy and, in particular, the British way of life – this last being particularly influenced by institutions such as the British Council using PR in this way. In addition, the IPR conceptualised PR very broadly, specifically extending the definition of communications beyond pure media relations (L’Etang 2004b). The emergence of PR consultancies in the 1950s, often based on editorial services and media liaison, confirmed the existence of PR as a distinct profession, separate from its cousins marketing and propaganda – although these boundaries were often blurred. Indeed, although the IPR was intent on maintaining a broad conception of communications in its definition of the profession, the reality was that the ex-journalists entering the profession could provide a unique, easily identifiable service on the back of their media expertise that did not overlap with advertising or other marketing disciplines and therefore served the profession well. The IPR, dominated by in-house and public sector practitioners, had difficulty catering to the specific interests of independent consultancies. One particular concern included the maintenance of professional standards and reputation across a wide range of small organisations. In light of this, a specific consultancy association, the Society of Independent Public Relations Consultants (SIPRC), was created in 1960 and worked closely with the IPR. However, the SIPRC itself was poorly defined and eventually folded. Subsequently, in 1969, the Public Relations Consultants Association was set up and still exists alongside the IPR today (L’Etang 2004b). By the 1970s, then, the British PR industry had established itself as an identifiable body with a national institute and increasing numbers of practitioners. Standards of practice, areas of competence and the range of services provided were all discussed and developed. With this institutional basis in place, the next phase of development was driven by commercial interests. A rapid expansion, particularly in the consultancy sector, took place in the

Mini case studies illustrate issues and concepts with specific reference to real-life scenarios.

GUIDED TOUR

94

Part 1

Chapter 5 Public relations and democracy

THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

a positive light and may consider that the overriding allegiance of communications staff is to themselves, as the people’s elected representatives. Sometimes politicians bring in their own party experts on temporary contracts to take charge of communication and this can lead to serious friction with permanent staff committed to a less partisan approach to publicity. One example is the news management associated with Britain’s Labour government from 1997 onwards (see Case study 5.1).

Case Study 5.1 Government communication: information or propaganda? Events leading to the Phillis Report (2004) in Britain When Labour entered government in 1997 it brought in a team of special advisors headed by Press Secretary Alastair Campbell to direct their communication strategy. This led to some friction with the civil service, a more antagonistic relationship with the media and increased public distrust for government communication, which became associated in the public mind with ‘spin’, involving a partisan or distorted interpretation of news. Labour did not invent spin. It was practised, sometimes very effectively, by the previous Conservative government. Indeed, the activity (but not the term, which is a recent US import), is as old as politics. Media criticism of government ‘spin’ ignores the obvious point that the media also ‘spin’ news stories through their own selection, emphasis and interpretation. Yet criticism of Labour’s news management understandably intensified after the publication of a leaked email from special advisor Jo Moore, suggesting that 9/11 was ‘a good day to bury bad news’. The ensuing scandal ultimately led to the resignation of Moore herself and the minister, Stephen Byers, who had unwisely stood by her. Yet it also raised wider questions about government information and communication that led to the appointment of an independent review, chaired by Bob Phillis. While the review was in progress, a massive political row over the government’s use of intelligence information to justify the war with Iraq further dramatised some of the issues

The Phillis Report thus raises issues not just for the UK’s current government but for government news management and media coverage of politics in all democracies. While democracy may depend on effective communication, not all communication is in the interests of government. Inevitably, there are stories and figures that a government would prefer to hide or play down, while there are successes that it would wish to emphasise. Opposition parties and interests and sections of the media just as naturally

surrounding government communication and relations with the media. The Phillis Report, published in January 2004, described low and diminishing public trust in both politicians and the media (particularly the press), with damaging consequences for public participation in the democratic process. Yet the report, while critical of government ‘spin’, substantially endorsed some of Labour’s dissatisfaction with the traditional approach to communication in the civil service. There was ‘a narrow view of communication . . . often limited to media handling’. Communication was ‘not seen as a core function of the mainstream civil service’. The Government Information and Communication Service did not cover all those in communication, lacked resources and status and was defective in recruitment and training. There was poor coordination of communication across government departments and agencies. Despite the passing of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (effective in 2005), there was still a pervasive culture of secrecy that should be replaced by a culture of openness. There was a need for more direct two-way communication between government and the public. On the specific issue that had led to the review, the role of special advisors, the report acknowledged that they performed a useful role in modern government and were here to stay, but their relationship with the civil service required new guidelines which protected the principle of civil service impartiality.

96

Part 1

■ A redefinition of the role and scope of government communications, involving a ‘continuous dialogue with all interested parties’ and a ‘broader range of skills’, with the general public being the focus of attention (R1, p. 3). ■ A strong central communications structure, headed by a new permanent secretary, Government Communications, to be head of profession, and provide strategic leadership for communications across

➜

THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Downs, A. (1957). An Economic Theory of Democracy. New York: Harper & Row. Electoral Commission (2002a). ‘Voter engagement among black and minority ethnic communities’ at www. electoralcommission.org.uk, accessed on 13 February 2005. Electoral Commission (2002b). ‘Voter engagement and young people’ at www.electoralcommission.org.uk, accessed on 13 February 2005. Game, C. (2004). ‘Direct democracy in 2003: Referendums, initiatives and recall’ in Developments in Politics Vol. 15. S. Lancaster (ed.). Ormskirk: Causeway Press. Grant, W. (2000). Pressure Groups and British Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Hague, R, and M. Harrop, (2001). Comparative Government and Politics. Basingstoke, Palgrave. Hansard (1947). http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1947/nov/11/parliament-bill. Held, D. (1996). Models of Democracy. Cambridge: Polity. Hellman, D. (2002). ‘Italy’ in European Politics in Transition, 4th edition. M. Kesselman and J. Krieger. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin. Kesselman, M. and J. Krieger (2002). European Politics in Transition, 4th edition. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin.

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case study 5.1 (continued)

government (this recommendation accepted following publication of an interim report in 2003) (R2, p. 3).

overriding presumption should be to disclose’ (R8, p. 4).

■ Replacement of the Government Information and Communication Service by a new network including all those involved in communication activity, led by the new permanent secretary (R4, p. 3).

■ Clearer rules for the release of statistical information, which ‘should be automatically, routinely and systematically made available’. There should be a new statute to control the publication of official statistics to restore public trust (R9, p. 4).

■ Recruitment and training to raise professional standards and maintain civil service impartiality (R6, p. 4). ■ New rules governing the conduct of special advisors and their relationship with civil servants (R7, p. 4). ■ Effective implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, to end the culture of secrecy. ‘The

prefer to highlight government problems or failures and discount apparent successes. Even public servants, who may claim to serve the public interest impartially, are inevitably influenced by organisational, professional and personal interests that may not always coincide with the public interest. In addition, there are often fierce differences within public sector organisations, rather than a single impartial public service view. While the wider public want less partial sources of information, including statistics they can trust, informa-

Summary This chapter has defined and discussed the broad context of democracy in which PR operates. It has discussed systems of democracy, the role of elections, political parties and the different institutions of governance. It has identified, in particular, the problems facing modern democracies where people are not voting in large numbers and how effective PR might

■ More direct communication with the public, including televising daily briefings from the prime minister’s office, with ministers and press officers answering questions (R10, p. 4) and better customer-driven online communication, involving a redesign of the central government website (R11, p. 5).

tion overload can prevent important messages getting through. Likewise, selection and simplification can lead to accusations of omission and distortion. While the Phillis Report is right to emphasise the crucial role of communication in modern democracy, and there is much good sense in its specific recommendations, there are few easy answers to some of the broader questions on which the report touches. These are the issues with which professional communicators will continue to wrestle.

encourage more people to take part in political decision making. Throughout we have raised issues for the PR practitioner in both supporting the relationship between public institutions and voters, as well as interacting with these institutions from the vantage point of campaigning organisations. Finally, we have identified, through the case study of the Phillis Report, the issues of personal, professional and organisational allegiances that may conflict with serving the public interest in modern democracies.

Specific recommendations included:

The Case study will provide a range of exciting material for seminar or private study.

Denver, D. (2002). Elections and Voters in Britain. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

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Marr, A. (1996). Ruling Britannia: The failure and future of British democracy. Harmondsworth: Penguin. Niskanen, W.A. (1971). Bureaucracy and Representative Government. Chicago: Aldine-Atherton. Niskanen, W.A. (1973). Bureaucracy: Servant or master? London: Institute of Economic Affairs. Pateman, C. (1970). Participation and Democratic Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Phillis, R. (Chair) (2004). ‘An independent review of government communication’. Cabinet Office at www.gcreview. gov.uk, accessed on 13 February 2005. Pierre, J. and Peters, B. (2000). Governance, Politics and the State. Basingstoke: Macmillan. Rhodes, R.A.W. (1997). Understanding Governance: Policy networks, governance, reflexivity and accountability. Milton Keynes and Philadelphia: Open University Press. Scope (2002). ‘Polls apart: A future for accessible democracy’ at www.electoralcommission.org.uk, accessed on 13 February 2005. Skelcher, C. (1998). The Appointed State. Buckingham: Open University Press. Ukpolitical (2008) www.ukpolitical.info; accessed 22 September 2008

Leach, R. (2004). ‘Democracy and elections’ in Developments in Politics, Vol. 15. S. Lancaster (ed.). Ormskirk: Causeway Press.

Wallas, G. (1908). Human Nature in Politics. London: Constable.

Lowndes, V., G. Stoker, L. Pratchett, D. Wilson and S. Leach (1998). ‘Enhancing public participation in local government’. London: DETR.

Weir, S. and D. Beetham, (1999). Political Power and Democratic Control in Britain: The democratic audit of Great Britain. London: Routledge.

Lowndes, V., L. Pratchett and G. Stoker (2001). ‘Trends in public participation: Part 1 – local government perspectives’. Public Administration 79 (1).

Worcester, R.M. and M. Harrop (1982). Political Communications: The general election campaign of 1979. London: Allen & Unwin.

Websites Age Concern: www.ageconcern.org.uk Electoral Commission: www.electoralcommission.org.uk European Parliament: www.europarl.eu.int European Parliament (UK office): www.europarl.org.uk European Union: www.europa.eu.int Times Online: www.timesonline.co.uk

A number of useful weblinks are sited in the Websites section which will help you take your learning further.

Bibliography Age Concern (2008). ‘Age Agenda Report 2008’ at http:// www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/FCDAC740D6034 C12A01334ED4E597059.asp, accessed on 21 September 2008.

Coxall, B. (2001). Pressure Groups in British Politics. London: Pearson. Curtis, J. (2003). ‘Changing voting systems’ in Developments in British Politics 7. P. Dunleavy, A. Gamble, R. Heffernan and G. Peele. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Butler, D. and D. Kavanagh (1980). The British General Election of 1979. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Cutlip, S., A. Center and G. Broom (2006). Effective Public Relations, 9th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Butler, D. and D. Kavanagh (1997). The British General Election of 1997. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Dahl, R. (1961). Who Governs? New Haven, NJ: Yale University Press.

Each chapter ends with a Summary that draws together all the outcomes of the chapter in a concise overview.

About the authors Professor (Dr) Ralph Tench is professor of communications education at Leeds Metropolitan University. Ralph was the subject leader for public relations and communications at Leeds Metropolitan University for 10 years where he oversaw the expansion of the undergraduate, postgraduate and professional course portfolio. As professor he teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as well as supervising MA and PhD research. His current focus is in supporting and developing the research strategy for the public relations and communications subject at Leeds Met. This also involves engaging with applied research and business counselling for the Leeds Business School. A member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) he has presented his research around the world and taught at many European universities specialising in public relations. Ralph has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Salzburg since 2004. Ralph previously worked as a news and sports reporter before moving into consultancy, latterly with Manchester’s Communique (Burson-Marsteller). His client portfolio included FTSE100 companies as well as public sector clients. Ralph has a dual psychology degree from the University of Sheffield and a doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University. As an active researcher he manages internal and external research teams and focuses on corporate relations, corporate social responsibility, professional practice development and public relations and communications education. Funded projects have included research into working patterns in the communication and creative sectors since 2000; a major research project for the CIPR to benchmark public relations education in the UK; a media perception study of corporate social responsibility; European benchmarking and comparative surveys; and corporate social responsibility activities within the SME (small to medium sized enterprise) sector. He is widely published in books and academic journals ranging from management to education journals and has presented his research around the world. Ralph has sat as a panel member and chair for programme validations for the CIPR’s course approvals. He has worked as a consultant to UK universities setting up undergraduate programmes in public relations. He is a past examiner for Kingston, Hull and Southampton universities and currently an examiner for the University of Ulster,

Manchester Metropolitan University and Dublin Institute of Technology. He is a PhD examiner at Leeds Met and other UK universities. Liz Yeomans is subject leader for public relations and communications at Leeds Metropolitan University. Since joining the university in 1994, Liz has helped establish a centre of excellence in public relations education. As well as contributing to the BA (Hons) Public Relations, Liz has developed and taught courses for working professionals, and established masters programmes in public relations and corporate communications. As a CIPR member, she has contributed book reviews to the Institute’s Profile magazine; is a member of the judging panel for the CIPR’s Local Government Group’s Excellence awards; and has sat as a panel member for CIPR course approvals. Liz is past examiner at London Metropolitan and Manchester Metropolitan universities and is currently external examiner at The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. Liz’s earlier career spans magazine publishing, the Government Information Service and Hampshire County Council’s education department where she was principal public relations officer. She has a degree in English and media studies from the University of Southampton, and an MSc in public relations from the University of Stirling. Liz’s research interests include internal communication, public sector communication and the role of emotion in PR relationship management, which is the subject of a PhD. She has had articles published in the Journal of Communication Management, the Journal of Public Affairs and Corporate Communications: An international journal. Her international experience includes teaching at the University of Salzburg, giving a keynote address at Communicare, MidSweden University and presenting research papers at EUPRERA, BledCom and ICA.

The contributors Richard Bailey is senior lecturer in public relations at Leeds Metropolitan University. He has over 15 years’ experience in business journalism, consultancy and in-house public

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

relations management. He specialised in public relations professional training before joining the university in 2003, where he teaches on undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses. His weblog devoted to public relations can be found at www.prstudies.com. Shirley Beresford is senior lecturer in public relations and marketing at Leeds Metropolitan University, where she teaches on undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses. She has been an active member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing for 15 years and works as an examiner for their postgraduate courses. Prior to joining Leeds Metropolitan in 1999, Shirley had a 15-year career in arts, leisure, tourism and public sector PR and marketing management. Shirley’s research interests lie in the development of arts marketing and PR. Ryan Bowd is senior lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University and an award-winning PR practitioner and Associate Director of UK-based Connectpoint PR with a client portfolio of experience including global petroleum companies, sports drinks brands, sporting events and eyewear manufacturers to niche luxury brands. Ryan mixes a professional life of communications practice and academic teaching and learning. Research interests include the fields of reputation, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and communications. Ryan is currently undertaking PhD research on the subject of corporate social responsibility communications. Gerard Choo is senior lecturer in public relations at Leeds Metropolitan University, where he is course leader of the MA in Public Relations and the CIPR Advanced Certificate. He previously worked in PR and marketing at the Media Corporation of Singapore. Meriel D’Artrey is deputy head of department of Social and Communication Studies at the University of Chester. Prior to this she taught at Leeds Metropolitan University, after a career in public relations, marketing, advertising and corporate communications, both as a consultant and in-house. She is a past chief external examiner for the CIPR diploma and foundation and her research interest is the interface between higher education and employment. Dr Lee Edwards is senior lecturer in public relations at Leeds Metropolitan University, where she teaches on undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses. Her research interests include the nature of power in public relations, diversity in public relations, and the intersection of public relations with media studies and cultural studies. Prior to joining the University in 2004, Lee specialised in technology public relations and worked with some of the

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largest global technology brands during her professional career, including Microsoft, Dell and Siemens. Johanna Fawkes was a principal lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University until 2004, since when she has been an independent writer and researcher. At Leeds Met, she led the BA in Public Relations. She started teaching PR at the London College of Printing in 1990, after 15 years in public sector PR. Johanna then delivered and led the BA PR at the University of Central Lancashire from 1994–98, She has an MA in Creative Writing and has written papers for a variety of international journals and conferences, and contributed several chapters to leading PR text books. Johanna is a member of the Institute of Communication Ethics (ICE) Advisory Board and was Chief Examiner for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Diploma, 2005–7. She is currently a PhD candidate, taking a Jungian approach to professional ethics in public relations, at Leeds Metropolitan University. Professor Anne Gregory is Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Leeds Metropolitan University and director of the Centre for Public Relations Studies. Before moving into academic life, Anne spent 12 years in practice, holding senior appointments both in-house and in consultancy. She is still actively involved in consultancy and training for large clients such as the UK Government Cabinet Office and the Department of Health. Anne was President of the UK Chartered Institute of Public Relations in 2004 and edits the Institute’s Public Relations in Practice series. She is an internationally recognised researcher, has written and edited books and published in numerous journals. She is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Communication Management. Paul Gillions is an independent consultant and has advised companies and organisations in Europe, North America, Australia and Asia on a broad range of public policy initiatives and impacts. He is a specialist in issue, crisis and risk management, and regularly leads sessions on scenario planning and coalition-building. Paul is a former international managing director and senior vice president at two of the world’s leading public relations/public affairs consultancies, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of the Institute of Directors and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, and was first selected for entry in Debrett’s Distinguished People of Today in 1988. Dr Sierk Horn is senior lecturer in Japanese Studies at the University of Leeds. He holds a PhD and Habilitation in Japanese studies. His main fields of research are crosscultural marketing and management concepts, Japanese business and consuming behaviour in east Asia. He has published widely in, amongst other areas, intercultural competence in accessing Japanese markets.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Graham Hughes is a principal lecturer in marketing at Leeds Metropolitan University. He teaches marketing communications on a range of undergraduate, post-graduate and professional courses. He holds an MA in marketing from Lancaster University and has held senior marketing management positions in a range of organisations including BL, the Weir Group and MCB University Press. He is currently senior examiner for the integrated marketing communications module on the CIM diploma and coauthors the Butterworth Heinemann coursebook for the new CIM marketing communications module with Chris Fill from the University of Portsmouth. Dennis Kelly is the Director of Corporate Communications for Leeds Metropolitan University. Before that he was director of the Centre for Public Relations Studies at Leeds Met. Dennis is an experienced communications practitioner and was the founder and managing director of a major UK public relations consultancy. He also spent 12 years in a senior capacity with BT and his experience encompasses all aspects of internal and external communications in both the public and private sectors. Dennis is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and has been responsible for numerous award-winning campaigns and has been recognised with IPR ‘Swords of Excellence’. Areas of special interest include strategic campaign planning, integrated communications, internal communications and professional development in public relations. Martin Langford is an international authority on crisis communications and a recipient of the ‘Public Relations Professional of the Year’ award from PR Week for his work in this discipline. Dubbed the ‘Master of Disaster’ by the UK’s Daily Telegraph, Martin has led clients through over 350 crisis assignments. Martin is co-founder of issues and communications consultancy Kissmann Langford. He previously spent 32 years at the international public relations consultancy Burson-Marsteller where he led the London operation for the company and was subsequently based in Singapore, managing their ASEAN offices. Dr Robert Leach retired from full-time teaching in 2004 as a principal lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University, where he is now a visiting research fellow. He holds degrees from Oxford and London universities and a PhD from Leeds Metropolitan. He has published numerous journal articles as well as several books on government and politics, including Local Governance in Britain and Political Ideology in Britain. He is currently working on a new version of a best-selling textbook on British politics.

Daniel Löwensberg is lecturer at the Hull University Business School. He has experience at Leeds Metropolitan University as a leader of postgraduate courses in public relations and in teaching public relations in the UK and in France. His research interests cover the areas of corporate identity, PR teaching, international PR, and PR research tactics. Before joining academia, Daniel was a PR and marketing communications pr-based financial professional in the airline and tourism industries, and a committee member of the Airline Public Relations Organisation (APRO) in London for many years. Karl Milner is the Director of Communications and Public Relations for NHS Yorkshire and the Humber, an NHS region which sees over 150,000 patients a day. As well as containing a Press Office that manages thousands of press articles a year, Karl’s department also has a nationally recognised campaign team who deliver above-the-line and PR campaigns for the NHS in the region. Prior to working for the NHS Karl was a senior lecturer in public relations at Leeds Metropolitan University and a Partner at Finsbury Group – the global financial PR company based in the City of London. Karl is Chair of the Practitioner Advisory Panel for the BA (Hons) Public Relations degree at Leeds Met. Dr Kevin Moloney is principal lecturer at Bournemouth University where he teaches public relations and corporate communications to undergraduate and postgraduate students. He researches into how these persuasive communications influence and are influenced by the political economy and civil society. He is the author of Lobbyists For Hire (1996) and Rethinking PR: The spin and the substance (2000). Before teaching, he worked in PR and marketing for 20 years. Elliot Pill is course director for the MA in International Public Relations at the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, at Cardiff University. He qualified as a newspaper journalist before moving into public relations consultancy. Elliot was a main Board Director at Hill & Knowlton, London, and clients included adidas, Gillette, Stella Artois, Billabong and Pioneer. He holds an MBA from Cardiff Business School and is completing his PhD. His research interests include the cult of celebrity and international creativity. Elliot is an external examiner for the MSc in Corporate Communications at Leeds Metropolitan University. Jo Powell is an associate senior lecturer in public relations at Leeds Metropolitan University. Former deputy course leader for the BA in public relations, she has taught public relations at all levels. Before joining Leeds Metropolitan,

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Jo accumulated more than 15 years’ management experience in corporate communication for organisations including the BBC, Abbey National and Yorkshire Bank. György Szondi is senior lecturer in public relations at Leeds Metropolitan University. His PhD at the University of Salzburg, Austria, involves researching the concepts of public relations and public diplomacy for the European Union. György set up and chaired the public relations programme at Concordia International University in Estonia and has been a regular speaker and trainer at conferences and workshops throughout eastern Europe. His interests and publications include organisational communication, public relations for the European Union, EU referendum, public diplomacy, risk and crises communication. György worked for Hill and Knowlton in Budapest and in its international headquarters in London. He holds a bachelor degree in economics, an MSc in public relations from the University of Stirling and an MSc in physics. Rüdiger Theilmann is senior lecturer in public relations at Leeds Metropolitan University and course leader for the MSc in Corporate Communications. He holds an MA in communications from the University of Munich. Following his MA Rüdiger worked for a number of consultancies mainly in the consumer sector focusing on German and Italian SMEs. After that he lectured at University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim and University of Applied Sciences Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Design in Germany. Before joining Leeds Metropolitan he was senior lecturer at International University Concordia Audentes in Tallinn (Estonia) where he was the leader of the MA communication management course. His academic interests are mainly in corporate identity and image, PR research and evaluation and PR theories. Dr Neil Washbourne is senior lecturer in media studies at Leeds Metropolitan University, where he teaches on the undergraduate degree in media and popular culture. He holds a doctorate from the University of Surrey concerning uses of new technology in the global environmental movement and has had articles published in International Studies in Management and Organisation and Journal of

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International Sociology. He is writing a book entitled Mediating Politics: newspapers, radio, television and internet for Open University Press (publication date 2009), which develops his research interests in the differences between mediated politics across institutional and technological sites of media. Paul Willis is director of the Centre for Public Relations Studies at Leeds Metropolitan University. Before joining the University he was Deputy Managing Director at Ptarmigan, a multiple award-winning public relations agency and former PR Week ‘Consultancy of the Year’. He was a member of the board for 10 years up until 2008. He has worked as a consumer PR consultant for BT, BMW MINI, Britannia Building Society, Green Flag, npower, Reebok, Wm Morrison and Yorkshire Bank. Paul has lectured on public relations to audiences as diverse as corporate communications professionals, civil servants and students. Paul began his career running a media and research unit for a group of MPs at Westminster. Sue Wolstenholme runs Ashley Public Relations. Clients have included Amnesty International, the Post Office, The NHS, the Association of Colleges, the PR Associations of Shanghai and Croatia and Al Jazeera Training. Sue led MA and BA courses in public relations, awarded by the University of Exeter, and the postgraduate awards for the Institute