Модуль 6: Связи с общественностью. Психология массовой коммуникации

Public Relations (PR) is a 20th century phenomenon. It is the art and science of managing communication between an organization and its key audience to build, manage and sustain its positive image.

PR is often confused with advertising. It is, however, a distinct branch of communication and involves informing and educating the public about the activities or philosophy of an organisation. PR is a powerful management function and a serious business activity. The importance of PR is growing by the day. Both government departments and the private sector have realised that advertising must be supplemented with an effective PR. This helps in two aspects: first in keeping close to the customer to satisfy needs and anticipate changes in customer demand, and second, to create a favourable impression among the people which advertising may sometimes not do.

The functions of PR can be described as follows:

a) Press Relations: One objective of the PR manager is to ensure that the press write about the company favourably. For this, relations with media correspondents have to be maintained. They have to be provided with information and handouts.

b) Communications: Customers, suppliers, employees, dealers and others in contact with the company must know what it is doing or plans to do in the future. Misunderstandings may otherwise arise which may affect the business in the long run.

c) Lobbying: Effective PR can influence public policy. An important function of the PR professional will be to maintain close relations and convince influential people in various walks of life

d) Counseling: Doubts have to be removed from the minds of people through meetings and counseling, which will help keep a direct contact and not let doubts remain, which may have an adverse impact on the company.

Corporations use marketing public relations to convey information about the products they manufacture or services they provide to potential customers to support their direct sales efforts. Corporations also use public-relations as a vehicle to reach legislators and other politicians, seeking favorable tax, regulatory, and other treatment. Non-profit organizations, including schools, universities, hospitals, human and social service agencies use public relations in support of awareness programs, fund-raising programs, staff recruiting, and to increase patronage of their services. Politicians use public relations to attract votes and raise money. Nowadays, most PR companies have a team that will come from a mixture of media backgrounds and may be able to offer all sorts of PR-related services such as branding, marketing, copywriting and advertising.

Edward Louis Bernays (November 22, 1891 – March 9, 1995) is considered one of the fathers of the field of public relations along with Ivy Lee. Combining the ideas of Gustave Le Bon and Wilfred Trotter on crowd psychology with the psychoanalytical ideas of his uncle, Sigmund Freud, Bernays was one of the first to attempt to manipulate public opinion using the subconscious. Bernays pioneered the PR industry's use of psychology and other social sciences to design its public persuasion campaigns. "If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it?” Bernays played a major role in defining the industry's philosophy and methods and thus is widely praised as the "father of public relations".

The importance of PR is expected to grow in times. One reason is that globalisation has made a lot of difference to the business environment. Global companies are very effective in PR activities. As advertising is becoming prohibitively expensive, companies understand that their campaign must have an element of direct contact also since that is the only way to know how the customers perceive the company or particular products. The future of public relations is thus very bright and will often be done in conjunction with other media.

Questions:

1. What are Public Relations?

2. What are the functions of PR?

3. Why do corporations use marketing PR?

4. Why is PR necessary for non-profit organizations?

5. How do politicians use PR?

6. What is the result of effective PR?

7. Who is Edward Bernays?

8. What are the reasons of using media by PR?

9. What kind of team do most PR companies have?

10. Why is the importance of PR expected to grow in time?

Psychology is the science of mind and behavior; it involves the scientific study, of mental processes such as such perception, cognition, emotion, personality, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. Psychology is a broad and diverse field and some of the major areas of research are Cognitive Psychology, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Personality Psychology, School Psychology, Social Psychology, etc.

Mass communication is the term used to describe the academic study of print and electronic media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television, internet which are used for disseminating news and for advertising. Psychologists find out how the mind can function to a person's benefit and mass media play a significant role in shaping public perceptions on a variety of important issues.

The basic purpose of PR is to persuade and influence people. Thus to be effective PR specialist should understand public opinion and individual`s attitude and in this case the knowledge of main psychological approaches are important.

Gustave Le Bon a French social psychologist was the author of the theory of crowd psychology which became important during the first half of the twentieth century when it was used by media researchers. Crowd manipulation is the intentional use of techniques based on the principles of crowd psychology to engage, control, or influence the desires of a crowd in order to direct its behavior toward a specific action. This practice is common to politics and business. Combining the ideas of Gustave Le Bon on crowd psychology with the psychoanalytical ideas of his uncle, Dr. Sigmund Freud, Edward Bernays was one of the first to attempt to manipulate public opinion using the subconscious. Edward Bernays, the so-called “Father of Public Relations”, believed that public manipulation was not only moral, but a necessity. He argued that “a small, invisible government who understands the mental processes and social patterns of the masses, rules public opinion by consent.” He was the inventor of some of the most important and influential modern PR techniques such as Press Release and Third Party Advocacy.

Here is a list of the main methods of influence through psychology:

· Persuasion

· Impromptu effect

· Panic Phenomenon

· Visual impression

· Method of reiteration

· Laconism

· Charisma or the idea dominations over the mind

· Individual dependence on the crowd

All these factors should be taken into account while organizing any PR campaign. Public opinion does not really exist until something affects a number of people. Someone must call for action, and PR specialist should use his knowledge properly to create favourable opinion about an organization, its goods and services.

Questions:

1. What is Psychology?

2. What are some of the major areas of research in Psychology?

3. What is mass communication?

4. What is the basic purpose of PR?

5. Who was Gustave Le Bon?

6. What is Crowd manipulation?

7. Who was Edward Bernays?

8. Who was the inventor of some of the most important and influential modern PR techniques?

9. What are the main methods of influence through psychology?

10. Why should a PR specialist be aware of psychological approaches?.

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