Evolution Part II

Organizational communication is not the only aspect of this field that has evolved since its beginning days. Public relations has, too, in a big way. Going back to the nineteenth century, the message was the key. Get the word out. Don't worry so much how true everything you say is, but do what you can to get lots of people to hear or read it. As the nineteenth century turned into the twentieth, the message remained ever important; but at this point, thanks in large measure to Ivy Lee and his Declaration or Principles, accuracy in the message began to be viewed as important. That, in my estimation, was a big step because it represented an effort to add credibility and respectability to the profession of public relations. Edward Bernays, another pioneer of public relations, then raised the bar even higher by attempting to examine the science of mass manipulation.

The most significant leaps forward, however, have occurred over the past thirty years or so as scholars and practitioners have begun viewing public relations as being more geared toward the development and management of relationships than as simply a means by which to generate greater publicity. Corresponding with this has been a growing awareness that audiences or publics are a lot more complex than was previously thought. This runs parallel to he field of organizational communication. In that case, scholars began viewing the organizational members or workers as being far more than people waiting to be told what to do. It has been the same with publics external to an organization. In order to enjoy any kind of lasting success or stability, PR has largely come to recognize the wisdom of seeking ways to establish partnerships with public versus trying to manipulate them into taking certain actions.

Overall, this is a healthy trend in public relations even though it makes the practice more challenging. After all, isn't it easier to simply try and get people to do something with flashy ads and clever messages rather than conducting complex research of a public and trying to develop a two-way relationship with one? Where's the immediate pay off? Isn't that more costly with less guarantee a profit will be made? Maybe. But if done well and sincerely, then, no, the long range efforts to establishing a connection or partnership with a public will far exceed any immediate return. Public relations today as compared to how it used to be is the difference between a long distance run and a sprint. Now that's positive evolution.