1984

Let me say right off the bat this entry is not about George Orwell's "1984." Rather, it pertains to what I am learning was a very noteworthy year in the evolution of public relations. During that particular 12-month span, several scholars put forth significant propositions that continue to resonate in the field to this day. I speak of James Grunig and Todd Hunt's four models of public relations, Brian Spitzberg and William Cupach's definition of communication competence, and M.A. Ferguson's introduction of relationship management as an emerging function of public relations.

In the work by Grunig and Hunt, they encapsulated the primary styles of how practitioners perform the function of public relations. The four models and their primary purposes are: press agentry (generate publicity), public information (share or provide information), two-way asymmetrical (persuade the public), and two-way symmetrical (establish partnerships). Regarding Spitzberg and Cupach, the two identified communication competence as the ability to one has to interact well with others. Ingredients for success include accuracy, clarity, comprehensibility, coherence, expertise and effectiveness. These elements, they said, speak to both how well a message if communicated and how well it is received or understood.  

Finally, Ferguson's insight on relationship management as a function of public relations help set in motion an expanded way of looking at this profession. Prior to Ferguson, public relations was viewed largely as an act of outreach in which organizations focused on improving their image and/or profit-base. It was Ferguson's vision that the establishment and maintenance of relationships between entities and their various publics should be the top priority of communication professionals on behalf of their clients. I do not yet know if it was a mere coincidence that all three of these perspectives were introduced in the same year. Whether it was or not, the fact they continue to be studied says much about the quality of thought behind their formulation.