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Every discipline be it economics, journalism or marketing is based on certain principles which act as guidelines for the practice. Objectivity is the basic principle of journalism. Accordingly, public relations also as a body of knowledge have its own principles. ‘Public interest’ and ‘two-way communication’ are cardinal principles of public relations practice. Here are the following 10 basic principles of public relations.
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Audience analysis: The word ‘audience’ has long been familiar as the collective term for ‘receivers’ in the simple sequential model of mass communication process. Receivers of message are the target audience in the public relations practice. Like nose for news in journalism, audience analysis is the first principle in public relation.
Public relations department also must analysis the pulse of the audience and the external environment of an organization and its policies and programme through audience analysis.
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Relationship management: As a strategic management function, public relations have to manage the relationships between an organization and its publics. The management relationship is a key factor in the public relations process to reach organizational goals.
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Public interest: Any policy or public relations programme of a corporation must be designed in the interest of the public. Public interest is the highest priority.
Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as a government of the people, by the people and for the people. According to public relations social philosophy, the management has to place the interest of the people first in all matters pertaining to conduct of business and public services. People and their interest are of prime importance for any individual or institution.
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Truth: It is the touchstone of public relations. Public relations are not based on fiction but always on facts.
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Good cause and good deeds:Good cause and good deeds are the prerequisites to successful public relation. Effective public relations must have a good cause, a qualitative product or a good policy. PR can promote effectively a good policy, a good programme, a good product or a good cause. Bad policies, bad products that are not in tune with public interest must be changed. Therefore, it is the job of public relations to change the negative attitude into a positive mindset.
Policies must be grounded in the shape of good deeds. The most striking principle is that public relations must be action oriented and give deeds to the public in concrete terms and not mere verbal promises.
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Two-way communication: Public relations communication is not just telling people about an organization, policies and programmes, but also listening to them to know their reactions and problems. Therefore, public relations are speaking and listening, a two-way traffic. It is an art of both feed forward and feedback information process. They must go hand in hand to know the reactions of the public to the policies and programmes of an organization. Thus it is a two-way communication process.
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Multi-functional discipline: Public relations is a multi-functional discipline that supports various management functions with a communications strategy. It supports human resource development, finance, marketing, production, crisis management by adopting an integrated public relations communication approach.
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Social responsibility: Since public relations is based on public interest, its practitioners work beyond organizational goals to serve the community cause. They are expected to play a constructive role in the society. So, organizations owe a social responsibility to the community in fulfilling their needs.
Public relations must identify the community needs and evolve suitable community relations programmes. Thus public relations act as a ‘bridge’ between the organization and the community in implementing welfare programmes. In tune with the policy of public interest, public relations have the social responsibility to undertake the cause of the community, besides its professional responsibility.
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Sustained process: A public relations is a planned, sustained and continuous process. As long as there is an organization, there is a mission and there is an audience, public relations must continue to practice building bridges between the organizations and its publics. It is, therefore, said public relations is a sustained effort with long range objectives. If public relations process is stopped, there would be a communication gap between an organization and its stakeholders. This lowers the image of the institution/organization.
- Change agent: Public relations is a catalyst for change. As a change agent, it not only changes the attitudes but also creates goodwill, trust and reputation based on the performance of the organization.
The change process is intended to bring about a transformation in the behavioral attitude of the people through public relation techniques.
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