Lesson 3 : Models, Process and Tools of PR in Public, Private and Government Sector
Public relation models
There are 4 models in public relations. These 4 models indicate the different stages through which public relations practice developed.
Press agentry/publicity model: The purpose of this model is to disseminate information through newspaper that may be exaggerated distantly or even incomplete to hype policies, a cause, product or service. In a way it is a type of propaganda and the communication is also one way from the sender to the receiver to help the organization without any scope for feedback and research. Theatre, music, film companies practice this model.
Public information model: From press agentry there developed public information model in the second stage of the growth of public relations in the early 20th century. The purpose of this model is to disseminate public information but truthful, accurate without any content of propaganda material. This is also one way from the sender to receiver. Government, not-for-profit organizations and other public institutions are practicing this model.
Two-way asymmetric model: This model propounded by Edward L. Bernays in the 1920s is a two way communication system from sender to receiver, but the power rested with the sender whose intention is to persuade the receiver to accept and support the senders’ organization, products or services. This model has a feedback information loop, but the primary purpose of the model is to help the sender of the message to understand the audience and how to persuade them. The feedback is used for manipulate purposes, i.e. to determine what public attitudes are towards the organization and how they have to be changed.
Two-way symmetric public relations model: Two-way symmetric model where both parties are capable of being persuade to adjust and modify their attitudes and behaviors according to the needs as a result of public relations effort/programme. It would be more useful to have rapport and interactions with each segment of public to assess their view points and evolve corporate and public policies as acceptable to them. Another development over earlier models is that formative research is used in this model mainly to understand how the public perceives the organization and to determine what consequences organizational policies/ actions might have on the public. Though these 4 models are practiced today in varying degrees, the ideal one is the two-way symmetric model.
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