Chap. 12 – Central and
Eastern Europe
Global Public Relations
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“Transitional” Countries
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Democratization and free market economy
development are ongoing to various
degrees
Legacy of Soviet communism lingers in
some aspects of culture and societal
structure
Varying and unfolding participation in
NATO, the EU and other organizations
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General Characteristics
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Communism left behind a somewhat
apathetic society, distrustful of
government
Media may still be viewed as propaganda
channel by many
Internet use lower than in the West, but
progressing; word-of-mouth more
effective than media
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Context for Public Relations
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Unique circumstances of nations “breaking
up and coming together”
New states but old cultures
Rapid nation building since 1990
PR unfortunately linked with propaganda
High company profile brings risks (taxes,
corruption)
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Role of Public Relations
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Distinguish present from past
Help establish national role in international
community
Help re-establish national identities
Establish itself as a worthy profession
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Status of Public Relations
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Rapid growth; saturation in some areas
More generalists; specialization slow to
emerge
Establishment of professional associations,
but little cooperation among them
CSR not seen as important responsibility
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A Look at Poland
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Led CEE toward more liberal economy
Legacy includes unique juxtaposition of
communism and the Catholic Church
20 years since overthrow of communist
regime – a new generation has grown up
in freedom
Member of both NATO and the EU
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More on Poland
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Overriding concern is national security
Generally open to change and welcoming
of new business ideas
Infrastructure such as roads in need of
modernization
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Notes on Polish Culture
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Interpersonal relationships are very important
Strong sense of individualism
Rely on laws and morality to give structure to
society
A hierarchical society with pronounced
distinctions between “haves” and “have nots”
Masculine dominated society
Punctual, lean toward formality
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Poland’s PR Environment
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Mass media largely in the hands of foreigners
Newer government rules place restrictions on
foreign capital
Media coverage linked to a degree with
advertising by companies
Some agencies have established offices outside
Poland
Often housed within marketing departments
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A look at Hungary
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Transition to limited market economy
began in late 1960
Pivotal role in 1989, opening border to
Austria
Public relations applied tentatively to
socialism in 1970s
Considerable formalization of PR practice
since 1990s
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Status of Public Relations
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Nearing or has achieved saturation
300+ members of Hungarian PR
Association
Still focused on image and market position
of companies, but building trust a
significant factor
Just one formal higher education program
in PR; no graduate programs
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PR Environment
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Media not as objective, independent, or
professional as would be ideal for PR
Media characterized by foreign ownership
Newspaper readership diminishing
Web use and blogs increasingly popular
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A Look at Russia
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A huge landmass; 140+ million people; more
than 30 languages; a wide range of faiths
(though Orthodoxy dominates)
Critical impact of Gorbachev’s Glasnost and
Perestroika
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Quality of life diminished sharply in 1990s;
rebounded with rise in oil prices
Striving to re-establish prominence in global
community
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PR Environment
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“Golden age of free press” of the 1990s replaced
by strengthened central control more recently
Newspaper circulation dramatically down;
diminished public trust in media
Pay for media coverage – zakazukha – is
widespread
Internet seen as counterbalance, but access is
limited
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Status of PR in Russia
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Influenced by Western models, but varies
regionally
Glasnost and perestroika provided
seedbed for PR practice, but recent
developments threaten that status
“Black PR” – manipulative methods –
characterized political PR
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More on PR
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A significant professionalization among
practitioners
Slow emergence of specialization (CSR,
risk communication, etc.)
Higher education courses and programs
fairly widespread
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