1 Simone Singletary COMM 490 Professor Chang Wilcox Summary Paper Chapters 19-21 5/7/2023 Prompt: On the paper, you will 1) summarize material from each chapter; 2) identify two specific concepts from each chapter; 3) make certain six total concepts from 3 chapters; 4) underline your concept and cite page #; and 5) how the information/material helps you better advance your public relations/journalism skill sets and/or future career. Chapter 19: Politics and Government Summary Public relations in politics and government is not just about political campaigns, although that is one aspect (Wilcox). Public relations is utilized at federal, state, and local government levels. The primary purpose of government agencies and elected officials is to serve the public good. Government agencies regulate the external distribution of funds to individuals or entities. (Wilcox, 19.1) Government agencies' mission is to spread information to the mass public. Government agencies will use public relations specialists to promote the current administration's policies, stage fund-raising, news of their successes or crises, assist with smooth daily operations or crisis management, implement campaigns that address social issues, and help develop longrange plans and visions. (19.1) For federal, state, and local governments to function efficiently, each branch must communicate effectively with its members. From election campaigns to military recruitment to floating a bond issue, a common thread runs through governmental public relations: the circulation of information. This core function of all public relations is a particularly 2 prominent aspect of government communication. Skilled public relations professionals are required at every level of our government to ensure that information is disseminated efficiently and to the broadest number of people. (Wilcox, 19.1.1) Two Concepts/Relations to Career Concept # 1 The information flow occurs in many ways, but the objectives are always to inform citizens about and to help them take full advantage of government services. The city council holds neighborhood meetings; the airport commission sets up an exhibit showing the growth needs of the airport; the recreation department promotes summer swimming lessons; and the city’s human rights commission sponsors a festival promoting multiculturalism. (Wilcox, 19.4) This concept relates to my future career because it can help boost an educator’s career. Today’s teachers lack resources, support, pay, and appreciation. Holding public meetings, protests, rallies, forum pages, etc., could help teachers get the support and resources they need to help students succeed. Concept # 2 Lobbying is more formal and closely related to governmental relations or public affairs; the distinction between the two often blurs. Most campaigns to influence impending legislation have multiple levels (Wilcox, 19.7). One level is informing and convincing the public about the correctness of an organization’s viewpoint, which is the domain of the public affairs specialist. Lobbyist efforts, another level, are aimed at the defeat, passage, or amendment of legislation and regulatory agency policies. (Wilcox, 19.7) This PR concept relates to my future career because education is political. Schools have to change their curriculum in some areas, and teachers are forced to change parts of their lesson 3 plans if a parent or student is bothered by what is taught in class. Many Young Adult books are being banned because parents are disturbed by light explicit content, Caussians students feel uncomfortable talking about race, or books that are LGBTQ+ themed. Everyone has different opinions; my job as an educator is to stand up for what I believe to be correct and protect my school’s creative and open-minded curriculum. Chapter 20: Global Public Relations Summary It takes significant planning and investment in marketing, advertising, and public relations on a global scale to ensure the success of such a wide-scale event. Chapter 20 discusses how government and multinational companies conduct public relations programs and campaigns worldwide. Global public relations, also called international public relations, is the planned and organized efforts of a company, an institution, or a government to establish and build relationships with the public of other nations. These publics are the various groups of people affected by or can affect, the operations of a particular organization or even an entire industry. (Wilcox, 20.1) Chapter 20 also explains that to have successful global partnerships; one must understand and address the difference in language, laws, and culture. Two Concepts/Relations to Career (ONLY 3-5 discuss relations to Career) Professors David Guth and Charles Marsh of the University of Kansas summarize Hofstede’s cultural dimensions in their book Adventures in Public Relations: Case Studies and Critical Thinking: 1. POWER DISTANCE measures how tolerant society is about unequally distributed decision-making power. Countries with a high acceptance of power distance include Mexico and France. Countries with low acceptance include Austria and the United States. 4 2. INDIVIDUALISM, as contrasted with collectivism, pits loyalty to one’s self against loyalty to a larger group. Countries in Asia and Latin America gravitate toward collectivism, while the United States, Canada, and most European countries gravitate toward individualism. 3. MASCULINITY/FEMININITY contrasts competitiveness (traditionally masculine) with compassion and nurturing (traditionally feminine). Masculine nations include Australia, Germany, and Japan. Feminine countries include Sweden and Spain. (Wilcox, 20.2.2) Some jobs and universities are competitive. The US generates tests for students to take locally, state, and nationally. Examples include the MCAST and SAT. We also are fans of entertainment-like competitions such as spelling bees, poetry contests, and talent shows. 4. UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE measures how well a society tolerates ambiguity. Nations that have difficulty accepting uncertainty include Japan, Belgium, and Greece. Countries that tolerate ambiguity include Great Britain, the United States, and Sweden. (Wilcox, 20.2.2) We are used to vagueness. Teachers, in particular, deal with uncertainty. Nothing goes according to plan in the classroom. As a first-time teacher, I know there will be major bumps in the road; instead of feeling down, it's better to pick myself up and figure out how to overcome the obstacle. You must be an excellent teacher with patience, determination, and resilience. 5. LONG-TERM VERSUS SHORT-TERM ORIENTATION measures a society’s willingness to consider the traditions of the past and carry them into the future. China and 5 other East Asian nations tend to have long-term orientations in terms of a process or plan to evolve over several years. The United States, in contrast, has a short-term orientation. Americans, for example, get impatient if recovery from a recession takes more than one or two years. (Wilcox, 20.2.2) Our impatience in the United States helps us develop quite successful solutions. For example, coming up with a vaccine for COVID-19. However, sometimes we forget that “good things come for those who wait.” Teachers have been fighting for increased pay to get more resources to teach students effectively. Teachers hold protests, rallies, walk-outs, #hashtagging, writing articles, etc., all around the world, yet, little change has been made. So, what do you do when the school board and government aren’t any help, and you have overdue bills to pay?; you work. I think the United States should adopt a long-term plan so there’d be fewer riots, and everyone would be on the same page. Chapter 21: Nonprofit, Health, Education Summary Chapter 21 discusses Nonprofit, Health, and Education work; working in either one of these fields can positively impact families and small communities in need. By developing PR message strategies and using simple mobile video technology with natural lighting, these good agencies can be recorded to spread the word, winning many more hearts and minds to do similar work. (Wilcox, 21) Public relations plays a crucial role in leveraging good intentions through fundraising, and electronic word-of-mouth, greatly increasing social good work's impact. (Wilcox, 21.1) More than 6.5 million people work in the nonprofit sector. The range of nonprofit institutions is astounding, from membership organizations, advocacy groups, and social service 6 organizations, to educational organizations, hospitals and health agencies, small-city historical societies, and global foundations that disperse million-dollar grants. The main purpose of nonprofit organizations is to serve the public interest. By definition, nonprofit organizations do not distribute funds to shareholders or owners. This is not to say that nonprofit organizations cannot generate income or hold assets. Still, there are a number of restrictions regulating how their income may be generated and how these funds may be used to support the organization’s stated objectives. From the public relations perspective, nonprofit organizations are often represented as fostering goodwill and as beacons of social responsibility. For many nonprofit groups, fund-raising of necessity is their most time-consuming activity. Without generous contributions from companies and individuals, nonprofit organizations could not exist. (21.1.1) Two Concepts/Relations to Career Public relations representatives of nonprofit organizations spend a substantial proportion of their time preparing written and website materials to educate the public. The quickest way to introduce people to an organization is to hand them a brochure or refer them to a website. Organizations also strive to design logos or symbols to help make their materials memorable to the public. (21.4.4.) This PR concept relates to what educators must do in schools. Teachers spend many hours gathering resources for school materials, writing descriptive lesson plans, writing assignments, projects and quizzes, and exams. Teachers add, remove, or adjust their rubrics, lesson plans, group activities, etc. Overall, Teachers do a wide range of things for their students to succeed. The most visible aspect of a university's public relations program is its news bureau. An active bureau produces hundreds of news releases, photographs, and unique columns and articles 7 for the print media and other activities. It prepares programs, news, and features about students’ achievements, faculty activities, and campus personalities for radio and television stations. (21.7) This PR concept relates to the realm of education. Elementary, middle, and high schools can also benefit from news bureaus. The school board and president (or principal) want more prospective students to attend their school. To reel in numerous students, it’s best to release the more recent accomplishments, photographs, clubs, scholarships, etc. Students will go to a school that best suits their needs and desires; ultimately, students choose a school where it feels like home. Source Wilcox Dennis L et al. Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics. Chapters 19-21.Eleventh ed. Pearson 2016.
