Public Opinion IV
Identifying the publics
Introduction to Public Relations
Dr. Michael Smilowitz
School of Communication Studies
James Madison University
What to expect:
1. Develop a complicated understanding
of publics.
2. Reject the concept of a “general
public.”
3. Describe Grunig’s situational theory of
publics.
• Two schemes for classifying publics.
• Discuss the relationships among “selfinterest” and opinions.
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Identifying the publics
Cutlip, Center and Broom discard the
notion of a “general public.”
“The mosaic of the many different ethnic,
racial, religious, geographic, political,
occupational, and special-interest
groupings…make the concept of little, if
any, value in public relations.”
Identifying the publics
Other reasons why “general public opinion”
is a meaningless concept.
– Few, if any, issues create unanimous
opinions.
• Multiple opinions surround most issues.
• Multiple opinions occur in groups regardless of
the scale (national, state, regional, even local).
– People may be involved in some issues, and
apathetic towards others.
– Special issue groups attempt to claim to be
the voice of the majority.
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
James Grunig, in a series of articles
and books, developed approaches for
defining publics from a communication
point of view.
Grunig’s theory minimizes the value of,
static, cross-situational characteristics
for defining publics.
Cross situational factors include
such things as demographics
and psychographics.
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
Grunig’s approach emphasizes,
instead, the situational
characteristics of publics. His
definition:
Publics are constituted by
individuals who share mutual
interests in particular situations
that tie these individuals to
certain issues.
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
Grunig offers two different (but
related) categories for classifying
publics.
– One category scheme is based on
issue involvement.
– One category scheme is based on
level of problem awareness.
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
Grunig identifies four types of publics based on
issue involvement:
– All issue publics
Active on all issues.
– Apathetic Publics
Inactive on all issues.
– Single issue publics
Active on one or a limited number of
related issues.
– Hot issue publics
Media generated publics on topics of
widespread social conversation.
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
Grunig also identifies four types of publics
based on problem awareness.
–
–
–
–
Non-publics
Latent publics
Aware publics
Active publics
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
areof
groups
of
Grunig also identifiesNon-publics
four types
publics
people who may share
based on problem awareness.
similar geographic or
–
–
–
–
Non-publics
Latent publics
Aware publics
Active publics
demographic
characteristics, but are
not mutually involved
with the client. They are
not affected by the client,
nor do they affect the
client.
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
Grunig also identifiesLatent
fourpublics
types are
of not
publics
aware of the impact the
based on problem awareness.
client has on them, or
–
–
–
–
Non-publics
Latent publics
Aware publics
Active publics
their impact on the client,
with regards to some
issue or problem
situation. A latent public
might exist due to:
• apathy
• lack of information.
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
Aware
Grunig also identifies
fourpublics
typesareofthose
publics
people who recognize
based on problem mutual
awareness.
involvement with
–
–
–
–
Non-publics
Latent publics
Aware publics
Active publics
other people on some issue
or problem relevant to the
client, and seek
information on the issue.
But an “aware public”
does not do more than
possibly share information
with one another.
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
Grunig also identifiesActive
fourpublics
typesorganize
of publics
themselves to share
based on problem awareness.
information, plan, and
–
–
–
–
Non-publics
Latent publics
Aware publics
Active publics
take steps to do
something about the
issue or situation.
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
Three situational factors identify active
publics:
1. Problem recognition
2. Constraint recognition
3. Level of involvement
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
1. Problem recognition
The extent to which people are aware
of the existence of a problem in their
own spheres of activity.
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
2. Constraint recognition
People see themselves as capable of
remedying the problem, or see
themselves “stuck” in circumstances
beyond their control.
• If people think they can have an
effect on the problem, they are
likely to seek more information.
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Grunig’s Situational Theory of
Publics
3. Level of involvement
Refers to the extent that people see
themselves as affected by a situation.
• The more that people see themselves affected by a situation, the
more likely they will communicate
about it.
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Self-interest and opinion
• Opinions about issues significantly affect
behavior to the extent that self-interest is
involved.
• Opinion does not remain aroused unless
people continue to feel their self-interests
are involved.
• Once self-interest is involved, opinion is
not easily changed.