Week Four

I believe the key messages from this weeks readings were…that the media and public relations professionals have an interdependent relationship where one relies on the other to get their job done. Dealing with the media is a necessary part of the PR profession and requires repeated practice of communication and interpersonal skills.

The key points in the readings could be applied to my groups work in that…we’re at the point where we need to exercise those skills with the client organization rather than the media. Finding a point of communication that is going to both inform the client but also show them what they’re lacking in a polite, non-condescending way is a difficult yet necessary thing to do.

The readings made me think more about PR theory and practice in that…dealing with the media requires excellent personal communication skills that need to be worked on, and aren’t something that comes naturally. Competence comes with experience.

The readings related to the other reading I've done in previous weeks in that…research is vital in order to become knowledgeable and practiced in media relations. Studying previous media conferences and speaking techniques helps get a clear idea of what to steer away from and what to focus on.

Required reading for Week 4

1. Johnson, J. (2004) Media Relations. In J. Johnston & C. Zawawi (eds.), Public relations: theory and practice (pp. 259-286). Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
2. Stanton, R. (2007) Two Theories of Media Relations. In R.Stanton, Media Relations (pp 13-27). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
3. Motion, J. & Weaver, K. (2005) The epistemic struggle for credibility: Rethinking media relations. Journal of Communication Management, 9 (3), 246-255.