Time to rethink PR

Deakin’s high calibre PR researcher Associate Professor Kristin Demetrious is convinced that the public relations industry is in need of a shake-up.

Demetrious argues that the profession - which plays a key role in the flow of information across society - will be critical as we face challenges such as climate change and a whole new communication dynamic in the 21^st century.

Eleven years in the making, her new book “Public Relations, Activism and Social Change: Speaking Up” argues that “change within the field of public relations is imminent and urgent.”

The book has received glowing endorsement from the US National Communication Association (PR Division), which has endowed the book with its Pride Award for “Outstanding book/Monograph.” The peak association supports the professional interests in research and teaching of communications scholars, teachers, and practitioners.

It is the second year in a row that Professor Demetrious has received an NCA award. She was a joint recipient with Christine Daymon of a 2013 Pride Award for their co-edited book “Gender and Public Relations: Critical Perspectives of Voice, Image and Identity.”

In her latest book, Professor Demetrious provides a critical assessment of the dominant model of public relations used in the twentieth century, arguing that “PR was arrogant, unethical and politically offensive in ways that weakened democratic processes and its professional credibility.”

“Public relations was used too often to mislead the public, in the interests of unethical corporations,” she said.

“The central thesis for this book was drawn from my original PhD research, which investigated the intersection of the PR used by risk producing industries and community activism.

"These different groups have very different agendas, but all voices need to be heard, in the interests of broader society.”

As Associate Head of the School of Communication and Creative Arts (International and Partnerships), Associate Professor Demetrious has ensured that ethics is an integral component of undergraduate and post-graduate training at Deakin – and her book seems likely to be utilised by Public Relations educators around the country, with leading academics singing its praises.

“Our students will face an alternative set of social relations to those used in the twentieth century,” explained Prof Demetrious.

“The new public relations will take a more principled approach that avoids the contradictions of traditional public relations and represents an ethical reorientation in the communication fields.”

“2014 was our hottest year on record. As the effects of climate change intensify - and are magnified by high carbon dioxide emitting industries - vigorous public debate will be vital, if alternative futures are to be imagined. In these conditions, articulate publics will appear in the form of grassroots activists, asking contentious questions about risks and tabling them for public discussion in bold, inventive and effective ways.

“Yet the current entrenched power relations in public relations sometimes try to silence voices advocating change. So we need to have PR practitioners who are oriented differently – ones who are skilled in developing dialogue, listening and communicating that need for change to management.”

As to whether it is realistic to expect industry to change, Prof Demetrious argues that it is “realistic to expect change when something is not working and when our successful adaption to new conditions depends on change.”

“However, perhaps because communication is one of the ubiquitous parts of the human condition, it is one of the hardest to regulate. But it can be done. We do have to start the conversation. One of the first steps is to be able to articulate the issues and define the problems. Once they are defined they can be analysed and dealt with.

“One of the simplest ways to implement immediate change is to prioritise the industries where that change needs to occur first, and apply very high ethical standards to their PR. For example, high risk industries like nuclear, energy and mining carry major threats to us all when toxic contamination, pollution or chemical spills occur. We can also raise the levels of media literacy amongst audiences, obviously a role for universities.

“Alternatively, we can stop pretending that we have the answers! Some corporations may not want to change, but new regulatory and reporting measures could require them to make things more transparent.

"If we don’t change PR radically, we may have self-interested stagnation, and that won’t help us in adapting to the new social realities of climate change.”

• Public Relations, Activism, and Social Change: Speaking Up.