Mass Communication & Journalism

There is no universally agreed history of public relations. But most of the historians are of the view that man has been using various public relations skills and techniques, since the time he formed social groups, for moulding and influencing public opinion. Archaeological findings of old civilizations in Rome, Egypt, Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq) substantiate this view and show that those nations have been using some of the techniques for public opinion formation which even today constitute an integral part of the public relationing. A 4000 years old cunciform tablet found in Iraq The history of public relations is mostly confined to the early half of the twentieth century however there is evidence of the practices scattered through history. One notable practitioner was Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire whose efforts on behalf of Charles James Fox in the 18th century included press relations, lobbying and, with her friends, celebrity campaigning. A number of American precursors...

Public Relations is usually confused with advertising, press agentry, propaganda, publicity, public affairs, etc., but these are some of the tools used by the all absorbing discipline of public relations for achieving its objectives. Public relations can be classified into various types, such as:- Governmental/Official PR Financial/Industrial/Commercial PR Political PR International PR Official PR:               Public Relations is considered to be an essential components for the smooth functioning of any government, state agency or department. Although official PR departments are considered to be non political and non partisan, the parties in power in some third world countries, often try to use these for achieving/furthering their  own political ends. The basic duties/functions of a PR set-up of a government include: To keep the citizens informed of the government policies, achievements welfare programmes and projects To interpret the rule...

ETHICS Ethics, also known as moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice, etc. LAWS Law is a system of rules and guidelines, usually enforced through a set of institutions. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. VARIOUS LAWS AND ETHICS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IPRA CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT:         Following code of conduct was adopted by the International Public Relations association at its general assembly in Venice, May 1961 and is binding on all members of the Association. Personal and professional Integrity Conduct Towards Clients and Employers Conduct Towards the Public and the Media Conduct Towards Colleagues Personal and professional Integrity:          It is understood that by personal integrity ...

  PRESS RELEASE A press release, news release, media release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy. Typically, they are mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to assignment editors at newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television stations, and/or television networks. Commercial press release distribution services are also used. HANDOUT A handout is something given freely or distributed gratis (without compensation). It can refer to materials handed out for presentation purposes or to a charitable gift, among other things. According to John Hoheberg, author of the book “The Professional Journalist” handout is a contemptuous name bestowed by newspapers long ago on the public relations news release. PRESS NOTE A press note is neither a news story, nor a press release, nor a handout which leave the sub-editor at liberty to publish it or the otherwise. It is an ...

  Holding a press conference is one of the best promotions you can do for a product or service, or to establish a certain agenda. Gathering the press together gives your story a chance to be covered and therefore be known all over the place. PREPARE THE PLACE FOR PRESS CONFERENCE:       Usually, a press conference is held in a place familiar to the media like the local municipal building or a hotel. Consider the place’s accommodation capacity, too. How many people do you expect to come at the press conference? If there will be TV coverage, the place should have enough space where to set up cameras. There should also be electrical outlets. If it will be an outdoor event, make sure you’ll have an alternative place in case of bad weather.   CHOOSE THE BEST TIME AND DAY FOR THE PRESS CONFERENCE:  Whatever day and time you choose, make sure that you start the press conference on time. Media people are busy people. They still have other events to c...

  How are the Juries verdicts influenced by their individual dispositions and by their working together? Explain with examples from Pakistani Society. A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict (a finding of fact on a question) officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to judge whether an accused person is not guilty or guilty of a crime. (There is no such verdict as "innocent"). A person who is serving on a jury is called a juror. These courtroom influences upon “the average juror” are worth pondering. But no juror is the average juror; each carries into the courthouse individual attitudes and personalities. And when deliberating, they influence one another.  JUROR COMPREHENSION In making their decisions, jurors first construct a story that makes sense of all the evidence . After observing one murder trial, some jurors concluded that a quarrel made the defendant angry, trig...

PRINT MEDIA T he term printed media is used to cover those communication techniques that rely principally on combinations of printed words and pictures. They are our oldest formal combination. To use them effectively the educational levels and literacy rate of the audience must be considered. Extension programmes can take a broad and creative approach to ways in which to use print methods for conveying news to specific audiences. Newspapers may come to mind first, but they are only one of several print a mass media available to convey extension news and information. TYPES OF PRINT MEDIA Newspapers: Newspapers are the most popular forms of print media. The advertiser in this case can choose from a daily newspaper to a weekly tabloid. Different types of newspaper cater to various audiences and one can select the particular category accordingly. Advertisers then design press advertisements where in the size is decided as per the budget of the client. Magazines: Magazines also of...

  A  prejudice is a prejudgment, an assumption made about someone or something before having adequate knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy. The word prejudice is most commonly used to refer to a preconceived judgment toward a people or a person because of race, social class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, political beliefs, religion, sexual orientation or other personal characteristics. It also means beliefs without knowledge of the facts and may include "any unreasonable attitude that is unusually resistant to rational influence." Prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination, racism, sexism: The terms often overlap. Before seeking to understand prejudice, let’s clarify the terms. Each of the situations just described involved a negative evaluation of some group. And that is the essence of prejudice: an unjustifiable negative attitude toward a group and its individual members. Prejudice is prejudgment; it biases us against a person based solely on the person...