PR and Convergence

Consider the concept of "convergence" and think ten years in the future. How will your profession be different and what role will convergence play, if any, in your work?

New technologies are highly pertinent to the field of public relations. Laptops, mobile phones, the Internet and social media have all had a permanent impact on the way in which information is disseminated to the public, and have become the standard tools of PR. It is the convergence of these communication technologies that has transformed the landscape of PR, and will certainly continue to shape its role in the future.

Technology has always been an integral part of PR practice. Originally typed on paper and sent via fax or mail, media releases are now generated on computer and distributed by email. Video news releases are produced digitally and delivered by the Internet or satellite, and public opinion is monitored via the web (Pavlik, 2007). Because of this reliance on the media, PR practitioners have had to constantly adapt to the changing media realm as technologies have continued to evolve. Twitter, Facebook and the ‘blogosphere’ among other forms of social media have created a new realm of public opinion, and represent the move away from traditional media to the direct and unmediated channels of the Internet.

Web 2.0 has altered the traditional notions of PR by breaking down the asymmetrical model of communication in which organisations control the dissemination of messages to their publics (Pavlik, 2007). It is breaking down this barrier by empowering audiences to communicate directly online via social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and particularly blogging. Communication channels between organisations and their publics have become increasingly symmetrical, creating the need for PR to evolve and explore new ways of interacting to build positive relationships with stakeholders (Berger, 2003). Web 2.0 has far from disadvantaged the PR profession, however, as it provides an invaluable means of gauging public opinion and interacting with key publics in a capacity that is not impossible through traditional media outlets (Pavlik, 2007). The growth of the Internet has been hugely advantageous to the PR field, as it as facilitated cost effective two-way communication between an organisation and its publics.

Technological convergence will continue to play a vital role in PR practice in the future. For example, the current societal shift from mass consumption of media (‘push’ media) to personalised consumption of media (‘pull’ media) will have a continuing affect on the media release, the primary tool of PR (Berger, 2003). Over the next decade the field will move away from the traditional format to an interactive media release, encompassing a variety of content such as text, video, SMS, podcast, website links and other elements. Furthermore, social media platforms will continue to evolve within the PR industry as higher value is placed on monitoring and measuring returns. Industry-specific social networks will also develop so as to provide easier communication for journalists, PR practitioners and media contacts. The future will also see increased growth in listening platforms via social media and less for reporting, thus facilitating a more fluid 2-way interaction between an organisation and its stakeholders.

Suffice it to say, technological convergence is an integral part of public relations. At this point in time, technology, the Internet and social media are all vitally important to an organisation's interaction with its publics, with the failure to adequately manage these tools often leading to disastrous consequences. Just ask Domino’s – the company witnessed first-hand the destruction caused by a YouTube video gone viral (See it here). Such incidents highlight the importance for PR practitioners in leveraging communication technologies to engage with an organisation’s stakeholders via Twitter, Facebook and other online social networks (Berger, 2003). Despite its challenges, technological convergence provides an invaluable platform for effective public relations and will continue to drastically influence the field in the future.

References

Berger, B. (2003). Public relation(ship)s or private controls? Practitioner perspectives on the uses and benefits of new technologies. Atlantic Journal of Communication , 11 (1), 76-99.

Pavlik, J. V. (2007). Mapping the Consequences of Technology on Public Relations. New Jersey: Institute for Public Relations.