Does truth stem from trust or does trust stem
from truth? It’s safe to say this ‘chicken-egg’ debate will leave the masses
divided. If you’re asking for my opinion I would defend the notion that truth
derives from trust. As babies we are
blank canvases moulded (influenced) by those around whom we trust. At first this
is your parents, then friends, maybe work colleagues and (though it pains me to
admit this) the influence of the media.
Whether you
like it or not we’re all caught in the media trap, one element that
automatically springs to mind is the ‘C factor’ – the celebrity stamp of approval. Julianne Schultz (2004) declares
“stars, lies and propaganda have become the stock in trade of public
life, distorting reality, unhinging trust in institutions and corroding
confidence.” Despite her bold claims,
is it really fair to associate all celebrity PR with personal gain or spin?
Shannon & Weaver’s (1949) model of
communication emphasises this idea of ‘encoding’
and ‘decoding’, in other words, ensuring
your sender and receiver are on the same page. Given
our obession with those in the spotlight, is
this a form of manipulation or just a
smart PR move?
When I witness Ryan Reynolds in some
smouldering fragrance advert, am I tempted to purchase this particular
aftershave for my man? Possibly. Maybe because in my dreams I’m in the advert
with this Adonis? Probably. The sad fact is that like our parents, certain
celebrities become our influencers, role models and (if you’re like me and Ryan
Reynolds) a small crush gone bad. Some
might say this sort of campaigning resembles the work of Edward Bernays and
‘The American Tobacco Company’ in the 1920s. Maybe not to the same extent but
the idea of using ‘idealisation’ definitely plays its role.
It’s easy for me to jest at this ‘spin doctor’
concept when it involves a product of relatively low involvement, but what if
the stakes are higher? Many celebrities
over the years have promoted charities; their endorsement has not only
heightened the profile of said charities but also helped to raise the big bucks. A
recent example can be seen through Stand up to Cancer which made its debut in
October this year. Would this campaign have had the same exposure without the
participation of these stars? Unlikely. Could we call the concept of celebrity
PR spin when it involves a charity? This isn’t exactly an idea that has crossed
my mind but what happens when celebrity endorsement reaches the world of politics?
Where authors (Drake & Higgins: 2006)
have accepted the value celebrity endorsement can bring to the world of
politics, Schultz argues that as the world of politics and entertainment merges “the addiction to celebrity has become more
acute, more corrosive.” The US election which took place earlier this
year, during which many celebrities from George Clooney to Katy Perry supported
the current (and re-elected) President Barack Obama, provides a recent example
of this. Seeing Presidents on chat shows and celebrities supporting political
campaigns may be a little hard to take in but does this actually make sound
business sense?
Cutlip et al (2000) considers
democracy and PR to go hand in hand. “In
a very real sense, the purpose of democracy itself closely matches the purpose
of public relations. Successful democratic government maintains responsive
relationships with constituents, based on mutual understanding and two-way
communication.” In this sense we could deem lobbying as a fundamental
communication technque used to initiate mutual understanding and feedback.
Richard Perloff (2010) developed 5 elements of
credibility and social attractiveness which evaluate suitable speakers to a
particular audience or set of publics.
- ·
Expertise
- ·
Trustworthiness
- ·
Likeability
- ·
Similarity
- ·
Physical appearance
Credibility is vital within PR. This form of
persuasion looks at how to communicate a message in the most effective way.
Given critics' views on the validity of our profession there is no wonder many
have invited celebrity endorsements with open arms.
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review, discuss
Over and Out
Rhi [@Rhiannon_Lucy91]
Answering my original question – is PR and propaganda the same
concept? In my personal opinion, no, but it’s undeniable that the profession
that we now know has emerged from the notion of propaganda. Do I think
propaganda still exists? Yes I do, but I also believe we are smart enough to
distinguish the sublime from the ridiculous. The impression of the PR industry
stems from our ethics, knowledge base and most importantly our personal
opinion. In other words, propaganda will always exist if we believe it to.
