Suggested Community Program Assignment

I do not think that the United Way and the National Association of Manufacturers share the same goals in influencing the community. These two groups are in completely different industries so it is hard to compare them. For example, the United Way does not really have a need to influence manufacturers or merchants, because the United Way is not trying to sell to them or make them produce a product. I do not think that the United Way needs to influence the bar association either because they are not trying to pursue any types of justice.  I did not see any instances of the United Way trying to influence churches because this organization is secular.

However, I think that the two organizations have one thing in common: they want to influence people in the community. I think that the main groups that the United Way is trying to influence are group leaders, parents, and companies. Why is this? Because the United Way is a not-for-profit organization, meaning they run off of donations and these groups are their biggest donors. So let’s break it down and see exactly what the United Way is doing to influence their targets.

The biggest event of the year for the Rochester United Way is the Day of Caring. I think that this event is a great example of the United Way reaching out to the whole local committee. On this Day of Caring, people throughout the Rochester area take off of work or school to come and help out local not-for-profit agencies with various projects. This is the United Way’s most popular volunteer event of the year.

Now before I go on to describe how the Day of Caring has influenced the local community, I want to clarify something. I think that this title of “group leaders” is too generic. I feel like it should really be saying “community leaders.” These are the types of people who come from all sorts of backgrounds and are very influential in the community. What I mean by this is that the group of community leaders may be people like the town mayor or the president of a local company, but they can also include the president of the local school’s PTA or a radio personality. Influencing these groups, I think, is key to the success of a community organization like the United Way.

So back to the United Way of Rochester’s Day of Caring. Let’s look at this event from one of our community leaders’ point of view: the president of a local company. What if he allowed all of his employees the day off of work to participate in the Day of Caring? That would be a great public relations move for his company wouldn’t it? That is a way that the United Way can influence companies. (And hopefully get them to donate!)

How about the president of the PTA? She would look good if she got all of her fellow parents to sign up to get involved. I think that parents would be very supportive of an event like this because it shows their children that they, too, can have a positive impact on their community. Hopefully some day, their children could get involved in the program as well.

Staying on the subject of children, what if local educators decided to make the Day of Caring a field trip for their classes? This would be a great way for the United Way to have an impact on local schools. I know that many schools do have clubs dedicated to community service and the United Way can take advantage of these clubs to get some more publicity for themselves and their event.

Lastly, how about having that local radio personality talk about the Day of Caring and what he/she will be involved with? Lots of people listen to the radio and would hear their “cool” announcer getting involved…so why not them? Through this, the United Way is able to use the radio to influence community members.

OK, now let’s take a look at what happens after the Day of Caring. The publicity for the United Way does not end there. Now we have all of the press releases from companies who participated, stories from the people that have been helped, and generally just a word of mouth circulating around town all about what happened on the Day of Caring. The newspapers will be hard-pressed to find the best story from all of the ones they will receive about who participated in the Day of Caring. This publicity is boundless for the United Way and through it; the United Way is able to influence the entire community.

A large area-wide program like the Day of Caring opens so many doors for influencing people in the community. Participating in the Day of Caring makes the participants look good and it also helps the United Way build up its reputation within the community!

The United Way clearly has much different goals than the NAM but they both need to influence community leaders for their programs to be successful.  I think that while their target leaders are different, their main goal is the same: to be successful. And to be successful, they must take advantage of the various groups and media around them.

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February 27, 2010

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Ewen “Rewriting History” Final Project: Recent Developments Relating to Chapter Two

In chapter two, Ewen discussed many of the negative consequences of public relations. He explained how not every campaign is out to promote itself for the common good. Public relations campaigns can hurt society. Ewen explained this by telling readers about a young girl’s fictitious story that was used to influence the American public into wanting to enter into the First Persian Gulf War.

The fictitious tale known as Nayirah’s story caused a lot of controversy and is one of the reasons Americans were so intent on entering into the Persian Gulf War. Since that public relations debacle ended, the U.S. entered into the war and $60 billion dollars later, one could say that the U.S. had success. Sanctions were placed on Iraq and Iraqi forces were removed from Kuwait. But that did not end the conflict. In 2003, the U.S. entered into Iraq once again, initiating the Second Gulf War. This war was not very successful and caused a lot of public unrest and dissatisfaction in the United States.

Nayirah “testifying” her story

Ewen also talked about fake grassroots campaigns, known as “astro turf organizing.” These campaigns are held by organizations that have a public relations goal but are disguised as spontaneous grassroots organizations. This fake grassroots phenomenon is still going on today. One example of astro turf organizing is the “50 Cent Party” of China. This organization is comprised of pay-per-comment bloggers hired by schools and political organizations in China to go on the Internet and counter negative information that they find. This group of people appears to be out to get their pro-China messages across but in reality, they are just being paid to express nationalism.

It is pretty clear that even though Ewen published his book in 1996, the public relations processes he discussed are still going on today. History always repeats itself doesn’t it?

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February 27, 2010

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Ewen “Rewriting History” Final Project: Historical Developments

I think that the historical developments that led up to what Ewen talked about in chapter two can be summed up in five words: the rise of public relations. I do not think that there is any clear cut way of defining the exact historical developments that led up to what Ewen did with his class except for the rise of a field that has provided the class with so many examples of techniques to influence others. Just like Ewen said at the beginning of the chapter, public relations is not clear cut and it is not easy to condense it.

However, I do think that the case studies Ewen discussed after the classroom story have historical relevance to his class’s actions. For example, Ewen discussed that there are unspoken visual techniques that public relations practitioners use to create a mood.

Oooh, what a dramatic background you have Mr. President!

Ewen used the example of a president standing in front of a dramatic background. How long has that been going on? I feel like our president is always standing in front of a dramatic background. This example runs along the same lines of how Ewen’s class all dressed in black. In doing so, they were to use a piece of public relations history to be able to influence the reporter and make her think that they were a bunch of “urban hipsters” when maybe they were not.

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February 26, 2010

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Ewen “Rewriting History” Final Project: Chapter Outline

Chapter 2: Dealing in Reality: Protocols of Persuasion

PR! A Social History of Spin by Stuart Ewen

Chapter 2 of Stuart Ewen’s PR! A Social History of Spin begins with Ewen discussing his frustrations with writing his book. He says that his topic for the book, the role of public relations in twentieth century American life, was not as easy and natural and he thought it was going to be. Ewen realized that every aspect of American society is touched by public relations professionals and to condense the history into a simple book was going to be a daunting task.

Stuart Ewen

Ewen goes on to describe a class he taught in the spring of 1993 at Hunter College, City University of New York, called The CULT(ure) of Publicity. Ewen’s intention was to teach the class about the rise of public relations practices in the United States.

After he had started teaching the class, Ewen was approached with a public relations opportunity. Lynn Palazzi, a reporter for New York Newsday, a New York City tabloid (http://www.newsday.com/ ), was interested in writing a story about Ewen’s class for an article about interesting classes being taught in New York City.

Palazzi wanted to interview Ewen and also attend his class. Ewen said that he would be happy to oblige but in order to come into his classroom, she had to follow two conditions: 1. She cannot bring a photographer and 2. She should try to blend in with the students, as to not be a disruption to the class since they will not know that a reporter is coming. Palazzi agreed and they set up a day that she would come interview him and attend his class.

In the class session before Palazzi’s visit, Ewen informed his class that a reporter would be visiting. He told the class about the article that she was writing and also told them that she would think that none of the students would know that she was there.

Ewen then thought that “…this provided us with a perfect occasion to test out some of the techniques outlined by Bernays…What could we do to turn our class into “news”?” (Ewen 22-23). Excited, the students began to think up some possible ideas that would secretly influence the way she would write about the class. They came up with a plan.

First, the class would begin with students bringing in news clippings from local newspapers, with articles from Palazzi’s New York Newsday being the most prominent. Students would then discuss how these articles were shaped by public relations professionals. Second, the students would consistently raise their hand, to show lots of enthusiasm. Lastly, to add some mystery, everyone would show up to class dressed in black.

The day of Palazzi’s visit finally arrived. Before class, she sat down with Ewen and conducted an interview. She explained her reasoning for choosing his class, which was the way in which he spelled the title: The CULT(ure) of Publicity. He explained that he wanted to visualize the course content into the title and also his emphasis on the idea of publicity being mesmerizing, like a cult. After the interview, it was time for class to begin.

When Ewen entered into his classroom he saw everyone dressed in black. Everyone except Palazzi. Ewen himself even felt the effects of all of the black, calling it “chilling” (25). The plan went off without a hitch. However, at the end of the class, he saw Palazzi bolt out of the room, and it worried him that maybe she had been freaked out.

Imagine if everyone in these seats were dressed in black...would that be a "chilling" experience for you?

Later in that semester, Ewen received a call saying that Palazzi’s article was in the paper. Ewen found the article; it was called “College Lite” (26). The article called Ewen’s students “urban hipsters” that wear “varying shades of black—to cast a more critical eye upon the images and messages they’re bombarded with every day.” She compared the class to a lecture, but said that it was more like a “coffee house exchange of ideas” (26). After Ewen’s class read the article, they discussed its content and “Gratified and amused, we [Ewen and his class] congratulated ourselves on having mastered the Way of Spin”

Ewen also talked about negative consequences that may result from using public relations techniques. Ewen tells his readers about a story that was used to increase American support of the U.S. entry into the Persian Gulf War in 1991. The story was about a fifteen year old Kuwaiti girl who allegedly witnessed Iraqi soldiers leaving babies to die in a hospital. In reality, the girl was the daughter of the Kuwaiti ambassador to the U.S. and she never witnessed such events (28-29). This lie had been concocted by Gary Hymel, Vice President of Hill and Knowlton, one of the largest public relations firms in the world (They still exist today: http://www.hillandknowlton.com/ ). He had been hired by the Kuwaiti royal family to get U.S. support for the war.

Public relations, Ewen says, is good at manufacturing emotion. He uses examples such as the “applause sign,” the publicity of statistical polls, and orchestrated “grassroots” expression (often called Astro Turf Organizing). He also talks about the use of unspoken visual techniques, like how his class dressed in all black, to create a mood. He says that this is used a lot in society, for example, the president making a speech before a dramatic background (29).

Ewen also talks about Life is in the Balance, an education brochure from the Dow Chemical Corporation. The brochure argues about environmental regulation of the petrochemical industry. The brochure also discusses having the right to make your own decisions. The brochure talks nothing about the environmental hazards that their industry is involved with. Visually, the pamphlet is very “green,” it has a green cover and is printed in earth tones. Ewen then emphasizes the importance of the brochure’s façade by saying “It’s not what you say, but how you say it, that matters” (31).

The emphasis that public relations puts on influencing opinion can hurt actual content, Ewen says. For example, his class was so intent on influencing the reporter’s opinion that they did not discuss at length about the content of the actual class. Ewen says that in our society, “prizing message before substance” is typical (32).

In a review of the case studies discussed in the chapter, Ewen closes by saying that “Embedded within such schemes lies a nervous preoccupation with the perils of democracy that has chaperoned the growth of corporate public relations for nearly a century” (33). I think that Ewen means that the struggles we face as a democracy are played off of by public relations. For example, in Nayirah’s case, the public relations played off our democratic want for everyone to be free of harm. The public relations firm that did this story recognized this sentiment among the public and was able to build a campaign out of it. These struggles, or simply just feelings, that we see/feel in our democracy help to build a successful foundation for public relations campaigns.

Ewen also discusses how Bernays said that in our democracy, “public relations has become essential for the maintenance of order” and that “the future of civilization lay in the capacity of elites to guide public opinion efficiently” (34). This belief is reflective of the fact that public relations is guided by the struggles of a democracy. If a politician can play off of our struggles and create a public relations campaign that addresses these struggles, he can be successful. If he can guide the public in the right direction and bring order in a world of chaos, our civilization will have a positive future. Bernays once said “Intelligent men must realize that propaganda is the modern instrument by which they can fight for productive ends and help to bring order out of chaos” (35).

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February 24, 2010

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MegaQuiz#2

Father of Public Relations Praises Facebook

Edward L. Bernays, public relations pioneer, will present “How Facebook is Changing the Face of Public Relations,” at St. John Fisher College on Friday, April 9. The lecture will begin at 4 p.m. in Basil 135 on the Fisher campus. The event is free and open to the public.

In his lecture, Bernays will discuss Facebook, a social networking website, and the impact it is having on modern public relations. Bernays will explain why Facebook is making public relations more noticeable to the public and also why it is a good thing that Facebook is forcing the public to turn away from their traditional news medias. Bernays has said that it is important for modern public relations professionals to adapt to this shift in news presentation and in his lecture, he will discuss what these people need to do to stay successful in the field.

Bernays is a widely respected public relations expert and has often been referred to as “the father of public relations.” He was the first in his industry to use psychology to influence public opinion and he has written numerous books on his findings, including the groundbreaking “Crystallizing Public Opinion” (1923).

The presentation is sponsored by the communication/journalism department at St. John Fisher College.

For more information, please contact communication/journalism department chair Dr. Jack Rosenberry at jrosenberry@sjfc.edu or visit the communication/journalism department website at http://home.sjfc.edu/communicationjournalism/index.asp.

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February 5, 2010

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Kelley’s Answers to MegaQuiz #1

4. On pages 11-13, Lippmann describes how external behaviors are influenced by interior motives. The example he uses is two friends fighting over money. In reality they are fighting over money but behind the scenes, one man is reenacting the past in which a girl chose the other man over him. What is one example of an external behavior that was a result of an interior motive in modern times?

One example of an interior motive driving an external behavior is seen through the United States’ entry into Iraq. President Bush said that the reason we entered into Iraq was to get Saddam Hussein and find weapons of mass destruction. Once Saddam was caught and no weapons were found, the U.S. still found itself in Iraq. Once his “reasons” were gone, the real factors behind Bush’s decision came to light. According to many, Bush had an ulterior motive for entering into Iraq: oil. The more power the U.S. gained in Iraq, the more power it gained over oil. Bush’s external behavior was entering the U.S. into Iraq and unleashing a war while in the background, his interior motive was to gain control of oil fields.

This is a picture of President Bush composed of the faces of the soldiers who have died in the war

(Picture from: http://amleft.blogspot.com/archives/2004_04_01_amleft_archive.html#108112087436221697)

5. On page 303 and 304 of his book The Power Elite, Mills describes the differences between a “public” and a “mass.” What makes a “public?” What makes a “mass?” Which one are we?

Mills’ book, The Power Elite

A “public” is a state in which there are virtually as many people expressing opinions as there are people hearing the opinions. In a public there is also an ability to speak back to the opinion givers immediately and effectively. Additionally, the people can easily find a way to achieve effective action, even if the action is against the government. The institutions of a public do not penetrate the public, the public is autonomous.

A “mass” is a state in which few people express opinions but there are multitudes of people hearing the opinions. It is difficult for people to answer back quickly and effectively to the opinion givers. Also, the public is not autonomous; it is controlled by its institution.

A modern day example of a mass society is that of China. The people that want to voice their opinions cannot. People cannot answer back to the “opinions” that they hear from the government because the government is completely penetrating the society.

I think that the United States is a public. We are like a public because there are so many people expressing their opinions. We are also able to answer back quickly and effectively to these people giving their opinions. People in our country can also take action against other opinion makers and the government by protesting. I do think that we are a public but for the last aspect, we are a bit mixed between the two. Our government does not absolutely control our actions, but they do have power over us. They can tell us what to say and how to say it, even though we have freedom of speech. This freedom is like something that would happen in a public, but we are restricted. For instance, can you make a threat on the President’s life?

6. Mills said that individuals in a mass society feel like they cannot influence elections. Can a single American influence a presidential election now with the advent of new social networking technologies like Twitter?

I think that one single person can influence a presidential election via new technologies like Twitter. For example, Ashton Kutcher has a very large following on Twitter. Say it is 2008 and he tweets declaring his support for Barack Obama. That could have an effect on the election because Kutcher’s opinions mean a lot to his followers. This could potentially bring in a lot of new voters to Obama who may not have supported him before hearing that their favorite actor does. (Link to Ashton Kutcher’s Twitter: http://twitter.com/APlusK)

Another is example is that of Oprah. She has an immense following (Over 3 million on Twitter!) and is extremely influential on the American public. What if she posted on Twitter that she no longer endorsed Obama and wanted McCain to win? I think that move would have a huge impact on the presidential election. Her opinions are very influential to the American public and people trust her and what she says. She is just a single person! It is true that one person can influence so many people.

Listen to my Podcast of this blog post at: http://lon270.podbean.com/

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February 1, 2010

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Nicole and Kelley’s Questions for MegaQuiz#1

Nicole’s Questions

1. Bernays said that majority ideas are usually the oldest ideas. However, in modern times, research sometimes proves these old ways as inefficient or incorrect. What is one modern day example of an old majority idea that no longer holds up?

2. Bernays was able to use prominent groups or people in certain industries to promote new products.  What is an example of a new innovation that did not catch on until a prominent person used it?

3.  Lippmann argued that a person’s perception of the world is his picture of truth. This relates to Lippmann’s beliefs on politics; that a person’s picture of the world makes them believe that their opinion is absolute. What is one modern political issue that demonstrates this idea that peoples’ perceptions of the world can make them feel like their opinions are the only right ones?

Kelley’s Questions

4. On pages 11-13, Lippmann describes how external behaviors are influenced by interior motives. The example he uses is two friends fighting over money. In reality they are fighting over money but behind the scenes, one man is reenacting the past in which a girl chose the other man over him. What is one example of an external behavior that was a result of an interior motive in modern times?

5. On page 303 and 304 of his book The Power Elite, Mills describes the differences between a “public” and a “mass.” What makes a “public?” What makes a “mass?” Which one are we?

6. Mills said that individuals in a mass society feel like they cannot influence elections. Can a single American influence a presidential election now with the advent of new social networking technologies like Twitter?

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January 25, 2010

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Tweeting Reflection

Tweeting during the film was very different in comparison to taking notes. It really enhanced my learning abilities. We looked up more information about our tweets to add to the class discussion, which I liked. I felt like I could take my learning in whatever direction I wanted. Taking notes on Twitter was interactive; we could see other peoples’ notes and comment on them. It made me feel like my notes were more rewarding because others could see what I was thinking.

On the other hand, the Twitter postings frustrated me. I felt very rushed because I wanted to get 50 tweets in and my computer kept freezing when I was trying to post my comments. I also felt like I did not even watch the movie. I would hear one phrase or name then I would research for a couple of minutes so I could post something while completely ignoring the movie. If I were taking notes with a pen and paper then I think I would actually have left class feeling like I watched the film. If asked if I would use Twitter to take notes again, I do think that I would, but it would be under different circumstances.

Links that I posted:
-George Washington’s Farewell Address
-Article about kidnapped journalists
-A copy of the U.S. Government’s rules for embedded journalists
-Article about how many bombs were dropped in Iraq

-Link to what an F-117 Stealth Fighter looks like
-Link to a website that shows the top 10 media conglomerates
-Website that compares Hitler to Saddam Hussein
-Website about peace
-Link to Judith Miller’s website

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January 19, 2010

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