The Passive Publics

For years socioligists and philosophers have treated ‘the masses’ as passive consumers of media and therefore a symptom and a cause of what Arnold (1882) called the ‘vulgarity of popular culture’. The cultural elites who controlled mass media viewed popular culture as a negative influence whilst using it as a tool for manipulation.

In fact the British Broadcasting Corporation itself was founded on these principles with the first Director General of the BBC, John Reith stating in 1922 “It is occasionally indicated to us that we are setting out to give the public what we think they need – and not they want – but very few people know what they want and very few what they need”. However, in the digital globalised 21st century is this view relevant?

In 2011 Web 2.0 and the internet has diversified and democratised the media landscape so that even the most niche content is catered for. For instance, if someone whose is passionate about a subject as niche as bottled water, content to cater for their needs is just a couple of clicks away (www.bottledwaterblog.net). Meanwhile the mass media behemoths of the 20th century struggle with an ever smaller market place and numerous claims that they are part of a dying empire.

However, media is now more interactive than ever, offering consumers the ability to interact with journalist and each other like never before. Mass media outlets that have embraced this ability are thriving with the online versions of the Guardian's and the Daily Mail's notorious comment’s pages offering a whole new experience for readers. Furthermore, social media has meant sharing media is easier than ever and although no reliable figures exist, one would assume content is being consumed more than ever before. The democratisation of media offers more opportunity for PR’s than ever to influence public opinion and an interactive and not passive public can only make this influence greater felt.

References

Arnold M (1882). Culture and Anarchy: An essay in political and social criticism, 3rd Edition. London: Routledge

Cain, J. (1992). The BBC: 70 Years of Broardcasting. London: BBC

What makes a Crisis Communicator?

Crisis communicators have a reputation in the wider media as smooth operators – highly professional individuals that are able to think on their feet and provide damage limiting sound bites totally of the cuff. They conjure images of oases of calm in a sea of company HQ chaos, quietly administering instructions to press officers desperate for an answer for the attack dog journalists baying for blood through their BlackBerrys.

But do these mythical individuals really exist? Is this method of ‘damage limitation’ by one divine

individual really effective? Unfortunately not – boringly, effective crisis communications requires careful planning, honest internal communication, and a consistent message.

Take for instance Vodafone’s recent mishandling of the tax avoidance protests – the companies high profile stores were picketed by protestors angered at the companies reported unpaid tax bill of £6 billion.. Although these protests were undoubtedly executed by media savvy communicators, the titan UK brand was left looking amateur at best. When asked about the companies response to the protests, Bobby Leach, Group Communication Chief said “You have an uphill battle if you take a proactive stance, with the risk of it becoming very high-profile if you do. Then you run the risk of making yourself more of a target.” With the speed and viral nature of the online sphere this is a dangerous game to play, withmock up’s of the Vodafone brandalready doing the rounds in social media.

Crisis communications is not easy, and a company can never prepare for every eventuality. But if the world’s largest mobile communications company can be found lacking, what hope do the rest of us have?

WarSpin: A How to Guide

In today’s seminar (19.01.11) we discussed the ethics and issues around media relations when (particularly western) countries go to war. PR is not a new thing in warfare – winning the hearts and minds of your own people whilst striking terror into your enemy’s has always been central to military success. Modern warfare, it would seem, is no different.

With the end of the Cold War, western democracies can no longer rely on small matters like opposing cultural, economic and social values to exercise military force. Would-be-invaders wishing to invade another now have to develop an integrated media campaign to accompany their planned offensive.

Therefore, with tongue firmly rammed in cheek, I have put together 'WarSpin: A How to Guide' for any budding leader of the western world wishing to go to war with the public and the media on side:

Create a the Perception of a Real Threat to Citizens

It is important that the public believe the threat to their nation / way of life is culpable. With the advent of super weapons, this has become very easy - simply supply the media with grainy bird’s eye views of buildings in the desert with the caption ‘Suspected Weapons facility’. To add weight, persuade a respected academic in the field to put together a paper agreeing with your observations. Please note, whilst this works a lot more effectively with media outlets than the UN.

Make Journalists Feel Special

Select the top foreign correspondents from the leading media outlets and offer them undisclosed access to the latest developments of the conflict. Once their egos have been sufficiently massaged, place them in a bunker where they can be fed positive news stories.

Stir Up Patriotic Sentiment

This can be done on two fronts: Positive and Negative. When describing the conflict, use phrases like ‘protecting our way of life’ to justify the conflict – this will ensure a positive togetherness. When referring to those who oppose the conflict, they should be referred to as ‘unpatriotic’ and if a whole country decides to oppose the offensive, try to remove references to them in the cultural landscape. For instance, French Fries can become Freedom Fries

Use Buzz Words

Using buzz words is a really great way to ensure your media releases can be easily understood. Using Words like ‘Rogue State’, ‘Axis of Evil’, to describe your chosen country, and acronyms often help editors when column inches are scarce eg. Weapons of Mass Destruction can be easily abbreviated to ‘WMDs’.