Assignment: Scanning the Environment
Assignment: Scanning the Environment
Assignment: Scanning the Environment
Assignment: Scanning the Environment
Issues management begins with scanning the environment—reading a wide variety of publications, monitoring news outlets, surfing the Web, sur- veying social media sites, tracking legislation—to identify potential issues, which are defined as differences of opinion or concerns that could impact the organization. PR managers monitor the issues to determine their trajectory (some issues disappear, others get national attention) and to determine if they are a concern to key organizational publics. The most pressing and important issues get top priority, and leaders outline a potential plan of action. Initiating a persuasive campaign is one option. (We’ll have more to say about persuasive campaigns later in the chapter.) Instead of launching a campaign, an organiza- tion may need to take steps to repair its reputation. It may apologize to the public, change policies, fire unethical employees, support community projects, etc. (See chapter 13 for more information on image restoration.)
Two-way communication, symmetrical relationships. In the popular imagi- nation, public relations is viewed as a form of one-way communication. PR specialists, according to this view, craft messages and develop strategies designed to benefit the group or organization by shaping public attitudes. Lit- tle thought is given to the desires and needs of external audiences. As a result, the organization often gets its way at the expense of employees, neighbors, local governments, small businesses, unions, and other groups. The IABC researchers discovered, however, that outstanding public relations programs engage in two-way, not one-way, communication. Leaders of these programs still craft and deliver messages designed to shape public opinion, but they make an active effort to identify and to respond to the needs of important pub- lics. They conduct ongoing research (using focus groups, surveys, community meetings, and other means) to determine the attitudes and behaviors of audi- ences. Just as important, they are willing to adjust their goals to develop col- laborative or symmetrical relationships with outside groups. Consider the siting of a new county prison, for instance. An asymmetrical approach would be to identify a site, announce the location, and then ask county public rela- tions personnel to develop a strategy to win over opponents. A symmetrical approach would be to solicit public input before making a final decision and then tailor the plan to meet local concerns. Officials might, for example, select an alternative site or change the building design.
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