SOCIAL AND NEW MEDIA: ESSENTIAL TOOLS

A report by the PRSA, ‘Examining How Social and Emerging Media Have Been Used in Public Relations Between 2006 And 2012: A Longitudinal Analysis’, has shown that usage of new media in the US has increased year-on-year since 2006.

With print in decline will PR become a completely digitalised practice eventually? In fact, is everything going to become digitalised to the point that pen and paper is alien to whole generations?

Respondents to the studies surveys have stated that they “firmly believe these new media have enhanced public relations practice, especially as it pertains to external audiences” (Wright & Hinson, 2012). Further results also indicated that many public relations professionals believe that emerging media as well as social media, are continuously improving in terms of “…accuracy, credibility, honesty, trust and truth telling” (2012, p. 15). Furthermore they also think that these new media methods can serve a watchdog role for “...traditional news media, impacting corporate and organizational transparency and advocating a transparent and ethical culture” (2012, p. 15).

So, social media is said to be improving transparency and advocating an ethical environment between organisations and their stakeholders which is an essential aspect to modern day business. However social media also flags up a whole new set of ethical issues that need to be taken into consideration and addressed before the organisation begins its online community. For example, PR practitioners may face issues with transparency, deception, manipulation and tension between their own personal voice and the organisations voice.  All in all I feel that for social media to be a success it needs to be handled correctly by a small team of people with strict guidelines and clearing stages to assure everyone is on the same page with what they want to achieve from the social media platform/s.

Wright, D. K. & Hinson, M. D., 2012. Examining How Social and Emerging Media Have Been Used in Public Relations Between 2006 and 2012: A Longitudinal Analysis, s.l.: PRCA.