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TOWARD A PRACTICAL MODEL OF POSTMODERN PUBLIC RELATIONS by Anne R. Czajkowski Rodriguez A Thesis submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for The Master of Science in Communication Degree Thesis Chair: Dr. Peter Smudde THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN–WHITEWATER May 9, 2008 Acknowledgements It is difficult to overstate my gratitude to Dr. Peter Smudde, under whose supervision I developed and carried out this thesis. This work would not have been possible without his guidance and encouragement. It is a pleasure to thank Dr. Lynn Brownson, Melissa Di Motto and Dr. Danielle Stern, who served on my thesis committee. Each has given abundant time and assistance, helping to refine and improve this work in numerous ways. I must also thank Dr. Barbara Penington and Dr. Deborah Dysart Gale, who read earlier papers where some of the ideas for this thesis were developed. Many dear friends remained steadfast, even when I was too preoccupied to write or call. I am humbled by their unwavering patience, kindness, and generosity of spirit. I am grateful as well to my family members, who raised me, taught me, and loved me. Their example of unflinching willingness to work hard and enduring appreciation for learning continue to inspire and guide me. Finally, I thank my husband, Anthony Rodriguez, for his constant loving support. To him I dedicate this thesis. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………….. iii List of Tables ...……….…………………………………………...…………….…. v Abstract …………………………………………………………...………………. vi Chapter 1: Introduction ………………………….…………………………………. 1 Chapter 2: Method …………………………………..……………………………… 38 Chapter 3: Results ……………………………………………..……………………. 52 Chapter 4: Discussion ……………………………………..………………………... 94 References ………………………..…………………………………………………. 137 Appendix A: Steps for the Practical Application of Postmodern Public Relations … 153 iv List of Tables Table 2A: Framework for Rhetorical Critical Case Analysis ……………………..... 41 Table 3A: Artifacts for the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Case Analysis ……………………………………….. 63 Table 3B: Examples of AAIDD’s Discourse ……………………………………… 66 Table 3C: Artifacts for British Petroleum (BP) Case Analysis …………………… 89 Table 3D: Examples of BP’s Discourse …………………………………………… 90 v Abstract of Thesis Anne R. Czajkowski Rodriguez Toward a Practical Model of Postmodern Public Relations May 9, 2008 Dr. Peter Smudde, Thesis Chair The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater vi Toward a Practical Model of Postmodern Public Relations Although there has emerged in the past 10 to15 years a significant body of scholarly literature on the application of postmodern perspectives to the field of public relations, very little has been offered in the way of a roadmap to a practical, everyday application of postmodernism to public relations. Toward that end, this thesis research project offers a practical model for the application of postmodern ideas to the practice of public relations. To understand how postmodernism is emerging as a new perspective on the practice of public relations, it is helpful to first consider currently established theories in the field. Toward that end, a literature review is presented first examining Excellence Theory as one current perspective on the field of public relations. Postmodernism is then presented as an alternative view, and a theoretical framework is set forth synthesizing PPR as it is presented in the literature. Rhetorical criticism is then employed to examine the practical usefulness of what has, until now, been only a theoretical model of PPR. The theoretical framework for PPR is used as a framework to examine two cases of real-world public relations practice: 1) communications surrounding the American Association on Mental Retardation’s decision to change its name to the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and 2) environmental discourse by petroleum giant BP. The result is a useful, useable model for the practice of PPR that derives directly from theory and is directly applicable to industry. The practical model for PPR bridges theory with practice to provide a roadmap for the effective and ethical practice of public relations. Results of the analysis suggest vii that seven of the eight components of the theoretical framework for PPR can be carried out in the practical model. The practical model distills those theoretical components into the four categories: practical relativism, power relations, the dual role of practitioners, and strategy. The only component of the theoretical framework that was not retained for the practical model of PPR is that of avoiding entering into relationships with stakeholders with planned strategies for success. Just the opposite, this project concludes that strategic planning is, in fact, essential for the practice of PPR. In addition, the practical model for PPR calls on practitioners to use awareness of power relations to direct construction of messages, and to develop understanding of communication contexts in order to engage in discourse that is right and just. viii 1 Chapter 1: Introduction Although Wal-Mart strives to be known as the leader in low prices, the retail giant recently found itself leading in a far less desirable category. The reputation-damaging incident began with the creation of a Web log, or “blog,” purporting to tell the story of a couple inspired by Wal-Mart’s welcoming attitude toward recreational vehicle (RV) drivers who decided to “Wal-Mart Across America.” The online journal described the couple’s road-trip experiences, with Wal-Mart often playing a central role in the depictions of life in small-town America. Later, it became known that the entire cost of the bloggers’ trip was underwritten by funds tracked back to Wal-Mart. In the resulting fake blog, or “flog,” debacle, Wal-Mart earned recognition not as the all-American low- price leader, but as an underhanded corporation attempting to deceive online audiences with surreptitious advertising. Ultimately, the fiasco earned Wal-Mart the No. 8 spot on the Advertising Age list of the “Ten Biggest Business Debacles” (Consumerist's Ten Biggest Business Debacles, 2006). How does a resource-rich corporation like Wal-Mart, one with the economic power to hire the best of public relations firms, make such a misstep? Wal-Mart's “RV- ing across America” flog demonstrates precisely why Holtzhausen (2002) cautions against the use of technology to create hyper-realities that obscure organizational intentions and conceal power issues. Holtzhausen is one of a small group of public relations scholars taking a new, postmodern, theoretical direction in the field. From this new perspective, the Wal-Mart debacle illustrates how the public relations field has failed to acknowledge the postmodern times in which we communicate 2 today. Conceivably, a postmodern public relations (PPR) roadmap could have been helpful during Wal-Mart’s “RV-ing Across America” effort. Unfortunately, however, no such practical model exists. Although there has emerged in the past 10 to15 years a significant body of scholarly literature on the application of postmodern perspectives to the field of public relations, very little has been offered in the way of a roadmap to a practical, everyday application of postmodernism to public relations. Toward that end, this thesis research project seeks to offer a practical model for the application of postmodern ideas to the practice of public relations. The work undertaken in this research project appropriately examines and evaluates the practicality of PPR. First, a comprehensive literature review is presented, providing a theoretical framework for PPR. Then, research questions are identified to examine the practical usefulness of what has, until now, been only a theoretical model of PPR. Finally, rhetorical criticism is employed to apply this theoretical framework to real-world public relations practice. Results of the analysis suggest that seven of the eight components of the theoretical framework for PPR can be carried out in the practical model. The practical model distills those theoretical components into the four categories: practical relativism, power relations, the dual role of practitioners, and strategy. The only component of the theoretical framework that was not retained for the practical model of PPR is that of avoiding entering into relationships with stakeholders with planned strategies for success. Just the opposite, the finding of this research is that is that strategic planning is, in fact, essential for the practice of PPR. 3 The practical model for PPR bridges theory with practice to provide a roadmap for the effective and ethical practice of public relations. The model includes strategic planning as an essential step for the practice of PPR. In addition, the practical model for PPR calls on practitioners to use awareness of power relations to direct construction of messages, and to develop understanding of communication contexts in order to engage in discourse that is right and just. Literature Review To understand how postmodernism is emerging as a new perspective on the practice of public relations, it is helpful to first examine currently established theories. Therefore, this literature review chapter will examine current prevailing theories and perspectives in the field of public relations. Then, postmodernism will be presented as an alternative view, and a theoretical framework is set forth synthesizing PPR as it is presented in the literature. In following