Week 3

I found this week’s readings rather overwhelming with the amount of different ideas and theories used by Public Relations practitioners. Some of the mains points I learnt from the Johnston and Zawawi reading included the use of the agenda setting to select or hide certain aspects of the news. The use of theories including the general systems theory, semiotics and critical theory. The “Four Models’ by Grunig and Hunt which is made up of Press agentry, Public information, Two-Way Asymmetric and the Two-way symmetric. Other theories I learnt of include rhetorical theory, relationship management which includes the evaluation of power, commitment, credibility, trust and the parties overall needs and aspirations, situational theory which involves being falling into categories depending on the situation they are in, social exchange theory and social learning theory.
The second reading went into greater detail on one of the “Four Models” by Grunig and Hunt. This is the two-way symmetrical communication model which is the dominant theoretical paradigm in Public relations. This reading also showed the need for a variation of the theories for the modern day. But understanding the functions of the older model is important in developing new onesMy learning builds upon previous learning in public relations in that many of the theories I have studies this week I have looked at in previous subjects and subjects I am currently studying for my communications degree including ‘Introduction to Communications’ ‘Communication and Culture’ and ‘Media, Culture and Society’. These subjects went into detail on theories such as semiotics-the study of signs in words, symbols and sounds, Postmodernism and The social learning theory.