Download CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW A. Definition of Public Relations

CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Definition of Public Relations
The definition of Public Relations has various versions of meaning.
According to Rex Harlow (in Effendy, 1993, p. 117)
“Public Relations is a distinctive management function on which
helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication,
understanding, acceptance, and cooperation between and organization
and its publics; helps management to keep informed on and
responsive to public opinion; defines and emphasizes the
responsibility of management to serve public interest; helps
management to keep abreast of and effectively utilize change, serving
as an early warning system to help anticipate trends, and used
research and sound and ethical communication techniques as its
principal tools”.
Another definition is suggested by Marston that
“Public Relations is a conscious and targeted attempt to align a
company’s image. It is the management function which evaluates
public attitudes, identifies the policies and producers of an
organization with the public interest, and executes a program of
communication to earn public understanding and acceptance” (in
Rachamadi, 1992, p. 6)
While, L. Roy Blumenthal in his book “The Practice of Public Relations”
says that
“Public Relations is the art of building one’s own personality up to a
level where one is able to meet and deal with the exigencies of
everyday living falls into the realm of psychology. The art of
performing the same task for business, institutions, governments and
all manner of other profit and nonprofit groupings is Public
Relations” (in Gregory, 2004, p. 94)
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According to Cutlip (in Gregory, 2004, p. 27), “Public Relations is the
management function that identifies, establishes, and maintains mutually
beneficial relationships between an organization and the various publics on whom
or failure depends”.
Based on the definitions above, the activities done by Public Relations
Officer to get understanding, goodwill, trust, acceptance, and corporation from the
public to the company. Therefore, it can help the company reach the purpose to
create good communication with clients or consumers.
B. The Activities of Public Relation
According to Cutlip (in Hendrix, 2001, p. 30), there are eight activities of
Public Relations:
1. Publicity (Press Agentry)
Publicity is information from an outside which is used by media because
the information has news value and the informant of company does not
pay the media placement.
2. Advertising
Advertising is communication non-personal through media that is paid by
company to give information and to persuade public about the product of
company.
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3. Public Affair
Public affairs is specialized part of Public Relations to build and to
maintain governmental and community relations in influencing public
policy.
4. Lobbying
Lobbying is an activity that builds and maintains relationship with
government primarily and it has purpose to influence legislation and
regulation.
5. Issues Management
Issues management is the process of identifying issues, analyzing those
issues, setting priorities, selecting program strategy options, implementing
a program of action and communication, and evaluating effectiveness.
6. Development
Development becomes the role of Public Relations in non-profit private
organization to build and maintain relationship with donors and members
for the purposes of securing financial and volunteer support.
7. Financial Public Relations
Financial Public Relations is about creating an understanding between an
organization and those in the financial community upon whom it must
depend for its long-term prosperity.
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8. Sponsorship
Sponsorship of Public Relations is an activity to search financial or nonfinancial in managing event such as showcase or exhibition.
C. Definition of Communication
“Communication is the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or
behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts,
feelings,
etc.,
to
someone
else”.
(www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/communication).
Another definition of communication is suggested by Onong Uchjana
Effendy (1993), “Communication is the process of expressing messages or
information to give information, to change behaviors, opinions or attitudes
through speaking or writing to someone”. He also mentions kinds of
communication. They are:
1. Internal Communication
The communication is done between CEO and employee in a
company.
2. External Communication
The communication is done between a company and the customers,
communities, the government and the press.
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While, according to Gruning and Hunt (in Kristina, 2010; p. 47),
communication has four types as theory and practice mode:
1. Press Agentry/Publicity Mode
The communication is done one direction by sender without feedback
from receiver and the real message is not as primary focus of
communication.
2. Public Information Mode
The communication is done by sender without feedback and used to
propagate information.
3. Two-way Asymmetric Mode
The communication needs feedback from receiver and uses to
persuade receiver to support in company or community.
4. Two-way Symmetric Mode
The communication is done through dialog between company and
public to solve a problem.
According to Ronald L. Applbaum et.al (in Somad, 2010, p. 80), “Effect is
what occurs in the receiver as a result of the impact of the stimuli or the message”.
He also explains three types of communications. They are:
1. Informative Communication
The process of delivering message is done by sender to the other
person and the receiver does not give response of the real information
of company because they only read and hear the information.
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2. Coercive Communication
The process of delivering message is done by sender to give threat or
punishment to the receiver to change attitude, opinion or behavior.
3. Persuasive Communication
The process of sending message is done by sender to persuade the
receiver to change attitude, opinion or behavior.
Kristina (2010, p. 80) says that “Communication context of Public
Relations Officer is not only in oral communication but also in written
communication”. She also states that communication has six points in process of
communication. They are:
1. Sender
2. Encoding
3. Media/Medium
4. Decoding
5. Receiver
6. Noise
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D. Definition of Media Communication
According to Rosady (in Ruslan, 2005, p. 81), “Media communication is
channel that is used by sender to deliver message or information for public”.
While, according to Kristina in her book “Bahasa Persuasi dalam Public
Relations” that “Media communication is equipment of Public Relations to send
message or information from sender”.
Another definition is suggested by Hermawan, that “Media means
equipment to send message from sender to receiver through channel of
communication”. (Hermawan, 2012, p. 6).
Somad and Priansa (2014, p. 125) say that “Media of communication is
channel of communication from sender to deliver information in oral
communication or written communication and the sender needs good skill in
delivering information or message”.
There are three types of media communication used by Public Relations
Officer:
1. News media: newspaper, and magazine.
2. Broadcast media: radio, television and internet.
3. Media of traditional communication or face to face communication:
showcase, exhibition (Rachmadi, 1992, p. 87).
From the definitions above, it can be inferred that media communication is
an equipment to use in sending message or information from sender to public.
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E. Criteria of Communication in Business Letter
In the communication, media communication is important to offer product
of company. One of media communication is business letter. Business letter
always uses formal communication in offering product. The criteria of formal
communication which should be considered in business letter are:
1. Using good tone.
The tone of business letter is important because the tone influences to
express the messages in order to be not offended and stiff when the
clients read the letter.
2. Using good attitude.
The attitude of business letter influences the company to give pleasant
and polite for the clients in communication.
3. Avoiding possession tenses.
In the business letter, using the word of possession tenses should be
avoid because the possession tenses is not polite in writing business
letter.
4. Avoiding to use singular human nouns
Using singular nouns (she/he) should be avoided in the business letter
because it is not formal.
5. Organizing
A good business letter should be well organized because the letter
must be logical, complete and concise in giving information (Geffner,
2007, p. 1)
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In writing a business letter using e-mail a writer should avoid using,
abbreviations, using emoticons, using all capital letters, using flame expression,
and using a cute or clever (Geffner, 2007, p. 9)
Geffner also says that “Business e-mail must be discreet: do not express
criticism of a third party, do not reprimand your recipient and do not convey
confidential, classified or restricted information” (Geffner, 2007, p. 11).
According to Geffner (2007) in his book “How to write better business
letter” that business letter has letter format to consider in writing letter. A business
letter consists of some parts, they are letter head, dateline, inside address, attention
line, salutation, subject line, body, complimentary closing, company signature,
and singer’s identification.
The company will offer their product to clients with using offer letter or
sales promotion letter in offering the products. Geffner (2007, p. 80) states, “offer
letter is the letter which is written by the company to encourage the clients in
order to be interested their product”.
The company should also give quick response in answering the mail or email. As Geffner suggests that “Many companies use letter of response which is
appropriate with letters of clients, such as order acknowledgments. The letter is
like a reply should be specific and complete about information from the company
to the clients”. (Geffner, 2007, p. 37)
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From the definition above, the criteria of communication in business letter
is important to create a good communication with clients in offering products of
company.