+Model

PUBREL 513 1–10 ARTICLE IN PRESS

Public Relations Review xxx (2007) xxx–xxx

3 Promoting online media relations: Public relations

F
4 departments’ use of Internet in the UAE

OO
5 Mohamed Kirat ∗
6 College of Communication, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah,
7 United Arab Emirates
Received 1 November 2006; received in revised form 29 November 2006; accepted 20 February 2007

PR
8

9 Abstract
10 This paper discusses the use of electronic publications by public relations departments in the United Arab Emirates, to reach their
11 key publics online and to gather information and monitor data to perform their tasks and to promote and develop their relations with
12 the news media. Findings of the study show that all 24 organizations have a homepage, but only two thirds of them are posting their
ED
13 publications on the net, and only one third are using electronic newspapers to monitor their coverage in the media and to gather
14 news, data and information of importance for the various tasks they perform. Only three organizations out of 24 have an online
15 newsroom, and only two have a virtual tour about the organization. None of the surveyed organizations’ Web site has a film or
16 videos. Organizations in the United Arab Emirates still have a lot to do to take advantage fully and rationally of what interactive
17 communication, Internet and online publications are offering for a better performance and more effective public relations.
18 © 2007 Published by Elsevier Inc.
CT

19 Keywords: Interactive communications; Online public relations; Online media relations; Electronic newspapers; Web site; Online publications;
20 Newsrooms; Press releases; Visitors’ comments and suggestions
21

22 If everybody is a publisher on the Internet, your company is too. The Net gives you the means to communicate
E

23 directly to the public. Your candid, useful presentations to your many publics will buy you goodwill in times of
24 trouble (Holtz, 1999, p. 232).
RR

25 1. Introduction

26 In public relations, as in other fields, nothing seems more important, than mastering the world of new technology and
27 the advent of interactive workplace: the Internet, the World Wide Web, cyberspace. Internet has tremendous potential
28 power for public relations and other communications disciplines. The net has become a strategic tool for public relations
CO

29 departments. Today’s publics are better educated, smarter and more media savvy. Public relations professionals can use
30 the wired global village for immediate, effective and persuasive communications. They can use the net to structure their
31 information to respond instantly to expanding issues and market developments and changes. Organizations today need
32 to convey their thoughts, programs and objectives to narrow segments of the population. The net offers such narrow
33 casting to reporters, analysts, consumers and opinion leaders. Electronic mail, intranets, extranets, CD-ROMs and
UN

34 Web sites are the main tools used by public relations departments. Media relations have been promoted and developed

∗ Tel.: +971 6 5050689; fax: +971 6 5050688.

E-mail address: mokirat@sharjah.ac.ae.

1 0363-8111/$ – see front matter © 2007 Published by Elsevier Inc.

2 doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003

Please cite this article in press as: Kirat, M., Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of Internet in
the UAE, Public Relations Review (2007), doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003
 +Model
PUBREL 513 1–10 ARTICLE IN PRESS
2 M. Kirat / Public Relations Review xxx (2007) xxx–xxx

35 through the net. Press kits are becoming digital, products are launched through the net and interviews are conducted
36 online.
37 The World Wide Web is considered to be the first public relations mass medium allowing direct communications
38 between organizations and their publics without going through news media gatekeeping and journalists and editors
39 filtering. Internet is a unique medium with a score of opportunities for organizations to reach and interact with their key
40 publics online. Public relations practitioners can, through the net, communicate directly with their public with trans-
41 parency, frankness and democracy. Internet is a strategic tool for public relations to perform interactive communication,
42 professional development and conduct research.

F
43 This paper examines the patterns of Internet usage by 24 public relations departments in public and private organi-
44 zations in he UAE to promote and develop their relations with the news media and their respective publics, and to carry

OO
45 out their research, action, planning, communication and evaluation tasks. What media materials, news, information
46 and data are public relations departments displaying on the organization Web site? Do public relations departments use
47 the Internet and online newspapers to do research and monitor the organization’s corporate image online? Do public
48 relations departments have a policy and strategy to use efficiently and rationally online communication to promote and
49 develop their relations with the media through the Web?

PR
50 2. The problem

51 There is a common denominator between online journalism and online public relations, both need each other and
52 both use news, reports and data from each other. Online journalism needs and use online public relations: Press releases,
53 reports, Company and managers’ profiles, latest news and events, press clippings, video news items, etc. Public relations
departments use online newspapers and publications to monitor the organization’s corporate image, news coverage and
ED
54

55 public opinion. PR departments use online newspapers to do research to plan and manage their activities and programs.
56 Excellent communications and public relations are those that serve to facilitate the relationship between an organization
57 and its strategic publics. The Internet can play a significant role in this kind of public relations, but generally it has not
58 yet been used to that end. Most public relations activities on the Internet are limited to using it as yet another channel for
59 the one-way, top–down publishing of information under the traditional formula of mass communication. Most public
CT

60 relations activities online are not strategic, they are not measurable and they are not targeted toward specific audiences
61 or constituencies. For the most part, organizations’ online public relations efforts are limited to a small component
62 of a larger, catchall company site on the World Wide Web. A huge number of organizations and institutions have not
63 yet embraced the Internet at all as a communication tool. The home page is static, it never changes. On the page,
the company proudly displays its logo and links to the various sections of the site. As a result, the one site needs to
E

64

65 accommodate all possible audiences, from customers and consumers to newspaper reporters and investment analysis.
66 Excellent communications and public relations are those that serve to facilitate the relationship between an organi-
RR

67 zation and its strategic publics. The Internet can play a significant role in this kind of public relations, but generally it
68 has not yet been used to that end. Most public relations activities on the Internet are limited to using it as yet another
69 channel for the one-way, top–down publishing of information under the traditional formula of mass communication.
70 And then there are the huge number of organizations and institutions that have not yet embraced the Internet at all as a
71 communication tool. Most public relations activities online are not strategic, they are not measurable and they are not
CO

72 targeted toward specific audiences or constituencies.

73 For the most part, organizations’ online public relations efforts are limited to a small component of a larger,
74 catchall company site on the World Wide Web. Most companies establish their outpost on the Web using the
75 company name. The home page is static, it never changes. On the page, the company proudly displays its logo
76 and links to the various sections of the site. As a result, the one site needs to accommodate all possible audiences,
UN

77 from customers and consumers to newspaper reporters and investment analysis. One link points to product
78 information, another to job opportunities . . . (Holtz, 1999, p. 11).

79 3. Public relations in the United Arab Emirates

80 As an emerging nation, the United Arab Emirates has experienced rapid development and change in a very short
81 period of time. Thanks to its oil resources, open market economy and rational management, the country attracted

Please cite this article in press as: Kirat, M., Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of Internet in
the UAE, Public Relations Review (2007), doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003
 +Model
PUBREL 513 1–10 ARTICLE IN PRESS
M. Kirat / Public Relations Review xxx (2007) xxx–xxx 3

82 huge foreign investments and has been able to be a regional center for trade and business. Modern organizations and
83 institutions cannot survive without professional and effective public relations. In a country where expatriates form two
84 thirds of the population, and where there are over 160 nationalities and thousands of foreign and international companies
85 and firms, efficient communication and healthy relations between various bodies and organizations in the country are a
86 must. Engaging in huge developments plans in various sectors, the Emirati government has to communicate, educate,
87 inform and prepare the population, whether local or expatriate, to keep up with the pace of change and development
88 which is taking place in the region and worldwide. The private sector, has also, in order to survive and compete, to be
89 up to date with the latest developments at the international scale in terms of information technology, communications

F
90 and public relations.
91 Public relations in the United Arab Emirates has emerged as an important profession to interact, cater for and keep up

OO
92 with the rapid development that the country has witnessed since the declaration of the union on the second of December
93 1971.With the advent of the union and the oil, the country witnessed large-scale development programs in all aspects of
94 life. Such development programs needed effective public relations. The country enjoys a high per capita income (over
95 US$ 20,000), a free market economy, a strong infrastructure and a cosmopolitan society with expatriates from all over
96 the world. This healthy and encouraging environment attracted foreign investments. Hundreds of multinational and
97 foreign companies established their offices in the country, opening the doors to the emergence of the public relations

PR
98 industry. Both public and private sectors started PR departments, services and offices to keep up with the new changes
99 and development. The country has not depended only on oil resources and wealth, but diversified its economy and
100 engaged huge investments in tourism, transportation, telecommunications, trade and lately real estate (Badran, Turk,
101 & Walters, 2003, p. 46).
102 The period of 1970s and 1980s was characterized by building all kinds of institutions and organizations in all
103 sectors and fields: Primary education, vocational education, higher education, health, communication, transportation,
ED
104 agriculture, industry, tourism, manpower development, sports, culture and media. This period was a period of rapid
105 change, and a drastic transformation in all aspects of life. In the media sector, Al-Itihad newspaper was established
106 in 1969, in 1970 Omran brothers started Al-Khaleej daily, which became later one of the leading newspaper in the
107 country. Emirates News was established in 1971, then after came Alwihda in 1973, Alfajr in 1975, Khaleej Times in
108 1979, Gulf News in 1979, Albayan in 1980. This period also witnessed a proliferation of hundreds of magazines and
CT

109 various specialized and professional publications to keep up with the rapid developments in all sectors and domains.
110 The audiovisual media went through the same experience as the print media. Thanks to the British, broadcasting
111 started from Sharjah in 1969, and in 1971 it started from Abu Dhabi and Ras Alkhima opening the way to commercial
112 radio. Television started in black and white in 1969, in 1972 the PAL system was adopted by Abu Dhabi and Dubai
113 (Nafadi, 1996; Babbili & Hussain, 1994, pp. 229–302). As for advertising, this period witnessed a widespread expansion
E

114 of private advertising agencies and the industry started to grow following the path of overall development in the country.
115 Public relations experienced its beginning and started to grow and develop alongside with what was happening in
RR

116 various sectors of life: education, health, sports, telecommunications, transportation, media, industry, trade, services,
117 agriculture, tourism and the list goes on. International public relations firms, started during this period, to discover
118 the huge business opportunities available in the United Arab Emirates. As a result, tens of well-known international
119 PR firms opened their offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 1980s, thus contributing to a large extent to the evolution,
120 development and expansion of the PR industry in the United Arab Emirates.
By mid-1980s, 63% of government departments and various organizations and institutions in the country had their
CO

121

122 public relations department. The other institutions and organizations that did not have a PR body assigned such tasks to
123 other services such as human resources department, financial, marketing and sales department, while others outsourced
124 private public relations agencies (Alkhaja, 1985).
125 The United Arab Emirates became a regional and an international center for various media organizations that used to
126 be established in Western capitals, thanks to its free market economy, good infrastructure and rational policies. Dubai
UN

127 Media City was able to attract tens of Arab and international broadcasting firms. According to the 2005 United Arab
128 Emirates yearbook, the media boom in the UAE in the beginning of the third millennium was as follows:
129 The media scene in the UAE witnessed major developments in the field of media technology as well as in the
130 establishment of various media centers such as Emirates Media Incorporated, Dubai Media Corporation. . .The
131 UAE has numerous indigenous satellite TV stations. Some focus on Arab culture and identity, others on business
132 and sport. . .It also has a number of terrestrial stations broadcasting in Arabic and English. . .Emirates Cable

Please cite this article in press as: Kirat, M., Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of Internet in
the UAE, Public Relations Review (2007), doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003
 +Model
PUBREL 513 1–10 ARTICLE IN PRESS
4 M. Kirat / Public Relations Review xxx (2007) xxx–xxx

133 TV and Multimedia (E-Vision). . .offers viewers of a total of 160 entertainment and interactive channels in
134 approximately 14 languages. There are six Arabic and three English daily newspapers in circulation in the
135 country, in addition to more than 160 magazines and journals published by local and national organizations,
136 cultural centers, clubs, chambers of commerce and industry, municipalities and educational institutions (UAE
137 2005UAE 2005 Yearbook, p. 309).
138 The nineties witnessed a major development in the field of public relations in the United Arab Emirates. Interest
139 in the profession took place and increased tremendously. Various departments, organizations and institutions whether
private or public, commercial or services realized the importance of PR for their survival and success. The organization

F
140

141 realized that it needs a site on the Internet, a documentary film, a catalogue, a booklet, a compact disk, and various
other media material to communicate with its publics and inform them about its activities, products and services. These

OO
142

143 new challenges imposed on the new and modern organization a public relations body that will take care of various
144 tasks and responsibilities such as liaising with the media, production of media materials, research, management and
145 decision-making. As a result, this period witnessed the beginning of public relations education and training in various
146 higher education institutions in the country.

PR
147 4. Internet in the United Arab Emirates

148 In the field of telephony there are 1.1 million fixed telephone lines in the UAE and 3.3 mobile telephone lines, while
149 the number of Internet subscribers exceeded 400 thousand. (UAE, 2005 Yearbook, p. 309). This period witnessed major
150 developments in the satellite broadcast industry and in the Internet. Emirates Media was established in Abu Dhabi,
151 as well as Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City in Dubai. The country implemented copyrights laws and started
ED
152 a clear policy of increasing press freedom and curbing censorship and control. Dubai Internet city has become in, a
153 short period of time, the home of major and leading regional and international computer and information technology
154 firms which opted for Dubai as the address for their operations and businesses. In October 2001, Dubai government
155 launched e-government to make the bulk of its services and transactions carried out through Internet.
156 Concerning telecommunications infrastructure, the UAE enjoys a leading position in the Arab World thanks to its
CT

157 telecommunications corporation “Etisalat”. A mixed government–private monopoly that was launched in 1976. Ayish
158 notes:
159 Over the past 25 years, Etisalat has managed to become one of the most profitable telecommunications organi-
160 zations in the Gulf region. . .It has laid down a first class telecommunications infrastructure that places the UAE
on an equal footing with countries in North America and Western Europe. Not only has Etisalat delivered high
E

161

162 quality services in the fields of fixed and mobile telephony, but has also been efficient in providing Internet ser-
163 vices, electronic commerce, video conferencing, cable television, international satellite communication services,
RR

164 mobile news services, and others (Ayish, 2005).

165 Information technology diffusion in the UAE is expanding very fast, and the country is well ahead of other Arab
166 countries in terms of Internet penetration, computer usage and information technology applications. Internet penetration
167 in the UAE is the best in the Arab World and one of the highest among developing countries.
CO

168 5. Online public relations

169 Excellent communications and public relations are those that serve to facilitate the relationship between an organi-
170 zation and its strategic publics. The Internet can play a significant role in this kind of public relations, but generally it
171 has not yet been used to that end. Internet has become an essential communications medium for PR practitioners, it is a
UN

172 powerful and integrated tool and a worldwide network with a broad applications internally and externally. Internet is a
173 new medium requiring new ways of thinking and new PR tactics and technologies. Internet is a medium that cannot be
174 ignored by PR professionals and practitioners. It is to be noted here that the principles of PR are the same and remain
175 the same, the only change is technology that PR should use and adopt to reach its different goals. With online public
176 relations audiences are self-selected by personal interest and no longer geographical, audiences are also global and
177 local. Online public relations mean interactivity. It is closer to direct than mass media. This means that public relations
178 should emphasize interaction with individuals online through two-way symmetric communication.

Please cite this article in press as: Kirat, M., Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of Internet in
the UAE, Public Relations Review (2007), doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003
 +Model
PUBREL 513 1–10 ARTICLE IN PRESS
M. Kirat / Public Relations Review xxx (2007) xxx–xxx 5

179 Online communication serves all tasks and types of content in organizational communication. Online is the closest
180 an organization can come to one channel carrying all forms of communication from plain text through multimedia.
181 E-mail is a primary communications tool internally, externally and to national media. Public relations departments can
182 through e-mail send text, pictures and images. Online newsrooms are essential and a must for companies. In times
183 of crises, online public relations help solve so many problems quickly and efficiently. Online public relations help in
184 research and data gathering, as well as, monitoring the corporate image through online newspapers and all kinds of
185 electronic publications. Suggestions boxes and visitors’ comments and questions through the organization’s Web site
186 are major sources for research and data gathering and are important feedback for public relations’ activities planning

F
187 and programming and a good source for decision making.
188 Online is a major medium that PR practitioners should use efficiently and rationally for effective public relations.

OO
189 Online has matured quickly as a communications medium, it is a nearly inexhaustible topic. Public relations pro-
190 fessionals should adopt and master the new technology because of the various services it provides for a transparent
191 democratic and effective communication to promote and develop strong relationships between the organization and its
192 publics.

193 6. Online media relations

PR
194 The press is not only one of the most important groups with which an organization must communicate, it also is
195 one of the easiest groups to apply to the Internet. . .You can hardly find an institutional Web site that does not feature
196 a link to material produced by the media relations department.
197 Reporters use Internet-based e-mail as a means of corresponding with sources after initial contact was made and
198 the identity and credibility of the source established.
ED
199 Your job as a media relations professional is to make a reporter’s job easier. In doing so, you best represent your
200 company and make it more likely that reporters will listen to your point of view, your story pitches, and your requests.
201 Use the Internet to facilitate this approach to media relations by making information available, not by invading reporters’
202 e-mail boxes with unwanted e-mail.
203 Public relations practitioners in the age of Internet and digital society are investing online media relations to make
CT

204 the work of the news media, reporters and journalists easier and more efficient and to achieve PR objectives and goals.
205 Online media relations is a must for successful public relations. This can be achieved through well designed and well
206 thought Web site with a well structured newsroom, links and various media materials such as press releases, latest
207 news and activities, press releases archive, news clippings, online publications, videos, photo galleries, virtual tours,
208 films and documentaries. Other news, data and information such as company and executives profiles, public relations
E

209 managers and practitioners contact’s numbers and speeches’ archive, executives CVs and photos should be displayed
210 on the company’s Web site and should be easy to reach and use by journalists, reporters and news media. Holtz argues
RR

211 that:
212 The real benefit of doing media relations on the Internet comes from targeting the media as a dedicated audience
213 and crafting a strategy that specifically addresses their needs.
214 Ideally, the job of the media relations department is to help reporters do their jobs. That objective is entirely
consistent with the broader goal of public relations, which is to manage the relationship between the organization
CO

215

216 and its various audiences (Holtz, 1999, p. 115)

217 7. Literature review

218 An emerging body of research on the use of new technologies, mainly Internet, by public relations departments to
UN

219 promote and develop their media relations and reach their key publics suggests that Internet integration is a must for
220 effective and successful PR. Mayhall (2003) argues that Internet can be used in the profession of public relations as a
221 tool of communication, PR practitioners professional development and research.
222 In a study on “Virtual public relations in the United Arab Emirates”, Ayish analyzed the use of the Internet as a
223 public relations tool by 20 government and private organizations in the UAE. The author looked at the availability
224 of corporate or institutional profile, community services, press releases and news, photo galleries, search facilities,
225 feedback facilities and bilingual communications. Ayish argues that public and private organizations in the UAE are

Please cite this article in press as: Kirat, M., Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of Internet in
the UAE, Public Relations Review (2007), doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003
 +Model
PUBREL 513 1–10 ARTICLE IN PRESS
6 M. Kirat / Public Relations Review xxx (2007) xxx–xxx

226 using Internet as a public relations tool, and that they have a strong interest in realizing a symmetrical model of public
227 relations across private and public sectors. The author noted that in many cases, PR staff are not directly involved in
228 the construction and updating of the organization’s site.
229 Alkhaja conducted a research on the PR Internet’s use in the UAE. She surveyed 100 public relations practitioners
230 from public sector (50), private sector (30) and public–private (20). The author found that 87% of the organizations in the
231 UAE have a Web site. Only 5.44% of public relations departments participated in the construction and updating of the
232 organization’s Web site, while 81.82% of the computer and IT departments designed and maintained it. Organizations
233 used Web sites to promote their corporate image, their activities and their products (58.3%) and to gather ideas and

F
234 information and to exchange letters with both internal and external publics (18.5%). Findings of the study showed also
235 that 79% of PR departments are using Internet in their work, and 47% use it to get new ideas for their communication

OO
236 activities and 19.2% to exchange letters with journalists.
237 Johnson argues that public relations practitioners use the Web to promote media relations, internal communication,
238 investors, government and customers relations. Public relations practitioners are using the Web as a tool of transparent,
239 democratic and direct communication with the organization’s key publics (Johnson, 1997). In a study on “Reaching key
240 publics online: University public relations practitioners’ use of the World Wide Web”, Silverman content analyzed 261
241 American doctorate-granting universities to determine how they are using the World Wide Web to provide information

PR
242 for key publics. The author concludes that:
243 In general, America’s doctorate-granting universities are doing well in their Web efforts to communicate with
244 alumni, current students, prospective students, and faculty and staff, but there is room for improvement, both in
245 terms of content and links, to other key publics such as parents, the business community, and research partners
246 (Silverman, 2004, p. 10)
ED
247 In a study on the technological realities of public relations practitioners in Ghana, Kwansah-Aidoo argues:
248 As practitioners, theorists and public relations educators continue to make predictions about the impact of new
249 technologies on public relations, it is instructive to note that there is a technological divide between practitioners
250 in developed countries and their counterparts in developing countries, and also, that within developing countries
there is still a further chasm between the technological haves, and the have-nots. These divisions are by and
CT

251

252 large indicative, reflective, and also representative of the wider socio-cultural, economic and political settings in
253 which practitioners operate (Kwansah-Aidoo, 2005, p. 13).
254 O’Malley and Irani did a study on “Public relations and the Web: Measuring the effect of interactivity, information,
255 and access to information in Web sites”. The objective of the study was to examine whether interactivity, information,
E

256 access to information or any combination thereof, would be the best predictor of intention. The study suggests that a
257 combination of information and interactivity would be the best predictor of intending to revisit a Web site (O’Malley
RR

258 & Iran, 1998, pp.1 and 9).

259 8. Research questions

260 RQ1: What are the patterns of Internet usage by public relations departments in the UAE?
RQ2: What media materials, news, information and data are public relations departments displaying on the Web site?
CO

261

262 RQ3: Do public relations departments use the Internet and online newspapers to do research and monitor the organi-
263 zation’s corporate image online?
264 RQ4: Do public relations departments have a policy and strategy to use efficiently and rationally online communication
265 to promote and develop their relations with the media through the Web?
UN

266 9. Methodology

267 Twenty-four key UAE organizations were selected to assess patterns of their usage of online publications and
268 Internet to promote their media relations and perform online public relations.
269 A media relations Web site Analysis Sheet was developed for the purpose of this study (Appendix A). Items
270 included the availability on the organization’s Web site of newsroom, press releases, latest news and activities, press
271 releases’ archive, speeches’ archive, CVs and photos, news clippings, company and executives’ profiles, PR’s contact

Please cite this article in press as: Kirat, M., Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of Internet in
the UAE, Public Relations Review (2007), doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003
 +Model
PUBREL 513 1–10 ARTICLE IN PRESS
M. Kirat / Public Relations Review xxx (2007) xxx–xxx 7

272 numbers, online publications, virtual tour, film, videos, and visitors’ comments and suggestions. The study also used
273 a 26-item questionnaire administered to public relations departments’ managers in the 24 organizations of this study
274 (Appendix B). The questionnaire was designed to assess the use of the Internet and online publications by public
275 relations departments to promote and develop relations with news media and organization’s key publics online.

276 10. Findings

277 10.1. Media relations Web site analysis

F
278 Some findings of the study show a healthy trend in PR media relations through the Web, while others indicate that

OO
279 there is a lot of work to do to invest all the potentialities of the Web for a better public relations and news media
280 performance.

281 10.2. Newsroom, speeches’ archive, news clippings, PR’s contact numbers, virtual tour, film and videos

282 Only 3 out of 24 organizations in this study have a newsroom in their Web site. This means that the majority of the

PR
283 organizations Webs are not well organized and structured to reach the media and to give them an easy and effective
284 access to the organization’s activities, news and events. Online newsroom are usually structured and organized in a
285 way to provide a link where journalists and reporters find all the information and the news they need to cover the
286 organization. Only 2 of the 24 organizations of the study have a speeches’ archive. And only three had news clippings
287 which are of a great importance for journalists and reporters. They usually use them for background stories and to catch
288 up with what have been said and published by other news media about the organization they are covering. Findings
ED
289 of the Web sites’ analysis show also that only 2 out of the 24 organizations’ Web sites posted their PR managers and
290 practitioners contact numbers. This is a major drawback considering that journalists and reporters need some telephone
291 numbers and e-mails to contact directly the right person in the organization who can provide them with the necessary
292 information they are looking for. Findings also indicated that the organizations surveyed by this study did not use
293 the Web efficiently to build up good media relations. None of the 24 organizations of this study have a film or video
CT

294 news items on its Web site, and only two have a virtual tour. These are the negative aspects of using the Web by PR
295 departments to build and foster media relations. On the other hand, some positive aspects emerged throughout this
296 study. They are as follows:

297 10.3. Press releases, latest news and activities, press releases archive, company and executives’ profiles, online
E

298 publications and visitors’ comments and suggestions

RR

299 All the organizations of this study except for two post news releases and latest news and activities on their Web
300 site. Over two thirds of them provide a company profile as well as top managers and senior executives’ bios and
301 CVs. Over half of the companies displayed their publications on the Web and have a “box” for visitors’ comments
302 and suggestions. These are good signs of effective and successful online public relations. Such news, information,
303 publications and archives are all important elements of professional coverage, efficient reporting and in-depth analyses
and presentations.
CO

304

305 10.4. Questionnaire’s findings

306 As for the Web site analysis’ findings, the questionnaire’s findings show some good news and some bad news. The
307 bad news show that in over two thirds of the companies the public relations department do not design or maintain the
UN

308 Company’s Web site. This is a negative trend in online public relations. To be effective on the net, PR departments
309 should be part of the team that construct, design and maintain the Web site of the organization, they should be involved
310 and have a say in what to be displayed on the Web site? How? When? and For what purposes? They should make a
311 systematic and scientific use of the new technology to reach their key publics online, and to give the opportunity to
312 their audience to communicate and interact through the net with the organization. Public relations departments should
313 also display on the organization’s Web site news, reports, data, profiles and CVs that are of importance to the news
314 media, reporters and journalists. Respondents in their majority said also that they are not using e-mail to perform their

Please cite this article in press as: Kirat, M., Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of Internet in
the UAE, Public Relations Review (2007), doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003
 +Model
PUBREL 513 1–10 ARTICLE IN PRESS
8 M. Kirat / Public Relations Review xxx (2007) xxx–xxx

315 PR work. Over half of the respondents are not aware of the meaning and importance of a newsroom, pressroom, media
316 room or media center online for Web media relations This is a dramatic finding if we are talking about online media
317 relations.
318 As for monitoring the media online to assess the corporate image of the organization and its coverage by the news
319 media, over two thirds of the respondents said they do not use Internet to do research. This can be explained by the
320 fact that in real life public relations, research is not a priority in a large number of public relations departments in the
321 UAE (Kirat, 2005a,b, p. 167).
322 The good news about online public relations in the United Arab Emirates are stated as follows by the respondents

F
323 of this study’s questionnaire: Public relations managers and practitioners think they should construct and upgrade the
324 organization’s Web site. The majority of them think also that providing press releases, and press releases’ archive,

OO
325 posting the companies publications and displaying the latest news and events and future activities of the organization
326 are all indispensable and essential elements of good media relations online. Over two thirds of the respondents said
327 they use visitors’ comments, suggestions and feedback in their planning and activities. All the respondents think that
328 Internet has helped tremendously their organization in promoting online relations with the news media.

PR
329 11. Discussion and conclusion

330 Findings of this study show positive and negative trends of the usage of the new technology, namely Internet, by
331 public and private organizations in the United Arab Emirates. It is to be noted here that the successful adoption of new
332 technologies in the field of public relations depend on several factors such as the background and the education of
333 public relations practitioners, management strategies and methods, democracy, how public relations is conceived, and
ED
334 how it is practiced in real life. It has been argued by many that globalization will definitely lead to democratization in
335 the Third World countries. Unfortunately, such thing never happened. Technology has never by itself made success for
336 those who apply it. In this regard, Kwansah-Aidoo argues:
337 As practitioners, theorists and public relations educators continue to make predictions about the impact of new
338 technologies on public relations, it is instructive to note that there is a technological divide between practitioners
CT

339 in developed countries and their counterparts in developing countries, and also, that within developing countries
340 there is still a further chasm between the technological haves and the have- nots. These divisions are by and
341 large indicative, reflective, and also representative of the wider socio-cultural, economic and political settings in
342 which practitioners operate. (Kwansah-Aidoo, 2005, p. 13).
E

343 The case study of 24 UAE organizations’ use of the Internet show that public relations departments have to get more
344 involved in constructing and updating the organization’s Web site. More transparent, democratic, symmetric two-way
345 communication should be adopted by the PR practitioners. Media relations online are not efficiently promoted and
RR

346 developed by public relations departments. Findings show that PR are not using virtual tours, films, videos, newsrooms,
347 PR’s contact numbers, news clippings and speeches’ archive. In the UAE, as in other Arab and Third World countries,
348 the problem of online public relations is a problem of the practice of the profession itself, and not only a problem of
349 technology. In this regard, Kirat notes:
Although public relations is growing very fast in the Middle East, and although it is developing along the years
CO

350

351 but still the profession is facing some old problems. Public relations in the Arab World is still distanced from
352 top management and relegated to secondary roles instead of advising and contributing in the decision-making.
353 The status of PR in society is correlated with the degree of freedom, democracy and the place public opinion
354 occupies and the role it plays in society. (Kirat, 2005a,b, pp. 330–331).
Findings of this study show that public relations departments in the UAE have no clear policy and a strategy to use
UN

355

356 the Internet to promote and develop healthy relationships between the organization and its publics. The companies’
357 Web sites are still lacking a media relations strategy and lack a lot of information and data of importance to journalists,
358 reporters, news organizations and key publics. This confirms what Ayish found in his study of 20 UAE organizations’
359 Use of the Internet: in the UAE:
360 This situation seems quite alarming, underscoring low appreciation of the role of public relations in virtual
361 communications. In this case, PR staff members continue to play their traditional role in real world situations,

Please cite this article in press as: Kirat, M., Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of Internet in
the UAE, Public Relations Review (2007), doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003
 +Model
PUBREL 513 1–10 ARTICLE IN PRESS
M. Kirat / Public Relations Review xxx (2007) xxx–xxx 9

362 but when it comes to online communications, they do not seem to have a big say in controlling the flow of
363 information to the public. This may suggest that what appears online a bout a certain organization may be in
364 tune with what is carried out in real world communications (Ayish, 2005, p. 387).
365 For sure, news media, reporters and audiences are using, and will use, Internet more and more; public relations
366 departments have to find out how, when, where and for what purposes are using this new tool and how to make an
367 efficient use of it to achieve their objectives and goals. Then, they have to build communications programs and efforts
368 to accommodate those trends to satisfy the needs of the news media, the publics and the organizations themselves. The
final goal in online public relations is not the fact to have a Web site for your organization, but rather is what you have

F
369

370 inside that Web site, what kind of information, data, statistics, archives, photo galleries, virtual tours, video news clips
and useful links.

OO
371

372 Uncited references

373 AlAsmar (2005), Alexander (2002), Alkhaja (1990), Alkhaja (1998), Alnouis (1984), Ayish and Kruckeerg (1999),
374 Badran (1994), Badran and Ayish (1996), Barjas (2002, 2004), Barrage and Sunil (2004), Callison (2003), Cooley

PR
375 (1999), Creedon (1996), Creedon, Al Khaja, and Kruckeberg (1995), Cullberston and Chen (1996), DMC (1994a,
376 1994b), Garrison (2003), Gregory (2004), Hill and White (2000), Holtz (2002), Hume (2001), Kirat (1998), Momorella
377 and Woodall (2003), Porter and Sallot (2003), Porter, Sallot, Cameron, and Shamp (2001), Ramsey (1993), Rayan
378 (1999a, 1999b), Schroeder (2002), Seitel and Fraser (1998), Sharjah Economic and Trade Chamber (2004), Shihab
379 (2004), Sunil (2004), Thomsen (1995), Toutunji (2005), Vasquez and Taylor (2000), White and Raman (1998), and
380 Wright (2001).
ED
381 References

382 AlAsmar, O. (2005). Public relations and the performances of companies. Rouad Aamal Asharq AlAwsat (pp. 40–44), first year, no. 6 (in Arabic).
383 Alexander, D. (2002). New information and communications technologies and the ‘demassification’ of public relations [Electronic version]. Australia
CT

384 and New Zealand Communication Association. Retrieved July www.bond.edu.au/hss/communication/ANZCA/anca.html

385 Alkhaja, M. (1985). The organization and management of public relations in the United Arab Emirates: A field work study. Unpublished M.A.
386 thesis. Cairo University, College of Mass Media (in Arabic).
387 Alkhaja, M. (1990). Mass media and political development in the UAE during the 1971–1987 period. Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation. Cairo
388 University, College of Mass Media (in Arabic).
389 Alkhaja, M. (1998). Social Responsibility in some institutions in the UAE and the role of public relations. Journal of Human and Social Sciences,
E

390 14(1), 117–191 (in Arabic).

391 Alnouis, A. (1984). Mass media in the United Arab Emirates (1st ed.). Abu Dhabi: Dar Abu Dhabi litibaa wa Nashr. (in Arabic).
392 Ayish, M. (2005). Virtual public relations in the United Arab Emirates: A case study of 20 UAE organizations’ use of the Internet. Public Relations
RR

393 Review, 31, 381–388.

394 Ayish, M., & Kruckeerg, D. (1999). Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). In J. Turk & L. Scanlan (Eds.), Fifteen case studies in international
395 public relations. The Institute for Public Relations.
396 Babbili, A. S., & Hussain, S. (1994). United Arab Emirates. In Y. R. Kamalipour, H. Mowlana, & Y. Kamplipur (Eds.), Mass media in the Middle
397 East (pp. 293–308). Westport, CT: Greenwood.
398 Badran, A. (1994). Public relations in the United Arab Emirates. In Paper presented to the annual conference of the International Communication
CO

399 Association, Sydney, Australia.

400 Badran, A., & Ayish, M. (1996, December). Manager and technician roles of public relations practitioners in public and private organizations in the
401 United Arab Emirates: An exploratory study. In Paper presented at the conference on “Strategic Planning in Public Relations”, Department of
402 Mass Communication, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, UAE.
403 Badran, B., Turk, J. V., & Walters, T. (2003). Sharing the transformation: Public relations and the UAE come of age. In K. Sriramesh & D. Vercic
404 (Eds.), The global public relations handbook: Theory, research and practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Inc.
Barjas, M. (2002, February 22). An aesthetic window or a vital role? Public relations departments in institutions need to be activated. Alkhaleej (in
UN

405

406 Arabic).
407 Barjas, M. (2004, January 14). The press and public relations departments in government institutions: Cooperative or conflictual relations. Alkhaleej.
408 Barrage, S., & Sunil, J. (2004, May). Middle East public relations association and public relations. In Paper presented at the international con-
409 ference on “Public Relations in the Arab World: Current Realities and Future Prospects”. College of Communication, University of Sharjah,
410 Sharjah.
411 Callison, C. (2003). Media relations and the Internet: How fortune 500 company Web sites assist journalists in news gathering. Public Relations
412 Review, 29, 29–41.
413 Cooley, T. (1999). Interactive communication–public relations on the Web. Public Relations Quarterly, 44(2).

Please cite this article in press as: Kirat, M., Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of Internet in
the UAE, Public Relations Review (2007), doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003
 +Model
PUBREL 513 1–10 ARTICLE IN PRESS
10 M. Kirat / Public Relations Review xxx (2007) xxx–xxx

414 Creedon, P. (1996, December). The future of strategic public relations practice in the global marketplace: Building a case for strategic ethics. In
415 Paper presented at the conference on “Strategic Planning in Public Relations”, Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Humanities and
416 Social Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, UAE.
417 Creedon, P., Al Khaja, M., & Kruckeberg, D. (1995). Women and public relations education and practice in the United Arab Emirates. Public
418 Relations Review, Spring, 56–62.
419 Cullberston, H. M., & Chen, N. (Eds.). (1996). International public relations: A comparative analysis. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
420 Department of Mass Communication (DMC). (1994a). Identification of public relations needs in government and private institutions in the United
421 Arab Emirates. Al Ain, United Arab Emirates: Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, United Arab
422 Emirates University.

F
423 Department of Mass Communication (DMC). (1994b). Case studies in public relations in the United Arab Emirates. United Arab Emirates University,
424 Al Ain, United Arab Emirates: Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
425 Garrison, B. (2003). How newspaper reporters use the Web to gather news. Newspaper Research Journal, 24(3).

OO
426 Gregory, A. (2004). Scope and structure of public relations: A technology driven view. Public Relations Review, 30, 245–254.
427 Hill, L., & White, C. (2000). Public relations practitioners’ perception of the World Wide Web as a communication tool. Public Relations Review,
428 26.
429 Holtz, S. (2002). Public relations on the net: Winning strategies to inform and influence the media, the investment community, the government, the
430 public, and more (2nd ed.). New York: AMACOM.
431 Hume, P. (2001). Online PR: Emerging organisational practice. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 6(2), 71–75.
432 Johnson, M. A. (1997). Public relations and technology: Practitioner perspectives. Journal of Public Relations Research, 9(3), 213–236.

PR
433 Kirat, M. (1998). Public relations in health institutions: A case study of the UAE Ministry of Health. Revue Algerienne La Communication, (17),
434 11–45 (in Arabic).
435 Kirat, M. (2005a). Public relations in the Arab World: A critical assessment. Public Relations Review, 31, 323–332.
436 Kirat, M. (2005b). The practice of public relations in the United Arab Emirates: Organizational constraints, structural problems and future
437 perspectives. University of Sharjah Journal for Shariaa Sciences and Humanities, 2(3), 153–183 (in Arabic).
438 Kwansah-Aidoo, K. (2005). Reality bytes! The technological realities of public relations practitioners in Ghana. Asia Pacific Public Relations
439 Journal, 5(2), 1–15.
ED
440 Mayhall, R. (2003). Public relations on the Internet. Retrieved http://www.hieran.com/netpr/netpr.doc
441 Momorella, S., & Woodall, I. (2003). Tips for an effective online newsroom. Public Relations Tactics, 9 (May).
442 Nafadi, A. (1996). The Emarati Press: The birth and the technical and historical development (1st ed.). Abu Dhabi: Cultural Foundation Publications.
443 (in Arabic).
444 O’Malley, M., & Iran, T. (1998). Public relations and the Web: Measuring the effect of interactivity, information, and access to information in Web
445 sites. In Paper presented at the annual meeting of AEJMC, Public Relations Division, Baltimore, MD, August.
CT

446 Porter, L., & Sallot, L. (2003). The Internet and public relations: Investigating practitioners’ roles and World Wide Web use. Journalism and Mass
447 Communication Quarterly, 80(3), 603–622.
448 Porter, L., Sallot, L., Cameron, G., & Shamp, S. (2001). New technologies and public relations: Exploring pratitioners’ use of online resources to
449 earn a seat at the management table. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 78(1), 172–190.
450 Ramsey, S. (1993). Issues management and the use of technologies in public relations. Public Relations Review, 19(3), 261–275.
451 Rayan, M. (1999). Practitioners and the World Wide Web: Involvement in the websites is crucial. Public Relations Quarterly, 44, 8–12.
E

452 Rayan, M. (1999). The World Wide Web, online resources and public relations practitioners: What they use and what they recommend. In Paper
453 presented to the Public Relations Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, New Orleans, LA, August.
454 Schroeder, J. (2002). Keep journalists coming back to your online pressroom. Public Relations Tactics, 9 (November).
RR

455 Seitel, & Fraser, P. (1998). The practice of public relations (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
456 Sharjah Economic Trade Chamber. (2004). The phenomenon of public relations companies: The reality of competition and the search for profits.
457 Tijara, Vol. 33, no. 10, 2004, pp. 18–27 (in Arabic).
458 Shihab, M. (2004). Economic development in the UAE, pp. 249–259.
459 Silverman, D. (2004). Reaching key publics online: University public relations practitioners’ use of the World Wide Web. In Paper presented at the
460 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Toronto, Canada, August.
CO

461 Sunil, J. (2004, May). Public relations in the Middle East. In Paper presented at the international conference on “Public Relations in the Arab World:
462 Current Realities and Future Prospects”, College of Communication, University of Sharjah, Sharjah.
463 Thomsen, S. R. (1995). Using online databases in corporate issue management. Public Relations Review, 21(2), 103–122.
464 Toutunji, I. (2005, May 31). Dubai leads public relations industry in the region and doesn’t recognize it as a self-established activity. Albayan, p. 12.
465 United Arab Emirates, Ministry of Information and Culture, (2005). UAE yearbook. Abu Dhabi.
466 Vasquez, G., & Taylor, M. (2000). Public relations: An emerging social science enters the new millennium. Communication Yearbook, 24, 319–342.
467 White, C., & Raman, N. (1998, August). The World Wide Web as a public relations medium: The use of research, planning and evaluation by Web
UN

468 site decision-makers. In Paper presented at the annual meeting of AEJMC, Public Relations Division, Baltimore, MD.
469 Wright, D. (2001). The magic communication machine: Examining the Internet’s impact on public relations, journalism, and the public. The Institute
470 of Public Relations. Retrieved www.instituteforpr.communication

Please cite this article in press as: Kirat, M., Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of Internet in
the UAE, Public Relations Review (2007), doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.02.003