AK21103 PRINCIPLE OF

PUBLIC RELATIONS
LECTURE 4: PUBLIC
OPINION, OPINION
LEADERS AND
PERSUASION

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 DEFINITION OF PUBLIC OPINION

Opinion of an individual about Related to individual attitude and

certain issue that affecting the belief about the government or
group of individual. even about the organization

Individual who are not involved or did not

aware of an issue are not considered as
contributing to the formation of public
opinion about that particular issue.

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Awareness

Elaboration

Understanding

Attitude crystallization

Action

Stages in formation of public opinion

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STAGES ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
Awareness Mobilizing member support / Campaign planning / Support and coalition / Planned release
and events

Elaboration Opposition begin to respond / coalition building / competition for support / speakers'
bureau / news briefing / rebuttal and counter rebuttal

Understanding Rallying awareness of supporters no swing group / efforts to interpret issues / media briefings
/ conferences / reaching out through multiple platform

Attitude crystallization Focus on mass efforts, direct mail, advertising campaigns, eliciting endorsements, events to
maximise TV coverage, issue interpreted in terms of existing ideologies, conflicts, well known
personalities

Action Coordinate and mobilize all supporters from each type of public for vote or maximum
visibility before issue resolution

Role of Organizational Communication in Formation of public Opinion

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STAGES COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
Awareness Acknowledging issue, local
Elaboration Increasing coverage of substantive detail background stories, interviews, discussion of costs
and consequences, use specialised media

Understanding Key themes emerging from in-depth analysis, pro-con stories, focus on both substantive
consequences and political implications of issue, more reaching out to multiple media
platform

Attitude crystallization Coverage of endorsements and events, editorials and op-ed pieces, broadcast coverage of
events, speeches, endorsements, relatively simple interpretation of issue,

Action Final events, rallies, coverage.

Communication strategies in formation of public opinion

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Opinion leaders are people or organizations that have such a strong social status that
their recommendations and opinions are listened to when making important decisions.
Good examples of opinion leaders are political figures, columnists and celebrities who
are known for their work.

All opinion leaders have prominent status in their own communities and their opinions
are valued and listened to. They are seen as true experts and they are trusted as real
individuals, not just public figures representing companies.

Opinion Leaders in Public Opinion

Opinion leaders were found to be the most
effective agent of change in the Theory of Two-
Step Flow. Whereby, opinion leaders subscribe to
the media agenda and subsequently use his/her
position to influence their followers by
interpreting the media agenda. Opinion leaders
are seen as trusted individual.

In the current media landscape of networking

society, the role of opinion leaders remain the
same. They will interpret the agenda to be
consumed by their followers.

Opinion Leaders in Public Opinion

Opinion Leaders in Public Opinion
 FRAMING THEORY
AGENDA SETTING THEORY
 Persuasion in the context of public relations
aims to;
(i) change or neutralize negative opinion
(ii) strengthen positive attitude
(iii) maintaining favorauble opinion

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Techniques of Propaganda
Type of Propaganda Explanation Example
Plain Folks "Plain folks" is a form of propaganda and a logical
fallacy. A plain folks argument is one in which the
speaker presents him or herself as an average Joe — a
common person who can understand and empathize
with a listener's concerns.

Testimonial It is based on the idea that “big name" personalities

are used to endorse a cause. Testimonials technique is
used to make an appreciated or unloved individual
disclose that a certain idea plan or person is good or
bad.

Bandwagon It is an appeal to the individual to follow the masses,

to join in because others are doing so as well.
Bandwagon centres on the theme all the people do
and work together for the same thing. This technique
attempts to convince us that all members of one
group consent on idea and need to join them by
getting on the bandwagon
Type of propaganda Explanation Example
Card Stacking Card stacking is when a propagandist selects and
employ both truths and untruths, evidences
uncertainties, reasonable and irrational accounts
to present the soundest or the worst aspect of
an idea, individual, program or artefact.

Glittering generalities A glittering generality is something linked to a

virtue and it employed to make people
acknowledge and accept an idea without
questioning the proof. It makes use of words that
we all support or believe in. A word like
democracy, for example, usually carries a
universal meaning that when we name a nation
a democratic, we often glorify it.