PUBLIC RELATIONS AND CRISIS

MANAGEMENT AT AIRPORTS
• Activity of Crisis Management
• Developing Image Building messages
• Managing or persuasion Public Opinion on digital Media
• Managing or persuasion Public Opinion by Conventional
media
 OVERVIEW

 What is public opinion

 Opinion leaders as catalysts
 The role of mass media
 The role of conflict/crisis
 Managing or Persuasion in public opinion
 Factors in Managing the public opinion
 The limits of persuasion of public opinion
 WHAT IS A PUBLIC OPINION

 Public opinion is the aggregation of many citizens' views and interests regarding
political issues, leaders, institutions, and events.

 Views of people on an issue of public concern.

1- Public’s 2- Issue 3- Communication Channels
 Public opinion is a moving target.
One day you may like a celebrity and one day you may not depending on what is seen in the news.
 Three aspects about public opinion formation
1- society is passive
2- Society is segmented
3-Society is Divided
 Understanding and assessing the dynamics of competing or conflicting opinions is a crucial dimension of
PR work
 They form attitudes and beliefs and take action to achieve their interests throughout the life cycle of the
issue

Public Opinion is Powerful

Activate public through public opinion
Identify key Public’s through analysis of public opinion
 OPINION LEADERS AS CATALYSTS
An opinion leader is someone who has mastered a specific market or industry and has established trust
within a community as an industry insider or decision-maker. They have an audience or following that
trust them as a source of information for their interests.
 People who take the time to sift information, evaluate it, and form an opinion that is expressed to
others are known as opinion leaders
 Knowledgeable experts who articulate opinions about specific issues in public discussion are called
opinion leaders or power leaders

 Opinion Leaders can be Formal or Informal

 Interested in a particular issue
 Knowledgeable on a given topic
 The Flow of Opinion
 Multiple-Step Flow Multiple-step flow theory indicates that some people eventually
become interested in, or at least aware of an issue through a chain of an issue and has multiple leaders.
1-Opinion makers 2- Attentive public 3- Inattentive public
 N-Step Theory States that individuals are seldom influenced by only one opinion leader but
actually interact with different leaders

 Diffusion Theory Individuals adopt new ideas or products in 5 stages

THE ROLE OF MASS MEDIA
AND THE ROLE OF CONFLICT

 PR personnel use opinion leaders to influence key publics

 Agenda Setting
 Media Tell the public What to Think about, not necessarily What
to think.
 Framing
 Media and PR both have Role in how issues are “Framed” which
parts are emphasized.

 Conflict Inherent in News Frames

 Use of Media for Strategic Agenda-Building
PERSUASION IN PUBLIC OPINION
 Persuasion is Used to …
 Change or Neutralize Hostile Opinions
 Crystallize Latent Opinion and Positive Attitudes
 Maintain Favorable Opinions
FACTORS IN MANAGING THE PUBLIC OPINION

 Audience Analysis
 Appeals to self interest
 Audience Participation
 Suggestions for action
 Source Credibility
 Clarity Of Message
 Content and Structure of Message
 Channels
 Timing & Contexts
 Reinforcement
APPEALS TO SELF INTRESTS
 Appeal to Psychological, economic Or
Situational Needs
 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
 AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

 Workers involving in the problem Solving

 Distribution of samples
 Act of participation encouraged
 By Activist Groups
SUGGESTIONS FOR ACTIONS

 Recommendations for Action must be clear to

follow
SOURCE CREDIBILITY
 Expertise
 Sincerity
 Charisma
CLARITY OF MESSAGES
 Public Relation Practitioners should ask two
questions
 Will the Audience understand the messages?
 What do I want the Audience to do with the
messages?
CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF MESSAGES
 Drama and Stories
 Surveys and Polls
 Statistics
 Examples
 Endorsements
 Causes and Rationales
 Emotional Appeals
CHANNELS
 Different Media can be used for diverse Public
Relation Purposes
 Television
 Newspaper
 Radio
 Social Networking Sites
 Face to Face Communication
TIMING AND CONTEXT
REINFORCEMENT

 Timing and Context should be considered for

achieving publicity in the mass media as well as
for being persuasive.

 A Public Relation campaign should be sync with

an audience’s core values or belief system
LIMITS OF PERSUASION
 Lack of Message penetration
 Competing of conflict messages
 Self Selection
 Self Perception