Chapter 3 "Theoretical Approaches"

There are a vast number of theoretical approaches to public relations. On account of the fact that Public Relations is not easily or readily defined, theoretical approaches allow for a greater understanding of the way public relations and practitioners function.

• Agenda Setting: Agenda setting refers to the news media setting the agenda in terms of what issues are up for debate and covered by the news. Agenda setting does not tell an audience what to think, but it sets the agenda for what is open for discussion and what is exposed to be thought about. Public relations practitioners can use agenda setting to create positive publicity for their company or cover up issues in crisis control.
• General systems theory: Systems theory proposes that organizations can be viewed as either open or closed systems. A company that communicates with the various sections within its own closed system, ignoring any exogenous input is said to be a closed system. A company that communicates within and outside of itself, listening to the opinions of publics, stakeholders etc as well as incorporating its own ideas and opinions is said to be an open system. An open system is beneficial for companies as they are able to accommodate for the concerns of the related publics and can implement measures to ensure everyones needs are met.
• Semiotics: Semiotics is the study of signs within culture. A sign is comprised of two elements, the form or signifier, and the way the sign is decoded by a receiver (connotation or signified.) A sign has different connotations for different people. The signified is the conceptual framework that people relate to the sign in question. Semiotics can be used in public relations to create a positive image for a company's product. Wrapping something in gold indicates top quality and wealth, relating washing powder to a happy healthy family also creates positive connotations for a consumer. Public relations practitioners can manipulate signs to create a positive image for a companies product.
• Habermas, critical theory and the notion of the public sphere: Criticizes the way people are influenced to think by their surrounding capitalist culture. Concerned with the way the public sphere communicates differently due to the swamping of media by big business and powerful institutions. Public relations practitioners should try to ensure that the public sphere is able to make up its own mind free from media swamping.
• Grunig's models: The best known of public relations theory is Grunig and Hunt's 4 models (1984).
  
• Model 1: Press Agentry - activities of those who do anything to gain publicity.
• Model 2: Public Information - More sophisticated, one way flow of information from companies.
• Model 3: Two way asymmetric - Two way public relations work which is biased to propagating the companies views ignoring messages from publics.
• Model 4: Two way symmetric - Ideal model where public's views are given the same credence as the companies in decision making.

These are some of the most relevant public relations theoretical approaches. Grunig and Hunt's four models are the most widely recognised models of public relations practice.

NB: I was unable to access the other reading due to a bad link.