Four Models of Public Relations

    Public relations is aimed at managing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. Over time, practitioners have developed different models to understand the nature and dynamics of public relations. Four prominent models, the press agentry/publicity model, the public information model, the two-way asymmetric model, and the two-way symmetric model, offer distinct perspectives on how organizations engage with their audiences. The press agentry/publicity model represents an early form of public relations where the primary goal is to capture the attention and create favorable impressions with the public. It utilizes tactics such as exaggeration and manipulation of information. This model is often associated with one-way communication and is used for promotional purposes. It places less emphasis on accuracy and more on capturing media attention to influence public perception. Next up is the public information model which takes a more informative and journalistic approach. It focuses on providing accurate and unbiased information to the public. Organizations using this model act as reliable sources of information, seeking to educate and inform their audiences about their activities and developments. However, it still predominantly involves one-way communication. However, the two-way asymmetric model acknowledges the importance of two-way communication but with an imbalanced power dynamic. In the two-way asymmetric model, organizations engage with their audiences to gather insights and feedback, but these interactions are strategically used to manipulate perceptions. This model involves listening to the audience but not necessarily acting on their feedback in a meaningful way. Finally, the most evolved and ethical model is the two-way symmetric model which is rooted in genuine dialogue. It focuses on open and equal communication between an organization and its public. The goal is to achieve mutual understanding and collaboration, which can lead to adjustments in both the organization’s actions and the publics’ expectations. This model recognizes that successful public relations involves mutually beneficial relationships. The evolution of public relations has led to the development of four distinct models, from simple dissemination of information to more complex, ethical, and mutually beneficial forms of communication and relationship management. Organizations can choose and adapt these models based on their goals, values, and the level of engagement they wish to establish with their publics.