Kajian Malaysia, Vol. XXIV, No. 1 & 2, 2006
PERCEPTIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PUBLIC
RELATIONS PRACTITIONERS AND JOURNALISTS

Kiranjit Kaur1
Halimahton Shaari2

This research examines perceptions on the relationship between public
relations practitioners and journalists based on four categories of
relationship: Satisfaction with contributions made to each other,
interdependence, trust and ethical practices. A survey of 48 public
relations practitioners and 63 journalists was conducted regarding their
perceptions on each other’s profession. Public relations practitioners
polled for this survey were from the various government and corporate
organisations while the journalists were from the print and electronic
media organisations and publishing houses. Generally, the survey
indicates some differences and similarities in the perceptions of the two
groups with public relations practitioners holding stronger perceptions
than the journalists on the various aspects of their relationship. The data
suggests that public relations practitioners believe more strongly that
the information they provide to the journalists enables the latter to
perform more satisfactorily compared to the journalists who think less
strongly of the contribution made by the former. The public relations
practitioners also seem to think that there is more of a symbiotic
relationship between the two groups than the journalists.

Keywords: Public relations, Journalism, Ethics, Perceptions, Gift-giving


INTRODUCTION

The relationship between public relations practitioners and journalists is,
and has always been, a complex and necessary symbiotic liaison.
Tensions, tempered with distrust and suspicion, exist on one hand and on

1 Kiranjit Kaur is an Associate Professor, Public Relations Department, and
Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA,
Selangor. kiran 126@salam.uitm.edu.my
2 Halimahton Shaari is an Associate Professor and Deputy Dean of the Faculty
of Communication and Media Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA,
Selangor.
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the other synergies within the relationship allow both to function to
produce communication content for the intended effect. Sources,
including public relations practitioners, are perceived as controlling
access to, and managing, information, while journalists are seen as
controlling sources for communication with the public.

A study on Global Press-Public Relations Relationship conducted by
Rainier PR, a London-based public relations agency, revealed that public
relations professionals are not viewed in high regard, with a majority of
reporters saying that public relations professionals have little knowledge
of either clients’ or journalists’ needs (Adesara, 2004). On the other
hand, there have been several anecdotal reports of grouses among public
relations professionals on the lack of accuracy, defamatory reports on
organisations as well as the payment demands (bribes) of journalists.

To appreciate that relationship, it is pertinent to understand the traditions
and nature of the practices of the journalists and public relations
practitioners. The common denominator of the functions of the two
professions is information – while the public relations practitioners
execute the publicity function by providing information to the media, the
journalists seek out the public relations personnel for news material.
Though ideally that relationship should be symbiotic and productive, in
practice it has its problems.

Research that has been carried out for decades on this relationship
indicates that both journalists and public relations practitioners are
sceptical of each other’s roles (Pincus et al., 1993). At the heart of this
problem is the perceptual climate – journalists, among others, think that
public relations practitioners do not understand news; public relations
practitioners, on the other hand, complain that journalists do not
understand the public relations role (Bolinger, 2003).

This article discusses the symbiotic relationship in the context of the
interdependent nature of relationship between public relations and media
practitioners, ethical considerations and the future challenges and trends
facing practitioners in both these professions and whether this
relationship has changed over the years as the professions mature. The
article addresses the question of how public relations practitioners and
journalists perceive each other in areas such as satisfaction in the
contribution they make to one another, their interdependence, the trust
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they have in each other and their ethical practices. Discussion also
relates to whether years of experience bear any relevance to these
perceptions on their interactive relationship.

Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that senior communication
practitioners tend to be more concerned about ethics in their practice
than younger communication practitioners who have joined the
profession more recently. Because of this concern, years of experience is
one of the variables examined in this article. However, this article does
not draw conclusions on whether practitioners become more ethical as
they grow in the practice, or whether those who entered the practice
earlier (10 years and above) have a different viewpoint on ethics than
those practitioners who are now entering or have only more recently
entered into the industry (less than 10 years).

Information Subsidies

Central to the journalists-public relations relationship is the issue of
access to information; while it is readily accepted that the media are
important providers of information, it is the sources (that is, the public
relations practitioners acting on behalf of their organisations) that decide
what information about the organisation gets transmitted to the relevant
public. The interaction between the sources who provide ''information
subsidies'' (press releases, news conferences, briefings and official
organisation documents and reports) (Gandy, 1982: 14) and journalists
who receive and are influenced by these subsidies was described by
Gans (1979) as a ''dance''. More often than not, the sources do the
leading, initiating contact with representatives of the news media, selling
story ideas and seeking to ''manage the news by putting the best light on
themselves'' and those they represent (Gans, 1979: 117).

It is this nature of interaction that journalists sometimes resent as they
find themselves having to rely on the public relations practitioners who
are the ''junction point'' or the point of contact for interaction between
the organisation and the media (Turk, 1986). The public relations
information subsidies may not be the preferred source of information for
journalists. Many journalists would undoubtedly prefer to talk to higher
officials rather than to the information go-between. Research also
suggests that when it comes to news values, journalists do not perceive
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their news values comparable to the news values of public relations
practitioners (Sallot et al., 1998).

Public Relations in Malaysia

Public relations as a formally recognised practice in Malaysia has its
roots in the government sector. The primary function is to inform the
publics of policies and to aid in the nation-building strategies of the
government (Kaur, 2002; Taylor, 2000). Malaysia has seen a definite
growth and increase in the sophistication of the public relations practice
in the past two decades, especially since privatisation. Yet some
practitioners have few relevant skills and knowledge to be able to carry
out their duties effectively. Privatisation, globalisation and increasing
activism have made it urgent for Malaysian organisations to have
professional communicators to do ''environment scanning'' and to be
''boundary spanners'' for the organisation. These communicators thus,
ensure that productive relationships are built with strategic audiences
and conflict is minimised.

Several scholars argue that information management and communication
skills are measures of organisational effectiveness (Kim, 2001: 4–6). As
pointed out by Berkowitz and Hristodoulakis (1999), the professional
public relations practitioners need to reshape not only their beliefs of
their roles inside the organisation, but also the organisation’s view of
public relations. There is also a need to educate CEOs and dominant
coalitions of organisations on what public relations is and what it can
offer to the organisation, so that practitioners can ''lift'' public relations
to a strategic level.

A study on professionalism among Malaysian practitioners (Kaur, 2002)
conducted among a varied sample of 123 department heads showed that
72% of them had less than 10 years of experience working in the public
relations field. Several came into public relations from other fields,
including journalism and administrative careers. In fact, quite a number
of early public relations practitioners was formerly journalists or
associated with a media organisation. In her 1999 study on Malaysian
public relations practitioners, Roziyaton (2004) found that there was a
decreasing trend among practitioners joining any media organisation
prior to joining the public relations industry (29.9%) compared to Idid’s
(1992) earlier study (34%).
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In a study on the managerial role of public relations practitioners of 16
organisations in Malaysia, it was found that media relations was one of
the programmes that the practitioners managed the most, according to
the heads of public relations departments. The public relations heads
also thought that the planned activities resulted in positive media
coverage and publicity (Kaur, 2005). Working with the media is a
priority task among practitioners as evidenced in the above research.
Some employers think a journalism background will assist in ensuring a
more effective outcome of the dealings with the media.

However, the expansion of public relations education in the country
provides skills and knowledge to aspiring practitioners who will be able
to more effectively perform the variety of managerial tasks demanded of
the profession more effectively and thus contribute to the growing
professionalism of the industry. Nevertheless, the notion of
professionalism in public relations is still transitory and yet to be
defined. The commonly accepted professional body, Institute of Public
Relations Malaysia (IPRM), has a non-mandatory Code of Ethics, which
is barely known to, or recognised by, most practitioners. In general, the
social, cultural and religious norms as well as government regulations on
business guide the practitioners in their practice.

Journalism in Malaysia

The practice of journalism in Malaysia is often criticised for its lack of
freedom and for its emphasis on the trivial. The fact that many of the
media outfits either belong to the ruling political parties or the
management are political appointees, does not endear them to the critics
and interest groups. The media, however, make no apologies for their
philosophy of working in tandem with the government for the
advancement of national development. This philosophy of a guided and
guarded media has thus far been the working formula for the media to
function in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious environment.

Since journalism is not a profession in the traditional sense of the word,
entry into the profession does not require special qualifications or skills.
Nevertheless, since it is a craft with professional responsibilities, some
form of accountability is required. The journalism practice is guided by
two codes of ethics and various laws directly and indirectly related to the
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media. The 1972 National Union of Journalists Code of Ethics and the
1989 Canons of Journalism, though not mandatory, lend the media some
modicum of professionalism, particularly in their interactions with
various sectors in the society.


RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING

Relationship-building in the Public Relations Context

Public relations has a vital and strategic role to play in building and
enhancing on-going or long-term relationships with an organisation’s
key constituencies, including the media public. The importance of
effective long-term relationships with strategic segments of the public
for the achievement of organisational goals through various
communication programmes has been widely acknowledged by many
scholars and practitioners (Grunig, 1992). Ledingham and Bruning
(2000) define public relations as relationship management. Other
scholars have attempted to expand Ledingham’s definition to question
the value or benefit of relationships – what do the relationships do, what
do they achieve and what are they for?

Focusing on the transactional aspect of relationships, Broom, Casey and
Ritchie suggested that relationships consist of the transactions that
involve the exchange of resources between organisations and the public,
these being represented by patterns of ''interaction, transaction,
exchange, and linkage between an organisation and its public'' (Broom
& Ritchie, 2000: 18).

In addition, several scholars have tried to define and research the factors
that determine organisation-public relationships. Grunig and Hon (1999)
developed a scale examining the organisation-public issues of trust,
control mutuality, commitment, satisfaction, communal relationships
and exchange relationships. Trust was defined as the level of confidence
that both parties have in each other and the willingness to open oneself
to the other party. The dimensions to trust include: Integrity – belief that
the organisation is fair and just; dependability – the organisation will do
what it says it will do and competence – belief that the organisation has
the ability to do what it says it will do. Satisfaction is defined as the
extent to which each party feels favourably towards the other because
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positive expectations about the relationship are reinforced, and the
benefits outweigh the costs.

Although most of these criteria may be used to measure organisation-
public relationships in general, perceptions of relationships with specific
segments of the public may need additional specific criteria to be
examined depending on the nature of the public and the relationship
being examined.

Organisations Setting the Agenda

Though journalists may not be satisfied with having to rely on public
relations practitioners for information, they do use the information
subsidies (Turk, 1986). Thus, when there is consumption of an
organisation’s message by the media (and it becomes part of the media’s
agenda and content), the organisation stands a chance of influencing the
public agenda. Herein lies another problem in the press-public relations
relationship, that is, the journalist’s perception that the public relations
practitioners have a hand in influencing the media content that
journalists disseminate to the public. Journalists know that news is not
necessarily what happens but what a news source says has happened.
This dependence and reliance of journalists on public relations handouts
do not go down well with the former.

The literature on the agenda setting influence of the public relations
practitioners on the media indicates both an influence and non-influence.
Turk (1986) reported that Fishman (1980), Gandy (1982), and Martin
and Singletary (1981) noted in the 1980s that official sources of
information were frequently used by journalists as they were viewed as
reliable and that news releases substantially influenced the content of the
news media even though not all news releases were published.

At the same time, there is also research suggesting that journalists’
dependence on public relations information is not all that strong.
Newspapers use information provided by public relations practitioners
less often compared to information provided in response to specific
requests from journalists. Newsworthiness of the information content is
still the main criterion used to decide whether or not information
subsidies would become news. The literature indicates that journalists
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decide as to what is news or newsworthy within a framework of
journalistic convention and tradition (Turk, 1986). Very few information
subsidies or public relations handouts are used because of organisational
considerations like not newsworthy enough or because of unavailability
of space.


ETHICS

In literature, a similar definitional framework is attributed to ethics,
calling ethics a moral responsibility to one’s community where standards
of right and wrong relationships are emphasised. While there have been
extensive writings on media ethics, this subject remains a difficult area
to define and reconcile as the literature is filled with contradictions and
little unity of opinion (Deetz, 1983). This difficulty in studying ethics
(defined as principles that should underline behaviour) is largely due to
the relativism in which ethics are shrouded. Relativism is the ethical
theory that states that ''what is right or good for one individual or society
is not right or good for another, even if the situations involved are
similar'' (Frankena, 1973:109). What is ''right'' or ''good'' would be
influenced by the social setting, cultural environment and the belief
system of the individual. For instance, in the public relations and
journalism professions, the existence of codes of ethics does not
guarantee ethical behaviour for the simple reason that, because the codes
are not mandatory, the observance of the codes would depend largely on
the media practitioners. This leaves ethics very much to the discretion
of the individual and in this lies the main crux of the ethical problem.

Hausman (1992) discussed three areas where ethical dilemma usually
occurs – misrepresentation, relationship with sources and favours given
to reporters. The ethics of the profession frown upon journalists going
undercover to get information unless no other avenue is open to her or
him and the information needed is of public interest. Journalists too are
exhorted to maintain good rapport with sources so that the relationship
can develop into a productive interaction.

Both the Malaysian Union of Journalists Code of Ethics and the Canons
of Journalism contain statements alluding to the acceptance of bribe of
any form as a ''grave professional misconduct''. The International Code
of Professional Conduct for Public Relations Practitioners as well as the
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Institute of Public Relations Malaysia Code of Conduct, which although
not specifically mentioning giving or accepting of bribes, expects
members not to ''engage in any practice which tends to corrupt the
integrity'' of the profession. Depending on how one defines ''bribe of
any form'', freebies/junkets/ payolas of any value or nature are also seen
as crossing into a gray and uneasy area in the journalist-public relations
practitioner relationship.

The practice of public relations practitioners giving freebies and the
acceptance of them by journalists is viewed subjectively by both
professions. Whether they are referred to as ''tokens of appreciation ''or
''bribes for favourable coverage'', the concern over freebies is that they
may influence the journalists in one way or another in their reporting.
That some practitioners (both journalists and public relations
practitioners) perceive this practice as acceptable is in itself disturbing.

Halimahton (1997) noted that almost all of 30 news workers interviewed
for a previous research on media ethics said that accepting gifts is ''part
and parcel of news gathering''. They viewed door gifts like pens and
t-shirts as ''building rapport'' and ''gestures of goodwill'' rather than an
attempt to bribe the journalists into giving the source of information
favourable coverage.

Moreover, in the Malaysian context where giving has become a culture,
not accepting may perhaps be seen to be insulting the giver or as rude
behaviour. Journalists do not ask for these gifts, but when given, say are
usually culture-bound to accept. The journalists interviewed were rather
offended that some opinions claimed that gifts can influence their
objectivity.

Nevertheless, the survey conducted by Rainer PR revealed that press
trips, free lunches and other freebies do influence journalists. Between
40–80 percent of the 200 journalists polled admitted to being influenced
by exotic press trips and free lunches. Almost 20 percent said the
sources were the most important factor in persuading them to write a
story (Adesara, 2004).

The Institute for Public Relations in the United States, like most other
related organisations internationally, recognises the importance of this
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ethical issue. It has recently initiated a major new research programme
to explore credibility, trust and ethics in the context of public relations
practice. Credibility, trust and ethics emerged as the most important
topics to senior public relations leaders who participated in a recent
Institute study aimed at identifying new research priorities. The study
was based on a scan of major public relations publications and
conferences from 2001 to 2005 to identify the topics commanding the
most attention (www.instituteforpr.org).


RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The primary objective of this article is to examine the differences and
similarities in perceptions held by public relations practitioners and
journalists on satisfaction with contributions made to each other, their
interdependence, ethical practices, and trust of each other. An analysis
through the following four questions, explains the objective.

1. What are the perceptions of public relations practitioners and
journalists on satisfaction with contributions made to each other
by years of experience?
2. What are the perceptions of public relations practitioners and
journalists on their interdependence by years of experience?
3. What are the perceptions of public relations practitioners and
journalists on trust with each other and years of experience?
4. Do years of experience influence how public relations
practitioners and journalists perceive ethical practices?


METHODOLOGY

Sample

A survey of 48 public relations practitioners and 63 journalists was
conducted regarding their perceptions of 19 statements on each other’s
profession. Questionnaires were distributed to the journalists and public
relations practitioners by hand as well as via email. The researchers
targeted to have a return of at least 50 responses each from the two
media professional groups. Therefore, 70 questionnaires were distributed
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