Post on 29-Jun-2015
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Government and Politics
Chapter
17 Top 5 Facts
By Elliott Thomas
Comm
355
Objectives of government information efforts
Explain agency programs so that
citizens understand and can take actions to benefit from
them
Provide feedback to government
administrators so that programs
and policies can be tweaked Advise
management on how to
communicate to the largest number of
citizens
Represent the public and listen
to its representatives
Educate administrators about the role
of the mass media and
ways to work with media
reps
Communicate the work of government
agencies
How Public Relations Activities Differ at the Federal, State, and Local Levels
Presidents have taken advantage of the intense interest in their position by creating
strategies to improve their popularity, generate support for programs, and explain
embarrassing policy decisions.
Federal agencies employ public affairs officers, who have the job of answering press and public
inquiries, write news releases, work on newsletters, plan special events,
etc.
States develop campaigns to encourage tourism, educate the public about disease prevention,
and promote economic development.
Local governments have the responsibility of
informing citizens about government services, so
people can take advantage of them.
Cities promote tourism by publicizing their
cultural attractions and special events.
Tourism is heavily promoted on the state level because of the tax revenues
it produces.
How Government effects corporations
Actions of governmental bodies
Business operations
Affects
Intelligence gathering
Corporation/Industry
plans ahead
Adjust policies/provide information that
may influence government
decision making
What is lobbying?
Attempting to influence decisions made by government officials
Who do lobbyists represent?
U.S. business, educational, religious, local, national, and
international pursuits
Just so you know….
Lobbying Pros and ConsPros
Competing lobbying efforts cause legislators to weigh the
pros and cons of an issue before voting
Competing lobbyists show busy legislators the pros and cons of complex legislation
Cons
“Influence Peddling”- using your influence in government or connections with people in authority to gain favors or preferential treatment for another,
typically in return for payment
“It’s not about what you know,
but who you know”
Grassroots lobbying involves getting on
the local level individuals with no financial interest in
an issue to speak on the sponsor’s behalf
There is a lack of rules or
regulations governing grassroots lobbying
Lobbying Loopholes
The Role public relations play in election campaigns
Fund-raising is a year-round job for
every aspiring official
Candidates hire professionals to organize luncheons and dinners that
allow donors to have contact with the candidate.
These occasions open the door for indirect influence on
legislation or meetings at a later date, if the candidate is elected.
Teams of political strategists, speech-writers, communications consultants,
and other professions are put together to help candidates win
elections.
Don’t be careless
when using social media
Surrendering some control over the message and discussion online is necessary when
relying on the Internet and
Social Media to help a campaign
5 key concepts from
Chapter 17
Public relations professionals are required
at every level of government to ensure that information is circulated clearly,
efficiently, and to the largest number of people
Public
relations
campaigns
differ at each
level of
government.
Governmental actions
influence how
corporations conduct
business, and
sometimes
corporations can
influence government
policy.
There are benefits and
pitfalls to lobbying.
An extensive team
of public relations
professionals is
necessary for a
successful
campaign for any
hopeful candidate.