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Chapter “Negotiating Relationships with Activist Publics," by Linda Hon

“Organizations and activist publics are groups of people in a public relationship.” (58)

What's the definition of PR we have been using?

"Public relations is public, persuasive communication that is has strategic intent and is directed to humans who have agency" – From Myers, adopted from Lamme

If someone is to say, “that is a social movement,” what features would you expect to see?

Social Movements

• Share some sort of ideology or narrative
• Insist on a right to participate in some institutional decision-making process but as non-members of said institution
• are collectives
• are relatively persistent in time
• feature some internal organizational communication
• and public communication
• seek to enact change

Social Movements have shared ideology, are social, are persistent in time, operate outside institutions, communicate internally and publicly, and seek change

Based on the Richez article, how might Idle No More fit this definition?

Shared ideology or narrative

Participate, but outside institutions

Collective

Persistence

Communication (internal and external)

Seek Change

Are social movements engaged in public relations?

Ivy Lee describes “that uncanny, almost demoniacal shout of delight which arises from the the watching crowd" during a boxing match (p. 31)

Linda Hon: “Organizations and activist publics are groups of people in a public relationship.” (58)

Cayce Myers's definition(s) of public relations

• A professional function: “Modern-day public relations is a multifaceted communication practice that uses paid, earned, shared, and owned media to effectively communicate with publics, and has a management function within an organization”

However...

"Public relations is public, persuasive communication that is has strategic intent and is directed to humans who have agency" – From Myers, adopted from Lamme

From Weaver: "Activists and activist organisations can be extremely adept at developing complex media strategies, public education and government lobbying campaigns, and many have adopted the organisational structures and aims of corporate entities."

From Weaver: "Equally, corporations have drawn on guerrilla communication tactics of the types associated with protest and activism to emotionally engage audiences and publics."

Our program at Markham largely sides with the "social movements are engaged in PR" side of the debate.