A Public Relations Utopia: Dialogical Public Relations
Beris Artan ÖzoranIn this article, dialogical public relations, which has been frequently discussed among public relations scholars since the emergence of the Internet, is considered the ‘utopic’ approach. A dialectic approach is used while discussing the practicality of dialogical public relations, and this study follows the steps that Ollman (2011) defines as a ‘dance’. In a dialectic way of thinking, it is very important to understand how pieces fit into the whole, and this article first examines why ‘dialogical public relations’ is considered as the utopia and the relationship between dialogical public relations and the information society. Second, examining a ‘concept’ separately from its past means detaching it from its context and ignoring its meaning within the whole. Therefore, the basic approaches to public relations before the emergence of dialogical public relations were discussed here. Third, the practicality of dialogical public relations is discussed in the contexts of ‘public’ and ‘organization’, which were transformed in times that could be defined as postmodern, late modern, flexible capitalist or post-industrialist.
Bir Halkla İlişkiler Ütopyası: Diyalojik Halkla İlişkiler
Beris Artan ÖzoranBu makalede özellikle internetin gelişimden sonra sıklıkla tartışılan diyalojik halkla ilişkiler yaklaşımı bir ütopya olarak ele alınmıştır. Halkla ilişkilerin daha etik bir versiyonu olduğu savunulan bu yaklaşımın uygulanabilirliği tartışılırken diyalektik yöntem kullanmıştır. Ollman’ın (2011), dans olarak tanımladığı diyalektik adımlar izlenmiştir. Diyalektik düşünme biçiminde parçanın bütünün içinde nasıl yer aldığı oldukça önemlidir. Bu nedenle öncelikle diyalojik halkla ilişkiler yaklaşımının neden bir ütopya olarak ele alındığı tartışıldıktan sonra bu yaklaşımın Enformasyon Toplumu yaklaşımı ile ilişkisi üzerinde durulmuştur. Bir kavramı tarihinden ayrı olarak incelemek, onu bağlamından koparmak ve bütün içindeki anlamını görmezden gelmektir. Bu nedenle ikinci olarak diyalojik halkla ilişkiler kavramı ortaya çıkana kadar, halkla ilişkiler alanında tartışılan temel yaklaşımlar ele alınmıştır. Üçüncü aşamada, postmodern, geç modern, esnek kapitalist ya da sanayi sonrası dönem olarak tanımlanabilecek yeni zamanlarda dönüşen ‘örgüt’ bağlamında diyalojik halkla ilişkilerin uygulanabilirliği tartışmaya açılmıştır.
In this article, dialogical public relations, which has been frequently discussed among public relations scholars since the emergence of the Internet, is considered the ‘utopic’ approach. There are two main sides to the concept of utopia. The first emphasizes the impossibility of utopia as a place of ‘perfection’ that cannot be realized. The second states that creating utopia can open a window for ‘the better’. In this study, utopia was considered as a concept that includes two opposite approaches. One can say that utopia is important because it opens a discussion about a ‘better place’: in a broader scope for the world and in a narrower scope for a particular field (in this article that field is public relations). But at the same time, utopia’s compatibility with the real world and its practical application within the existing system must be discussed. Within this framework, ‘dialogical public relations’ was discussed as a utopic approach because it presents a new perspective by offering a more ethical model for public relations. However, its practicality in the existing capitalist world is controversial.
The aim of this article is to evaluate the ‘dialogical public relations’ approach and discuss this within the context; for this purpose, the dialectic approach was used and the four steps that Ollman (2011) defines as a ‘dance’ were followed. The first step is analysis, and here the dialogical public relations approach was discussed in the context of utopia and an information society. In a dialectic way of thinking, it is very important to understand how pieces fit within the whole. Therefore, this study discusses first why dialogical public relations is considered utopia and then the relationship between dialogical public relations with information society. The concept of ‘dialogical public relations’ cannot be considered separately from an information society. This PR approach has emerged as an extension of information society thesis; developments that use this approach are the dynamics of the information society and this society must exist to implement the model. In other words, for ‘dialogical public relations,’ the propositions presented by the information society must be realized. The second step is historicization. Examining a ‘concept’ separately from its past means detaching it from its context and ignoring its meaning within the whole (Ollman, 2011). Therefore, this study addressed the basic approaches to public relations before the concept of dialogical public relations emerged. The possibility of the realization of a ‘dialogical public relations’ is related to both the past and the present public relations practices. The third step is a move forward that aims to create an image of the future. For this step, the practicality of dialogical public relations was discussed in the context of ‘public’ and ‘organization,’ which were transformed in the times that could be defined as postmodern, late modern, flexible capitalist or post-industrialist. In addition, by examining the research on dialogical public relations, the applicability of this model was discussed.
As a result, in order to practice ‘dialogical public relations’, organizations should consider dialogue as an aim, not as a mean to realize its interests. However, within capitalist systems, the main aim of a commercial organization is profit maximization and public relations is used for the realization of the corporate purposes. For real dialogue to occur, organizations need to lose control and it is likely that that they would not want to take that risk. According to Theunissen and Noordin (2012) organizations only turn to dialogue when they think their existence depends on it (p. 12). Generally, the communication model that organizations use consists of a balance between persuasion and the dialogical model, because the dialogical model destabilizes the relationship between the organization and its public. Creating balance by persuasion is easier than using dialogue.
Another problem regards the concept of the Internet. The Internet is an important part of the dialogical public relations. It can create new opportunities for public relations by direct communication through websites or social media channels and enable feedback practices. However, according to Kent and Taylor (1998) the Internet creates a potential for dialogue but it is not the only requirement (p. 325). Ethical public relations is not about answering and conversation, it necessitates dialogue and understanding. Therefore, one can say that using the Internet is not enough to form a dialogue.
Public relations practices can be transformational. However, it should be discussed whether this change is two-way symmetrical to dialogue, or a shift toward more control and manipulation. Simulation of dialogue over the Internet creates a feeling like a ‘real dialogue’; however, it is not possible to talk about a dialogue where two sides have equal conditions. So, it should not be forgotten that the Internet can create a ‘dialogue’ feeling in a world where ‘as if’ and reality are intertwined and use this to manipulate and control public needs and desires. When we consider utopias, we should consider their applicabilities but also answer the question of “whose utopia it is?” Dialogical public relations emerged as a utopia for the public, but it can be said that it transformed into a utopia for organizations.
In this article, dialogical public relations was discussed using three steps of dialectics. To conclude, it should not be forgotten that when we consider a dialogical public relations approach as a utopia, it offers new perspectives by questioning the existing system, even if it has a low potential for implementation in the existing system. With the emergence of this model, dialogue became a popular concept in public relations and scholars began to discuss how we can use the Internet to form a dialogue. What needs to be done now is to make ‘action plans’ for the last step of the dialectic dance. We should discuss new perspectives for more ethical public relations and alternative ways to form ‘real dialogue’.
