Public Speaking and Public Relations
Public Speaking and Public Relations
Reports are an important component of workplace communication and public speaking. Those who work in public relations (PR) have unique responsibilities that require specifically defined presentational and organizational skills. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Statistics (2006), individuals who work in the public relations sector use their communication skills to target and influence intended “publics” of their organizations. Speeches in public relations entail several objectives, one of which is educating and influencing the public (Hackman & Johnson, 2004). Many organizations have the purpose of educating and persuading the public on several issues and policies. For example, a local hospital may want to increase awareness of the epidemic of heart disease among women; therefore, its public relations mission is to inform the local community about this epidemic, as well as persuade the public to be more proactive in decreasing the incidence of heart disease among the female population. This may involve exercising public speaking skills during health classes offered to the community, as well as constructing messages to be broadcast through local TV and radio outlets.
Another important function of public speaking in PR is to combat rumors or to correct misinformation spread about an organization or issue (Hackman & Johnson, 2004). For example, there may be a false story about the spread of bacterial disease affecting the products originating from a local meatpacking plant. Effective public speaking can combat such a rumor through a well-organized message, clearly articulated statements, and a credible delivery style, all of which can help an organization to invalidate the rumor and regain the public trust.
Effective public speaking in PR also helps an organization prepare for and respond to crises (Hackman & Johnson, 2004). A crisis is an unexpected event that can have a tremendous impact on an organization and its image (Healthcare PR crisis communications, 2004). Many of these impacts can be damaging—terrorist attack, machine malfunction, product tampering. Once a crisis has occurred, PR experts have the challenge of restoring an organization’s image, as well as the public’s trust. Being able to inform the public and key stakeholders of the crisis events, as well as how affected people can respond, is one of the most important responsibilities of PR personnel.
Developing or improving an organizational image (Hackman & Johnson, 2004) is yet another function of public speaking in PR. An organizational image is the perception of an organization held by its constituents and the public in general. PR specialists must rely heavily on their public speaking skills to project an image of an organization that is memorable and trustworthy. This type of work becomes especially crucial when an organization has suffered a crisis, as previously mentioned.
