Week 5 & 7

Focus on Asian Public Relations Management

Identify the different cultural issues that apply to the practice of public relations in Asia

Asia is culturally and linguistically diverse.

The excellence and relationship theory are the most relevant theories when discussing the practice of public relations in Asia.

Discuss various aspects of public relations as they apply to different locations

Trade

While trade facilitates the growth of an economy, education, health, telecommunication, political stability and news media are important economic indicators.

The control of news media especially shows how true the claim to being a developed country is. Public relations rely on news media and thus the freedom of news media very much matter to its growth.

Although named as a developed Asian country, Singapore still has much control over their news media and thus limits the growth of its public relations sector. On the other hand, news media is least controlled in Japan while heavily controlled in communist countries like China and North Korea.

Languages

English might be the language of choice for PR practitioners in the West however this is fast changing in Asia where there is a preference for Chinese, Arab or the local language of the country the PR practitioners are working in.

Government Intent

How much say the government has in the public and private sector of the country affects PR practitioners. Asian countries have been loosening their control over these sectors and hence less control of the messages that PR can put out to its publics and facilitates PR growth.

Stakeholders

News media in Asia is considered to be far less important than it is in the West. Important stakeholders in Asia include Western financial bankers and its citizens.

Personal Interaction

Public opinion is the central concern of PR in Asia thus PR practitioners here have to form strategies that work to reel in public concerns.