Anne Gregory: PR need not be mere propaganda - it can provoke an exchange of ideas

From a lecture by the professor of public relations at Leeds Metropolitan University to the Royal College of Physicians, in London

The way we have structured our society means that we are massively dependent on others. This applies to us as individuals – dependent on others for our food, homes, jobs and transport – and to organisations, too, who depend on their suppliers, customers, government, local community, finance industry and so on.

Recent events have also highlighted how interdependent countries are. At all the points of contact, up and down the supply/value chain and into society, there are communication impacts, since what we do impinges on others.

The burgeoning media environment, with new on-line publications appearing by the hour, brings an insatiable requirement for content and copy. At the same time, downsizing of the media workforce and the use of new technology mean that journalists do not have the time to source and write as they used to.

This has profound implications for us and society. In one sense, it provides great opportunities for media exposure for organisations, with all sorts of figures being quoted about the percentage of copy now being sourced from public relations. This process has been called the PR-isation of the media.

However, there are profound negative effects, too. The proportion of news coverage is declining, with more and more space being given over to celebrities and infotainment, and we are witnessing what some call "the dumbing-down of the media".

The independence of journalists is being called into question as they become more dependent on partisan sources and their ability to question and analyse is being challenged by public relations practitioners who wield real power. Meanwhile society is being fed a diet of uncritical, regurgitated material.

We have a responsibility here to keep a respectful distance between ourselves and the other vilified profession, and a responsibility to provide material that has integrity.

For many organisations, public relations is undoubtedly employed to persuade. There is, however, another aspect to this world view: if someone or an organisation puts forward a partisan view, this should be honestly recognised, and challenge should be welcomed. Without permitting this vital, challenging component, putting forward a partisan view is quite simply propaganda.

It is the professional communicator's role to facilitate a genuine dialogue where each party advances admittedly partisan views in the belief that out of the discussion a level of agreement and understanding will emerge. It does not assume that one party necessarily wins; the outcome may be an agreement to differ. The process itself will bring a level of understanding, and conflict, or the potential for conflict, will be reduced. The caveat for us as public relations practitioners is that those who propose an opposing view should do so as equals: equal in power, in access and in setting the agenda.