Chapter Seven and chapter eight

Media Relations and Public Issue Campaigns and Debates.

In chapter seven its all about Media Relations. That the media can play a huge role in whatever it is you are dealing with. That the main power of the media is to make us aware. The media can either help make you or break you. There are a lot of strategies for the new media that we are facing. People want to be served, not sold, involved not told the news. Some of these strategies are building relationships face to face. Whenever a relationship is formed, people trust and will accept whatever you are trying to communicate. Make internal publics top priority. Please your employees first before pleasing the public; happy employees mean happy consumers. Consider and "under the radar" approach to bypass media. Go direct to key publics, and dont't make yourself, you as a reporter, overly visible. It may attract bad media. And expand research. Go into great research whenever you are dealing with cases and stories that will be in the public eye. Get the facts, all of them, and get them right. A case that is dealing with the media is the David Letterman sex scandal. David letterman was being accused of having affairs with many of his woman employees around his office. His accuser said that if he didn't pay him two million dollars, he would write a book about Lettermans affairs. Not only did Letterran come forward, he came right out during his show and admitted to everything. He used the media to disarm the man who was blackmailing him. Since Letterman took the public honest approach to the whole situation, people still trusted him. His reputation and show are still intact and doing well.

Chapter eight talks all about public issue campaings and debates. The handling of public issues makes evident the linnk between public relations and the idea of democracy. In this setting, an issue if a subject on which there are two or more strongly opposing arguments, emotional involvement with a large group of people and concern that the decision will have an impact on people's lives or the smooth functioning of society. Issues can be assigned into four categories; latent, emerging, hot, fallout. Each discribing what kind of issue is being brought to the table. One of the issues that is and has been in debate in the government and media is the issue of abortion. Many people are for and and many people are against it. Right now, abortion is legal in the United States. That woman can choose to do what they want as far as getting an abortion or not getting an abortion. This issue is definitely a "hot" issue. It is in full out debate right now, and I think will always be in debate.