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Public Relations
Media Abroad
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CANADA: Canadian Public Relations Society
RUSSIA: Military Public Relations
CANADA
CANADIAN
PUBLIC RELATIONS
SOCIETY
The Canadian Public Relations Society was founded in 1942. Today the society has about 1,500 members. The society, which is committed to improving the quality of public relations, requires members to pledge to maintain the spirit and ideals of a code of professional standards. Key provisions of the code require members to:
- Adhere to the highest professional standards.
- Deal fairly and honestly with the mass media and the public.
- Practice the highest standards of honesty, accuracy, integrity and truth.
- Not knowingly disseminate false or misleading information.
- Deal fairly with past or present employers and clients, with fellow practitioners, and with members of other professions.
- Be prepared to disclose the name of the employer or client for whom public communications are made and refrain from associating with anyone who would not respect such policy.
- Protect the confidences of present, former and prospective employers and clients.
- Not represent conflicting or competing interests without the express consent of those concerned, given after a full disclosure of the facts.
- Not guarantee specified results beyond the member's capacity to achieve.
- Personally accept no fees, commissions, gifts or any other considerations for professional services from anyone except employers or clients for whom the services were specifically performed.
The society has a certification process. Those who meet the criteria and pass exams are allowed to place APR, which stands for accredited public relations professional, after their names. The criteria:
- Being recommended by an already accredited society member.
- Five years of full-time professional experience.
- Passing an eight-hour written examination on public relations principles, techniques, history and ethics.
- Passing an oral exam conducted by three professionals.
The process is rigorous. Typically, a third of those who attempt the examination fail it the first time. Once earned, certification needs to be renewed through continuing education, and the right to use "APR" can be taken away if a member violates the society's code. About 1,300 members hold APR certification.
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CANADA
DATABANK
Population
18.3 million
Literacy
100 percent
Television sets
1 per 2.2 people
Gross Domestic Production
$20,7200 per capita |
Adapted from The Media of Mass Communication, Canadian edition, by John Vivian and Peter Maurin (Allyn & Bacon Canada, 1997).
© 1999, by John Vivian, Route 1, Box 32, Lewiston, Minnesota USA 55987-9706 |
RUSSIA
MILITARY
PUBLIC RELATIONS
The architects of Russian democratization in the 1990s recognized that the old Soviet Union's heavy-handed propaganda wouldn't do. Information minister Valery Manilov, concerned especially about the military's relations with the mass media, turned to the Pentagon to see how the U.S. military told its story to the media. A series of exchanges between Russian and U.S. military people resulted in revised Russia military doctrines that resemble the U.S. model. The fundamental doctrine: "Maximum disclosure, minimum delay."
Colonel Rick Kiernan, a U.S. Army public affairs officer who spent time in Russia explaining Pentagon policies, said the Russians were quick to pick up on the idea that people want information but only if they can trust it. People are much more interested in information than political party themes and propaganda, he said.
In restructuring its public relations, the Russian military chose the widely used three-function U.S. military model. This involves separate units:
- Command information. For internal military audiences, including the troops.
- Community affairs. Outreach programs mostly for communities that neighbor military bases.
- Media relations. For conveying messages to large groups of people through the media.
The Russian military has a fourth unit, issues management, which focus on broad issues like the environment and health care.
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RUSSIA
DATABANK
Population
148.2 million
Literacy
98 percent
Television sets
1 per 2.7 people
Gross Domestic Production
$4,820 per capita |
© 1999, by John Vivian, Route 1, Box 32, Lewiston, Minnesota USA 55987-9706 |
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