Reflective Analysis of The Article on European Communication Monitor Insights

I thought this article brought up some very interesting facts that I was unaware of and surprised by. One of the main topics addressed was the issue of social media. Today, it is hard to know what is real and what is not real online. Unfortunately, according to Dejan Verčič and Ansgar Zerfass, many companies are not taking this issue seriously (IPRA). According to the article, “22. 5% of European organisations and their reputation have been affected by fake news within the last months (IPRA). ” I would think that these businesses would want to correct these statements in order to maintain trust with their clients. This idea of “trust” in organizations was also questioned due to the lack of structure within many businesses. As we have discussed in class, communication is one of the basic foundations of public relations. The fact that these businesses are failing in this area is definitely something to be concerned about.

One of the second main ideas brought up in the article related to hierarchy in the workplace. According to Dejan Verčič and Ansgar Zerfass, communication is an issue here as well (IPRA). The article states, “every fifth communication leader (19. 2%) lacks leadership skills” (IPRA). This, in turn, explains why there is lack of motivation amongst employees and why people do not feel at ease in their positions at the company they work for (IPRA). Again, this relates to another topic mentioned- job satisfaction. If none of the above feelings are corrected, employees will no longer feel loyal to the company and will not have a sense of belonging.

Finally, Dejan Verčič and Ansgar Zerfass discuss the need for a good work environment. When a business does not show good listening or communication skills within the company, they are bound to fail and probably have the same issues with their clients.

Personally, if I had to write an ITLE for IPRA, it would be on communication in public relations. Just based off of what I read in the previous article and what we have talked about in class, it seems to be an area for concern in the field. Without having proper communication, the rest of the organizations fails. As we talked about this week, we are struggling to globalize public relations and the West is still very ethnocentric. I think one of the main reasons for this is our lack of communication with other countries. This is also one of the main reasons we have had trouble defining the field for so long. If we really want to come to any conclusions and take public relations seriously, we are going to have to make more of an effort in talking to one another. Being able to listen to what other cultures value in public relations will not only help us expand upon our own ideas, but it will help us do better business with others overall. As a society, we have become very closed off. Although technology gives us many advantages, it also prevents us from engaging with consumers on a more personal level. As talked about in the Dejan Verčič and Ansgar Zerfass, many organizations are choosing to ignore the large amounts of false information that is being put out into the world. I think we have also become so overwhelmed with the amount of data out there that we sit back and hope all of our troubles will go away on there own.

Communication is the only way we are going to succeed as a field. It is the way we market our businesses, interact with our consumers, and create reputations for our companies. Without it, people would not know who to trust when buying products or services for themselves and their families.