The 2012 World Public Relations Forum theme, “communication without borders”, is symbolic in that it celebrates the dissolution of geographic, intercultural and metaphoric barriers to communication. It reflects not only the global nature of the forum, but of communication today, which is constantly evolving, due mostly to new media.
Historically, borders were associated with expeditions. The forum’s theme reflects this idea of the exploration of the unknown, the quest towards the new frontier, and eventually, the discovery. While the forum’s theme obviously acknowledges the demise of traditional borders, an auxiliary significance lies in its salute to the new challenges we face as we find ourselves exploring new territory.
However, to say there has been a breakdown of communication borders is not to imply that the same can be said of the new complexities. The increasingly global nature of our profession calls for new methods, research and ideas, along with fresh thinking and innovation. In the lead-up to the forum, for example, I wrote about new privacy obligations directly affecting Australian PR practitioners – just one of the many new considerations global communication brings. As an industry, we have seen a growing realignment from print to online, mobile and social media.
We have had to stay ahead of the developments and tools that are changing daily, tracking commentary, success and developments with new metrics all the while.
And while we have more opportunities, we also have more chances for disaster. Brands risk new threats like negative viral messaging, fragmentation and online “trolls”. And although audiences are indeed more global and accessible, they are also more savvy, skeptical and cynical, thinking more critically and questioning information given to them.
So while the theme of the forum certainly positions public relations as a global profession, I suggest its intention is not to imply that we have in any way realised seamless global communication free from any borders, nor solved the challenges this revolution creates. On the contrary, the forum’s theme reminds us that with every new communication opportunity comes a new border – a new frontier.
While technological development has weakened other sectors, for us it actually reinforces the need for public relations. The fundamentals are now more important than ever: understanding the client’s business, good service, the value of research and a nexus with the audience. We need to ensure in a global profession that we do not just broadcast, disseminate and distribute, rather narrowcast or target our communications with good strategy.
Despite the prospect of a challenge, public relations practitioners certainly are a resilient, resourceful and adaptive bunch of problem solvers. As we continue navigating the globe, I suggest our exploration across borders could be best summarised by the Oxford Dictionary’s definition of an expedition: “a journey undertaken by a group of people with a particular purpose, especially that of exploration, research, or war”. And it is we who have the privilege and the challenge of being on the front line.
By Patrick MacDonald
Applicants for this year’s Ian Robertson Award for Queensland’s new or emerging public relations professional of the year were asked to submit a written piece on the theme for this year’s World Public Relations Forum, “communication without borders”.
After an in-person interview process with the judging panel, Patrick MacDonald, a Senior Account Executive from Cole Lawson Communications in Brisbane, was recently announced as this year’s winner and will be heading to the forum as part of his prize. This is the written component of his winning entry.