ACC717 Assignment 2: Legal Considerations in Media Communication

This report, prepared for the ACC717 Law, Media, and Communication course, delves into the critical intersection of law and communication. It examines two case studies: "Public Relations Management in Organisations" and "Hughes: Public Relations; Communication Counsel." The report compares and contrasts these cases to highlight the importance of legal considerations in public relations, journalism, and media production. It discusses how legal frameworks impact professional practice, including risk management, ethical considerations, and the application of systems theory in communication. The analysis covers aspects such as stakeholder communication, crisis management, and the influence of external factors like activism and corporate social responsibility. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for long-term planning, adherence to ethical guidelines, and proactive strategies to address legal and ethical challenges in the media landscape, providing valuable insights into how legal considerations shape professional conduct in communication-related fields.

Running head: LAW, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION
Law, Media and Communication
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Discussion..................................................................................................................................4
Compare and Contrast............................................................................................................4
Importance of Legal Considerations to Professional Practice...............................................7
Conclusion................................................................................................................................10
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Introduction
Communication has become quite pervasive in this present day context in everyday’s life
(Watt, 2010). This is due to the reason of massive developments being witnessed in mass
media. It is composed of diverse forms that include print and broadcast media (Dang, 2017).
Moreover, the other forms entail online media, cinemas and news agencies among others.
Magazines and newspapers fall under the print media, whereas radios and televisions belong
to the category of broadcast media (ScienceDaily, 2019; Kokemuller, 2018). According to
Handzhiyska & Mackay (2017; p. 5), “Media law does not refer to a uniform body of law but
is rather a collection of a variety of laws and ethical standards that influence the work of the
media.” It plays a critical function in helping public debates, propagating politically pertinent
information, realising the checks as well as the balances of the entire political mechanism and
promoting transparency in the same. Since media law can be duly regarded as a professional
practice, some legal considerations are associated with the same. Few of these legal
considerations could be related to serving the public interest and fulfilling the requirements of
the democratic communities as well (Handzhiyska & Mackay, 2017). Emphasising the issue,
the assignment intends to compare and contrast two case studies in the field of
communication (PR, journalism, media production) so as to widen the knowledge on the
importance of legal considerations to professional practice related to the same. In this regard,
the two case studies i.e. “Public Relations Management in Organisations” and “Hughes:
Public Relations; Communication Counsel” have been taken into concern for discussion in
this particular assignment.
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Discussion
Compare and Contrast
Public relations (PR), acting as one of the communication forms, is viewed as an obligatory
and an incorporated element of public policy/service (Palaniappan & Ramachandraiah, n.d.).
It is also regarded as one of the management functions (Universal Accreditation Board,
2018), which forms and preserves a mutually beneficial association amidst a business
corporation and the general public (APR, 2009). PR is mainly featured by three significant
aspects that encompass ‘management discipline’, ‘applied science’ and ‘communication
theory’, thereby representing distinct meanings in dissimilar cultural circumstances (Thurlow,
Sevigny, & Dottori, 2018). The importance of PR is that it supports a business corporation to
manage its internal as well as external public and further develops a better brand image in the
respective markets or industries, wherein it operates. To be noted in this regard, its major
roles include ensuring improved corporate sustainability, forming, developing along with
preserving smooth association with the potential stakeholders and making planned
organisational changes as per the objectives set by the individual firms (Rivero & Theodore,
2014). Apart from these, the other roles of PR encompass informing the intended audiences,
promoting along with encouraging and seeking cooperation, incorporating ideas into
operations and optimising affairs among others (Gilaninia, Taleghani, & Mohammadi, 2013).
The case study “Public Relations Management in Organisations” of Mehta & Xavier (2009)
highlighted public relations as a link persisting amid the business corporations and their
underlying environments. On the other hand, the role of public relations in managing
communication with a wide assortment of stakeholders in various organisations has been
explained in the case study “Hughes: Public Relations; Communication Counsel” of Hughes
(2017). With reference to the case study of Mehta & Xavier (2009), PR largely acts as a
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management function, which helps to communicate not only with the potential stakeholders
but also with the general public in the most efficient way. Generally, PR establishes a strong
correlation between the firms and the environments including the general public by making
premeditated as well as unremitting efforts based on common understanding (Onyiengo,
2014). Similarly, the case of Hughes (2017) highlighted that PR has huge support in
managing communication, particularly with the stakeholders by ensuring timely as well as
cost-effective deliverance of services to them. Based on the observation made by Gill (2014),
PR and stakeholder communication as well as management are strongly linked with one
another, as stakeholder supervision acts as a planned task of PR. This task comprises
relationship management capabilities and interdisciplinary functions that eventually generate
a knowledge transfer amid the business corporations, management team, potential
stakeholders and the general public as a whole (Gill, 2014).
In relation to the case study of Mehta & Xavier (2009), it is apparent that public relations are
largely practiced in several distinct organisational settings such as government entities, public
as well as private firms and profit along with not-for-profit business corporations. With the
help of making proper communication and management planning, it is the public relation
practitioners, who tend to construct as well as develop an organisational reputation and
thereby support the firms to fulfil their predetermined targets within a stipulated time (Mehta
& Xavier, 2009). With regards to the case study of Hughes (2017), it is clear that the
companies are able to form a direct and a strong relationship with the chief national economic
and business journalists through public relations for serving varied purposes. These purposes
embrace increasing business reputation, developing a brand image, raising product sales,
attracting new customers and retaining the old ones, enhancing operational productivity and
most essentially amplifying profitability levels at the end of every fiscal year (Hughes, 2017).
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The case study of Mehta & Xavier (2009) revealed that the majority of the departments of
public relations are held liable to check and make response towards the modifications being
witnessed in a company’s external setting through employee communication. However, in the
case study of Hughes (2017), public relations plays the responsibility to respond and address
any sort of the change in the external environment of businesses by seeking continuous
support with event management, shareholder communication and media liaison. Both the
case studies are able to explain the importance of legal considerations to professional practice
with regards to media law and public relations through communication. For instance, as
mentioned by Mehta & Xavier (2009) in the case study, legal considerations to the
professional practice of public relations hold certain importance in the formation,
development and preservation of positive rapport with the potential stakeholder groups upon
which a business firm largely relies to attain its expected targets. In contrast, as per the case
study of Hughes (2017), the significance of legal considerations to professional practice
exists in delivering suitable advice to the most appropriate company spokesperson, thereby
systematising media training and seeking the support of media monitoring as well as
reporting on a continuous basis.
The chosen case study of Mehta & Xavier (2009) teaches a significant point i.e. the use or the
application of systems theory in communication, which covers public relations, media
production and journalism. In this context, Mehta & Xavier (2009; p. 193) mentioned that
“Systems theory provides a framework through which to view organisations and their
relationships with the environment. It is firmly established as one of the guiding theories for
public relations theory and practice. It is used to explain how public relations helps
understand and manage the relationships an organisation has with its stakeholders and publics
who make up its environment.” According to Mehta & Xavier (2009), the study on the
biological mechanisms eventually laid the foundation of systems theory in the context of
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communication (public relations, journalism, media production). On the other hand, in the
case of Hughes (2017), the utmost focus is levied on determining the advantages of
‘foresight’ instead of applying the systems theory in the domain of communication (public
relations, journalism, and media production).
In relation with the case study of Mehta & Xavier (2009), it is quite clear that a broad
assortment of external forces including activism, conflict and corporate social responsibility
(CSR) have a significant influence on PR in one way or the other. For instance, the conflict
impacts PR by facilitating as well as offering prospects for making interactions within the
business firms and promoting creativity as well. On the other hand, PR is affected by
activism i.e. by determining the manner, in which it restricts the competence of the business
corporations while dealing with the issues of the general public. Finally, CSR influences PR
at large by levying utmost attention on the environmental, communal and monetary
contributions made by different firms through their operations (Mehta & Xavier, 2009). Apart
from conflicts, CSR and activism, the factor concerning community engagement is also
recognised to create an impact on the PR by an extensive level. Justifiably, the practices
related to community engagement are often executed in private as well as public projects,
enabling the general public to put forward some planning, policies and/or actions that might
have a strong influence on the corporate sustainability of the organisations (Mehta & Xavier,
2009). In contrast, with regards to the case study of Hughes (2017), it is apparent that the
development of an effective communication campaign, design along with the application of a
crisis management tactic and streamline of the present operational functions of various firms
have a strong impact on PR.
Importance of Legal Considerations to Professional Practice
The significance of legal considerations to professional practice exists in long-term planning
and following the steps to deal with the acute transitional issues. In the context of long-term
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planning, elucidating mutual responsibilities for any sort of event, keeping all important
information safe as well as accessible and developing a professional contact database among
others has a major role to play. On the other hand, the steps to be followed for coping up with
the acute transition issues contributes largely in keeping track of all the operational records
and strengthening decision-making procedures as per the underlying conditions. It can be
critically commented that two vital aspects i.e. risk management and ethical practice acts as
the most potential legal considerations to professional practice, thereby evading moral issues
related to practice transition (Koocher, 2015). For this particular assignment, the implication
of legal considerations to professional practice lays in linking the same with the selected two
case studies, wherein each case teaches something that has profound value in this present-day
context.
For instance, the selected case study of Mehta & Xavier (2009) teaches the fact that systems
theory is one of the guiding presumptions in communication, wherein PR plays a critical
function in managing the relationships existing among the business corporations and the
potential stakeholders. Cutlip, Center, & Broom (2006; p. 176) in Mehta & Xavier (2009)
described a system as a “set of interacting units that endures through time within an
established boundary by responding and adjusting to change pressures from the environment
to achieve and maintain goal states.” Thus, a business firm operating in any industry is
viewed as a system, which generates and attains goals that are quite advantageous for the firm
itself and the underlying environment as well. These goals might encompass raising product
sales as well as profits, gaining investors’ support to make more investments, amplifying the
employment level and ensuring long-term sustainability in the respective markets/industries,
wherein the business organisations operate (Mehta & Xavier, 2009). As per the case study of
Mehta & Xavier (2009; p. 194), it is evident that the systems or subsystems are of distinct
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types such as ‘production/technical’, ‘maintenance’, ‘supportive’, ‘managerial’ and
‘adaptive’.
Based on the above discussion, “production or technical, which are concerned with
transforming inputs into outputs (the production line, for example)” (Mehta & Xavier, 2009;
p. 194). On the other hand, “maintenance subsystems that focus on maintaining social
relations (public relations, for example)” (Mehta & Xavier, 2009; p. 194). In contrast,
“supportive subsystems that ensure the availability of inputs (the finance or procurement
departments, for example)” (Mehta & Xavier, 2009; p. 194). “Managerial subsystems that
coordinate and control the other subsystems” (Mehta & Xavier, 2009; p. 194). Finally,
“adaptive subsystems that monitor and respond to the environment (public relations, for
example)” (Mehta & Xavier, 2009; p. 194). The case study of Mehta & Xavier (2009), as
selected for this particular assignment, also teaches that boundary spanning and
communication, specifically PR, are strongly linked with one another. In this regard, the
aforementioned systems theory recommends that a business firm and its underlying setting
are divided by a boundary, with the help of which valuable information and major resources
are found to flow in the most efficient way. Thus, spanning this boundary acts as one of the
critical functions for the professionals of PR, who remain involved in providing data to the
environment regarding the business corporation. According to this particular case study, the
PR professionals often observed the use of formal as well as informal research methods for
the purpose of retrieving information regarding key politics and issues being faced by the
firms at the time of performing varied operational functions (Mehta & Xavier, 2009).
The case study of Mehta & Xavier (2009) highlighted that in terms of boundary spanning and
PR, the example of Qantas Airways Limited can be taken into concern for analysis. During
the late 2008, the PR activities of Qantas were identified to make a planned activity of
gaining public interests by making boundary spanning in relation to the events of safety and
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flight postponements (Qantas Airways Limited, 2015; Qantas, 2013). Conversely, the case
study of Hughes (2017) teaches that PR acts as one of the most successful communication
strategies for several firms, which offers quick as well as realistic data to the news media and
thereby foresees media obligations at large. Similar findings can also be found in the
researches of Kirat (2018) and James (n.d.), wherein the mentioned roles of PR as an efficient
communication strategy have been highlighted. Moreover, the case study of Hughes (2017)
teaches the manner, in which PR supports the business corporations to take care of the
communities. As per this case study, minimising the rate of media criticism and speculation
along with managing media interests are the ways, through which PR assists the firms to take
care of the underlying environments (Hughes, 2017). In general, PR responded towards
lessening the rate of media criticism by determining the level, up to which the stakeholders’
interests are affected by media technologies as well as systems (von Krogh & Svensson,
2017).
Conclusion
The two case studies chosen for this assignment are intermittently related to communication,
wherein PR plays a critical function in maintaining a smooth association amidst the business
organisations and their respective stakeholders along with the general public. While
contrasting these two studies, it can be observed that the case study of Mehta & Xavier
(2009) focuses on PR management in the organisations, whereas the case study of Hughes
(2017) emphasised the role(s) of PR in supporting the business firms to look after the
underlying communities in the most efficient way. While analysing the significance of legal
considerations in professional practice, the case study of Mehta & Xavier (2009) teaches that
the systems theory is widely utilised in communication, wherein PR in particular, provides a
basis to maintain guiding relationships amid the firms and the stakeholders as well as the
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general public. However, teaching the contents being presented in the case study of Hughes
(2017) remains confined within assessing the benefits associated with ‘foresight’ rather than
encouraging systems theory. To conclude, both the selected case studies provide a clear
understanding on the manner, in which PR reduces the rate of media criticism and thereby
manages media interests in the long run.
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References
APR 2009, What is public relations?, Public Relations: A Management Function, Viewed 24
September, 2019 https://www.praccreditation.org/resources/documents/APRSG-PR-Mgmt-
Function.pdf
Dang, T 2017, Understanding development communication, Role of Media in Development
Communication, Viewed 24 September, 2019
http://uafulucknow.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/BA-JMC-2nd-year-2.pdf
Gilaninia, S, Taleghani, M & Mohammadi, MS 2013, ‘The role of public relations in
organization’, Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review (Nigerian Chapter),
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Gill, R 2014, ‘Public relations and the new stakeholder management environment’,
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 4, no. 10,
pp. 100-106.
Handzhiyska, L & Mackay, C 2017, Mass media as a subject of media law, Introduction to
Media Law, Viewed 24 September, 2019 https://old.o94.at/wp-content/uploads/Introduction-
to-Media-Law_EN.pdf
Hughes 2017, ‘Public relations’, Communication Counsel, pp. 05-35.
James, M No Date, ‘New media and public relations theory’, Asia Pacific Public Relations
Journal, vol. 8, pp. 137-146.
Kirat, M 2018, ‘Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of
Internet in the UAE’, Public Relations Review, vol. 33, pp. 166-174.
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