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PR Approaches: Excellence, Rhetorical, and Critical

The approaches have subtle (but significant) differences.

Cover photo: @jerrysilfwer

There are three funยญdaยญmentยญal PR approaches:

  • The Excellence Approach
  • The Rhetorical Approach
  • The Critical Approach

In this blog post, Iโ€™ll explain each of the three approachesโ€‰โ€”โ€‰and disยญcuss why I prefer the Rhetorical Approach over the Excellence Approach and the Critical Approach to PR.

Here we go:

Fundamental PR Approaches

Approaches To Public Relations

There are three scholยญarly approaches to pubยญlic relaยญtions (PR):

Three Approaches to Public Relations - Doctor Spin - The PR Blog
Three approaches to pubยญlic relations.

The Excellence Approach. This pubยญlic relaยญtions approach focuses on objectยญives and corยญporยญate value creยญation. The underยญlyยญing motivยญaยญtion behind the theยญory was that pubยญlic relaยญtions were mainly a variยญety of tacยญticยญal tools that desยญperยญately needed a manยญageยญment theยญory to work well in a sophยญistยญicยญated organยญisaยญtion.

Notable menยญtions: James E. Grunig, Larissa A. Grunig

The Rhetorical Approach. This pubยญlic relaยญtions approach stems from ideas datยญing back to ancient Greece. Itโ€™s a psyยญchoยญloยญgicยญal theยญory of how comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion strucยญtures human culยญture by shapยญing human minds. The rhetยญorยญicยญal approach is pracยญticยญal and lacks morยญal judgยญment.

Notable menยญtions: Edward Bernays, The Toronto School of Communication Theory, Robert Heath

The Critical Approach. This pubยญlic relaยญtions approach is deeply rooted in theยญorยญies of sociยญetยญal power dynamยญics. Power is seen as a means of exertยญing domยญinยญance, manipยญuยญlaยญtion, and oppresยญsion. The critยญicยญal approach borยญrows many ideas from the rhetยญorยญicยญal approach by plaยญcing them in morยญal frameยญworks.

Notable menยญtions: Walter Lippmann, Noam Chomsky

Read also: 3 PR Approaches: Excellence, Rhetorical, and Critical

The Excellence Approach to PR

In manยญageยญment theยญory, thereโ€™s a promยญinยญent focus on operยญaยญtionยญal excelยญlence. The Excellence Study mapped value creยญation onto straยญtegic comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion and found that best pracยญtices creยญate value for an organยญisaยญtion. It reduces costs and risks while increasยญing revenue.

โ€œThe proยญgramme of research known as the excelยญlence theยญory began in the 1960s with J. Grunigโ€™s research on pubยญlics found among Colombian farmยญers. Research then folยญlowed on the role of pubยญlic relaยญtions in organยญisaยญtionยญal decision-makยญing, the symยญmetยญricยญal modยญel of pubยญlic relaยญtions, pubยญlic relaยญtions measยญureยญment, and how the strucยญture and envirยญonยญment of organยญisaยญtions shape pubยญlic relaยญtions behaยญviour. [โ€ฆ] The excelยญlence theยญory has evolved into a genยญerยญal theยญory of pubยญlic relaยญtions as a straยญtegic manยญageยญment funcยญtion, and ongoยญing research now is adding conยญcepts and tools that pubยญlic relaยญtions proยญfesยญsionยญals who serve in a straยญtegic role can use.โ€
Source: Excellence Theory in Public Relations: Past, Present, and Future 1Grunig, J.E., & Grunig, L.A. (2008). Excellence Theory in Public Relations: Past, Present, and Future. https://โ€‹wwwโ€‹.semanticโ€‹scholโ€‹arโ€‹.org/โ€‹pโ€‹aโ€‹pโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹/โ€‹cโ€‹cโ€‹fโ€‹aโ€‹dโ€‹dโ€‹8โ€‹7โ€‹8โ€‹dโ€‹4โ€‹1โ€‹4โ€‹5โ€‹4โ€‹3โ€‹7โ€‹5โ€‹3โ€‹5โ€‹7โ€‹cโ€‹eโ€‹9โ€‹9โ€‹eโ€‹cโ€‹7โ€‹fโ€‹cโ€‹bโ€‹1โ€‹4โ€‹8โ€‹eโ€‹6โ€‹bโ€‹48f

How can PR have such best pracยญtices? The answers are, non-surยญprisยญingly, manยญageยญment-focused: Leadership roles, goal alignยญments, high levels of straยญtegic comยญpetยญency, high ethยญicยญal standยญards, and two-way symยญmetยญric comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion with corยญporยญate stakeholders.

The fourth modยญel of pubยญlic relaยญtions charยญacยญterยญises the Excellence Approach:

The Four Models of Public Relations

In the Excellence study, James Grunig and Todd Hunt (1984) developed the most widely cited PR modยญel in acaยญdemยญic circles. 

Four Models of Public Relations - Doctor Spin - The PR Blog
The four modยญels of pubยญlic relations.

Itโ€™s not one modยญel but four in sequence. 

Grunig and Huntโ€™s four modยญels of pubยญlic relaยญtions provide valuยญable insights into the evolยญuยญtion of comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion strategies and their implicยญaยญtions for modยญern businesses.

  • PR Model 1: Press Agentry Model. The organยญisaยญtion uses media manipยญuยญlaยญtion to shape the narยญratยญive deceptively.
  • PR Model 2: Public Information Model. The organยญisaยญtion is pracยญtising one-way comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion to disยญsemยญinยญate informยญaยญtion with little or no feedยญback from recipients.
  • PR Model 3: Two-Way Asymmetrical Model. The organยญisaยญtion engages in two-way comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion to perยญsuade and estabยญlish power structures. 
  • PR Model 4: Two-Way Symmetrical Model. The organยญisaยญtion engages in two-way comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion to find comยญmon ground and mutuยญal benefits.

The four modยญels of pubยญlic relaยญtions as a frameยญwork can be conยญsidered a cornerยญstone of the Excellence Approach. 2Silfwer, J. (2022, November 6). 3 PR Approaches: Excellence, Rhetorical, and Critical. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹rโ€‹-โ€‹aโ€‹pโ€‹pโ€‹rโ€‹oโ€‹aโ€‹cโ€‹hโ€‹es/

The Excellence Approach. This pubยญlic relaยญtions approach focuses on objectยญives and corยญporยญate value creยญation. The underยญlyยญing motivยญaยญtion behind the theยญory was that pubยญlic relaยญtions were mainly a variยญety of tacยญticยญal tools that desยญperยญately needed a manยญageยญment theยญory to work well in a sophยญistยญicยญated organยญisaยญtion.

Notable menยญtions: James E. Grunig, Larissa A. Grunig

The resยญult? The researchยญers conยญcluded that the two-way symยญmetยญricยญal modยญel is the most effectยญive way to pracยญtice pubยญlic relations.

โ€œThe study of relaยญtionยญships withยญin pubยญlic relaยญtions has become increasยญingly importยญant, with the Grunigs identiยญfyยญing testยญable variยญables to measยญure the qualยญity of organยญizยญaยญtionยญal relaยญtionยญships.โ€
Source: Journal of Professional Communication 3Grunig, J. (2011). Public relaยญtions excelยญlence 2010. Journal of Professional Communication, 1. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹5โ€‹1โ€‹7โ€‹3โ€‹/โ€‹Jโ€‹Pโ€‹Cโ€‹.โ€‹Vโ€‹1โ€‹Iโ€‹1โ€‹.85

Learn more: The Four Models of Public Relations

Who typยญicยญally prefers the excelยญlence approach?

  • The Excellence Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars conยญcerned about the industryโ€™s bad repuยญtaยญtion and quesยญtionยญable origins.
  • The Excellence Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars who harยญbour an inferiยญorยญity comยญplex towards manยญageยญment consultants.
  • The Excellence Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars who might harยญbour dreams that ROI and PR will go well togethยญer one day.
  • The Excellence Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars with less focus on comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtions as a pracยญticยญal craft and more emphasยญis on its merยญits withยญin organยญisaยญtionยญal hierarchies.

The Rhetorical Approach to PR

In ancient Greek sociยญety, pubยญlic debate and perยญsuaยญsion were conยญsidered the best approach to ensure peaceยญful and stable govยญernance. This was the cradle of ideas like demoยญcracy and free speech. Thereโ€™s no best pracยญtice, only outยญcomes from mulยญtiple voices.

โ€œRhetorical theยญory feaยญtures how the pubยญlic relaยญtions proยญcess becomes enriched through the role co-creยญated, shared meanยญing plays in sociยญety as a blend of mind and self. The rhetยญorยญicยญal herยญitยญage feaยญtures the potent role of fact (as interยญpreted informยญaยญtion), judgยญment, and idenยญtiยญficยญaยญtion as disยญcourse themes enacted in pubยญlic arenยญas. Public relaยญtions can add value to sociยญety by assurยญing that choices become enlightened, risks are ethยญicยญally manยญaged, and relaยญtionยญships are mutuยญally developed. Through ethยญicยญal rhetยญorยญicยญal pracยญtice that resยญults from the reflectยญive charยญacยญter of organยญisaยญtions, pubยญlic relaยญtions helps sociยญety to be more fully funcยญtionยญing.โ€
Source: Rhetorical Perspective and Public Relations: Meaning Matters

If you hear a PR proยญfesยญsionยญal talk pasยญsionยญately and posยญitยญively about the importยญance of perยญsuaยญsion and perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment, they are most likely supยญportยญers of the rhetยญorยญicยญal approach. Theyโ€™re focused on lanยญguage and relaยญtionยญships and think of sociยญety descriptively.

Walter Lippmann: Public Opinion and Perception Management

No one bases their attiยญtudes and behaยญviours on realยญity; we base them on our perยญcepยญtions of realยญity.

Walter Lippmann (1889โ€‰โ€“โ€‰1974) proยญposed that our perยญcepยญtions of realยญity difยญfer from the actuยญal realยญity. The realยญity is too vast and too comยญplex for anyยญone to proยญcess. 4Lippmann, Walter. 1960. Public Opinion (1922). New York: Macmillan.

  • One who effectยญively manยญages the perยญcepยญtions of pubยญlics acts as a morยญal legisยญlatยญor, capยญable of shapยญing attiยญtudes and behaยญviours accordยญing to the catยญegorยญicยญal imperative.

The research on perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment is focused on how organยญisaยญtions can creยญate a desired reputation:

โ€œThe OPM [Organizational Perception Management] field focuses on the range of activยญitยญies that help organยญisaยญtions estabยญlish and/โ€‹or mainยญtain a desired repuยญtaยญtion (Staw et al., 1983). More speยญcificยญally, OPM research has primarยญily focused on two interยญreยญlated factors: (1) the timยญing and goals of perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment activยญitยญies and (2) speยญcifยญic perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment tacยญtics (Elsbach, 2006).โ€
Source: Organization Development Journal 5Hargis, M. & Watt, John. (2010). Organizational perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment: A frameยญwork to overยญcome crisis events. Organization Development Journal. 28. 73โ€‰โ€“โ€‰87. โ€ฆ Continue readยญing

Today, our perยญcepยญtions are heavยญily influยญenced by news media, influยญenยญcers, algorithms, and social graphs. Therefore, perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment is more critยญicยญal than ever.

โ€œWe are all capยญtives of the picยญture in our headโ€‰โ€”โ€‰our belief that the world we have experยญiยญenced is the world that really exists.โ€
โ€” Walter Lippmann (1889โ€‰โ€“โ€‰1974)

Learn more: Walter Lippmann: Public Opinion and Perception Management

Many modยญern rhetยญorยญicยญal conยญcepts have stemmed from the Toronto School of Communication Theory and were later refined and furยญther developed by Robert L. Heath.

Who typยญicยญally prefers the rhetยญorยญicยญal approach?

  • The Rhetoric Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars with action-oriยญented natures focusยญing on getยญting real-world results.
  • The Rhetoric Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars comยญfortยญable with utilยญitยญariยญan conยญcepts (perยญsuaยญsion, proยญpaยญganda, spin, rhetยญorยญic, semantics, agenda-setยญting, perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment, manยญuยญfacยญturยญing conยญsent, etc.).
  • The Rhetoric Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars who believe that everyยญone has a right to defend themยญselves in the court of pubยญlic opinยญionโ€‰โ€”โ€‰and that if you donโ€™t tell your story, someone else will.
  • The Rhetoric Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars with pro-liberยญtariยญan valยญues (demoยญcracy, free speech, conยญtrariยญan thinkยญing, etc.).

The Critical Approach to PR

โ€œCritical theยญoryโ€ is a broad term encapยญsuยญlatยญing tools for anaยญlysยญis from variยญous fields. Examples of such devices for anaยญlysยญis are femยญinยญism, culยญturยญal studยญies, strucยญturยญalยญism, semiยญotยญics, and postยญmodยญernยญism. As a broad approach, it offers a wide range of scholยญarly criticism.

โ€œThe domยญinยญance of Excellence Theory in pubยญlic relaยญtions theยญory and research may be erodยญing as conยญtemยญporยญary issues in corยญporยญaยญtions, includยญing the conยญcern with actยญivยญist chalยญlenges to repuยญtaยญtion manยญageยญment and corยญporยญate social responsยญibยญilยญity, increase in visยญibยญilยญity and demand explanยญaยญtion. [โ€ฆ] Excellence Theoryโ€™s acknowยญledgeยญment of once-vilยญiยญfied conยญcepts like perยญsuaยญsion and power sets the stage for critยญicยญal pubยญlic relaยญtions theยญory and research to emerge as sigยญniยญficยญantly more capยญable of addressยญing actยญivยญist advocacy and conยญcomยญitยญant issues. The paper argues that critยญicยญal theยญory, buoyed by acceptยญance of its key conยญcepts, its increasยญing access to presentยญaยญtion venยญues and journยญals symยญpathยญetยญic to once-marยญginยญalยญised, alternยญatยญive perยญspectยญives, is poised to infiltยญrate the pubยญlic relaยญtions orthoยญdoxy.โ€
Source: Public Relations Review

Since critยญicยญal PR theยญory borยญrows from variยญous scholยญarly traยญdiยญtions, itโ€™s chalยญlenยญging to sumยญmarยญise the critยญicยญal approach. But thereโ€™s often a focus on sociยญetยญal power dynamยญics and detailed vicยญtimoยญlogy. The critยญicยญal approach has many touch points with the rhetยญorยญicยญal approach, but they tend to end up on opposยญite sides of the excelยญlence approach:

While the rhetยญorยญicยญal approach finds the excelยญlence approach too normยญatยญive, the critยญicยญal approach is that the excelยญlence approach isnโ€™t normยญatยญive enough.

Who typยญicยญally prefers the rhetยญorยญicยญal approach?

  • The Critical Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars with strong conยญvicยญtions on variยญous social injustices (gender inequalยญity, racial biases, greยญenยญwashยญing, etc.) in the PR industry.
  • The Critical Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars who believe that PR is primarยญily a sociยญetยญal force that ampยญliยญfies the adverse effects of capitalism.
  • The Critical Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars with parยญticยญuยญlar interests (or acaยญdemยญic backยญgrounds) withยญin critยญicยญal fields of study.
  • The Critical Approach is often preยญferred by PR proยญfesยญsionยญals and scholยญars with proยญfesยญsionยญal roles that dirยญectly deal with social injustice, cliยญmate issues, anti-capยญitยญalยญist actยญivยญism, etc.

Ethics and PR Approaches

Whatโ€™s the role of ethยญics in PRโ€‰โ€”โ€‰dependยญing on what PR approach you subยญscribe to?

  • Ethics for the Excellence Approach. The communicatorโ€™s task is to restrucยญture the organยญisaยญtion in alignยญment with the outยญside world. Typical probยญlems with this approach are that the PR funcยญtion can be perยญceived as disยญloyยญal, self-serving, and lackยญing in manยญageยญment competence.
  • Ethics for the Rhetorical Approach. Every organยญisaยญtion can proยญmote its ideoยญloยญgicยญal standยญards. Structural change should resยญult from straยญtegic anaยญlysยญis, not subยญjectยญive morยญal frameยญworks proยญmoted by third parties. The most typยญicยญal probยญlem with this approach is over-conยญfidยญence in what straยญtegic comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion can accomplish.
  • Ethics for the Critical Approach. The indiยญviduยญal comยญmuยญnicยญatยญor must leave the unethยญicยญal organยญisaยญtion and take no part in proยญmotยญing its interests. The most typยญicยญal probยญlem with this approach is that PR is funยญdaยญmentยญally seen as a potenยญtially harmยญful exerยญtion of power and influยญence, thus quesยญtionยญing the legitยญimยญacy of PR as a profession.

Disclaimer: For long-time readยญers, it should be no surยญprise that I proยญmote the rhetยญorยญicยญal approach to PR. (I reckยญon my PR blogโ€™s name, โ€œDoctor Spin,โ€ should be the first clue!) With that said, I firmly believe that all three approaches have conยญtribยญuted sigยญniยญficยญantly to our proยญfesยญsionโ€‰โ€”โ€‰and they conยญtinยญue to do so.

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1 Grunig, J.E., & Grunig, L.A. (2008). Excellence Theory in Public Relations: Past, Present, and Future. https://โ€‹wwwโ€‹.semanticโ€‹scholโ€‹arโ€‹.org/โ€‹pโ€‹aโ€‹pโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹/โ€‹cโ€‹cโ€‹fโ€‹aโ€‹dโ€‹dโ€‹8โ€‹7โ€‹8โ€‹dโ€‹4โ€‹1โ€‹4โ€‹5โ€‹4โ€‹3โ€‹7โ€‹5โ€‹3โ€‹5โ€‹7โ€‹cโ€‹eโ€‹9โ€‹9โ€‹eโ€‹cโ€‹7โ€‹fโ€‹cโ€‹bโ€‹1โ€‹4โ€‹8โ€‹eโ€‹6โ€‹bโ€‹48f
2 Silfwer, J. (2022, November 6). 3 PR Approaches: Excellence, Rhetorical, and Critical. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹rโ€‹-โ€‹aโ€‹pโ€‹pโ€‹rโ€‹oโ€‹aโ€‹cโ€‹hโ€‹es/
3 Grunig, J. (2011). Public relaยญtions excelยญlence 2010. Journal of Professional Communication, 1. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹5โ€‹1โ€‹7โ€‹3โ€‹/โ€‹Jโ€‹Pโ€‹Cโ€‹.โ€‹Vโ€‹1โ€‹Iโ€‹1โ€‹.85
4 Lippmann, Walter. 1960. Public Opinion (1922). New York: Macmillan.
5 Hargis, M. & Watt, John. (2010). Organizational perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment: A frameยญwork to overยญcome crisis events. Organization Development Journal. 28. 73โ€‰โ€“โ€‰87. https://โ€‹wwwโ€‹.researchgโ€‹ateโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹nโ€‹/โ€‹2โ€‹8โ€‹8โ€‹2โ€‹9โ€‹2โ€‹5โ€‹9โ€‹6โ€‹_โ€‹Oโ€‹rโ€‹gโ€‹aโ€‹nโ€‹iโ€‹zโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹nโ€‹aโ€‹lโ€‹_โ€‹pโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹cโ€‹eโ€‹pโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹nโ€‹_โ€‹mโ€‹aโ€‹nโ€‹aโ€‹gโ€‹eโ€‹mโ€‹eโ€‹nโ€‹tโ€‹_โ€‹Aโ€‹_โ€‹fโ€‹rโ€‹aโ€‹mโ€‹eโ€‹wโ€‹oโ€‹rโ€‹kโ€‹_โ€‹tโ€‹oโ€‹_โ€‹oโ€‹vโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹cโ€‹oโ€‹mโ€‹eโ€‹_โ€‹cโ€‹rโ€‹iโ€‹sโ€‹iโ€‹sโ€‹_โ€‹eโ€‹vโ€‹eโ€‹nts
Jerry Silfwer
Jerry Silfwerhttps://doctorspin.net/
Jerry Silfwer, alias Doctor Spin, is an awarded senior adviser specialising in public relations and digital strategy. Currently CEO at Spin Factory and KIX Communication Index. Before that, he worked at Kaufmann, Whispr Group, Springtime PR, and Spotlight PR. Based in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Cover Photo

The cover photo isn't related to public relations obviously; it's just a photo of mine. Think of it as a 'decorative diversion', a subtle reminder that it's good to have hobbies outside work.

The cover photo has

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