Relationship building as integral to British activism: its impact on accountability in broadcasting.(British broadcasting policies and programming, public relations research)

Rachel Kovacs (*)

Abstract

This study examines the strategies and impact of six activist groups concerned about British broadcasting policies and programming. Particular emphasis is placed on strategic relationship building, which played a central role in groups' interactions with target publics, and on the activists' perspective. The study is contextualized within the political culture of the United Kingdom and a changing broadcasting landscape. The data suggested that building strategic relationships is one of the major ways in which pressure groups have an impact on their targets. When assessing effectiveness, respondents looked beyond tangible gains by activists to long-term relationships with targets, which were contingent on critical dimensions. These included trust, mutual respect, openness and access. Groups bolstered their credibility by engaging in research and structuring educational events such as conferences and symposia, in which they enhanced the scope and quality of debate about broadcasting policy. Public relations has a role in facilitating both citizen debate within the public sphere of civil society and the relationships that make such debate possible. These groups may be a model for activists in other societies. [C] 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

Recently, scholars, such as Karlberg, (1) have concerned themselves with the agenda of public relations research. Karlberg's assessment was that such research almost exclusively reflects an organization's perspective. It fails, he maintained, to examine how public relations might be used for the empowerment of citizen publics. Although some of his concerns about the research agenda have been addressed, few attempts have been made to understand the strategic use of public relations by activists. The role of relationships and relationship building in public relations has also become a focal point for scholars. (2) Excellent public relations (3) does not necessarily result in the achievement of concrete objectives; more often, progress is made towards the attainment of tangible goals only through the development of successful, long-term relationships between organizations and their publics. An emerging literature, (4) which includes this study, documents the value of relationships to public relations. Value is p laced on those relationships that develop and are maintained, to the benefit of both organizations and activists. In addition, culture has been found to be a variable of significance to public relations researchers, particularly since it bears on the ways in which relationships are formed and maintained.

This is a study of the relationship-building strategies of six British activist groups concerned about broadcasting issues. It falls under overlapping rubrics within public relations research-activism, strategic relationship-building and its impact, and cross-cultural (including political culture) variations in public relations practice. British activists, the broadcasters whom they hold accountable, and other targets evaluated pressure groups' public relations strategies and their immediate and long-term impact. All these rubrics are operative within this framework, but the emphasis here is on strategic relationship-building.

2. Problem