According to a 2004 survey, China has more than 1,500 public relations firms, and public relations is one of the top five professions in the country. The growth of the profession in China has caused a shortage of qualified public relations professionals.
Many scholars have pointed out the historical association between public relations and propaganda. That link is still fresh in Asian countries including China and the Philippines. In these countries, public relations practice is not a wholly separate concept from that of propaganda. Reforming communication from the negative of propaganda to the accepted area of traditional public relations is a slow process.
Many scholars have pointed out the historical association between public relations and propaganda. That link is still fresh in Asian countries including China and the Philippines. In these countries, public relations practice is not a wholly separate concept from that of propaganda. Reforming communication from the negative of propaganda to the accepted area of traditional public relations is a slow process.
Please read this interesting report that wrote Weber & Shandwick about The Challenges of Public Relations in China.
This shift arguably created the need for public relations and redefined it. No longer was the emphasis on government communication and one-way messages pounded into powerless publics through propaganda. Now it could be used in new ways by private organisations. The contested definition of public relations changed as the political paradigm shifted in China, making it more varied, open, and flexible than ever before, but still far away from the idea of PR we have in the UK.
CNN report of the Olympic PR in China
China is still one of the most prosperous for the development, not only of public relations, but every economic or business market. Nevertheless, the article of Weber & Shandwick says that “consultants who are growing up with the industry are becoming experts in balancing creative campaigns with a deep understanding of the unique media environment. In recent years the Chinese media has had more flexibility and editorial control, but the regulation of media outlets by the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) can still be a challenge. It is important to keep in mind that the government has tight control over all media outlets, and media are required to cover important government events.”
