Page 211 - Convergent Journalism an Introduction Writing and Producing Across Media

Conclusion

and concerned participants in the community, and a host of other such
intangible qualities.
Multimedia can also be used to tie groups together by helping over-
come time and distance problems. A large part of any successful com-
munity relations program is the interaction of senior members of the
organization with influential members of the community. With the
global nature of organizations today, this community typically crosses
many miles and time zones making it impractical to invite members of
the community to visit the organization with any frequency. Audio-
and videoconferencing and Webcasting can overcome these distances,
making it possible for these relationships to flourish as never before.
The area in which multimedia helps more than any other is in
effectively dealing with activists and disgruntled community members.
Multimedia, particularly the Internet, provides outstanding opportu-
nities for the public relations practitioner to connect with groups and
organizations in ways traditional media never allowed. It also provides
a means for these groups to address the organization directly. As in
our discussion on relationship building, multimedia channels such as
listservs and discussion forums are helping groups improve their under- 201
standing of issues. The smart practitioner uses these very same channels
to reach out to activist groups and disgruntled community members to
establish a dialogue. This starts a cycle of understanding and interaction
that leads to solid long-term relationships.

Conclusion

It should be apparent by now that multimedia technology has changed
the way public relations practitioners do their jobs. Broader reach and
simultaneous communications are key features of this new landscape.
It should also be apparent that the principles behind establishing two-
way communication and building and maintaining mutually beneficial
relationships are as important today as ever. Keeping these principles
in mind will help us maximize the use of multimedia technology to
accomplish our purposes.
Stretching Stephen Quinn’s point in his groundbreaking book,
Knowledge Management in the Digital Newsroom (2002), to apply to
public relations, we must all “work smarter” to manage information
and harness technology as a tool (p. 1). We need to adapt to the forces
that change the way we communicate, but we must remember that
communication is an ongoing process, not just a series of programs