Newspapers
Indian press is 230 years old. James Augustus Hicky started the first newspaper, a weekly ‘The Bengal Gazette’ or ‘The Calcutta General Advertiser’ on January 29, 1780. He is therefore, called the Father of Indian Journalism.
When India became independent in 1947, there were 3000 newspapers including 300 dailies. Over the years the number of newspapers has considerably increased. According to “India 2010”, a ‘Reference Annual’, there are over 70,000 newspapers today including 7,700 dailies, 23,414 weeklies and 9,053 fortnightlies. The total circulation of newspapers was over 21 crore copies and the readership might be over 30 crore.
Radio
Radio is now 83 year old in India. The first regular broadcasting radio station was started by the then Viceroy Lord Irwin at Bombay in 1927. Today, All India Radio has 232 radio stations and about 70 FM radio channels are in the private sector with a coverage of over 99 per cent population and a listenership of about 55 crore.
TV
Television in India is now 51 years old. TV made beginning in India on 15 September, 1959 when an experimental pilot TV Centre was established in New Delhi to transmit educational and developmental programs. Doordarshan network consists of 64 Doordarshan Kendras, 24 Regional News Units and 30 TV channels. There are over 500 TV channels in private sector. All these channels may have an audience of about 35 crore.
Films
Cinema came to India on July 7, 1896 when the Lumiere Brothers’ Cinematograph exhibited six silent short films at the Watson’s Hotel in Bombay. Cinema therefore is now 114 years old. However, India’s first fully indigenous silent feature film Raja Harischandra was produced by Dada Saheb Phalke and was released on May 3, 1913. There are about 13,000 cinema theatres with a viewership of 10 crores every week.
New Media
As regards to new media, there are over eight crore internet connections and over 75 crore mobile phones and about 4 core landline telephones. In sum, the mass media in India reach about 60 per cent of our population with great potential of information, education and motivation.
Media-wise Tactics
Media-wise tactics are given as detailed below. Each medium offers certain tactics that have to be used depending on the nature of the message and audience.
- Intrapersonal Communication Media
How people communicate with others is closely linked to how they communicate with themselves. The then US President Harry S. Truman gave the order, after intrapersonal communication, to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and three days later on August 9, by a second bomb on Nagasaki. On August 14, 1945, the Japanese surrendered unconditionally – the end of second world war. This was the result of intrapersonal communication which create either bridges of friendship or battlements.
♦ Meditation (To know Inner Reality) ♦ Talking & Listening to oneself ♦ Self-view-self-concept or self insight based on internal and external stimuli.
- Interpersonal Communication Media
♦ Face-to-face techniques ♦ Public meeting ♦ Group discussion ♦ Speeches ♦ Lectures ♦ Whispering campaign ♦ Rumours – grapewine ♦ Seminars ♦ Annual general meeting ♦ Panel discussions ♦ Speakers’ bureau ♦ Badges ♦ Public address equipment ♦ Social events ♦ Hospitality ♦ Roundtable conference • Meet the customers ♦ Open house ♦ Event management ♦ Conferences – internal staff ♦ Information gathering – Interviews ♦ Grievance interviews ♦ Briefings ♦ Awards ceremonies ♦ Private breakfasts ♦ Lunches, roundtable dinners ♦ Telling-and listening ♦ Lobbying • Community relations ♦ Third party endorsement ♦ Quality circles counselling ♦ Telephone
- Traditional Folk Media
♦ Puppets ♦ Songs ♦ Dances ♦ Drama ♦ Street plays ♦ Bhajans ♦ Keertans ♦ Magic ♦ Yakshagana (Karnataka) ♦ Burrakatha (Andhra Pradesh) ♦ Garba (Gujarat) ♦ Tamasha (Maharashtra) ♦ Balus (West Bengal)
- Print Media (Newspapers & Magazines)
♦ Press release ♦ Features and articles ♦ Letters to the Editor ♦ Rejoinder or clarification ♦ Press conference ♦ Press interview-one-to-one briefing ♦ Press tour ♦ Press enquiries ♦ Press kit ♦ Press photo ♦ Factsheet ♦ Backgrounder ♦ Complaint with Press Council of India ♦ Press clippings service (Media monitoring) ♦ Advance copies of speeches with embargo ♦ Daily engagement column ♦ Curtain raiser ♦ Press reception ♦ Specialized columns and specialized newspapers(commerce, business, sports) ♦ Media advisories ♦ Guest editorials ♦ Advertorials
- Electronic Media (Radio)
♦ News & Current Affairs ♦ Media Release(audio) ♦ Radio newsreel ♦ Talks ♦ Radio public service announcement ♦ Radio interviews ♦ Radio features ♦ Phone-in-programe ♦ Panel discussions ♦Entertainment-Sponsored programmes ♦ Radio commercials ♦ Specialized audience programs -women, children, youth, farmers, industrial workers, sports ♦ Audience research programme
- Electronic Media (TV)
♦ News & current affairs ♦ Video news release ♦ TV public service announcement ♦ Talk shows -magazine shows ♦ Talks Panel discussions ♦ Phone-in-programme ♦ Cable TV network ♦ Spot commercials ♦ Video films ♦ Feature films ♦ Magazine programme ♦ Documentary ♦ Specialized audience programme: Women, children, youth, farmers, industrial workers, sports ♦ E-media kit ♦ Script writing ♦ Audience research programme
- Audio-Visual Media (Films)
♦ Corporate film ♦ Documentary film ♦ Feature film-short feature films ♦ Animation film ♦ Video film ♦ News magazines ♦ Cartoon films ♦ Quickies – (two-three minutes) ♦ Film strips ♦ Film slides ♦ Electronic signs ♦ Neon signs ♦ Script writing ♦ Film library ♦ PR films Ad. films ♦ Tele-films ♦ Film festivals ♦ Specialized audience films – Youth children, farmers ♦ Film shows
- Photographs
♦ Press publicity photographs ♦ Product publicity photographs ♦ Photo feature ♦ News photos with press releases ♦ Photos for TV ♦ Photos in publications, exhibitions and ads ♦ Pictorial albums ♦ Photo contests ♦ Illustrations
- Corporate Publications
♦ House journal (internal & external) ♦ Corporate profile brochure ♦ Annual report ♦ Pamphlet ♦ Leaflet ♦ Newsletter ♦ Direct mail ♦ Posters, pictorials ♦ Stickers – badges ♦ Folders ♦ Catalogues ♦ Diaries ♦ Wall Calendars ♦ Table Calendars ♦ Pictorial albums ♦ Broadsheets ♦ Tabloids ♦ Wall newspaper ♦ Show cards ♦ Product literature ♦ Books ♦ Booklets ♦ Handbooks ♦ Greeting cards ♦ Reference annuals ♦ Manuals ♦ Corporate reports ♦ Research reports ♦ Sponsored books ♦ Bill inserts
- Visual Media (Exhibition)
♦ Packaging ♦ Retailer display ♦ Product demonstration ♦ Exhibitions (pre-during-post exhibition publicity) ♦ Celebrity visits ♦ Bulletin boards ♦ Open House ♦ Sponsorship (sports, arts) ♦ Specialized exhibition (shoe-tech, homefair, household appliances, food fair, book fair) ♦ Trade fairs ♦ Mobile exhibition ♦ Information centres ♦ Product launches ♦ Corporate identity ♦ Road shows
- Advertising
♦ Corporate advertising ♦ Advertorials ♦ Product advertising ♦ Print media ads ♦ Electronic media ads ♦ Outdoor advertising ♦ Public service ads ♦ Classified ads ♦ Display ads
- New Media
♦ The computer ♦ The word processor ♦ The internet ♦ E-mail ♦ Video conference ♦ Internet news release ♦ Fax ♦ The Website ♦ Podcasts ♦ Blogs ♦ Twitter ♦ Desktop publishing ♦ Discussion groups ♦ Portal ♦ Public kiosks ♦ Online journal ♦ E-magazine / journal / e-zine ♦ Corporate Intranet ♦ Video news release ♦ CDROM ♦ Wikis (quick) ♦ Really simple syndication (RSS) (sharing digital content on web) ♦ Online conferences & debates ♦ Interactive websites ♦ Online message boards ♦ Voice mail ♦ Text messaging ♦ Satellite media tours ♦ Corporate Website
- Non-verbal Communication (body language)
(Transmission of messages using non-word symbols or body language, without talking is non-verbal communication)
♦ Body angle (body posture towards you) positive or negative ♦ Face (smile) a – Eye contact and gaze b – Skin colour (redness is warning) c – Skin tautness (tight, anger) ♦ Arms (warning-indicate-attitude)
♦ Hands (palms facing you positive signal – Fists) ♦ Legs (feet on desk is an attitude of arrogance) ♦ Gestures (nail biting, foot shaking) ♦ Touching – handshake
Public relations tools and tactics mentioned above are only suggestive but not exhaustive. It would be impossible to create a list of standard public relations tactics to fit every situation. Every public relations campaign is different and requires special or even sometimes unique tactics. But there are traditional tactics that every public relations professional should know because successful tactics are directed towards specific publics.