A Geography of Public Relations Trends

The10th Public Relations World Congress "Between People andPower" washeldin Amsterdam, theNetherlands, from 3-7 June1985. Thecongress wassponsored by IPRA (International Public Relations Association), in conjunction with NGPR (Netherlands Association for Public Relations and Information). An Organising Committee was founded, which was responsible for preparing and executing this world congress forabout 1000participants from over50countries. Analysis Inpreparing theprofessional programme, theProgramme Committee hadchosen a new set-up: composing a first congress-book "Analysis", which was sent for comment to 150public relations professionals and80public relations organisations allover the world. In "Analysis", eightimportant trends havebeenidentified and described. Megatrends, which as Naisbitt oncestated, may actas an early warning system. It is particularly crucial in the communications profession, where the transfer ofinformation issoimportant, torecognise andunderstand developments at anearly stage. Theeight trends were described asfollows: "Alienation and resistance" : Mainly through thereceding of primary groups in society andthrough altered organisation structures a process of alienation hasgotten underway, which isdetrimental tothepersonal identity andthefeeling ofwell-being ofpeople. Cancommunication playanessential rolein stopping this process? What taskis given tothefunction of public relations within theorganisation? "Increasing complexity" : Theever increasing complexity of the information society andthescientific approach leadtoa knowledge gap; bridging thisgapis an assignment of public relations. "Specialisation and super-specialisation": Thegrowth ofknowledge and, atthe same time, its increasing compartmentalisation, lead to specialisation and even super-specialisation, a process in which the human scale is increasingly being endangered. Public relations hasa professional dedication to warn against negative developments intheinformation society. "Information paradox" : The development of information technology on a mondial scaleleads simultaneously andparadoxically totheneedforinformation on ahuman scale.