Public Relations and Strategic Silence: A Qualitative Analysis on the Organizational Intentions

Ebru Akçay

Makale detayları

Public Relations and Strategic Silence: A Qualitative Analysis on the Organizational Intentions

Yazarlar:

Ebru Akçay

Yayıncı:

Selcuk University

Ana Başlıklar:

Halkla İlişkiler

Dergi:

Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Issue 51, pp.258-272

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001297510

pISSN:

2667-4750

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 Silence as a public relations strategy is one of the most overlooked topics in public relations. That the crisis communication focuses on what organizations and brands say, rather than their silence, is the clearest example of this reticence. However, as being positioned as the opposite of the normative values of excellent public relations such as transparency and honesty, silence is at the core of public relations. Strategic silence, referring to the deliberate and conscious choice of silence despite the public expectations, becomes critical during periods of social outrage when social, environmental, and political problems are at stake. Public pressure on brands that remain silent during times of disaster leads them to break their silence. The study aims to investigate how nine brands remaining silent for the first three days of the earthquake occurred on February 6, 2023, explained and framed their silence after public reactions. By regarding the public statements of the nine brands on Twitter on February 9, 2023 as a public relations activity and conducts a thematic analysis of the statements. Functions of silence as linkage, affecting, revelational, judgmental and activating functions were used as analysis categories. The study puts forward that unlike the reactions of public categories regarding their silence with insensitivity and insensibility; brands associated their silence with ethical values therefore marked their silence as ceremonial silence.

 Silence as a public relations strategy is one of the most overlooked topics in public relations. That the crisis communication focuses on what organizations and brands say, rather than their silence, is the clearest example of this reticence. However, as being positioned as the opposite of the normative values of excellent public relations such as transparency and honesty, silence is at the core of public relations. Strategic silence, referring to the deliberate and conscious choice of silence despite the public expectations, becomes critical during periods of social outrage when social, environmental, and political problems are at stake. Public pressure on brands that remain silent during times of disaster leads them to break their silence. The study aims to investigate how nine brands remaining silent for the first three days of the earthquake occurred on February 6, 2023, explained and framed their silence after public reactions. By regarding the public statements of the nine brands on Twitter on February 9, 2023 as a public relations activity and conducts a thematic analysis of the statements. Functions of silence as linkage, affecting, revelational, judgmental and activating functions were used as analysis categories. The study puts forward that unlike the reactions of public categories regarding their silence with insensitivity and insensibility; brands associated their silence with ethical values therefore marked their silence as ceremonial silence.

 Silence as a public relations strategy is one of the most overlooked topics in public relations. That the crisis communication focuses on what organizations and brands say, rather than their silence, is the clearest example of this reticence. However, as being positioned as the opposite of the normative values of excellent public relations such as transparency and honesty, silence is at the core of public relations. Strategic silence, referring to the deliberate and conscious choice of silence despite the public expectations, becomes critical during periods of social outrage when social, environmental, and political problems are at stake. Public pressure on brands that remain silent during times of disaster leads them to break their silence. The study aims to investigate how nine brands remaining silent for the first three days of the earthquake occurred on February 6, 2023, explained and framed their silence after public reactions. By regarding the public statements of the nine brands on Twitter on February 9, 2023 as a public relations activity and conducts a thematic analysis of the statements. Functions of silence as linkage, affecting, revelational, judgmental and activating functions were used as analysis categories. The study puts forward that unlike the reactions of public categories regarding their silence with insensitivity and insensibility; brands associated their silence with ethical values therefore marked their silence as ceremonial silence.

 Bir halkla ilişkiler stratejisi olarak sessizlik, halkla ilişkilerin görmezden geldiği konuların başında gelmektedir. Kriz iletişiminde kurumların ve markaların sessizlik stratejilerinden ziyade ne söylediklerine odaklanması, bu suskunluğun en açık örneği konumundadır. Ne var ki, mükemmel halkla ilişkilerin şeffaflık ve dürüstlük gibi normatif değerlerinin karşıtı olarak konumlandıran sessizlik, halkla ilişkiler pratiğinin temelinde yer almaktadır. Kamuların beklentileri olduğu halde sessizliğin kasıtlı ve bilinçli olarak tercih edilmesi anlamına gelen stratejik sessizlik kavramı; toplumsal, çevresel ve politik sorunların yaşandığı toplumsal infial dönemlerinde daha kritik hale gelmektedir. Afet dönemlerinde sessiz kalan markalara yönelik kamuoyu baskısı, markaların ve kurumların sessizliklerini bozmalarına yol açmaktadır. Çalışma, 6 Şubat 2023te meydana gelen depremin ilk üç günü sessiz kalan dokuz markanın, kamuoyu tepkilerinin ardından sessizliklerini nasıl açıkladıklarını ve sessizliklerini ne şekilde çerçevelediklerini araştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda, çalışmada söz konusu dokuz markanın Twitterda 9 Şubat 2023 tarihinde yaptıkları kamuoyu açıklamaları bir halkla ilişkiler faaliyeti olarak ele alınmış ve açıklamaların tematik analizi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Tematik analizde, sessizliğin işlevleri olarak tanımlanan bağlantı, etkileme, ifşa, yargılama ve harekete geçme işlevleri analiz kategorileri olarak kullanılmıştır. Analiz sonucunda; sessizliklerini duyarsızlık ve duygusuzluk ile ilişkilendiren kamu kategorilerinin tepkilerine karşılık, markaların sessizliklerini etik değerlerle ilişkilendirdikleri yani sessizliklerini törensel sessizlik olarak işaretledikleri ortaya konmuştur.

Makale detayları

Public Relations and Strategic Silence: A Qualitative Analysis on the Organizational Intentions

Yazarlar:

Ebru Akçay

Yayıncı:

Selcuk University

Ana Başlıklar:

Halkla İlişkiler

Dergi:

Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Issue 51, pp.258-272

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001297510

pISSN:

2667-4750

Silence

Strategic Silence

Organizational Silence

Public Relations

Reactive Public Relations Strategies.Sessizlik

Stratejik Sessizlik

Kurumsal Sessizlik

Halkla İlişkiler

Reaktif Halkla İlişkiler Stratejileri.

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Ebru Akçay

Yayıncı: Selcuk University

Ana Başlıklar: Halkla İlişkiler

Dergi: Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Issue 51, pp.258-272

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 8/2023

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001297510

pISSN: 2667-4750

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Ebru Akçay

Yayıncı:

Selcuk University

Ana Başlıklar:

Halkla İlişkiler

Dergi:

Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Issue 51, pp.258-272

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2023

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001297510

pISSN:

2667-4750