The Relationship Between Public Relations Practitioners and Journalists: An Applied Study on Saudi Governmental Organizations and Media Institutions

Al-Motairy, Abdel-Rahman Ibn Namy

doi:10.21608/jsb.2020.115631

The Relationship Between Public Relations Practitioners and Journalists: An Applied Study on Saudi Governmental Organizations and Media Institutions

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Abdel-Rahman Ibn Namy Al-Motairy

Associate Professor of Public Relations, The Vice Dean of for Educational Affaires, College of Media and Communication, Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

10.21608/jsb.2020.115631

Abstract

This study seeks to explore the mutual relationship between Saudi public relations practitioners and journalists. In other words, the study aims to study how journalists, who are working in the various Saudi media institutions, view public relations practitioners in Saudi governmental organizations, and in return, how public relations practitioners in the Saudi organizations view journalists who are working in the various Saudi media institutions. In addition, the study investigates how Saudi journalists deal with media materials produced by public relations practitioners in Saudi organizations. Furthermore, the study examines the position of both Saudi journalists and public relations practitioners in Saudi governmental organizations from using social media.
The study was based on the survey and comparative method, using a questionnaire tool to collect data from the respondents. It has been applied on two different samples. The first sample included public relations practitioners and consisted of (68) respondents, while the second sample included journalists and consisted of (62) respondents.
The results of the study showed that there is a mutual positive view between Saudi journalists and public relations practitioners, in which the public relations practitioners believe that the journalists have an eagerness to obtain reliable information from the main sources in Saudi governmental organizations. In addition to the fact that journalists represent a self-contained audience, public relations practitioners are seeking to establish a strong relationship with them.
The relationship between Saudi public relations practitioners and journalists working in the media takes different forms. The Public relations practitioners preferred the professional relationship that depends on skills and professional standards. While the Public relations practitioners considered the professional relationship as the strongest type of relationship between them and journalists, journalists preferred the cooperative relationship. In conclusion, the study asserts that the relationship between Public relations practitioners in Saudi governmental organizations with journalists is a cooperative and participatory relationship.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Public relations

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