PR Academic Conference, University of Stirling - initial thoughts

Just a few initial thoughts on the PR conference at Stirling which I much enjoyed.    

• Foucault and Habermas were mentioned more than Grunig.
• PR as dialogue, discourse, rhetoric as well as power and contested space were well explored reflecting developing research agendas.  
• The PR practitioner as an ethical negotiator might have been a sub-heading for the event as certainly ethics was a constant refrain.  In fact by the end, when Joanna Fawkes from Leeds Met said that "PR as persuasion" was a more ethical stance, there were plenty of nodding heads looking for some moral confidence and certainty on the subject.
• From a practical PR perspective, Prof. Anne Gregory's talk with Paul Willis on work on the UK National Health Service was fascinating for integration of business and PR strategy, interpretation of social values which the NHS embodies into the campaign and then how the communications training programme is being rolled out across the NHS. 
• Some interesting European research from Ralph Tench on corporate communications due to be launched this week was unveiled.  Perspectives from practitioners on new and developing areas of practice from the survey highlighted decline of marketing communications in terms of importance for corporate comms and growth of internal communications.  Research also highlighted uncertainty about how to use social media. 
  
• A fascinating session on terrorism and PR; with a particularly interesting paper from University of Coleraine in Northern Ireland on the way they have used a research project looking at first year students' perspectives on the Troubles to develop awareness about media and PR.
• No mention of social capital which surprised me.
• Leeds Met and Stirling had an impressive range of papers and both bring different and complementary research perspectives to the industry.  Leeds Met is more practice based while Stirling is more focusing on explore the influence of different social sciences on the PR sector.

Stirling is a great location and the conference was held in the management centre which is superbly designed for networking with the bar just off reception.  Very welcoming and stimulating event.