Sociologie Românească, Vol. VII, no. 4/2009, pp. 155-166.
Practici şi ideologii profesionale în conflict: jurnaliştii şi specialiştii în relaţii publice
Professional practices and ideologies in conflict: Journalists and public relations proffessionals
Cristina Coman*
Abstract: One constant idea emerges from all of the studies regarding the relationship between journalists and PR practitioners: this relationship is a complex and ambiguous one. It is quite obvious that both participants aim at holding control over the production and distribution of information; despite this aim, it is certain that none of the two can develop a monopoly over such a process. The inter-dependency between the actors involved in this game is based on the interest in mutual co-operation showed by each of the participants. This very study stands for the fact that by means of the values they referred to, the Romanian journalists and PR professionals express attitudes that are similar to those of their colleagues from other countries where these two professions have a longer tradition behind. This proves that the two fields have managed to assimilate during the post-communist period, at least at the declarative level, a part of the language and values of the professional culture as they were developed in the democratic countries. At the same time, the contradictions in the journalists’ statements show that those who answered the survey questions lack experience and are somewhat confused as to what their own and the communication partner’s assignments should be. On the other hand, the vague language that those who work in PR resort to in order to define their own expectations and demands, shows that neither the concepts, nor the work procedures, and neither the theoretical constructs that are specific to the profession have been reinforced yet.
Keywords: professional culture, journalists, public relations practitioners, professional control.
Cuvinte-cheie: cultură profesional, jurnalisti, specialisti in relaţii publice, controlul asupra câmpului profesional.