The relationship of PR on the Dominant, Counter-Narrative and Power - Essay Example

The powerful tool of communication through interaction that allows people to share their stories and disseminate that story caused them to unite their experiences. This paper aims to discuss the relationship of dominant narrative and counter-narrative, and the role of public relations to the narratives and its neutrality. Dominant Narrative and Counter-Narrative Dominant narrative is the depiction of real stories that is shaped by culture, social order, and experiences. Bruner (1991) examined the social construction of reality through text, which is referred as the narrative.

The author added that dominant narrative is ruled by the conventionality of society wherein such thoughts or acts are considered as valid or within its acceptable limits. It has become the basis on how the human minds are formed through the socially structured concepts on their beliefs, traditions, and experiences. According to Stewart and Maxwell (2010, p. 35), dominant narratives serve as a prototype that enables people to identify their personal experience as a universal one. Thus, dominant narrative influences how people view the world where they interact and live.

When people have a different experience and understanding of the universal stories or the cultural narratives, a counter-narrative emerges that challenges the acceptable beliefs of a society. Willis, Inman, and Valenti (2010) assert that counter-narrative desires to replace the accepted truth by insisting on the truth on their narratives. The narratives contain the analysis and criticism of “dominant discourses” through disclosing the propensity, shortcoming, and limitation of the comprehensive theories “to make transparent the relations of power behind specific claims of truth” (Mooney & Evans, 2007, p. 47). Thus, the existence of counter-narratives is caused by the dominant narratives, which define its relationship.

Without dominant culture, there will be no arguments that will challenge the universal truth. This is construed by Bamberg and Andrews (2004, p. x) that counter-narrative “only makes sense to something else that which they are countering.” Counter-narrative is often associated when other people have different beliefs, which have not been told. Hall (1980) further explains the connection of broadcasting to the narratives. He indicates that media operation is centered on stimulating the dominant narrative because listeners with a different perspective will challenge the idea and eventually ignore the message.

Role of Public Relations Public relations is a useful tool in managing and preserving the relationship between an organization and the public, but not only business sector utilizes PR -- even politics. The primary goal of PR is to shift the public opinion that will be favorable to a certain organization or a person (Ledingham & Bruning, 2000). Since Ledingham and Bruning considered that PR manages relations to be positive in the perception of the public, it has a role to play in negotiating the dominant narratives and counter-narratives to gain the approval of the public.

Heath (2000, p. 71) asserts that public relations conforms to the ethics of a society, aids in formulating value in which society functions, and provides society “commercial and policy value.” However, it can also be a powerful tool to persuade people in adopting another persons’ belief with the use of mass media. When individuals convey their point of view, it is natural that their opinion will generate