Public Administration ETDs

Publication Date

5-5-1972

Abstract

This study contains a detailed study of the formal and informal structures for public relations of five agencies of the City of Albuquerque: the Fire Department, the Environmental Health Department, the Refuse Removal Division of the Services Department, the Model Cities agency, and the Police Department. Data for the study were obtained by the author from each of the agencies by personal correspondence and personal interview. Four stages of the public relations process are identified and described in this study: research, planning, communicating, and evaluation. The hypothesis of this study 1s that if any of the four stages identified in the public relations process is missing, the public relations program will lack a reasonable chance for success. This study contains a brief historical review of the concept of public opinion in political theory. The results of a survey made by the Albuquerque Urban Observatory which indicated statistically where the citizens of Albuquerque get most of their information about the city government are examined in this study. A comparison of the methods of communication on which the five agencies spend most of their public relations energies with the results of that survey indicate a disproportionate amount of energies is spent on personal presentations and speeches. The survey indicated that citizens get most of their information about the city from television and newspapers. The data obtained from the five agencies revealed that those agencies employ a variety of combinations of formal and informal structures in their public relations programs. The more structured the public relations program was, the more able a department was to identify its public relations needs. Identification of specific public relations needs is necessary for an agency to direct the public relations program in a meaningful way. By discovering those specific needs, planning how best to meet those needs, communicating with the public, and evaluating the results of the public relations efforts, an agency can foster the good will of the public for the agency.

Degree Name

Public Administration

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

School of Public Administration

First Committee Member (Chair)

Illegible

Second Committee Member

John Mace Hunger

Third Committee Member

Frank Xavier Steggert

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

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