Film Analysis
In this week, we will watch one of the following films:
- The Joneses (2009), Director: Derrick Borte
- Wag the Dog (1997), Director: Barry Levinson
- Thank you for Smoking (2005), Director: Jason Reitman
1. How public relations/marketing/advertising is defined in the film?
Exercise: Speaking- Discussion about films
«The management of communication between an organisation and its publics»
(Grunig and Hunt) Public relations:
- There is no one universally agreed definition of PR
472 different definitions of PR coined between 1900 and 1976. (Harlow, 1976)
Public relations is a distinctive management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an organisation and its publics; involves the management of problems or issues; helps management to keep informed on and responsive to public opinions; defines and emphasises the responsibility of management to serve the public interest; helps management keep abreast of and effectively utilise change;
serving as an early warning system to help anticipate trends; and uses research and ethical communication techniques as its principal tools.
«The management of communication between an organisation and its publics»
(Grunig and Hunt)
«Two-way communication and building positive relationships between organisations and their publics.»
«Public relations is the management function that establishes and maintains
mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends.»
Such definitions tend to present a view of PR as a neutral communications channel and only partially reflect actual practice, in which the main job of a PR officer is to manipulate public opinion for the benefit of organisations.
- Advertising:
It is paid communication used to persuade someone to buy a product or a service of an identifed sponsor.
- Marketing:
The process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service.
Exercise: Speaking- Discussion about films
2. What do you think about the public relations/marketing/advertising professionals in the film?
3. How the film is criticizing public relations/marketing/advertising sector?
4. What do you think about the public relations/marketing/advertising sector after watching the film?
Exercise: Speaking- Discussion about films
5. Why do you think most of the films about public relations/marketing/advertising have a critical approach?
6. Can public relations/marketing/advertising work for the benefit of the society?
How?
Reading Recommendations:
Olivier, Bert. "Pseudo-communication and the return of the sophist: Thank you for smoking, at first sight." Communicatio 33.2 (2007): 45-62.
Thompson, Stacy. "Consumer ethics in thank you for smoking." Film-Philosophy 13.1 (2009): 53-67.
Suryaningsih, Sukarni. "Issues Of Individual Capitalism In The Narrative Film Of Thank You For Smoking And The Company Men." Lire Journal (Journal of Linguistics and Literature) 4.1 (2020): 16-25.
Reading Recommendations:
Otanez, Martin Gilbert. ‘Thank you for smoking’: Corporate power and tobacco worker struggles in Malawi. Diss. University of California, Irvine, 2004.
GÜRKAN, Hasan. "The Represantatıon Of Pr Sector In Cınema: The Represantatıon Of Pr Sector And Pr Practıtıoners In The Movıes Of “Agaın You”,“sex And The
Cıty”,“thank You For Smokıng”." Gümüşhane Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi; Yıl: 2012 Cilt: 1 Sayı: 3 (2012).
Brown, Clyde, and David M. Paul. "Thank you for smoking: learning about politics." Academic Exchange Quarterly 10.4 (2006): 13-18.
Reading Recommendations:
Neve, Brian. "Frames of presidential and candidate politics in American films of the 1990s." Javnost-The Public 7.2 (2000): 19-31.
Gilkes, Oliver J. "Wag the dog? Archaeology, reality and virtual reality in a virtual country." Proceedings of the 2001 conference on Virtual reality, archeology, and cultural heritage. 2001.
Grigore, Irina Elena. "The Art Of Simulation In Literature And Film Production:
White Noise And “Wag The Dog”.
