Public relations in the Caribbean has grown more sophisticated over the years, with practitioners increasing the value of the profession, and navigating unique stakeholder issues in the developing world. You’d know this if you’d experienced it firsthand, but not if you scoured journals, trade magazines, books or the Internet. There is a glaring absence of information about the Caribbean experience. Public relations has been largely researched on Anglo-Saxon, Western terms in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA), with only a handful of developing countries such as India, Slovenia, Ghana and Brazil receiving some attention. The only mention of the Caribbean in the Global Public Relations Handbook is the editor’s regret that no research has been undertaken in the region, and that such research will be a valuable addition to the growing library on international and multicultural public relations. Although there are some articles that attempt to describe the Latin American and Caribbean experience, the reality is that often the story focuses on Latin America with only a cursory mention of the English-speaking Caribbean, and no real revelation of our reality.
Unearthing history – Jamaica, Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago
Elaine Commissiong, author of the only Caribbean, public relations book The Practice of Public Relations: A Caribbean Perspective, offers some background on public relations in Jamaica, and an understanding of public relations from a Jamaican viewpoint shaped by American practice. Commissiong cites the late 1950s and early 1960s as the first years of formal public relations practice in Jamaica. It was around this time that bauxite multinationals, the Jamaica Information Service and statutory bodies such as the Jamaica Industrial Development Corporation and the Jamaica Tourist Board started practicing public relations. In the Bahamas, according to Dr Juliette Storr – a Bahamian researcher and lecturer based in America – the profession has developed in a similar pattern to America, moving from early publicity models to two-way, dialogue models. However, one of the major differences in its development pattern from that of the USA is the use of public relations first by British administrators throughout the colonial period, and later by government agencies like the Bahamas Development Board and the Ministry of Tourism. This pattern is similar to that of other Caribbean islands.
Trinidad and Tobago enjoyed early, international recognition when the first president and a founding member of the Public Relations Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Roy Mitchell, attended the first World Assembly of Public Relations Associations and the First World Forum on Public Relations in Mexico City on August 2, 1978. There, practitioners adopted an internationally agreed definition of public relations – popularly known as the Mexican Statement. According to Mitchell, “there was the recognition that we (Trinidad and Tobago) had a body and a practice that could lead to a greater understanding of the profession”.
The first evidence of public relations in Trinidad and Tobago came in the 1950s with the entry of oil companies such as Shell and Texaco. Some state organisations such as the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission, the Water and Sewerage Authority, the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago and the Tourist Board also took a leading role in developing public relations units. Additionally, commercial banks created public relations positions, transferring some employees to these posts. However, there was no structured coordination of public relations, and personnel were not required to have related qualifications. All that was required was “a flair for it,” and often companies hired journalists. Like their peers worldwide, many practitioners in the Caribbean moved from the media to public relations. Although men dominated the field early on, female practitioners are now in the majority.
Professional associations
While professional bodies in other regions such as America and the UK have developed steadily, those in the Caribbean have a different story to tell. Only two countries, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, have professional associations. The Public Relations Association of Trinidad and Tobago was formed in 1972, and the Public Relations Society of Jamaica in 1981. Both associations have had intermittent periods of development, and continue to strive to create a thriving, supportive network for practitioners. The Caribbean Public Relations Association was formed in 1984, with members from Barbados, Jamaica, the Netherlands Antilles and Trinidad and Tobago, but it eventually fizzled.
To tap into international networks and to access regular information on trends and developments in public relations, some Caribbean practitioners have become members of international, public relations and communications associations. In 2000, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) created a presence in the Caribbean with the establishment of a Jamaican Chapter by Jamaican communicators, known as IABC Caribbean. In Trinidad and Tobago, entrepreneur and public relations and branding consultant Judette Coward-Puglisi, in an enterprising move, formed the IABC Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Chapter with 22 other practitioners in July 2006. The Jamaican and T&T Chapters fall under the ambit of IABC Canada – a strange geographic alliance, but one that exists for now. Although it’s only seven months old, IABC T&T has made strides, attracting professionals with its regular networking and professional development sessions, and seeking to provide training for communications undergraduates at the University of the West Indies.
Education
While marketing degrees are more obtainable, opportunities for pursuing public relations degrees are limited. None of the Caribbean’s tertiary education institutions offer a full bachelor’s or master’s degree in public relations or corporate communication. The University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Jamaica campus started offering a module in public relations at its Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) in 1986, and now offers Master’s programs in mass communication and communication for social change, respectively. Three years ago, UWI’s Trinidad campus launched a Bachelor of Arts in communications studies. Other government and privately owned tertiary institutions have started offering public relations and communications courses, reflecting not only the demand for communications training, but also the desirability of a career in the field of public relations and communications. Although the profession suffers from a lack of advanced public relations degrees, at the same time it benefits from public relations practitioners’ increasing forays into pursuing MBAs.
The Trinidad and Tobago experience
Caribbean public relations has been influenced by American and British practice. Trinbagonian (Trinidadian and Tobagonian) practitioners are relatively aware of international, industry trends and developments. Like anywhere in the world, the profession’s image suffers at the hands of the few who espouse propaganda, and – at the same time – is enhanced by truly excellent, strategic practitioners. Many large, local companies, especially those in the financial sector, and oil and gas multinationals appreciate the role of strategic communications and empower their staff. This does not exclude communicators from the challenges imposed by internal politics, high-level decision-making, breaking through cultural barriers and ensuring return on investment. In terms of outputs, multinationals, especially those in the oil and gas sector, have become a source of best practice in some countries due to their highly sophisticated programs. Nevertheless, practitioners have not embraced the use of technology and public relations software in enhancing public relations work. For example, most research and media monitoring and analysis are conducted manually.
Conclusion
Attempting to make a conclusive statement about the development of public relations and corporate communication in the Caribbean is premature because there is insufficient research on which to base conclusions. The solution to this is persons within the Caribbean conducting research and providing accurate histories and case studies. Nevertheless, it is certain that the continued advancement of public relations and communications in the Caribbean depends on increased training and education, maximizing technology benefits, mentoring for new practitioners and partaking in the vibrancy of professional associations.
This article was published in the January-Feburary online issue of IABC’s Communications World magazine.
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Highly informative and much appreciated.