Public Relations in a Globalised World

As the festive season approaches, I've noticed that the volume of unsolicited viral emails that I usually receive has increased. Most of them range from the odd scam awarding me some millions in a lottery that I did not participate in and the usual junk emails advertising some prescription medicine that I can "just buy over the internet", to emails containing seasonal greetings from long lost acquaintances.

As I sit here at 3.41am on a rare quiet night shift (yes - am desk skiving), one email that has caught my eye is from a former colleague Mohammed, now working in the Somali capital Mogadishu. If you've been following British news recently, you'll immediately understand what he is talking about.

Here is an excerpt; “An English princess with an Egyptian boyfriend crashes in a French tunnel, driving a German car, driven by a Belgian who was said to be high, probably on Scottish whiskey. They were being trailed by paparazzi, an Italian term now used worldwide for celebrity photographers, and this email was sent to me by a Greek friend in Athens, and am sending it to you, a Kenyan friend in Somalia, using a computer made in……..”

And the email goes on and on.....

"So what?" You may ask, afterall it's just one of those viral messages, that keep popping up on our computer screens each day. But depending on which way you interpret it, I can say it is an interesting observation. To me, the email defines the term globalisation in a simple but long winded way.

Globalisation appears to have taken centre stage in contemporary world affairs. And as has been repeated by supporters and critics of the phenomenon, the future of the world cannot be discussed without exploring globalisation.

As the world debates whether globalisation is a force for good or for destruction, as a student of Public relations and Public communications, I cannot help wondering what the future may hold for the discipline. How is this phenomenon going to impact on Public relations (PR) ? Or has it already affected the discipline? What are some of the trends emerging in Public relations? Which Way PR? This blog is dedicated to discussions examining the future of Public Relations.