Asia, Practice of Public Relations In

Public Relations in Ancient Asia

The existing, relatively small number of publications about public relations in Asia has chronicled [Page 43]this continent's rich and varied history and the use of public relations since pre-biblical times (see Sriramesh, 2003, for a more elaborate review). For example, there is archeological evidence that India's Emperor Asoka used rock and pillar edicts for such things as communicating the policies of his government to his subjects, persuading them to observe those policies, creating harmony among them, and propagating Buddhism, to which he had converted later in life. In the Arabian peninsula, a circular handwritten on crude paper around 2000 B.C. is known to have advised farmers of Babylonia on ways of increasing their crop yields. Even in recent times, Arab cultures have used fora such as the Okadh Souk and majlis, where the ruler and the ruled gathered and debated issues using speech and poetry—evidence of symmetrical communication. In addition, there are references to the use of publicity techniques in the Holy Land in biblical times. Unfortunately, the lessons from this rich heritage have not yet been adequately incorporated into the public relations body of knowledge or practice.

Globalization has opened up the economies of a dozen or so Asian countries, resulting in a significant influx of multinational corporations into the region. A concomitant result has been the entry of leading multinational public relations agencies into Asia, resulting in an infusion of Western perspectives of public relations practice. Some observers have rightly commented that this development has led to an increase in the level of professionalism among public relations practitioners in the continent. However, it is also important to recognize that there has been no corresponding flow of information out of Asia that could help in the development of effective strategies for conducting public relations globally. It is reasonable to believe that a continent as rich as Asia, with its long heritage, has something useful to offer the public relations industry and pedagogy.

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