CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In the pursuit for strong and stable relations, most of the public relations practitioners in Nigeria use different kinds of media for effective communication. Before we go into the topic proper lets first of all understand what a medium is: a medium can be defined as any channel or a means through which public relations pass across messages to the general public. Media are kind of indispensable tools of public relations practitioners because without media, the practice of public relations becomes a clog on the wheel of dissemination of information to the general public; that is to say that, public relations cannot take place effectively without a medium, as the primary objective of public relations is to ensure the a perfect creation and proper maintenance of mutual understanding through a two-way communication system (Black, 1985). Public relations practitioners have different names for each of the public relation media. These are various methods, techniques, vehicles, channels or tools through which messages can be communicated to the public so as to seal relations. The media of public relations can be classified into main categories which are; print and electronic or broadcast media. These two categories can be further divided into group of controllable and uncontrollable media. The print media of public relations includes the Newspapers and Magazines, (which also fall within the confines of uncontrollable media). House journals, institutional books, the staff induction booklets, other may include the Annual report and account, letter, Directories or year book, Calendars, leaflets handbills and posters, etc. while the electronic media of public relations include radio, television cinema, information communication technologies (ICTs), a kind of documentary films and other audio-visual form or electronically communication platforms. It is to this regard that the research work tries to evaluate the use of print media as tool for public relation practice using international breweries plc, ilesa as the case study.