The Role Of Public Relations Models In Disaster Diplomacy From The Perspectives Of Communication And Environment Levels

This study looks to extract the public relations models (James Grunig) practiced in post disaster diplomacy by the Algerian government related to the 21 May 2003 BOUMERDES Earthquake and their roles in internal/external communication.This research is based on a self interpretation (new concepts) of these terms: Public Relations models, environment levels, and internal/external communication. The interpretation of these terms was inspired from their interaction, overlap and their use in a specific relation which is disaster diplomacy activities used by government and foreign states toward affected government in an attempt to create a new framework that deal with terms within the context of the relationships and understanding them by using its approaches and tools.This research is a qualitative study based on a scientific and logical interpretation of collected data (scientific published papers, periodic, newspapers, and books…etc). This study is based on historical approach to understand the case studies background. It is also based on descriptive approach to describe the Algerian government situation before and after the 21 May 2003 Boumerdes earthquake. As a second and parallel step, tools were used to analyze the activities related to the disaster, and to establish a new framework. SWOT analysis was used as a tool to analyze and describe the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the Algerian society. At the external level the complex adaptive system approach was used to analyze and understand disaster diplomacy related activities done by foreign states in goal to know the communication process at the external level.As findings from this study; Crises can be an opportunity of a shifting from weaknesses to strengths if using excellent Public Relations. Public Relations models have a second role at external communication level which is a factor of legitimacy in disaster diplomacy between states.These two roles are depended on internal communication (all the communication strategies practiced inside the country at micro-mezzo environment levels) and external communication (communication diplomacy practiced between states in post disaster diplomacy at macro environment level).Environment in this research is all the communicational strategies done inside and outside the country that surround and have a direct impact on state whether positive or negative.Public relations models at the external level are divided relatively to the purpose of practice into communication diplomacy and public relations.Communication diplomacy refers to the activities done within public information and two-way symmetric models. Communication diplomacy makes the disaster diplomacy legitimate, which creates equal power, good relations, long-term relations, good reputation and promotes disaster diplomacy between states.Public relations in the external communication refer to the activities done within press agentry and two-way asymmetric models. Public relations makes the disaster diplomacy illegitimate, which creates non equal power, bad relations, short-term relations, bad reputation, and inhibit disaster diplomacy between states.