Why Commtech’s Tools Won’t Replace the Human Touch
By Mark Weiner
October 2022
“We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.”
This quote and variations on it have been attributed to Winston Churchill, the philosopher Marshall McLuhan and the media scholar John Culkin.
Their prescient observations from World War II and the late 1960s are still relevant today for society, business, and yes, for public relations. The PR profession focuses on how we shape our tools, such as those we use to create and share our messages. In turn, our professional attitudes and actions are being influenced by the tools and technologies we employ.
It’s important to consider how PR technology is molding our profession and to understand how best to cope with these trends in a time of rapid change.
Members-Only Content
This article is exclusive to PRSA members. Please sign in to continue reading.
Not a member?
Join PRSA to read more articles like this and to advance your communications career.
Print subscriptions to Strategies & Tactics are available for nonmembers.
Mark Weiner
Mark Weiner is chief insights officer at PublicRelay, a media analytics company for communicators and marketing professionals. He is also the author of “PR Technology, Data and Insights: Igniting a Positive Return on Your Communications Investment” published by Kogan Page in 2021.
