Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on public relations roles: Perspectives of Malawian practitioners

The public relations (PR) function in Malawi was passing through a period of
growth when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. For the first time, a professional
body – the Public Relations Society of Malawi (PRSM) – was established and
commended for improving media and stakeholders’ relationships with various
organizations and institutions. However, the pandemic, accompanied by an info
demic, increasingly affected the role of practitioners in disseminating effective
communication. Previous literature indicates that environmental factors force
companies and institutions to redirect resources away from PR activities, forc
ing PR practitioners to adjust some practices to accommodate the new circum
stances. This study explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the role of
PR practice and the function’s prospects in Malawi. Drawing on the excellence
theory, the PR function can be of value if the department is empowered through
practitioners’ inclusion in the coalition of the dominant. Data were collected from
fourteen selected PR practitioners, who were also members of the PRSM, using
in-depth interviews. The findings indicated that PR practitioners in Malawi were brought closer to the centre of power in organizations but somehow excluded from
the coalition of the dominant. Most of the practitioners served as technicians.
However, the pandemic forced organizations to direct more resources to PR activ
ities due to the practitioners’ increased workload of disseminating information,
working from home, and adopting information and communication technology in
PR activities. PR practitioners’ efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic made the
function a necessity in many organizations, a development that signalled a bright
future for the industry in the country