McQuail's Audience Theory: Understanding the Difference Between Public Relations and Propaganda

McQuail's theory suggests that there are four types of audiences: passive, active, informed, and critical.

Passive audiences are those who do not actively seek information and do not critically evaluate the information they receive. They are more likely to be influenced by propaganda than by public relations.

Active audiences are those who actively seek information and are more likely to critically evaluate the information they receive. They are more likely to be influenced by public relations than by propaganda.

Informed audiences are those who are knowledgeable about the subject matter and have a good understanding of the issues at hand. They are less likely to be influenced by either propaganda or public relations.

Critical audiences are those who not only have knowledge and understanding of the subject matter but also have the ability to critically evaluate the information they receive. They are the least likely to be influenced by either propaganda or public relations.

Therefore, the difference between the people public relations and propaganda are communicated to is their level of knowledge, understanding, and critical evaluation skills. Public relations is more effective with active and informed audiences, while propaganda is more effective with passive audiences.