Public relations, often called PR, is an activity that uses communication to increase understanding between an organization or individual and one or more groups called publics. The term is also applied to the profession responsible for handling such activities.
Corporations, educational institutions, entertainers, government agencies, labor unions, politicians, and religious groups are among those who use public relations. Their publics vary from employees and stockholders to entire communities and members of the media. Many organizations use public relations to gain the understanding of both their internal public (employees) and external public (customers).
Communication strategies range from simple news releases and fact sheets to sophisticated public relations campaigns featuring films, advertisements, speeches, and television appearances. Such communication is aimed at gaining the good will of the community.
The basis of any effective public relations campaign is public benefit. If an organization does not serve the needs of its publics, they will not support it. Public relations experts help organizations and individuals learn what their publics want and establish communication policies that reflect concern for those publics’ interests.
Public relations generally is practiced through (1) corporate public relations departments, (2) public relations firms or agencies, and (3) public information departments. In a corporate PR department, specialists handle PR activities only for that company. In PR firms, public relations practitioners carry out activities for several organizations or individuals, also called clients or accounts. Nonprofit organizations, such as colleges and government agencies, have public information departments that work to strengthen the organization’s image and credibility.
Methods.
Public relations focuses on two main activities: research and communication. Research is vital to public relations because organizations need to know their publics’ opinions about them. What people think and why they have such opinions are important in helping management establish corporate and client policies and practices.
Public relations uses many research methods to obtain information. Researchers gather information on the many problems and opportunities facing a company, its industry, and the business community. They may also gauge public opinion to provide political candidates with issues to discuss during a campaign. Researchers also test PR campaign effectiveness and keep up with public relations techniques being developed by other companies or firms.
Communication between organizations or clients and their publics is an important part of public relations campaigns. However, the size and complexity of modern organizations makes direct communication with individuals almost impossible. Most organizations use mass-communication methods to reach their publics, often focusing their PR campaigns at groups of people who share a common interest.
PR professionals use four principal methods to communicate with their publics: advertising, lobbying, publicity, and press agentry. Advertising involves the use of paid, nonpersonal communication through such media as billboards, the Internet, mail, newspapers and other publications, radio, and television. Lobbying attempts to influence special publics, such as legislators. Publicity and press agentry involve promoting an organization or client by getting favorable media coverage.
Public relations professionals often detect possible breakdowns in communication by analyzing responses received from their publics. These responses may come directly, as in e-mail messages, letters, or telephone calls to an organization. The responses also may come indirectly, as when voters respond to a public relations campaign by casting their ballots for a candidate or when consumers respond by purchasing or refusing to purchase a product.
History.
Some elements of public relations, such as informing and persuading, have been used throughout history. But public relations as it is known today began to take form during the early 1900’s, after a period of rapid industrial expansion in the late 1800’s. Upon the advice of public relations counselors, corporation leaders realized that the community’s good will would benefit them. Business leaders also realized that successful public relations campaigns had helped the federal government and welfare agencies in winning approval for their programs. Corporations began to set up programs designed to win their publics’ favor. Schools, hospitals, and other nonprofit organizations also saw the need for organized attempts to gain public support.
Public relations developed slowly until the mid-1900’s. Since then, it has spread to nearly all corporate and nonprofit organizations. The growth and expansion of the mass media have tended to make public opinion more powerful than ever before. Today, an organization’s internal and external publics are more accessible than ever to those who wish to reach them. This improved access is aided by the work of public relations.
Careers.
Most public relations activities take place in business and industry. Colleges, labor unions, national associations, schools, and volunteer agencies also have public relations programs. An organization may have its own public relations department, or it may hire a public relations firm.
A college education best prepares a person for a public relations job. Employers seek people with degrees in English, journalism, or public relations. Many employers prefer applicants with backgrounds in fields related to the company’s activities. People interested in public relations should be creative and able to express their thoughts clearly, both orally and in writing. Such a person also should possess good problem-solving abilities.
