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Public relations

Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Public relations and publicity differ in that PR is controlled internally, whereas publicity is not controlled and contributed by external parties.[1] Public relations may include an organization or individual gaining exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment.[2] The exposure is mostly media-based, and this differentiates it from advertising as a form of marketing communications. Public relations aims to create or obtain coverage for clients for free, also known as earned media, rather than paying for marketing or advertising also known as paid media. But in the early 21st century, advertising is also a part of broader PR activities.[3]

For other uses, see Public relations (disambiguation).

An example of good public relations would be generating an article featuring a PR firm's client, rather than paying for the client to be advertised next to the article. The aim of public relations is to inform the public, prospective customers, investors, partners, employees, and other stakeholders, and persuade them to maintain a positive or favorable view about the organization, its leadership, products, or political decisions. Public relations professionals typically work for PR and marketing firms, businesses and companies, government, and public officials as public information officers and nongovernmental organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Jobs central to public relations include internal positions such as public relations coordinator, public relations specialist, and public relations manager, and outside agency positions such as account coordinator, account executive, account supervisor, and media relations manager.[4]


Public relations specialists establish and maintain relationships with an organization's target audience, the media, relevant trade media, and other opinion leaders. Common responsibilities include designing communications campaigns, writing press releases and other content for news, working with the press, arranging interviews for company spokespeople, writing speeches for company leaders, acting as an organization's spokesperson, preparing clients for press conferences, media interviews and speeches, writing website and social media content, managing company reputation (crisis management), managing internal communications, and marketing activities like brand awareness and event management.[5] Success in the field of public relations requires a deep understanding of the interests and concerns of each of the company's many stakeholders. The public relations professional must know how to effectively address those concerns using the most powerful tool of the public relations trade, which is publicity.[6]

Financial public relations – communicating financial results and business strategy

/lifestyle public relations – gaining publicity for a particular product or service

Consumer

– responding in a crisis

Crisis communication

– communicating within the company itself

Internal communications

– engaging government departments to influence public policy

Government relations

– a public relations function that involves building and maintaining close relationships with the news media so that they can sell and promote a business.

Media relations

– in today's climate, public relations professionals leverage social media marketing to distribute messages about their clients to desired target markets

Social media/community marketing

In-house public relations – a public relations professional hired to manage press and publicity campaigns for the company that hired them.

'Black Hat PR' – manipulating public profiles under the guise of neutral commentators or voices or engaging to actively damage or undermine the reputations of the rival or targeted individuals or organizations.

Executive Visibility – a strategy used to grow an executive's presence and exposure in order to impact a company's success.

Advocacy: Serving the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for the clientele. This can occur by displaying the marketplace of ideas, facts and viewpoints to aid informed public debate.

Honesty: Standing by the truth and accuracy of all facts in the case and advancing those statements to the public.

Expertise: To become and stay informed of the specialized knowledge needed in the field of Public Relations. Taking that knowledge and improving the field through development, research and education. Meanwhile, professionals also build their understanding, credibility, and relationships to understand various audiences and industries.

Independence: Provide unbiased work to those that are represented while being accountable for all actions.

Loyalty: Stay devoted to the client while remembering that there is a duty to still serve the public interest.

Fairness: Honorably conduct business with any and all clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors, media and general public. Respecting all opinions and right of free expression.

[46]

(PDF), The Institute for Public Relations, archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2010

A History of Public Relations

(2012), Social media and public relations: Eight new practices for the pr professional, New jersey: FT Press

Breakenridge, Deirdre

(1994), The Unseen Power: Public Relations: A History, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0-8058-1464-7

Cutlip, Scott

(1995), Public Relations History: from the 17th to the 20th Century, Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, ISBN 0-8058-1780-8

Cutlip, Scott

Heitmueller, Lars M. (2012),

Corporate Communication Map: Outline of an interactive Overview of the fundamental Models and Theories of Public Relations

Kelleher, T. (2018). Public Relations (1st ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Stoykov, Lubomir (2016). Public Relations Management (2nd ed.). Sofia: Alma communication.