Public Relations Is Often Plagued

¶ … public relations is often plagued with confusion about what these professionals really do. For this reason, investigating the definition of "public relations" is helpful to determine what it is and what it is not.

This paper discusses four different definitions of "public relations." The first is the official definition from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The second is the definition provided by seasoned PR professional, Stacey Cohen, given in her article about public relations, in the Westchester County Business Journal. The third definition is the one provided by the Institute of Public Relations (IPR). and, the fourth is my personal definition of what public relations is.

Public Relations

Introduction:

The field of public relations is often plagued with confusion about what these professionals really do. For this reason, investigating the definition of "public relations" is helpful to determine what it is and what it is not.

This paper discusses four different definitions of "public relations." The first is the official definition from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The second is the definition provided by seasoned PR professional, Stacey Cohen, given in her article about public relations, in the Westchester County Business Journal. The third definition is the one provided by the Institute of Public Relations (IPR). and, the fourth is my personal definition of what public relations is.

The Official PRSA Definition:

The PRSA acknowledges that although the formal practice of public relations is less than a century old, it has been defined by a wide variety of ways. At first, it was defined by the roles of press agentry and publicity, as these tasks were the main elements from which public relations sprang. As the industry grew, and more organization began to utilize the services of PR professionals, the definition grew as well ("Official PRSA," n.d.).

New facets were added to the idea of what public relations encompassed. These included: conducting research before taking actions and then evaluating and measuring the results of these actions, employing continuous processes rather than just a one-time activity, reaching out to multiple audiences, public relations as an essential function of management, and long-term commitment to PR activities. However, these definitions didn't really describe what public relations was, but more what it did. In 1988, the PRSA adopted a more concise definition that they believe captures the essence of what public relations is:

Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other" ("Official PRSA," n.d.).

This definition, they feel, encompasses, by default, the essential functions of public relations, such as: research, planning, communicating, and evaluating, while also broadening the definition to include all organizations, not just businesses, and the multiple "publics" they serve.

Stacey Cohen's Definition of Public Relations:

In Cohen's (2003) article she provides a clear and succinct definition of what public relations is. She notes that it is the most intimidating communication tool that an organization has in its marketing arsenal. It is not just limited to publicity.

She states that public relations is about building relationships.

Public relations is how an organization interacts with staff, clients and the general public. PR defines how you are perceived. PR campaigns put you in direct contact with your target audience through public appearances, publicity and community outreach. Publicity, an important element of PR, is the art of building favorable interest in your product or service through the media (Cohen, 2003).

The IPR Definition of Public Relations:

The IPR's definition of public relations is quite simplistic. It begins and ends with one of the most important facets of how well an organization interacts with others, its reputation. They state, "Public relations is about reputation - the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you" ("What is public relations," n.d.). Public relations involves actions that influence the opinion of others regarding the organization, and the actions that are necessary to form a favorable opinion. These efforts are planned and sustained in an effort to establish and maintain goodwill and understanding between the organization and the publics that it interacts with.

My Personal Definition of Public Relations:

My personal definition of what public relations is would have to incorporate ideas from all three of the above definitions. It is all of the processes and activities that go into building mutually beneficial relationships, both inside and outside the company. This includes establishing contact with publics and improving the reputation the organization has with these publics.

Conclusion: