Public Relations -- What Is It? How

Public Relations -- What is it? How is the public affected? How are you affected?

Who won the last presidential debate? Wait -- before you answer this question, carefully analyze your response. Is your presently stated what you truly thought, while you were watching the debate? Or has your current opinion about the candidate, about who won or lost the last debate, changed since you heard what the pundits and media spin analysts said, before, during, or immediately afterwards?

Probably your opinion has been affected by the overwhelming media coverage devoted to this event, whether you like it or not. Even if what you think has only been subtly rather than dramatically colored by what the spokespeople for the major candidates have said regarding the two men's performances, it is difficult to ignore such attention. (Stevenson & Sanger, 2004)

Thus, you have found yourself affected by the ubiquitous nature public relations -- whether you like it or not. Of course, the effects of public relations are not entirely negative. Public relations can be helpful in getting the message of little known businesses into the media eye, as opposed to giant conglomerates. The nonpartisan 'get out and votes' campaigns in various communities, directed to different underrepresented age and demographic groups of the electorate, are public relations campaigns. Public relations campaigns have been valuable for political action groups getting their agendas to the forefront of the national consciousness, even when their constituents, like children or abused animals, cannot vote or speak for themselves at all.

Rather than something inherently disingenuous, on a basic definitional level, public relations is simply a particular message, usually contracted on behalf of an individual, group or an organization, "conducted through the media, that is, newspapers, television," or magazines and the internet. (McNamara, 1999) Unlike advertising, which usually refers to a specific product or campaign, public relations refers to "ongoing activities to ensure the organization has a strong public image," although similar to advertising and promotions public relations "often depends on designing and implementing a well-designed public relations plan" that includes descriptions of what the organization or person wishes to convey and to whom," how the message is to be conveyed and who is responsible for various activities.

For instance, public relations for a new film could involve a promotional Happy Meal tie-in with McDonalds, and the transgressions of an actor like Hugh Grant with a prostitute were mitigated using public relations techniques such as having the actor appear on Jay Leno. Even medicine has been affected by the new venues offered by public relations firms. "Aggressive marketing by drug companies has led to over prescribing, said Dr. Avorn, who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard." (Duenwald, 2004) Public relations refers not only to advertising, which does not directly affect sales to prescription drugs, but to direct marketing by drug companies, and solicitations from drug company salespeople.