COURSE NAME: PUBLIC RELATIONS

CHAPTER ONE: WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
a. Understand the global scope of the public relations industry.
b. Define public relations effectively.
c. Recognize public relations as a process, not just an event.
d. Differentiate public relations from journalism, advertising, and marketing.
e. Evaluate the skills needed for a PR career and potential salary expectations.

The Challenge of PR

The public relations profession presents multifaceted challenges, requiring practitioners to fulfill
various roles and responsibilities. These specialists, often called communication or media
specialists, manage an organization's communication with diverse publics, including consumers,
investors, reporters, and other media professionals. Government public relations specialists,
sometimes known as press secretaries, keep the public informed about governmental activities
and Agencies.

Their responsibilities encompass drafting news releases and engaging with media contacts to
secure coverage. Public relations managers may oversee the writing of news releases and
monitor social, economic, and political trends that could impact the organization's image. In
larger organizations, they may supervise a team of public relations specialists, assist top
executives with speech writing and interviews, and maintain public contact.

Accuracy and legal compliance are paramount, requiring close collaboration with legal counsel
to ensure the information released is both legally sound and easily understood by the public.

Successful public relations professionals possess strong interpersonal skills, self-confidence,

understanding of human psychology, and a genuine enthusiasm for motivating others. They are
assertive, team-oriented, and open to new ideas. Key skills encompass written and interpersonal
communication, media and social media relations, research, negotiation, creativity, logistics,
facilitation, problem-solving, and strategic thinking.

The field offers a challenging and varied career path. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
projects a 23 percent growth rate in public relations specialists through 2020, exceeding the
average for all occupations.

A Global Industry

Public relations is a thriving worldwide industry, demonstrating global dimensions in:

 1. The Global Market: The United States leads in public relations spending. While CNN
estimated U.S. companies spent approximately $5 billion on public relations in 2012,
other research indicates a $l0 billion global business. The Internet's prevalence has been a
major driver of growth. European spending accounts for about $3 billion, driven by the
expansion of the European Union and emerging economies. Significant growth is also
occurring in Asia, especially in China.
2. Number of Practitioners: The Global Alliance estimates that approximately 3 million
people worldwide work in public relations as their primary occupation.
3. Regions of Major Growth: Asia, particularly China, experiences significant growth.
China's public relations industry increases annually by 20 percent. Every major global
public relations firm maintains offices in China. Other rapidly expanding markets that
create fertile environments for public relations activity include Malaysia, Korea,
Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and India. Africa and Latin America also show growth
potential, fueled by international events.
4. Growth as an Academic Discipline: Universities worldwide are increasingly offering
public relations courses. A study found 218 degree, certificate, and diploma programs
offered in 39 countries. More than 300 universities in China have added public relations
to their course offerings. Many U.S. colleges and universities offer bachelor's and
graduate degrees in public relations, while others offer courses in communication studies
and business administration. Approximately 100 European universities also offer studies
in public relations, often within faculties of economics or business.

A Definition of Public Relations

Multiple definitions exist for public relations. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
defines public relations as "a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial
relationships between organizations and their publics." The Institute of Public Relations defines
it as “the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding
between an organization and its publics.”

Public relations is a strategic process focused on achieving organizational goals through

communication and relationship building.

Key words used in most definitions include:

 Deliberate: Intentional activity designed to influence, inform, and gain understanding.

 Planned: Organized and systematic, requiring research and strategic thinking.
 Performance: Based on actual policies and performance.
 Public Interest: Mutually beneficial to the organization and the public.
 Two-way communication: Listening and engaging in conversation with various publics,
not just disseminating information.
  Management function: A strategic and integral part of top management's decision-
making process.

Other Popular Names of PR

Public relations is an umbrella term, but organizations often use other terms to describe the
function. Corporate communications is the most popular among Fortune 500 companies. Other
variations include communications, public affairs, corporate communications, worldwide public
affairs and communications, and worldwide communications and investor relations.

Corporate communications encompasses all organizational communications, including

advertising, marketing communications, public affairs, community relations, and employee
communications. Public information and public affairs are common terms used by nonprofits,
universities, and government agencies. Community relations is often used by social service
agencies, and the military favors public affairs. Marketing communications is used by many non-
profits. A publicist specializes in placing stories in the media, finding unique news angles, and
planning events to attract media attention.

Stereotypes and Less Flattering Terms

Common stereotypes portray public relations as a glamorous field. Negative stereotypes include
"PR stunt" or "PR fluff," with some journalists describing it as "the art of saying nothing." The
term "spin" is often used to describe efforts to interpret events or issues from a specific
viewpoint, also known academically as "framing." "Flack" is an irreverent slang term journalists
use for press agents or those in public relations.

Public Relations as a Process

Public relations influences public opinion through a specific process. John Marston's four-step
model comprises research, action, communication, and evaluation. The RACE acronym
summarizes the process:

 Research: Identify the problem or situation/ Research attitudes about the issue at hand.
 Action (program planning): Determine what action to take/ identify action of the client
in the public interest.
 Communication (execution): Communicate the action to gain understanding,
acceptance, and support/ How will the public be told?
 Evaluation: Evaluate the communication to see if opinion has been influenced/ was the
audience reached and what was the effect?

Other acronyms, such as ROPE (research, objectives, programming, evaluation), R-O-S-I-E

(research, objectives, strategies, implementation, evaluation), and R-P-I-E (research, planning,
implementation, evaluation), also illustrate the public relations process.
The Public Relations Process: A Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Research and Analysis: Gather information about the public relations problem or
opportunity, including feedback from the public, media reporting, trend analysis,
research, personal experience, and government regulations.
2. Policy Formulation: Public relations advisors recommend policies and actions to top
management.
3. Programming: Public relations staff plan a communications program to further the
organization's objectives, setting objectives, defining audiences, and developing
strategies with a timeline, budget, and staffing plan.
4. Communication: Execute the program through news releases, media advisories,
newsletters, online postings, special events, speeches, and community relations programs.
5. Feedback: Measure the effect of these efforts. Did the media mention the key messages?
Did people change their attitudes or opinions? Did sales go up? Was the organization’s
reputation preserved or enhanced?
6. Assessment: Evaluate the success or failure of the policy or program to determine
whether additional efforts are needed or whether new issues or opportunities must be
addressed.

The Diversity of PR Work

The PRSA Foundation identifies various aspects of public relations activity:

 Counseling: Providing advice to management.

 Research: Determining attitudes and behaviors of publics.
 Media relations: Working with journalists and bloggers.
 Publicity: Disseminating planned messages.
 Employee/member relations: Responding to concerns, informing, and motivating
employees or members.
 Community relations: Maintaining a mutually beneficial environment.
 Public affairs: Developing effective involvement in public policy.
 Government affairs: Relating with legislatures and regulatory agencies.
 Issues management: Addressing issues of public concern.
 Financial relations: Building investor confidence.
 Industry relations: Relating with firms in the same industry and with trade associations.
 Development/fund-raising: Encouraging public support through financial contributions.
 Multicultural relations/workplace diversity: Relating with diverse cultural groups.
 Special events: Stimulating interest in a person, product, or organization.
 Marketing communications: Combining activities to sell a product, service, or idea.
The Difference between Public Relations, Journalism, Advertising, and Marketing

Public Relations vs. Journalism

 Scope: Public relations encompasses a broad range of activities, while journalism focuses
on journalistic writing and media relations.
 Objectives: Journalists aim to provide the public with objective news and information,
whereas public relations seeks to inform, change attitudes, and behaviors to further an
organization's goals.
 Audiences: Journalists target a mass audience, while public relations professionals
segment audiences based on demographics and psychological characteristics.
 Channels: Journalists primarily use the medium for which they work, while public
relations practitioners use a variety of channels, including traditional media, direct mail,
brochures, special events, and social media.

Public Relations vs. Advertising

Publicity and advertising both use mass media, but their formats and contexts differ. Publicity
appears as a news item, earning its placement through media decisions. Advertising, in contrast,
is paid media.

 Advertising only addresses external audiences; public relations targets external and
internal audiences.
 Advertising is a specialized communications function; public relations is broader in
scope.
 Advertising sells goods and services; public relations creates positive environments
around organizations.

Public Relations vs. Marketing

Both disciplines deal with external relationships and use similar communication tools, aiming to
ensure organizational success.

 Objectives: Marketing sells goods and services through attractive packaging, pricing,
and promotion. Public relations builds relationships to enhance reputation and trust.
 Audiences: Marketing primarily targets consumers and customers. Public relations deals
with a broader array of audiences, including investors, community leaders, and
government officials.
 Competition vs. Opposition: Marketing relies on competitive solutions, while public
relations addresses opposition.
 Role in Management: Public relations works directly with upper management to shape
and promote the organization’s core values.
How Public Relations Supports Marketing

Public relations is an integral part of marketing strategy, supporting marketing objectives

through:

 Developing new prospects for new markets

 Providing third-party endorsements
 Generating sales leads
 Creating an environment for a new product
 Stretching advertising and promotional dollars
 Providing inexpensive sales literature
 Establishing the corporation as an authoritative source of information
 Helping to sell minor products

Toward an Integrated Perspective

Organizations achieve their goals best through an integrated approach, using a variety of
strategies and tactics to convey a consistent message. This concept is explained by terms
like integrated marketing communications, convergent communications, and integrated
communications.

A Career in Public Relations

5 core courses for PR majors:

 Introduction to public relations

 Public relations research, measurement, and evaluation
 Public relations writing and production
 Supervised work experience in public relations (internship)
 An additional PR course in law and ethics, planning and management, and case studies or
campaigns

Essential Career Skills

 Writing skill: Clear and concise writing is essential.

 Research ability: Gathering information from various sources.
 Planning expertise: Coordinating communication tools and activities.
 Problem-solving ability: Innovative ideas and fresh approaches.
 Business/economics competence: Understanding how a business operates.
 Expertise in social media: Social networking, blogging, and tweeting.
The Value of Internships

Internships provide a win-win situation for students and organizations, giving students academic
credit, firsthand work experience, and potential job opportunities after graduation.

Salaries

Salaries depend on experience, education, job title, region/location, industry type, and gender.

The Value of Public Relations

In a world saturated with information, public relations offers a vital skill. The capacity to
comprehend non-verbal communication and body language is a potent asset, especially in
understanding facial expressions, eye contact, and gestures. Public relations assists in articulating
the objectives of both clients and employees to the wider public, and reciprocally. It offers
direction to organizational leaders and encourages actions rooted in responsibility that foster
societal betterment.