About Public Relations

Source: Public Relations School of America

Official PRSA Definition

The formal practice of what today is called public relations is less than 100 years old. Yet during its relatively brief history, public relations has been defined in many widely differing ways. Not unsurprisingly, the earliest definitions emphasized the roles of press agentry and publicity since these were major elements from which modem public relations grew.

Later as public relations was recognized and employed by more organizations, definitions began to include:

• the need for research prior to initiating actions, careful planning and thorough evaluation or measurement of results.
• a continuing, systematic process instead of a one-time or single activity.
• multiple audiences or publics.
• its role as an essential function of management.
• public participation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and accommodation as important tools.
• the need, in most instances, for long-term commitment.

Many of these definitions were quite lengthy, so much so that they tended more to describe what public relations does than what it is. In 1988, in an attempt to solve this dilemma the governing body of the Public Relations Society of America -its Assembly -formally adopted a definition of public relations which has become most accepted and widely used:

"Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other."

In this definition, the essential functions of research, planning, communications dialogue and evaluation are implied. Key words are "organization" rather than the limiting implication of "company" or "business", and "publics" which recognizes that all organizations have multiple publics from which they must earn consent and support

Statistics

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, public relations will be one of the fastest growing fields between 1998 and 2008, which does not require a Master's Degree or higher. Although the PRSA/IABC 2000 Salary Survey the number of PR professionals has risen from 22% in 1996 to 30%.

In 1998, public relations specialists held approximately 122,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Approximately 13,000 of those people were self-employed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also states that there were approximately 485,000 advertising, marketing and public relations managers working in all industries in 1998.

The PRSA/IABC 2000 Salary Survey states that the median range for public relations practitioners is $53,000, a $4,000 increase from 1995. Salaries ranged from $28,000 to $147,000 in 1999.

What it Does

Public relations helps our complex, pluralistic society to reach decisions and function more effectively by contributing to mutual understanding among groups and institutions. It serves to bring private and public policies into harmony.

Public relations serves a wide variety of institutions in society such as businesses, trade unions, government agencies, voluntary associations, foundations, hospitals, schools, colleges, and religious institutions. To achieve their goals, these institutions must develop effective relationships with many different audiences or publics such as employees, members, customers, local communities, shareholders, and other institutions, and with society at large.

The managements of institutions need to understand the attitudes and values of their publics in order to achieve institutional goals. The goals themselves are shaped by external environment. The public relations practitioner acts as a counselor to management and as a mediator, helping translate private aims into reasonable, publicly acceptable policy and action.

As a management function, public relations encompasses the following:

• Anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes, and issues that might impact, for good or ill, the operations and plans of the organization.
• Counseling management at all levels in the organization with regard to policy decisions, courses of action, and communications, taking into account their public ramifications and the organization's social or citizenship responsibilities.
• Researching, conducting, and evaluating, on a continuing basis, programs of action and communication to achieve the informed public understanding necessary to success of an organization's aims. These may include marketing, financial, fund raising, employee, community or government relations, and other programs.
• Planning and implementing the organization's efforts to influence or change public policy. Setting objectives, planning, budgeting, recruiting and training staff, developing facilities-in short, managing the resources needed to perform all of the above.

Examples of the knowledge that may be required in the professional practice of public relations include communication arts, psychology, social psychology, sociology, political science, economics, and the principles of management and ethics. Technical knowledge and skills are required for opinion research, public issues analysis, media relations, direct mail, institutional advertising, publications, film/video productions, special events, speeches, and presentations.

In helping to define and implement policy, the public relations practitioner uses a variety of professional communications skills and plays an integrative role both within the organization and between the organization and the external environment.

How it Can Help

The publicity and promotional aspect paves the way for the sale of products or services, so much so that some companies have placed sales quotas on their product publicity people.

Internal motivation is a vital factor which affects the bottom line by building morale, enhancing productivity and creating team spirit. It also helps recruit qualified people and retain them.

Public relations provides an early warning system by avoiding disruptions which may occur when a single surprise issue or unplanned-for social/political change arises.

Public relations provides an organization with new opportunities because the people involved in public relations interact with more internal and external audiences than anyone else in the organization. Public relations people have a conning tower from which to identify new markets, new products, new methods.

Public relations helps to protect the present position when an organization is under attack. For instance, Proctor and Gamble did not suffer declining sales, morale or stock values during the tampon debacle largely because of their expert public relations handling of the problem -communicating the company's position.

Public relations helps to overcome executive isolation, something that can affect every organization sooner or later. An inescapable assignment of every public relations practitioner is opening the eyes and ears of management to what's really happening "out there."

Public relations helps organizations manage change, something they must do to stay competitive and efficient. But since change is threatening and often resisted, smooth transition through a necessary change guided by public relations professionals is a real dollar-saver.

The phrase "double bottom line" was coined to explain the relationship between an organization and its social responsibility. It's now well understood and accepted that social responsibility does have a traceable effect on economic success for every type organization. The leading role in "social accountancy" is usually played by public relations staff.

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