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FAQ
What is Public Relations?
Public Relations
PRSA's Widely Accepted Definition
Defined
The formal practice of what is now commonly referred to as “public relations” dates
Ethics to the early 20th century. In the relatively brief period leading up to today, public
Advocacy relations has been defined in many different ways, the definition often evolving
alongside public relations’ changing roles and technological advances. The earliest
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definitions emphasized press agentry and publicity, while more modern definitions
State of the Society incorporate the concepts of “engagement” and “relationship building.”
Financial
In 2011/12, PRSA led an international effort to modernize the definition of public
Strategic Planning
relations and replace a definition adopted in 1982 by the PRSA National Assembly.
Governance Learn more here. Under the "Public Relations Defined" banner, PRSA initiated a
Leadership crowdsourcing campaign and public vote that produced the following definition:
Membership “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually
Student Organization beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
Global Alliance Simple and straightforward, this definition focuses on the basic concept of public Training Webinars Included
PRSA Foundation relations — as a communication process, one that is strategic in nature and With PRSA Membership!
Media Kit & emphasizing “mutually beneficial relationships.” Broaden your skill set with access to
Sponsorships more than 50 live and on-demand
“Process” is preferable to “management function,” which can evoke ideas of control
Speakers Bureau webinars in 2014.
and top-down, one-way communications.
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“Relationships” relates to public relations’ role in helping to bring together
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organizations and individuals with their key stakeholders.
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“Publics” is preferable to “stakeholders,” as the former relates to the very “public”
Address, Location and
Directions nature of public relations, whereas “stakeholders” has connotations of publicly-traded
companies.
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Help As a management function, public relations also 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 communication, 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
the 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.
Read the full text of PRSA’s Official Statement on Public Relations.
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