PUBLIC RELATIONS
Two examples of PR
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– Two examples of PR
pros
Nationally, 200,000
people work in the field
(according to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor
Statistics).
PR has been rated as
one of the nation’s
fastest growing
industries, according to
the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
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Fortune Magazine
survey ranks PR No. 8
on a list of “Where the
best jobs will be.”
Globally, there are 155
national and regional
PR associations with a
membership of
137,000.
PR: American Style
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The PR field is most extensively developed in the US where
organizations spend an estimated $141 billion annually on PR, instore promotions, direct mail, and sponsorships with another $176
billion spent on advertising, according to estimates.
PR is expected to grow almost 9 percent by 2021, more than any
other communications practice except event planning and
sponsorships.
In the U.S. organizations spend an estimated $10 billion annually in
PR activities.
In the U.S. almost 200 universities have sequences or majors in PR
and about 80 European universities also offer studies in PR.
– C of C has a sequence in PR within the Communication Dept.
– C of C also has a chapter of the Public Relations Student Society
of America, one of only two such chapters in the state.
Worldwide Growth

PR activities and
spending are also
growing in Europe
and even more so
in Asia, particularly
China were the
economy is growing
at the rate of 10
percent annually.
Defining Public Relations

People often think of
PR in terms of its most
visible techniques and
results: publicity in a
newspaper, a TV
interview with an
organization’s
spokesperson, or the
appearance of a
celebrity at a special
event.
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PR is a process
involving many subtle
and far-reaching
aspects.
It includes research
and analysis, policy
formation,
programming,
communication, and
feedback from
numerous publics.
Defining PR (Cont’d)

Its practitioners
operate on two distinct
levels—as advisers to
their clients or to an
organization’s top
management and as
technicians who
produce and
disseminate message
in multi-media
channels.
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PRSA definition—13
words: “Public
relations helps an
organization and its
publics adapt mutually
to each other.”
Review key words on
pages 6-7: deliberate,
planned, performance,
public interest, twoway communication,
management function.
PR as a Process
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The RACE acronym-Research, Action,
Communication
(execution) and
Evaluation (p. 9)
PR is a process, a
series of actions,
changes, or functions
that bring about a
result.
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A popular way to describe
the process, and to
remember its components,
is RACE first used in “The
Nature of Public Relations”
by John Marston.
Definitions of PR people as
“linking agents” and
“boundary spanners” who
act to transfer information
between two systems.
Other terms for Public
Relations
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To describe the public
relations function within
corporations, “corporate
communications” is the
most common name,
according to a survey of the
nation’s 500 largest
corporations, used by 165
companies. “Public
relations” used by 64.
Other names are “public
affairs, communication,
corporate relations, and
corporate public affairs.
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Social service agencies,
universities and government
agencies like “public
information” or “community
relations,” names which
don’t imply the persuasive
nature of PR
communication. The
military likes “public affairs.”
C of C used to use “College
Relations” but is now
“Marketing and
Communications.”
Less Flattering Terms and
Stereotypes
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“Sex in the City” reference, Samantha,
the Kim Cattrall character, owns a PR
agency– depiction on glamour, no
“heavy lifting” or routine functions
And the old Michael J. Fox series, “Spin
City,” as the devious and manipulate
deputy mayor/press secretary
A 1993 study found that PR was
consistently equated with
“manipulation of the truth to a dubious
end” but a more recent study of the
media’s portrayal of PR is more
favorable…
“flacks” and “spin doctors”
The range of PR

Major areas of PR work include:
corporations; nonprofit organizations;
entertainment, sports, and travel;
government and politics; education;
and international public relations
Publicists and Press Agents:
What’s the Difference?
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Publicists deal exclusively with
placement of stories in the media.
Press agents are also specialists who
concentrate on finding unusual news
angles and planning events or
“happenings” that attract media
attention.
Five Essential Abilities
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Writing skills
Research ability
Planning expertise
Problem-solving
ability
Business/economics
competence
10 QUALITIES THAT
EMPLOYERS WANT
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Good Writing
Intelligence
Cultural Literacy
Know a good story
when you see one
Media Savvy
Contacts

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Broad
Communication
Experience
Specialized
Experience
Avoid Career
Clichés
Integrated marketing
communications (IMC)

The trend is toward more
comprehensive planning involving a
variety of communication disciplines—
PR, advertising, marketing, sales
promotion, direct response—and
combines these disciplines to provide
clarity, consistency and maximum
communication impact.
Questions
The sphere of PR is most widely developed in
1) USA
2) Europe
The second country for the development of PR is..
1) Russia
2) China
How many stages does the PR process consist of?
1) 4
2) 5
How many types of sales management relationships do you
know?
 8
 10
 12
Publicists and Press Agents: What’s the Difference?
Answers
The sphere of PR is most widely developed in
1) USA +
2) Europe
The second country for the development of PR is..
1) Russia
2) China +
How many stages does the PR process consist of?
1) 4 +
2) 5
How many types of sales management relationships do you
know?
 8
 10 +
 12
Publicists and Press Agents: What’s the Difference?
Resources
1.
2.
3.
Grunig, James E; Hunt, Todd (1984),
Managing Public Relations (6th ed.), Orlando,
FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Seitel, Fraser P. (2007), The Practice of Public
Relations. (10th ed.), Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson Prentice Hall
Singh, Honey (29 December 2017). "#10
Important Trends in PR that You Can't Afford
to Ignore". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 25 August
2018.