Defining Public Relations

Defining Public Relations

The term public relations can mean slightly different things to different people and yet have the same outcome. After researching this topic, it has become evident just how different these definitions can be. I have my own definition of public relations. There are definitions as well in public relations textbooks, and others can be found in places such as the internet.

When I attempt to define public relations, I think about a part of an organization that makes every effort to convey a positive image to the public. This could be done various ways such as publicly donating to a worthy cause in either services, goods, or monetary means. Service organizations are particularly sensitive to what image they are portraying to the public. I work in a public school. Periodically parents and people in the community are asked to respond to a survey in which the district is assessing public perceptions. What we are doing is as important as what the public thinks we are doing. Without a positive perception, we would not get community support. That is detrimental to a school whose purpose is to serve a community.

According to the Public Relations Society of America (n.d.) (PRSA), the concept of public relations has only been in practice for less than 100 years. During that time, organizations have come up with their own versions of what public relations means. These definitions became more and more complicated and some "tended more to describe what public relations does than what it is" (prsa.org, n.d.). In 1988, the PRSA adopted a formal definition that states '"Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other"' (prsa.org, n.d.). On the first reading, this definition seems very simplistic. However, its global wording and implications truly encompass all aspects of public relations and allows the concept of public relations to evolve as organizations, the public, and their relationships evolve.

The text This is PR offers another definition for public relations. That definition states, "The various activities and communications that organizations undertake to monitor, evaluate, influence and adjust to the attitudes, opinions and behaviors of groups or individuals who constitute their publics" (Newsom, Turk, & Kruckenberg, 2004).

In the Public Relations written by Lattimore, Baskin, Heiman, Toth, and Van Leuven (2004) public relations has yet another definition. It is defined as "A management function that helps define an organizational philosophy and direction by maintaining communication within a firm and with outside forces and by monitoring and helping a firm adapt to significant public opinion."

The three definitions do have a commonality. The common area that all three definitions do have is that organizations communicate with the public in an effort to either make sure the public views positively what the organization represents and the service it performs. This would be a vital area for any organization because the public needs to know what is going on within the organization and where it stands on certain issues. All three definitions suggest that an organization must adapt to public opinion in order to maintain their viability as an organization