How to define public relations?
Defining public relations is no easy task.
We are a profession with powers to help brands communicate better, but we struggle with defining ourselves — the irony isn’t lost on anyone.
Still, after many years of theoretical and practical trial-and-error, I’ve created a definition that I find useful in my daily PR life.
Here we go:
How I Define Public Relations
Someone once tried to count the number of suggested definitions of public relations, but they allegedly gave up after finding 2,000+ different attempts. 1From the early 1900s to 1976, Rex F. Harlow, a well-respected expert on public relations, gathered around 500 different definitions of public relations (Cutlip et al. 2006).
The story might be an urban PR legend, but the point remains the same: Many PR definitions exist.
With all of those 2,000+ definitions in mind, what kind of PR blogger would I be if I didn’t take a stab at a PR definition as well?
So, here’s how I define public relations:
How To Define Public Relations
Someone once tried to count the number of actual definitions of public relations, but they allegedly gave up after finding over 500+ different versions. 2Morris, T., & Goldsworthy, S. (2008). From PR to propaganda. 97 – 111. https://doi.org/10.1007/978 – 0‑230 – 59485-2_7
Amongst so many definitions of public relations, here’s the definition that I find to be most useful:
Public Relations (PR) = the strategic and tactical use of communication to develop and maintain productive relationships with stakeholders, influencers, and publics.
Please note:
Stakeholders in PR = incentivised representatives with various interests in the organisation.
Influencers in PR = independent gatekeepers with audiences of importance to the organisation.
Publics in PR = situational groups with similar communicative behaviours affecting the organisation.
Learn more: How To Define Public Relations
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Some Additional PR Definitions
Here are a few additional definitions:
“Public relations is the strategic practice of influencing attitudes and behavior through communication, which seeks to create and maintain mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics.”
— Public Relations Society of America
“Public relations is the art and social science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organizational leaders, and implementing planned programs of action, which will serve both the organization and the public interest.”
— IPR Commission on PR Education
“Public relations is the process of creating, building, and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders in order to achieve organizational goals and objectives.”
— Chartered Institute of Public Relations
“Public relations is an organizational function and a set of processes for managing communication between an organization and its publics.”
— International Association of Business Communicators
“Public relations is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an organization with the public interest, and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.”
— Institute for Public Relations
“Public relations is the management of communication between an organization and its publics, through the use of technology, social media, and other forms of communication to achieve mutual understanding, realize organizational goals, and serve the public interest.”
— The Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management
Please support my blog by sharing it with other PR- and communication professionals. For questions or PR support, contact me via jerry@spinfactory.com.
PR Resource: Stakeholders in PR
Stakeholders in Public Relations
In PR, we often discuss stakeholders. And our PR specialisations are named based on which stakeholders we’re responsible for managing.
“In a corporation, a stakeholder is a member of ‘groups without whose support the organisation would cease to exist’, as defined in the first usage of the word in a 1963 internal memorandum at the Stanford Research Institute. The theory was later developed and championed by R. Edward Freeman in the 1980s. Since then it has gained wide acceptance in business practice and in theorising relating to strategic management, corporate governance, business purpose and corporate social responsibility (CSR).”
Source: Wikipedia 3Stakeholder (corporate). (2023, October 27). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stakeholder_(corporate)
This is the stakeholder model in PR:
Developing and maintaining relationships with various stakeholders is a significant challenge for PR professionals since their information needs are typically very different. 4A widespread misconception is that the PR function only deals with journalists (Media Relations) and product promotion (Marketing PR). However, such work represents only a tiny fraction of all the … Continue reading
“Public relations distinguishes itself from marketing by focusing on the stakeholder-organization relationship, which comprises mutual orientation around a common interest point and a multiplicity of stakes.”
Source: Public Relations Review 5Smith, B. (2012). Public relations identity and the stakeholder – organization relationship: A revised theoretical position for public relations scholarship. Public Relations Review, 38, 838 – 845. … Continue reading
Learn more: Stakeholders in Public Relations
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PR Resource: Publics in PR
The Publics in Public Relations
Here’s how to define publics in public relations:
Publics in PR = a psychographic segment (who) with similar communication behaviours (how) formed around a specific issue (why).
Please note:
Psychographic segment = similarities in cognitive driving factors such as reasoning, motivations, attitudes etc.
Communication behaviours = how the public’s opinion is expressed (choice of message, rhetorical framing, and medium type).
Specific issue = determined situationally by a specific social object, often high on the agenda in news media or social media.
Learn more: The Publics in Public Relations
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ANNOTATIONS
1 | From the early 1900s to 1976, Rex F. Harlow, a well-respected expert on public relations, gathered around 500 different definitions of public relations (Cutlip et al. 2006). |
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2 | Morris, T., & Goldsworthy, S. (2008). From PR to propaganda. 97 – 111. https://doi.org/10.1007/978 – 0‑230 – 59485-2_7 |
3 | Stakeholder (corporate). (2023, October 27). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stakeholder_(corporate) |
4 | A widespread misconception is that the PR function only deals with journalists (Media Relations) and product promotion (Marketing PR). However, such work represents only a tiny fraction of all the stakeholder relationships PR professionals must manage daily. |
5 | Smith, B. (2012). Public relations identity and the stakeholder – organization relationship: A revised theoretical position for public relations scholarship. Public Relations Review, 38, 838 – 845. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PUBREV.2012.06.011 |