What is Public Relations?

Is there an official definition for public relations?

Photo by Unsplash.com

The Encyclopedia Britannica defines 'Public Relations' as an "aspect of communications involving the relations between an entity subject to or seeking public attention and the various publics that are or may be interested in it."

When you type "Public Relations" into Google, you get, "The professional maintenance of a favorable public image by a company or other organization or a famous person."

The 'all-knowing' Wikipedia, and whoever added and edited the page, defines "Public Relations" as, "The practice of managing the spread of information between an individual and an organization and the public."

The most favorable definition that I have found is from the Public Relations Society of America, PRSA, where they talk about public relations and the process that they went through in order to determine a more modern definition of pubic relations than the definition that they had previously adopted in 1982, "Public Relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other."

So, from 2011-2012, in order to update their outdated definition, they hosted a member-engagement survey to get a sense of how PR professionals define public relations. Ultimately, PRSA came up with their most recent definition of Public Relations:

"Public Relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics."

The article continues to say that, "At its core, Public Relations is about influencing, engaging and building a relationship with key stakeholders across a myriad of platforms in order to shape and frame the public perception of an organization."

Photo by schoolwebmasters.com

Now, with all of the above information, as well as with my limited education and experience, so far, in the world of PR, I would have to agree that there is not an exactly correct, word-for-word definition of Public Relations. I will say that I prefer the definition given by PRSA over the rest of the sources, but, to be honest, I am probably biased as I have been a follower and reader of PRSA articles, blogs, etc, for quite a while now.

I also believe that as society, business, cultures, and expectations change over time, that the definition of Public Relations will continue to change over time. Public Relations is also used within every single industry around the world, so its specific definition may change based on the industry that it is being used within.

Photo by Unsplash.com

In conclusion, public relations is such a multi-faceted and diverse field, since it is so heavily used throughout many industries, that one finite definition could never do it justice. I believe that staying up-to-date and knowledgeable about your area of public relations will be the best way to keep your own personal definition, as well as your company's definition, in the forefront of your mind at all times in order to stay at the top of your game as a PR professional.

Photo by QuartzTraininglms.com

—Ashley M Gaskins