What Is Public Relations?
A look Into What Public Relations Means To A Junior In College
Public relations have many different definitions made by different people. The reason for this is because there are so many different aspects to PR that its hard to come down to just one definition. To incorporate a fair amount of details about PR, I’m going to provide three definitions that I think stand out in the crowd of definitions.
According to PRSA (Public Relations Society of America), “public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics” (PROWLY). This definition is probably the most used definition because it focuses on strategy, as well as an audience relationship.
Another definition I find to be helpful is CIPR’s (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) definition. They define PR as “reputation — the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you” (PROWLY). I connect with this definition because as a student in college, I find that people over complicate terms to cover all sections of a topic. CIPR simplified a complex term that confuses many people.
Finally, I wanted to share the third definition. IPRA (International Public Relations Association) defines PR as “a decision-making management practice tasked with building relationships and interests between organisations and their publics based on the delivery of information through trusted and ethical communication methods” (IPRA). The reason this definition stands out to me is due to the evolving aspect to PR. They dont just state that it is the relationship of publics and organizations, they also mention that it is because of the delivery. The delivery will be different depending on the type of media, which is evolving.
Something I wish I was prepared for when entering college as a public relations student is that PR isnt just one thing, it is many things under one umbrella. There are so many different ways to explain and perform public relations.
I found it helpful to watch YouTube videos about the profession to better understand what real life will actually look like as a PR practitioner. Its hard to fully visualize the reality of your profession as a student in college, so watching videos, reading articles, and even reading books may help your understanding.
College is about asking questions and developing your passion in your major. Make sure PR is something you are passionate about, or else you will find yourself losing interest and motivation in your work. Public relations is all around us and as you study it, you will realize how much of it we see in our daily lives.
