This document provides an overview of public relations including: - Definitions of public relations from various sources emphasizing managing communication between organizations and publics. - The fields of public relations practice including media relations, community relations, issues management, and more. - Marston's RACE model which is a 4 step process for public relations including research, objectives, communication tactics, and evaluation. - The functions of public relations such as writing, media relations, counseling, research, publicity, and community relations. - Key skills needed for public relations including communication, organization, versatility, and resilience.

1. STAMFORD COLLEGE
DIPLOMA IN MEDIA AND
COMMUNICATION
PREPARED BY : MS GOMALA SUKUMARAN

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson students will be able to :
 define and describe the meaning of public
relations
 familiarize with PR fields
 define and describe Marston’s R-A-C-E
 understand the functions of PR
Distinguish the differences between PR and
marketing
 know PR skills

3. INTRODUCTION
• Public relations is practiced in
organizations that range from giant,
multinational telecommunications
companies to small human service
agencies.

4. WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS
• Public relations is a leadership and management function that helps
achieve organizational objectives, define philosophy and facilitate
organizational change.
• Public relations practitioners communicate with all relevant internal
and external publics to develop positive relationship and create
consistency between organizational goals and societal expectations.
• Public relations practitioners develop, execute and evaluate
organizational programs to promote the exchange of influence and
understanding among a organizations constituent and publics
(Lattimore et al ., 2012)

5. WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS
„the management of communication between
an organization and its publics‟
(Grunig & Hunt, Managing public relations,1984)
„using communication to adapt relationships
between organizations and their publics‟
(Carl H. Botan “International public relations: Critique and
reformulation” in Public Relations Review, Vol. 18, No. 2, 1992:
149-152)

6. WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS
Public relations is a distinctive
management function which helps
establish and maintain mutual lines
of
▫ Understanding
▫ Communications
▫ Acceptance

7. WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS
• Co-operation between an organization and its
publics. Whereby it involves
▫ The management of problems or issues
▫ Helps management to keep informed on and
responsive to public opinion.
▫ Defines and emphasizes the responsibility of
management to serve the public interest.
▫ Helps management keep abreast of and effectively
utilize change.

8. PR FIELDS
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Research
Counseling/advising
Government affairs
Investor relations
Development or fund raising
Multicultural affairs
Issues management
Media relations
Public affairs
Community relations
Employee relations
Publicity
Marketing communication
Promotion

9. Marston’s R-A-C-E
• Research
• Action/Objectives/Program
Planning
• Communication
Tactics/Implementing Plan
• Evaluation

10. Step 1. Research
4-Step Process of Public Relations
What -- Three key elements:
1. Client or organization
2. Problem or potential problem and
opportunities to do public relations
3. Audiences or publics
How –
Informal and Formal
Research Methods

11. Step 2.
Objectives / Program Planning
Develop a Strategy that involves:
1. Identifying goals and objectives
2. Identifying target audience(s) or public(s)
3. Creating a theme for the program/campaign

12. Step 3. Develop & Implement
Communication Tactics
Develop and Implement
1. Tactics for communicating
2. Time line for the program/campaign
3. Budget

13. Step 4.
Evaluation During & After Campaign / Program
Identify research methods to be used to
evaluate the success of the
program/campaign during & after.
Determine a way to measure whether the
campaign achieved its objectives.

14. The Functions of Public Relations
• Writing
▫ The fundamental public relations skill, with
written vehicles from news releases to speeches
and from brochures to advertisements.
• Media relations
▫ Dealing with the press.
• Planning
▫ Special events, media events, management
functions.

15. The Functions of Public Relations
• Counseling
▫ In dealing with management and its interactions
with key publics.
• Researching
▫ Of attitudes and opinions that influence behavior
and beliefs.
• Publicity
▫ The marketing related functions

16. The Functions of Public Relations
• Marketing communications
▫ Other marketing related functions such as
creating brochures, sales literature, meeting
displays and promotions.
• Community relations
▫ Putting forth the organization’s messages and
image within the community.
• Consumer relations
▫ Interfacing with consumers through written and
verbal communications

17. The Functions of Public Relations
• Employee relations
▫ Communicating with all the all-important internal
publics of the organization, those managers and
employees who work for the firm.
• Government affairs
▫ Dealing with legislators, regulators and local, state
and federal officials – all of those who have
governmental interface with the organization
• Investor relations
▫ For public companies, communicating with
stockholders and those who advise them.

18. The Functions of Public Relations
• Special public relations
▫ Dealing with those publics uniquely critical to
particular organizations.
• Public affairs and issues
▫ Dealing with public policy and its impact on the
organization and identifying and addressing issues
of consequences that affect the firm
• Social media interface
▫ Creating what often is the organization’s principle
interface with the public: its Website, as well as
creating links with social media options.

19. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PUBLIC
RELATIONS AND MARKETING
• Marketing focuses primarily on only one
public consumers
• PR focused on relationships with all
publics essential to an organization's
success
• PR and Marketing are “separate and
equal, but related functions”, and must
work together toward organizational goals.

20. PR SKILLS
• Good people skills
▫ A pleasing and amiable personality and the ability
to get along with people and network effectively
are vital to making it in this field.
▫ Clients can be difficult and demanding.
▫ Learning how to win friends and influence people
is what a large part of the job is about.
▫ People who choose public relations as a career
should have an outgoing personality, selfconfidence and be team players.

21. PR SKILLS
• Strong communication abilities
▫ A lot of public relations is centered on
what you say and how well you say it.
Being able to communicate effectively
verbally and a flair for writing are
essential.

22. PR SKILLS
• ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
▫ You have to be good at organizing meetings,
presentations, press conferences and events like
openings and product launches.
▫ Time management and multitasking are skills you
need as you will be faced with multiple pressures
and tight deadlines.
▫ Overtime is common and work schedules are
irregular. You cannot be a clock watcher and may
have to work late into the night or on weekends.

23. PR SKILLS
• Relevant formal education
▫ A degree or diploma in public relations,
journalism, mass media, communications,
corporate communications or even advertising
or marketing are useful.
▫ An internship with a firm will also prepare you
for what to expect and also help you find out
whether you are cut out for this job.

24. PR SKILLS
• Versatility
▫ A PR job involves many things – interacting
with clients, organizing events, dealing with
the media, writing and editing press releases
and managing a website.
▫ You should have the versatility to tackle these
varied roles.

25. PR SKILLS
• Creativity and sales skills
▫ You may be required to visualize an
effective campaign.
▫ This needs creativity and imagination.
▫ You also need to have the knack of how
to sell your idea.

26. PR SKILLS
• Resilience
▫ Last but not the least you will have to have the
ability to bounce back from failure.
▫ ''You have to be confident and thick-skinned
working in PR. You're responsible for a client's
reputation and if a campaign goes wrong,
sometimes for reasons out of your control, you
have to be able to speak to the client and take
criticism from the media.''