Chapter 14Public Relations

Public Relations• Public Relations: “PR”

• Publicity, promotion, advertising, public relations

• involves working with public opinions, concerned with communication (interpersonal, machine assisted)

• PR as a management function

• Public relations is the art and social science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organization leaders, and implementing planned programs of action that serve both the organization’s and the public’s interest.

Many “publics”

•Corporate communications – workers, shareholders, unions

•Community relations – residents, customers, government

•Press relations – promoting work to news media (press releases, media kits, media tours)

PR Campaigns•Information gathering – know your

problem

•Planning – strategic (long term) and tactical (to-do lists)

•Communications – directly (website, billboards) and through gatekeepers (convincing a reporter to write about you)

•Evaluation – media coverage (collect clips), surveying

Press Releases•Written in AP style

•the best press releases need little to no re-writing by a publication that chooses to cover your event or statement

•control over what statements are made – direct quotes

•control your organization’s impression to the media – but know they're skeptics

Press Releases

•As we said, AP STYLE!!

•Double-spaced

•Lead/lede -- what is your most important info?

•Contact information

•Boilerplate info

Press Releases

Public relations

•Types of jobs:

•PR Manager (corporate)

•Publicist (corporate or private)

•Press Agent (corporate, gov’t)

•Promotions staffing