People who think public relations is nothing more than spin are oversimplifying a complex and highly skilled profession. PR pros are charged with portraying their organization in the best possible light, but there are many other components to this profession. PR professionals often find themselves in the undesirable position of not only taking heat from the media, but also from the top brass in their organizations who prefer to cover up bad news. PR professionals walk a fine line with a toehold in both the world of the media and as the public face of the organization they represent.
Function
In public relations, media relations is simply one component of the job. It's a significant component, because bad publicity can wreck an organization's public image and sometimes even cause its stock value to drop. PR people who view media relations as nothing more than schmoozing with the media and using them to their own advantage will not succeed in the long run. Reporters know when they are being used and could turn the tables at some point. The top professionals in the PR field will cultivate real relationships with media reporters and editors that are based on mutual respect and trust. These relationships are invaluable when the PR pro needs to pitch a story to the press.
A PR professional's media relations skills overlap with her crisis management skills when an organization finds itself in a position of managing bad news that smudges the organization's public image. At this time, the best approach a PR person must take is to be honest with the public and the press. And sometimes company management wants to do just the opposite. So not only does the PR person have to be on the front lines taking the heat from the media, she also has to use all powers of persuasion and communication to persuade management not to cover up the bad news. During a crisis management situation, PR does everything possible to portray the company or organization in the best possible light, while telling the public what it has a right to know at the same time.
PR people also interface with customer service and marketing in some organizations. Some organizations require their PR pros to conduct research to learn about the public's perception of the organization's products and services.
Types
All kinds of organizations have PR professionals to handle various components of public relations:
1) City governments have them to let the taxpayers know where their money is going and to publicize all the services their government is providing for them.
2) Charities have them so potential donors know what kind of work they do--and how much more is needed. Charities' PR pros also provide their current donors with good publicity, which is even another kind of PR for corporate and private donors. The PR garnered from doing charitable giving comes from the charities and not from the corporation's own PR people. Third-party "testimonials" such as this are considered to have more credibility, so this is a coveted form of PR.
3) State governments have PR people to again let the taxpayer know what is going on, but also to market the state's assets. For example, a state's travel division markets the state to potential tourists to bring in money. They also market the state's assets to corporations considering moving their headquarters there, bringing in dollars and jobs.
4) Corporations have PR people for marketing their company in the best light and highlighting their products and services.
All of the above organizations also, at times, find themselves in a situation where crisis management is necessary. That's when PR pros really earn their salaries. In each of these categories, the type of PR work is widely varied.
Benefits
Public relations professionals are great communicators and have the ability to see objectively what corporate professionals often cannot see. They take on the tasks of communicating these positive things to the public through the media. Company principals often do not have time for these time-consuming tasks, nor are they skilled in the disciplines required for successful portrayal of their companies. Researching the public's perception is another task in which PR professionals are skilled which may not be within the expertise of others within the company. PR pros then know look at the data gathered and work to turn around negative perceptions and build on the positive ones.
Considerations
The PR professional's ability to communicate, verbally and in writing, is their most important skill. They must be excellent writers, choosing the perfect words to portray their organization in its chosen image and accurately at the same time. They must also be able to think on their feet and speak verbally to the media and to those within their organizations when the need arises. They must be personable and able to embody competence and trustworthiness to the media, the public and their bosses. They must also be highly skilled and polished at developing relationships with the media. They must be trained researchers, who are able to interview the public to learn of its perceptions, and then relay those perceptions to their organizations.
Misconceptions
Public relations professionals are often looked upon with disdain by the public who view them as spinmeisters. That opinion is often shared by journalists who call them "flacks." In turn, PR pros refer to journalists as "hacks." In the past, those who went into journalism would never "sell out" and become flacks--and visa versa--but in the face of the shrinking newspaper industry, many hacks are crossing the line and becoming flacks. PR people who started their careers in journalism bring an added perspective to the media relations component of the PR profession--they know first-hand what editors really want. And those trained and experienced in PR know survive in the hot seat. A PR firm would do well to have both within its ranks.
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