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Since definitions play critical roles both in societal processes and in the minds of those who study and practice public elation’s, this paper examines several popular definitions of public relations as well as a personal definition derived from a workplace experience. Most important, this paper explains that regardless of how public relations is defined, it is an essential element in the conduct of relationships for a vast variety of organizations in the 21st century. Research Findings of Public Relations Definitions: According to Fraser P.
Stile, author of the text, The Practice of Public Relations, public relations is a planned process to influence public opinion, through sound character and proper performance, based on mutually dictators tow-way communication. In 1 988, in an attempt to developed a simple definition for public relations, the governing body of the Public Relations Society of America (SARA) formally adopted a definition of public relations which has become the most accepted and widely used.
Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other. The definition implies the essential functions of research, planning, communications dialogue, and evaluation. Key words are “organization” rather than the limiting implication of “company” or “business”, and “publics” which recognizes that all organizations have ultimate publics from which they must earn consent and support. (About public Relations, 2005). “Perhaps the best known definition of public relations is presented by Grunting and Hunt.
In their introductory text, Managing Public Relations, Grunting and Hunt define public relations simply as “management of communication between an organization and its publics. ” Likewise, most other public relations definitions also employ the three key terms: manage, organization, and public. Cutlet, Center, and Broom in the text, Effective Public Relations, state that public relations is the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and publics on whom its success or failure depends. This conceptual definition,” they justified in an earlier edition of the text, “unifies the broad range of activities and purposes in public relations practice,” and “serves as a basis for determining what is not part of the public relations function” (Publications Relations Review, 1997). Personal Definition Relations to Workplace: In defining public relations and its role, the thing that comes to mind is the workplace, specifically, a non-profit organization, The BBC Science Museum.
Public relations is as an essential function within the museum. PR reports directly to the Vice President of Marketing, and considered as a vital part of the marketing team. The PR function is responsible for the museums public reputation. The PR team works hard to develop and maintain good relations with the media. This helps to ensure the media reports information concerning the organization as accurate as possible to all the museum’s publics.
Overall, the PR function creates a climate of mutual understanding between the museum and its publics, which it serves as well as the community as a whole. Additionally, the role of public relations is to assess the perceptions of the museum, and where necessary work to develop a strategy to ensure the perception is the correct one. The marketing team oversees communications, advertising, and public relations. Communications, market research, and advertising all have a role in public relations.
It is critical that these areas all work closely together to effectively influence public opinion regarding the museum’s image. The BBC is an organization that clearly understands how public relations impacts society. Effective public relations should not only remote good will but also contribute to an organization’s stability and long life. Therefore, it is crucial that The BBC supports the entire marketing team in its efforts to earn and maintain goodwill and trust from all its publics.