Submissions Open for ‘Public Relations Defined’ Initiative

The APR process provides a timeless definition: it is the management function that identifies, builds and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization’s stakeholders, and vice versa. That covers every aspect of an organization, goes beyond the tunnel vision of messaging and tactics, crosses PR subdisciplines, and hits at the core of sustainable business. Definition modernization–done!

With all due respect to PRSA’s distinguished chair and esteemed board, I’m not sure that crowdsourcing the definition of our industry is the best approach. Unfortunately, I share Rosanna’s challenge in explaining my work to my parents (who still believe that any woman in the workplace is really a secretary in disguise). However, the best definition of our work comes from the quality of the work that we do and the results we deliver. I fear that going through this exercise will only pull our association apart over semantics when we need to to be pulling together. 

That said, relationships are at the very core of everything we do. Regardless of the evolution of our tactics and technology, every strategy and objective is to build and support a relationship between an organization and its stakeholders. I agree with Mcfarlandpr’s assertion that definition given in the the APR process remains timeless and reflective of our industry today and the industry we anticipate tomorrow. 

This won’t fit into the entry blanks, but here is a working definition: It’s no longer public relations. It’s public relationships.

I have encountered two good definitions of PR in my 30+ years in the profession.  The first was in a magazine article.  At first, I was stunned by its simplicity and assumed that it was too simple, too narrow.  However, the more I thought about it, I felt that it could apply across the board.  “Public relations is doing good and getting credit for it.”  The second definition I heard in graduate school.  It’s a bit more practical and functional.  My professor said:  “Public relations is knowing what to say; when  to say it; how to say it; where to say it; to whom to say it; and, just as important, knowing when to shut up.”

We may be overthinking finding a “new” definition of PR. Suggest still keeping it simple even in the new social media environment. Here’s a suggestion:

“Public Relations role is to find creative ways for companies and organizations to clearly and honestly communicate their purpose and activities to audiences of interest and to facilitate, as necessary, a mutually beneficial dialogue with those audiences in various ways.”

Hopefully, this will help parents, relatives and others understand what we do. A few examples following the definition would be useful too. 

Interesting to me that the term “Organization” is the most central to the definitions submitted thus far. What does this mean?

Thanks for submitting your definition of public relations. We appreciate you being a part of the global initiative to modernize the definition of public relations. 

We’ll be sure to collect this, along with the data from the submission form, when we begin the process of developing the three draft definitions of public relations that we will then put up for a public vote before the profession. Keith Trivitt
PRSA

I embarked on this exact adventure in late March 2011. A culmination of some 15 blog posts with global interaction brought us a definition that more or less earned consensus. That result is here, “We’ve Defined PR, By Jove!” at http://soulati.com/blog/weve-defined-pr-by-jove for anyone wanting to see our journey. Keith, you were actively engaged; thanks for that.