PRACTICAL SESSION

Now compare your definitions:

 How different are they?

 Public relation is concerned with the gaining of publicity. Not all

publicity derives from public relation.

 What do they have in common?

 Public relations specialists establish and maintain relationships with an

organization's target audience, the media, relevant trade media, and
other opinion leaders. Common responsibilities include designing
communications campaigns, writing press releases and other content
for news, working with the press, arranging interviews for company
spokespeople, writing speeches for company leaders, acting as an
organisation's spokesperson, preparing clients for press conferences,
media interviews and speeches, writing website and social
media content, managing company reputation (crisis management),
managing internal communications, and marketing activities like brand
awareness and event management.

 What are the differences & why do think they exist?

 General Communications: Often, students pursue a degree in

general communications, which can be applied to the public relations
field. Entering general communications, one can expect to have the
qualities of ensuring good communication within a business or
organization. Why is this important? Okay, so your organization has
levels in which it operates, leaders, employees, volunteers, etc. These
 public relations communicators ensure that all communication across
this divide is carried out appropriately, efficiently and effectively.

 Community Relations: For a business or organization, it is vital to

have a presence in the community. It not only builds a good reputation
for your brand, but doing things in the community is really just a great
opportunity to help out those who need it. These are just a few reasons
why a PR pro would pursue a community relations position.
Communicating what a brand stands for through events and
community engagement can be a powerful tool in locally building brand
reputation in the area.

 Health Communications: With the medical field being such a intense

and specific category of business/non-profit it is imperative that the
individuals that are facilitating its internal and external communication
be coherent in the operations and positions of the industry. These PR
practitioners deal with clients, doctors, nurses, billing, etc. in order to
ensure that, like all fields, communication is carried out effectively and
appropriately. Although these pros aren’t specialists in the medical
field, they are educated and train to know at least what is going on in
the facility to provide better communication processes and develop
relevant PR plans to engage clients.  

 Media Relations: Generally, the public and businesses have a

perception of PR that everyone deals with the media and press. Some
do and yes, it is crucial to have the skills to do this, but not all
practitioners have this in their everyday job description. Media relations
personnel are the pros that specialize in press communication. This
means that they are the ones who are writing press releases,
scheduling press conferences and anything else that has to deal with
media. These folks are the ones who are responsible for how your
brand is portrayed in the media. They are brave souls.
 Public Affairs: This sect of public relations is mainly using the
government as a tool for communication, whether that is to enhance
your brand, organization, or cause. If your brand or cause is one that a
politician or government official is interested in, this could lead to them
endorsing it or being a spokesperson for it. As we all know, politicians
have a lot of power in persuading and informing the public about things
(that they care about) that is going on in the community & your brand
could be one of them! Public affairs pros specialize in making
connections and keeping relationships with these officials and can be a
great tool in your PR toolbox.