Practice of Public Relations

# Definitions

(1) According to FORTUNE Magazine, good performance publicly appreciated because adequately communicated.

There are about 500 definitions of Public Relations.

(2) Public Relations is merely human decency which flows from a good heart

- By Charles Plackard        ard

(3) The purpose of Public Relations practice is to establish two way communications to resolve conflicts of interest and to establish understanding based on truth, knowledge and full information.

                                                                                                             -By Sam Black

(4) Public Relations is the top management function which gives the same organized and careful attention to the asset of goodwill as is given to any other major asset of business.

-          By John W Hill

(5) Public Relations is a combination of philosophy, sociology, economics, language, psychology, journalism, communication and other know ledges of a system of human understanding.

                                                                                                                        - By Herbert M. Bans

(6) Public Relations is an attempt by information, persuasion and adjustment to engineer public support for an activity, cause, movement or institution.

 - By Edward L. Barnays

(7) Public Relation is the communication and interpretation and communication of ideas from an institution to its publics and the communication of information, ideas and opinions from those publics to the institution, in a sincere effort to establish a maturity of interest and thus achieve the harmonious adjustment of an institution to its community.

- By Cutlip & Center

(8) Public Relations is a distinctive top management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an organization and its publics, involves the management of problems or issues, help management to keep informed on and responsive to public opinion ; defines and emphasizes the responsibility of management to serve the public interest, help management keep abreast of and effectively utilize change, serving as an early warning 

system to help anticipation trends and use research and sound and ethical communication as its principal tool.   

 - Based on 472 definitions by Dr. Rex Harlow

(9) Public Relations is 90% doing good and 10% talking about it. Public Relations cannot gloss over bad deeds to make them look good, but PR can help to get credit to the organization for job well done.

                                                                                                  - By Iqbal Sachdeva

To sum up all the definitions, Public Relations is a two way process of communication between an organization and target groups for three fold benefits:

(a)    To resolve conflicts of interest

(b)   By seeking common ground/area of mutual interest

(c)    In establishing understanding based on truth, knowledge and complete information.

This is the process, purpose and practice of Public Relations.