Public relations (
PR) is the practice of managing the spread of
information between an individual or an
organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) and the
public. Public relations may include an organization or
individual gaining
exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment. This differentiates it from
advertising as a form of
marketing communications. Public relations is the idea of creating coverage for clients for free, rather than marketing or advertising. An example of good public relations would be generating an article featuring a client, rather than paying for the client to be advertised next to the article. The aim of public relations is to inform the public, prospective customers, investors, partners, employees and other stakeholders and ultimately persuade them to maintain a certain view about the organization, its
leadership, products, or political decisions. Public relations professionals typically work for
PR and
marketing firms,
businesses and
companies,
government,
government agencies and
public officials as
PIOs and
nongovernmental organizations and
nonprofit organizations. Jobs central to Public Relations include account coordinator, account executive, account supervisor and media relations manager. Those interested into public relations should have strong written and speaking abilities, be team focused and creative. A masters in strategic communication will enhance a marketing or communication BS or BA and make prospective employers more competitive in the job market.