Public Relations
...s maintain, which implies establishment of a relationship for an organization with the public. The third not only discusses mutual satisfaction, but a planned process for influence of the public’s opinion and stresses communication between all involved parties. In comparing these definitions it is apparent that they all hold the belief of maintaining and influencing the public. Each definition states that the relationship between the public and the organization should be done with mutual understanding and satisfaction. Lastly, all three definitions discuss adapting and the use of a planned process. Though all three are subject to interpretation the message is similar in that providing for a positive public image and maintaining a good relationship is important to the success of any organization. A Reason Along with the three definitions discussed here, there are endless others, and many ways to interpret them. Some of the reasons for there being so many, could be, that everyone has a different understanding of belief about what public relations is about. Is it about the company’s image externally or internally? Is it about communication or persuasion? All of which is subject to the interpretation or theory of the person reading the definition. Public Relations is not yet considered a licensed profession, although individuals like Edward Bernay tried to establish public relations as a licensed vocation, for years, even introducing a bill in1992 when he was 100 years old (The Case for PR Licensing, para. 1, pg. 1). Perhaps this is another reason for there being many definitions of public relations. The public relations vocation is not licensed so there is no way to hold anyone practicing the professions to any standard, let alone one definition. Bernay is quoted in the bill he presented as saying, “The status quo produces two victims: (1) clients or employers of public relations practitioners who usually have no standard by which to measure qualifications and (2) qualified practitioners whose positions are demeaned by those lacking the experience, education, skills and integrity that true professionals have long labored to attain. Equally important, the public interest is poorly served when those who heavily influence the channels of communication and action in a media-dominated society are inept or worse” (The Case for PR Licensing, para. 5 pg. 1). Having a clearly defined definition and licensing procedure for the public relations field could, relieve some of the confusion around what public relations truly means. Conclusion In conclusion, these are just a few of the reasons that there are many definitions of public relations. Public relations has been a formal practice for less t...