MEDIA

“Media is the collective communication outlets or tools used to store and deliver
information or data.”

It is either associated with communication media or the specialized mass media communication
businesses such as print media and the press, photography, advertising, cinema, broadcasting,
publishing and point of sale.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

“A public relations is the practice of managing the spread of information between

an individual or an 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.

INFLUENCE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS ON MEDIA

Good and ethical public relations is about mutually beneficial partnerships with the media,
leading to the sharing of quality content with the public. The complexity of modern public
relations makes this a difficult question to answer. Some research has suggested that up to 80
percent of media coverage is influenced by public relations; however, this is very much up for
debate.
Public Relations Functions

Public Relations specialized functions are categorized by the publics with which relationships are
established, and to whom appeals are made to understand and/or accept certain policies,
procedures, individuals, causes, products or services. Practitioners who perform specialized
functions may play a management role, operate as a communications technician, or function in a
dual role.

Community Relations

A public relations function consisting of an organization’s planned, active and continuing

participation with and within a community to maintain and enhance its environment to the
benefit of both the organization and the community. This can involve partnerships, volunteer
activities, philanthropic contributions and public participation.

Employee Relations

Dealing and communicating with the employees of an organization. This can include team
building and employee empowerment.

Government Relations

Dealing and communicating with legislatures and government agencies on behalf of an

organization.

Financial Relations

Dealing and communicating with firms and interest groups within the organization’s industry.

Media Relations

Dealing and communicating with the news media when seeking publicity or responding to
reporters’ questions. It also involves setting up and maintaining a professional and mutually
beneficial working relationship with news gatherers and gatekeepers, in part by becoming known
as a credible source and as a provider of factual, expert information whether or not that
information results in media coverage.

Public Affairs

Dealing and communicating with government and groups with regard to societal (public)
policies, action and legislation. Unlike government relations, where the practitioner works
strictly on behalf of an organization, public affairs also is concerned with the effect of public
policies, actions and legislation on its publics.

TYPES OF PUBLICS IN PR

PR is planned, systematic, well-organized and research based. PR starts and ends on research.
The message is constructed in an artistic way. Basically there are two types of publics

o Internal Publics
o External Publics

But sometimes there is Target Publics as well.

INTERNAL PUBLICS EXTERNAL PUBLICS TARGET PUBLICS

Directly linked with the Not directly linked with the The part of public which we
organization organization focus on is called Target
Public
EXAMPLE: Students, EXAMPLE: HEC, Affiliated EXAMPLE: Students who
Faculty members, workers are colleges, Venders, Bank, are getting admission in
the internal publics of LCWU. Donors etc are the external LCWU are the external
publics of LCWU publics, when they got
admission in LCWU they
become internal publics and
when they become the
member of a particular
department, they become the
target publics.
 ADVERTISING vs. PUBLIC RELATIONS

A technique of drawing public Public Relations is a practice of

attention to products or services, strategic communication that aims
mainly through paid at building mutually beneficial
announcements, is called relationship between the company
Advertising. and the public.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PR AND ADVERTISING

ADVERTISING PR

Advertising is a technique of drawing public Public Relations is a practice of strategic

attention to products or services, mainly communication that aims at building a
through paid announcements mutually beneficial relationship between the
company and the public.
Advertising is a purchased or paid media Public relations is an earned media.

Advertising is a monologue activity. Conversely, public relation is a two way

communication process, wherein the company
listens and responds to the public.
Advertising is done to promote product or On the other hand, a public relations aims at
services, with an aim to induce the intended maintaining a positive image of the company
audience to buy. in the media.
In advertising, the advertiser has full control In public relations, the company can pitch the
over the ad, i.e. when, how and what will be story, but has no control over, how media uses
displayed to the people. or does not use at all.

In advertising, the placement of the ad is There is no such guarantee of placement in

guaranteed case of public relations.

In advertising, the ad is published or aired as In the case of public relation, the story is
long as you are willing to pay for. published only once.

SIMILARITIES

Public relations and advertising are similar in

concept
 Both are designed to raise awareness of a
company or product in a positive manner.
 Another similarity is that in both cases the
company will often target its message
toward a particular audience.
 This could be people living in a particular
location; people of a particular age, gender
or social background; or people with
particular interests or hobbies.
 PUBLIC RELATIONS vs. PROPAGANDA

Propaganda is deliberate
and systematic attempt to
PR is planned and persuasion shape perceptions,
to adverse public opinion and manipulate cognition and
the evaluation of results for direct behavior to achieve a
the future. response that further the
desired intent of the
propagandist.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PR AND PROPAGANDA

PROPAGANDA PUBLIC RELATIONS

Aims to influence Aims to inform
We may not be able to identify the The identification of the sender is clear
source
Communication is one-sided PR is a two way communication
(feedback, dialogues)
Propaganda cares for the established PR cares for Public interest
objectives
It does not have to speak the truth It has a code of conduct that forbids
lying

SIMILARITY
There is a common link which exists between propaganda and PR i.e. to influence
perceptions. Therefore, we can say that the purpose of propaganda and PR is to
influence public perception in order to generate a desired response. For example,
it can either be to buy a company’s product or to have a positive perception about
a brand etc. This could be one of the reason as to why public relations has always
been seen as propaganda.

MARKETING vs. PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public Relations (PR) refers to the Marketing is defined as an activity

process of maintaining positive of creating, communicating and
relationship and managing the flow delivering products and services of
of information between company value to the customers.
and the general public
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PR AND MAREKTING

PUBLIC RELATIONS MARKETING

The process of maintaining a positive The range of activities that includes creation,
relationship and managing the flow of communication and delivering products and
information amidst the company and society at services of value to the customers, is called
large is called Public Relations (PR). marketing.
Public relation involves the promotion of the Although, in the case of marketing, promotion
organization and the brand. of products and services offered by the
company to its customers, is done.

Public relations is staff function which assists Both marketing and public relations are a part
organization indirectly in achieving its goals of the management function, wherein
and objective. marketing is a line function, whose
contribution to the company’s bottom line is
direct
Public relation is earned media, i.e. free media As opposed to marketing, whose foundation is
whereby the organization gains publicity paid media, which includes radio, television
through third-party endorsements such as and print advertising.
word-of-mouth, press conferences, news
releases, speeches, etc.

Public Relation covers general public as a Marketing activities are oriented towards a
whole target audience.

Public relation aims at building trust and Marketing aims at converting shoppers into
maintaining company’s reputation. buyers, i.e. to create sales.
Public relation is a two way communication. Marketing is a monologue activity, which
involves only one way communication.

Similarities

Building relations with others is important in business, and

in everyday life. Behind every campaign lies hours of
brainstorming and research. And while public relations and
inbound marketing might be seen as two different entities,
they have quite a lot in common.

The main goal for both marketing and PR is to create a

unique brand identity, boost awareness, increase web
traffic, and of course, generate relevant content.

PUBLIC RELATIONS vs. PUBLICITY

The activity of providing Public Relations is a

information about an practice of strategic
entity, i.e. a product, an communication that aims
individual or a company at building mutually
to make it popular is beneficial relationship
known as Publicity. between the company and
the public.
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PR & PUBLICITY

PUBLIC RELATIONS PUBLICITY

Public relations is fully under the company’s Publicity is not under the control of the
control. company,

Public relations is always positive, because it Publicity can be positive or negative, in the
is strategized and managed by the public sense that it can be positive or negative
relations department of the company. feedback regarding the product or service

In case of public relations, the company incurs Publicity is free of cost; as it is made by the
money to organize events, sponsor programs, third party.
third-party endorsement, etc.

Public relations seek to attract the target Publicity involves, gaining the attention of the
audience, for the purpose of boosting the media that communicates any information or
company’s sales. news, regarding a product, service, person,
organization, etc. so as to create awareness in
people.

SIMILARITIES
 Both deal with the media.
 Both reach out to the public
and to get their attention on
one’s product, organization
etc
 Each element promotes