Public Relations Defined
Introduction
Once upon a time, XYZ Company made a quality widget. For many years thereafter, it continued to make this product. One day, a bad batch of widgets was sent to market and many individuals purchased them. XYZ Company discovered the mistake and faced a dilemma: should it inform the public and recall the widget to maintain an image of respectability and responsibility or let the product remain in the market, hoping that the consumers would not notice the blunder? According to any one person this example may fit perfectly under the title of public relations.
Public relations can be denoted a number of ways. For a clearer understanding, one should follow three steps. First, review an internal connotation and a minimum of three definitions from various sources. Second, compare and contrast each description. Finally, the participant should attempt to comprehend a legitimate reason for the multitude of meanings.
Definitions
The first step in understanding public relations is through an assemblage of multiple definitions. The authoress of this document explains public relations, or PR, as a function of an organization which examines and controls relationships through the use of communications with internal entities, such employees and the board of directors, and external publics such as the government and media, in order to maintain a particular image, whilst predetermining the ever-changing trends in public opinion. A second denotation, offered by the Public Relations Society of America (2007), suggests that PR assists "our complex, pluralistic society to reach decisions and function more effectively by contributing to mutual understanding among groups and institutions. ...