Defining Public Relations

The question, "What is public relations?" is extremely difficult to define, and has concerned many public relations practitioners and scholars alike. Ask anybody, and more than likely the answers will be different. Public Relations (PR) deals with a broad range of attitudes and methods, therefore, it is not easily defined. Many communication scholars agree that definitions are inherently rhetorical and that the formations of definitions are social processes that shape reality. Since definitions play critical roles both in societal processes and in the minds of those who study and practice public relations, this paper examines several popular definitions of public relations as well as a personal definition derived from a workplace experience. Most important, this paper explains that regardless of how public relations is defined, it is an essential element in the conduct of relationships for a vast variety of organizations in the 21st century.…