4460 optional blog: Redefining public relations

Every new public relations student is taught (and hopefully memorizes) the textbook definition of public relations. While the basic foundation of PR--helping to spread information about a person or business--hasn’t changed, the methods have. Nowadays, public relations doesn’t bear much similarity to the practices of twenty or thirty years ago. The changing landscape of media requires that a new definition for public relations be created. The only question is, what should the new definition be?

According to this article by the New York Times, the Public Relations Society of America is attempting to craft a more modern definition of public relations, one that better reflects our shifting media. PRSA last updated its definition in 1982, and enough has happened since then that a revision seems necessary. PRSA will have to take into consideration the new terms that have been created to explain the new face of PR: terms like buzz marketing, word-of-mouth marketing and earned media.

PRSA began the process on September 30, gathering together different public relations groups in an attempt to brainstorm new ideas. They’ve also created a word cloud to see what commonly pops up when people think of public relations. People will be asked to write a sentence using the template: “public relations (does what) with or for (whom) to (do what) for (what purpose),” according to the New York Times article. The public relations groups will review the entries on Dec. 5 and then come up with 3 proposed definitions, which will then be voted on by the general public. PRSA hopes to announce a new definition by the end of the year.

This does not sound like a bad idea at all. A more up-to-date definition will ensure that PR practitioners don’t stray ethically or make a mistake. It will help to clarify what public relations is to the public, and can help to create a better public image of PR as a whole. A lot has changed since 1982. Public relations, especially as a form of communication, are required to change as well. Revising the definition is a logical first step, and I would argue that it’s a great exercise for a PR practitioner to write their own version of the template posted above. It would help us all to remember why we chose PR and what it means to us.