1 Public

Relations:
Art or Science?

Public relations seems like a self-explanatory

term, yet after more than a century as a profession, a business, and a
process, controversy and confusion might be greater than ever about
what public relations is and what it does. Most people would proba-
bly agree that PR is an information function, but that would likely be
the point at which agreement ended.

21
22 Public Relations: The Complete Guide

One Term, Many Meanings,

Lots of Misunderstanding
When a scandal becomes the big news of the day, it is not uncommon
for someone to describe those at the center of the scandal as “having
a PR problem.” Well, if they are good people and have been caught up
in the scandal unjustly, then public relations might indeed be the best
way to clarify the situation, resolve the issues, and preserve and re-
store good reputations—perhaps ultimately leaving the people in
even better standing for having overcome an ordeal. On the other
hand, if those involved in a scandal or charged with wrongdoing are
not good people, then theirs is not a PR problem, but rather a prob-
lem with the fact that they are not good people.
Contrary to a belief held by many, public relations is not a system
designed to make bad people and bad things seem like something
else. This is not to suggest that unethical practitioners in PR or any
other profession can’t pull off a sleight of hand and confuse people
for a time, but such tactics are, like patches on a bad tire, only tem-
porary and ultimately there’s the price to be paid for the deed itself,
as well as for the deception.
Perhaps one of the greatest areas of misunderstanding is that pub-
lic relations is the same as publicity—that PR people are publicists or
press agents and that their only reason to exist is to generate attention
in the media. Public relations is an umbrella term that covers a variety
of areas and functions, including communications, community rela-
tions, customer relations, consumer affairs, employee relations, industry
relations international relations, investor relations, issues management,
media relations, member relations, press agentry, promotions, publicity,
public affairs, shareholder relations, speechwriting, and visitor relations.
Clearly some of these functions overlap and many are virtually
indistinguishable from others. They become distinctive in the ways
that individuals, companies, and organizations regard a particular
function relative to their own needs and objectives. Promotion, for
example, has evolved into a large area of practice that may or may
not be revenue generating, but raises the subject to a higher level of
visibility. Many of the functions listed include the creation, produc-
 The Theory and Practice of Public Relations 23

tion, and publication of literature, research reports, surveys, audio

and video materials, online programs, newsletters, posters, seminars,
or workshops.
Agencies may specialize in particular areas, such as financial re-
lations, event management, or crisis communications, and a com-
pany’s PR department will not necessarily require or desire the full
range of capabilities or services listed above. It is important, however,
to understand that not all experts in one discipline are experts in
every other aspect of public relations.
Another misunderstanding about PR gained momentum in the
1990s when the term spin came into common usage and eventually
became extremely popular in some media circles. The term was ap-
plied to a practice by public relations people that was similar to the
efforts of propagandists of another era who focused solely on pro-
moting a particular doctrine or point of view, almost at any cost. Spin
is in fact just putting information in either a positive or negative
light, depending on the side of the issue the presenter is representing.
There is nothing devious or sinister about it, though “the spinmeis-
ters” and “spin doctors” were often referred to as if they were en-
gaged in practicing a form of black magic.
Yet another area of confusion has to do with lobbyists, who are in
many instances lawyers or experts on a particular subject, engaged in
efforts to persuade regulators and legislators to support or oppose the
creation, expansion, or elimination of certain rules or laws. Typically,
lobbyists refer to what they do as a form of public relations, which it
is. Unfortunately, the only time the general public hears the term lob-
byist used is when one is rumored to be exerting unreasonable pres-
sure or alleged to have bribed public officials with bags of money or a
junket to an island resort.
The typical lobbyist tries to persuade bureaucrats by showing
why a particular education subsidy or airport runway will be good
for local constituents. Lobbyists are involved on both sides of most
major issues, urging or recommending consideration of changes re-
garding health care, agriculture, transportation, energy, communica-
tions, environmental matters, and most of the lesser issues as well.
It’s not all about the heavy-handed wielding of extraordinary power
and huge campaign contributions in small, unmarked bills.
24 Public Relations: The Complete Guide

A Potent Persuader and Problem-Solver

Veteran public relations specialist Robert L. Dilenschneider calls PR
“the art of influence.” In Power and Influence: Mastering the Art of
Persuasion, he notes, “Power comes from remembering and using the
linkage of communication, recognition and influence. . . . The art of
influence is defining, realizing, and gradually strengthening your per-
sonal agenda.”
Public relations means, in the vernacular of creative advertising
people, giving the public “permission to believe.” If a message res-
onates, people want to accept it; they just need a reason. So PR ex-
perts give them that reason. They tell the public that the product was
“ranked number one by J.D. Power and Associates!” Or that the sub-
ject recently won a prestigious Snerkle Award for Excellence in its
class!
Who are J.D. Power and Snerkle?
It doesn’t matter. The overwhelming number of people don’t actu-
ally care. They are just pleased to be reassured that their product has
been favorably recognized by some type of accrediting authority or
some impressive-sounding organization.
Despite being head of one of the largest PR agencies in the world,
William D. Novelli never actually considered himself a public rela-
tions man. The co-founder and President of Porter Novelli, who later
served as the Executive Vice President of CARE and as Executive
Director and CEO of AARP, believes in integrated marketing solu-
tions. “At CARE we distributed t-shirts to everyone with the words
‘integrate or die,’ ” he says. “It’s necessary to step back and look at the
whole picture. Look at what needs to be accomplished and use what-
ever tactics and tools in the marketing mix will get it done.” PR’s wide
range of functions can be tapped and merged to create a plan and
strategy to address the specific requirements of a project, from re-
sponding to requests for statistics or producing the company’s annual
report to writing seminar presentations and building archives. Not all
PR people are publicists, lobbyists, or spinmeisters. And not every-
thing a PR person devises is a “publicity stunt.”
 The Theory and Practice of Public Relations 25

The Role of the PR Professional

That not all practitioners adhere to a common standard of ethics or
are supremely competent is another issue PR people confront. In a
later chapter this subject will be explored more fully, but certainly the
issue of ethical conduct has become more subjective than it was in
earlier times.
The late Philip Lesly, a leading figure in the profession for nearly
fifty years, held that public relations “involves complete analysis and
understanding of all the factors that influence people’s attitudes to-
ward an organization.” Such analysis and understanding must cer-
tainly extend beyond generating media interest.
In some of the most visible situations, a PR person is often an orga-
nization’s liaison to the outside world. A press secretary for a candidate
for public office or a spokesperson for a department of government, for
example, is usually the senior public relations person. Such high visibil-
ity and the potential impact that might result from remarks delivered—
whether carefully crafted or offered spontaneously—underscore the
importance of the “complete analysis and understanding” require-
ment of Mr. Lesly’s position. It also calls for a certain degree of diplo-
macy and good presentation skills.
The PR person in many situations is second only to the CEO as
the “face” or “voice” of an organization to its most important con-
stituent groups. Additionally, as a front line contact person, fielding
questions and receiving comments from people outside of the organ-
ization, the PR person is a critical source of information about what
members of the public are thinking or saying about the organization.
He or she has an open line to those that management seeks to influ-
ence, and it is a line that must be managed with care.

Art or Science? Even the

Professionals Don’t Agree
Members of the profession continue to debate whether public rela-
tions is best described as an art or science, while a pragmatic third
view is simply that it’s a job and a function and PR people should not
take themselves too seriously, conferring exaggerated importance on
26 Public Relations: The Complete Guide

their tasks and devising new reasons to give themselves awards. Since
the 1970s, PR specialists, realizing how much a client or company re-
ceiving an award can be used to enhance its reputation and status in
its industry, have increasingly lavished honors on themselves.
It is certainly true that, after more than a hundred years, many
management-level people still don’t have a clear appreciation for PR
or an understanding of its importance to both the company’s reputa-
tion and the marketing mix. Too many executives still regard PR
largely as the entity set up to release earnings statements and handle
questions from pesky reporters.
But such executives hold to this attitude at their peril. Influencing
how the public views a company is hardly an incidental function. In
the days of instant messaging, instant access, and 24/7 news cycles,
strong, professionally run public relations operations have been criti-
cal to the success of the most successful organizations.
Writing and presenting information that properly describes a
subject, an issue, or a company in the best possible light obviously re-
quires a certain degree of creative ability, and a job that demands the
crafting of “message points” calls for organizational as well as pres-
entation skills. It clearly is an art. And PR’s reliance on demographic
and psychographic research, lifestyle studies, census data, and opin-
ion surveys reflects a scientific approach to most key PR processes.

Public Relations and the Media

Public relations professionals are expected (and required) to have an
expert understanding of the workings of various media and at least
some knowledge of emerging technology and research, as well as
legal, cultural, political, and behavioral considerations that might be
factors in addressing the concerns of particular constituent groups.
A PR person who writes or disseminates a press release for an
event on the community calendar is performing a function that will
benefit an organization. While we know that writing is not some-
thing anyone or everyone can do with great skill, writing is only one
of the basic skills of PR professionals. But expect the billing rate to
be even higher for the unique and special capabilities of an experi-
enced crisis management expert. From a business perspective, fees
for expertise in crisis management, reputation management, in-
 The Theory and Practice of Public Relations 27

vestor relations, and mergers and acquisitions services are compa-

rable to those of many top lawyers, financial advisors, and manage-
ment consultants.
So, public relations is an art and a science and for all that it can
contribute to a company’s reputation, market position, and bottom
line, it is surely a serious factor in marketing and business as well.

S UMMARY
• Public relations means giving the public “permission to be-
lieve” your message is true and has value. If a message res-
onates, people want to accept it; they just need a reason.
• One of the greatest areas of misunderstanding is the percep-
tion that public relations is the same as publicity.
• Public relations is an umbrella term for communications,
community relations, customer relations, consumer affairs,
employee relations, industry relations, international rela-
tions, investor relations, issues management, media rela-
tions, member relations, press agentry, promotions, public-
ity, public affairs, shareholder relations, and speechwriting.
• The term spin is commonly thought to have a negative con-
notation, but in fact it is simply putting information in ei-
ther a positive or negative light, depending on the side of
the issue the presenter is representing.
• PR people are often the “face” or “voice” of an organization
to its public, fielding questions and receiving comments
from important constituent groups.

References
Robert Dilenschneider, Power and Influence (New York: Prentice-
Hall, 1990).
Philip Lesly, ed., Lesly’s Handbook of Public Relations and
Communications, Fifth Edition (Chicago: McGraw-
Hill/Contemporary, 1998).
William D. Novelli, Executive Director and CEO of AARP, quoted
in a 2003 interview with the author.