Public relations is what public relations does. Historically the activity has matured from one way information transfer to a two way communication concept of sending messages and taking notice of the feedback to the present idea of an organizations tuning up amicably and cordially with the targeted publics. Public relations is indeed an applied science. As believed Edward L. Bernays 1986, a profession is an art applied to a science in a manner that puts public interest ahead of personal gain. the import of public relations practice lies in the outcomes showing up from the setting of principles and theories to operation in a manner that is helpful in the furtherance of both the organization engaging the public relations professional and the relevant social order or fraternity as a whole.
"By not developing a widely accepted definition and a central organizing principle or paradigm the field of public relations has left itself vulnerable (1) to other fields that are making inroads into public relations traditional domain and (2) to critics who are filling in their own definitions of public relations. While opportunities abound public relations is unlikely to fulfill its promise until it is willing and able to identify its fundamental nature and scope".
The expression public relations is many a time ambiguous and baffling as it is very often practiced imprecisely and rather carelessly. In case public relations is put to use precisely it characterizes the processes of practice i.e. the techniques strategies structures and tactics of the discipline. |
