TABLE OF CONTENTS By the end of this chapter you should:
have a clear understanding of what public relations is;
have a clear understanding of what publics are;
be aware of how above and below the line communications methods can be used for public relations purposes;
be clear about the different types of public relations efforts that exist;
be aware of public relations planning methods;
be clear about what needs to be contained within each section of a public relations plan.
Public relations (PR) as it is practised today is largely a twentieth-century phenomenon, although it has been practised sporadically since earliest times. Today, it is the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), within the UK, that we must look towards to begin to understand current practice.
The IPR defines public relations in the following way:
Public relations is about reputation: the result of what you do, what you say and ...
