Public Relation_Benefits

The term "public relations" is practically self-explanatory, yet over the years it has meant different things to different people. To some the term conjures up negative images of publicity "hacks," press agents, and propagandists. To others public relations means making corporations and other types of organizations more responsive to the demands of public opinion. In its simplest form, public relations means relating to the public. As practiced in the first years of the 20th century before the term "public relations" was coined, it meant one-way communications from an organization to its audience, or simple publicity. As public relations evolved during the 20th century, it recognized the importance of public opinion and its impact on the organization, and thus the necessity for two-way communication between an organization and its publics.