| Public relations and publicity are not two different branches but are the two aspects of the same things. While their boundaries may well overlap but yet differs in the technique of their approach. Public relation deals with individual publicity with the people in a mass while dissemination of information to the people in the mass is distinct from individual publicity. |
PUBLICITY, PROPAGANDA AND ADVERTISING
There is confusion between public relations, publicity, propaganda and advertising. To have a clear and precise idea of public relations, they should be distinguished from each other and not to be confused. The public relations officer must know the distinction between these activities.
PUBLICITY:
Public relations and publicity are not two different branches but are the two aspects of the same things. While their boundaries may well overlap but yet differs in the technique of their approach. Public relation deals with individual publicity with the people in a mass while dissemination of information to the people in the mass is distinct from individual publicity. It has been defined as "The art of dealing with the people in the masses. Its chief function is to gain public attention for clients. It is also a process of making something known. We can also say that it is an unpaid form of advertising.
PROPAGANDA:
Public relation is not propaganda. The definition given by Gobbles is "It is a deliberate & guided campaign to induce people for the acceptance of given idea. No regard is given to the public opinion in propaganda and it always seeks to serve its own selfish end." It is the end that matters in propaganda and not the means. In propaganda false information and sinister motives often enter. The propaganda technique, include deliberate lies, double talk, omission of facts, distortion of facts, exaggeration, prejudiced appeals, etc.
ADVERTISING:
Advertising is the business of selling goods & services & ideas by inducing people to want them or it is a paid form of publicity. Public Relation is not advertising. The advertising media are newspaper, radio, television, film, mails, internet, websites, outdoor publicity, etc.
MEANING OF PUBLIC OPINION:
According to Bertrand R. Canadian, "Public opinion is an expression of a belief held in common by members of a group or public on a controversial issue. The public opinion emanates from an individual’s opinion of members of a group whose views are subjected to the influences exerted by the group until a consensus is reached and is expressed as the public opinion.
Public opinion is usually expressed after controversy, dispute and debate over some controversial question, which concerns the welfare doctrines and value system of a group. For public opinion to be aroused there must exist an issue or question about which members of the groups have affirmative or negative views. Public opinion is not simply the opinion of a majority of a group. To truly express public opinion, the belief must be unanimous. Otherwise, it is simply majority or a minority opinion. A majority opinion is not sufficient to constitute public opinion. The opinion must be representative of the group as a whole though the minority may not have it and they feel bound by conversion and be feared to accept the group’s opinion and submit ungrudgingly to the majority.
OPINION FORMATION:
The basic objective of public relations is to influence public opinion, which develops from the attitudes of individual comprising the public. Therefore, it is important to understand the meaning of attitudes, why people hold attitudes and their role in the opinion for mind process.
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Chapter 1: MEANING OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
Chapter 2: PERSONAL QUALITIES OF PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
Chapter 3: ACTIVITIES OF PRO
Chapter 4: PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAM
Chapter 5: PUBLICITY, PROPAGANDA AND ADVERTISING
Chapter 6: Attitude; HOW GOOD SHOULD BE A GOOD PRO?
Chapter 7: QUALIFICATIONS OF PRO
Chapter 8: PUBLIC RELATIONS POLICY