PR Definition
A new definition of public relations
IPRA has created a new definition of PR fit for the times we live in. The definition reads:
Public relations is a decision-making management practice tasked with building relationships and interests between organisations and their publics based on the delivery of information through trusted and ethical communication methods.
How is this new definition structured?
First, given the nature of communication today, where brevity is key, this is a short definition - it is 30 words long.
Second, it seeks to explain the what, the why and the how. What is PR? Why do we do it? And how do we do it?
- WHAT .. Public relations is a decision-making management practice ..
- WHY .. tasked with building interests and relationships between organisations and their publics ..
- HOW .. based on the delivery of information..
Finally, conscious of the IPRA heritage based on our code of conduct, and of a world today imperilled with fake news, IPRA wants to say something more. This is how IPRA members do PR and how we think the world should do PR. That is PR based on trust and ethics.
- IPRA .. through trusted and ethical communication methods.
What is not in the definition?
In formulating the definition there were a number of considerations. The definition should
- be neutral until the last phrase with the IPRA flavour
- work in both developed and emerging PR markets
- be future proof
- avoid channels of communication such as written press, events, social and digital media
- avoid consequent objectives such as influence where the primary objective is the building of a relationship
- avoid objectives that are only sometimes the case such as a claim to be strategic or that there is always a dialogue
- avoid being specific on techniques that are captured by delivery of information
- avoid examples and thus be incomplete
- avoid making trust and ethics an inherent quality of the source but rather something that requires a method to achieve.
The definition in the language of our members
IPRA is proud to present its definition of public relations in some of the languages of our members
English
Public relations is a decision-making management practice tasked with building relationships and interests between organisations and their publics based on the delivery of information through trusted and ethical communication methods.
Arabic
العلاقات العامة هي إحدى ممارسات إدارة اتخاذ القرار و تشمل مهام تكوين العلاقات والحفاظ على المصالح بين المؤسسات وجماهيرها المستهدفة بناء على تقديم المعلومات من خلال طرق تواصل موثوقة و أخلاقية.
Faisal Zahrani
Armenian
Հասարակայնության հետ կապերը որ
Armenian Public Relations Association
Bulgarian
Връзките с обществеността са отговорно мениджърско задължение, което е концентрирано върху изграждането на контакти и интереси между организациите и техните аудитории базирано върху комуникирането на информация чрез доверени и етични методи за комуникация.
Maria Gergova-Bengtsson
Chinese traditional (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau)
公共關係是一項決策性的管理功能。從業人員透過信任和符合道德標準的溝通方法，在機構與其眾多持份者之間建立關係和培養興趣
Chinese simplified (Mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore)
公共关係是一项决策性的管理功能。从业人员透过信任和符合道德标準的沟通方法，在机构与其众多持份者之间建立关係和培养兴趣
The Public Relations Association of Hong Kong
Dutch/Flemish
Public relations is een managementpraktijk op het gebied van besluitvorming die tot taak heeft relaties en belangen op te bouwen tussen organisaties en hun publiek, gebaseerd op het verstrekken van informatie via betrouwbare en ethische communicatiemethoden.
Philippe Borremans
Farsi
روابط عمومی یک شیوه مدیریت تصمیم گیری است که وظیفه ایجاد روابط و منافع بین سازمان ها و مخاطبان آنها بر اساس ارسال اطلاعات از طریق روش های ارتباطی اخلاقی و قابل اعتماد را بر عهده دارد.
Kargozar PR Institute, Iran
French
Les relations publiques sont une pratique de gestion de la prise de décision qui vise à établir des relations et des intérêts entre les organisations et leurs publics en s'appuyant sur la diffusion de l'information par des méthodes de communication fiables et éthiques.
Philippe Borremans
German
Public Relations ist eine Managementdisziplin, die Beziehungen und gemeinsame Interessen zwischen Organisationen und deren Öffentlichkeiten aufbaut und pflegt. Sie nutzt Information und Dialog auf Basis vertrauenswürdiger und ethischer Kommunikationsmethoden.
Anne-Gret Iturriaga Abarzua and Daniel Silberhorn
Italian
Le relazioni pubbliche sono una pratica di gestione decisionale che ha il compito di costruire relazioni e interessi tra le organizzazioni e il loro pubblico sulla base della diffusione di informazioni attraverso metodi di comunicazione etici e affidabili.
INEOS
Japanese
パブリックリレーションズは、信頼のおける、倫理的なコミュニケーション手法を通し、
組織と組織をとりまくパブリックとの間に、関係と利益を築くため、意思決定の管理を実践
することである
PR Consulting Dentsu
Portuguese
As relações públicas são uma prática de gestão da tomada de decisões que visa criar relações e interesses entre as organizações e os seus públicos com base no fornecimento de informação através de métodos de comunicação fiáveis e éticos.
Philippe Borremans
Serbian
Odnosi s javnošću su upravljačka funkcija koja uključuje donosioce strateških odluka u organizaciji, sa zadatkom Izgradnje dugoročnih odnosa i interesa između organizacije i njenih ključnih javnosti - odnosa zasnovanih na međusobnom informisanju kroz pouzdane I etične komunikacione metode.
Nataša Pavlovic Bujas
Shona
Public Relations ibasa rekusarudza nzira kwayo yekuvaka hushamwari pakati pemabhizimusi nevavanoshanda navo pachishandiswa nzira dzakasiyana siyana dzinobatsira kuti hukama uhu hudzame zviri pachena.
Mike Hamilton, Zimbabwe Institute of Public Relations
Spanish
Las relaciones públicas son una práctica de gestión de la toma de decisiones encargada de construir relaciones e intereses entre las organizaciones y sus públicos basados en la entrega de información a través de métodos de comunicación éticos y de confianza.
Philippe Borremans
Urdu
تعلقات عامہ انتظامی فیصلہ سازی کا وہ جزو ہے جس میں طے شدہ مقاصد کی تکمیل کے لیے اداروں اور ان سے متعلق عوام کے درمیان درست معلومات کی دو طرفہ فراہمی کے ذریعےتعلقات کو استوار اور مضبوط کیا جاتا ہے۔
Aamir Abbasi and Hasan Zuberi, Council of PR Pakistan
Is this the last word?
The definition was adopted by the IPRA Board at its meeting in Yerevan, Armenia in September 2019. It is the result of several months of discussion by IPRA members after they saw a rather lengthy definition of PR claimed to have an IPRA origin and clearly dating back several decades. IPRA recognises we live in a dynamic world. Practitioners and academics have been defining PR for decades. Seminars have been dedicated to it. IPRA offers our definition as we see it today. All feedback is welcome. And if IPRA makes changes to this definition based on such feedback, it is because we believe in the power of communication to build relationships and to change minds.
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