Importance of Public Relations in today’s World: A Global Perspective

A strategic way to deal between organizations and their public or private sectors is known as Public Relations. This also refers to maintaining the communication process between an organization and its public. A Public Relations officer manages clients for press conferences, writes speeches for company leaders, writes content for social media releases, manages the reputation of the company during times of crisis, etc. The main perspective of a Public Relations Officer is to inform the public, customers, investors, stakeholders, or other people related to the company. Maintaining Public Relations for an organization is a phenomenon that has a historical root. The propaganda was started by the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany during the world war to criticize enemies. Most historians believe that it was first stated in the United States by Ivy Lee and Edward and was later spread internationally. Many American companies with Public Relations departments spread this practice to Europe as well. In the middle 1900s, there was professional development in the field of Public Relations and in that era, trade associations, public relational news magazines, international public relations agencies, and academic principles for the profession were established. In the early 2000s, a social press release came into action.

Considering the importance of public relations and public relations agencies, World Public Relations Day is celebrated in a very biddable and dutiful way. Though there is no such fixed date for world public Relations Day, each of the countries has its own routine to observe World PR Day. National Public Relations Day is observed in our country on 21st April. The tradition of celebrating this day was started in the year 1986. The first All India Public Relations Conference was organized in Delhi. The theme of the conference was “Professional Approach”. It was pronounced public relations meetings in our country because a professional approach was given to public relations. It was a great step for the beginning of the public relations in India. The objective behind designing April 21st as National Public Relations Day is to focus attention on public relations function and public relations professionals in India, who have an increasingly important role in the development of the country. Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) also stated that “April 21st is a red-letter day in the history of Indian public relations. It is because the National Public Relations Day has been celebrated on this day all over the country since 1986”. Public Relations Society of India has organized 26 All India conferences since its inception in 1986 including the 9th Public Relation World Congress in Bombay the first Asia Pacific Public Relation Meet in Kolkata in January 1998 and the International Public Relation Conference at Bangalore in 2002.

Public Relation Society of India, Delhi Chapter celebrated National Public Relation Day on 21st April 2010 at Mirza Galib Hall Scope Complex, New Delhi in the afternoon time by organizing a seminar on “RTI for strengthening Democracy and the role of Public Relations”. The discussion was carried out on various aspects of RTI and its role, its functioning, and its far-reaching implications in delivering justice to people and ensuring transparency and accountability in governance.

On the same day, PRSI Guwahati also celebrated National Public Relations Day. A program was organized at the NRL Office Conference Hall to mark the occasion. The chairperson welcomed the gathering and appraised the house about the importance of National Public Relations Day. The Ahmadabad chapter of PRSI has also celebrated National PR Day and their theme was the same as the conference held in the capital of the country Delhi. The Ahmadabad conference’s quote for the themed celebration was “RTI act is not a weapon, but is a tool for healthy Democracy”.

On the other hand, on the same day, cities like Bhopal, Nagpur, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kolkata, and Mumbai Were also seen celebrating National Public Relations Day with the same topic of the Right to Information Act. A well-attended occasion was marked on this day all over the cities. During the celebration in Kolkata, five public relations toppers from different institutions were felicitated on the occasion.

In the celebration that was held in Bhopal, Manoj Shrivastava was the speaker and the outgoing commissioner of Public Relations who combined RTI in strengthening democracy and the role of public relations in his speech. He said, “RTI is rightfully seeking information and Public Relations is dutifully disseminating information and both were essential in strengthening of any democracy.”

 The Public Relations Society of India thus assumes greater responsibility in informing, educating, communicating, awakening, and promoting the society in exercising the value of public relations in India. This kind of approach is appreciable in India so that a healthy and prosperous democracy is groomed and strengthened. Public relations practitioners should resolve every year on National Public Relations Day to sincerely discharge this responsibility with the fullest commitment to the profession.

The outcome of the bidding process for the World Public Relations Forum 2018 was announced in September 2016. The Norwegian Communication Association (NCA) was the host of the 2018 WPRF in Oslo. Oslo was the right place for the global profession that convened in 2018. Norway shapes modernity because of its innovative economy, its competitiveness, and its inclusive society. World Public Relations Forum inspired communicators to address all modern communication challenges and opportunities. 

 The World Public Relations Forum assembled in many countries during the past years with public relations and communication professionals from around the world to examine major issues affecting the profession and affected by the profession. In 2016, the program was held in Toronto, in 2014 in Madrid, and in 2012 and 2010 in Melbourne and Stockholm respectively.

The International Public Relations Association (IPRA) is a bit older association than PRSI. It was founded 60 years ago, when in the late 1940s several Dutch and British public relations (PR) practitioners discussed the notion of organizing public relations professionals into transnational society.  It was formally established in London on May 1, 1955. The objective of the International Public Relations Association was to work to raise standards of public relations and practice it worldwide. The main objective was to improve the quality of public relations practitioners all over the world. Also today, IPRA is known as the most versatile worldwide organization with members in both established and emerging countries. The International Public Relations Association is promoting its objectives in emerging as well as lacking countries to convert them to established ones by delivering knowledge about public relations and its work. It is governed by a geographical representative board and run by an international Secretariat. IPRA represents individual professionals, not agencies or companies. IPRA is recognized by the United Nations and has been granted consultative status by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The main agenda of World Public Relations Day is to promote the aim and objectives since people need to know about the works and perspectives of the public relations officials as well as the organization. There are a lot of aspects in the field of public relations. The students graduating in English literature, journalism, public relations, and communication are typical practitioners of Public Relations. Sometimes it is unknown to many of the regions that there even exists a career in public relations. So, celebrating or observing World Public Relations Day, thus informs the public about career opportunities and helps students to take a step forward for career counseling regarding this practice. Salaries tended to be higher for persons employed in major media markets such as New York and Los Angeles and lower for those employed in tertiary markets. According to a 2017 survey of salaries, public relations practitioners of the United States private sector range from  54,900 US Dollars for

an early career person as an account executive to 185,000 US Dollars for a senior position as a vice president of public relations.  In the public sector the analysis of the salaries within the US federal government is as follows-

1) A public affairs worker earns a salary of 101,922 US Dollars.

2) Meanwhile, the highest earnings of the US government are 229,333 US Dollars.

Salaries of public relations specialists in local government vary widely unlike the private sector. A public relations practitioner who is in media relations accumulates a list of relationships that become an asset. Various disciplines are specific to public relations. Financial public relations is done by bringing off the communication about the financial results of a business strategy. For a consumer or lifestyle public relations, the public relations officer needs to gain publicity for a particular product or service. When there is a crisis in the organization, the proper responsibility is taken by the public relations officer. When it comes to internal communication, a public relations officer communicates with the company or organization itself and makes the major decisions. They also try to engage government departments to influence public policy. When it comes to media relations, public relations officers involve them in maintaining a good bond and building a good relationship so that they can promote and sell a business to the media according to their own policies. Social media also plays an important role in today’s environment. Public relations officers broadcast or send their messages about their clients to desired target markets.