A public relations team has the responsibility of representing an organization accurately, truthfully and ethically.
Companies depend on public relations professionals to engage and communicate with their internal and external audiences as well as defend their reputations from attack. A global economy, an increase in social media and a 24/7 news cycle have created increased demand for people who possess public relations expertise. The number of public relations specialists is expected to increase 24 percent by 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Representation to the Media
Representation of an organization to news media is one of the more well known responsibilities of a public relations department. Specific tasks include writing and distributing news releases, managing media contact information, measuring news coverage of a particular organization, tracking news trends impacting a company, and organizing news conferences. Building as well as maintaining relationships with reporters who cover a particular company or its industry is another task of a public relations team.
Representation Online
Building, shaping and monitoring a company's online presence is a growing public relations responsibility. Public relations professionals use tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube to raise a company's name recognition, connect with company customers or stakeholders, and follow discussions impacting a company's goals or reputation. Public relations departments also share responsibility for website creation with other departments such as information technology or advertising.
Advocacy and Strategic Communication
Creating communication campaigns for a company's internal and external audiences is another responsibility that falls under the public relations umbrella. A communication campaign designed to influence public opinion or change policy might include speeches, newsletters, sample letters to Congress, videos, or additional web pages or social media sites. Senior members of a public relations team have the responsibility of working with company leaders to develop specific campaign goals and strategy.
Crisis Communication
Creating a crisis communication response plan and training employees on the plan's implementation is a critical responsibility of a public relations team. A crisis communication scenario can be defined as any threat to a company's reputation. Crafting a plan includes determining logistics for expected media, identifying a company spokesperson, and creating talking points and other background information for news media and impacted publics. While not every crisis can be predicted, iidentifying company actions or decisions that could turn into a potential crisis scenario is another responsibility of a public relations team.
Ethics
Public relations professionals also have a responsibility to conduct their work ethically. Standards for ethics in public relations include communicating accurate and truthful information, protecting private or confidential information, avoiding conflicts of interest, and working to strengthen the public's trust in the public relations industry, according to the Public Relations Society of America.
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