How to Explain What is Public Relations?

Seventy-three percent of people who do PR for a living don’t believe “public relations” will describe their job in five years.

That’s from a 2021 Muck Rack survey of actual PR professionals—not outsiders guessing, but the people whose business cards literally say “Public Relations Manager.” They’re trying to rename their own profession. Think about that. Doctors aren’t saying “maybe we should stop calling it medicine.” Teachers aren’t rebranding education. But PR pros? They want out of the term.

The reason cuts to the heart of why explaining PR is so difficult: nobody—including the professionals—fully agrees on what it is anymore. The field evolved faster than the language. What started as “getting stories in newspapers” now includes crisis management, influencer partnerships, SEO strategy, employee communications, and about seventeen other things that didn’t exist in 1950.

So when someone asks you to explain public relations, you’re not just defining a job. You’re trying to explain a profession in the middle of an identity crisis.

The Perception Gap Problem

Public relations exists because of a gap. Not a skills gap or a budget gap, but a perception gap—the space between how an organization wants to be seen and how it’s actually seen by the world.

Every company, person, or brand has one. Apple wants you to see innovation and premium quality. Your local restaurant wants you to think “fresh ingredients, friendly service.” Your college wants prospective students to believe it’s academically rigorous but also fun.

But wanting to be seen that way doesn’t make it true in people’s minds.

This gap is where PR lives. The work involves either changing what people think (shifting perception closer to your intended image) or changing what you actually do (shifting reality to match the image you’re trying to project). Often, it’s both at once.

Here’s what makes PR different from its cousins—advertising, marketing, and publicity:

Advertising says “here’s what we want to tell you about ourselves, and we’re paying to make sure you hear it.”

Marketing focuses on “here’s how we’ll identify what you need, position our product to meet that need, and drive you toward a purchase.”

PR operates on “here’s how we’ll shape what others say about us—through media, word of mouth, and earned trust—so people form positive opinions without us explicitly paying for them.”

The distinction matters because trust works differently depending on the source. When you see an ad, you know the company paid for it. Your guard goes up. When you read a news article featuring that company, or hear a friend mention it, or see a respected influencer genuinely using the product—that feels different. More credible. Earned, not bought.

That’s the core of PR: engineering conversations you don’t fully control but desperately need.

The Three Rings Framework: Understanding PR Through Overlap

The traditional definition of public relations—”strategic communication that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics”—is accurate but unhelpfully abstract. It’s like defining pizza as “a baked flatbread with toppings.” True, but it doesn’t help you understand why people love it.

A better way to grasp PR is through what I call the Three Rings Framework. Picture three overlapping circles:

Ring 1: What You Say
This includes your messaging, your brand voice, press releases, speeches, social media posts—every piece of communication that comes directly from you. It’s the controlled narrative.

Ring 2: What Others Say
Media coverage, customer reviews, social media mentions, analyst reports, word-of-mouth recommendations, influencer commentary—all the conversations happening about you that you don’t author yourself.

Ring 3: What You Do
Your actual behavior as an organization. Product quality, customer service, how you treat employees, your response to crises, corporate social responsibility, environmental practices—the reality of your operations.

True public relations happens at the intersection of all three rings.

If you only focus on Ring 1 (what you say), you’re just doing communications or corporate messaging. If you only monitor Ring 2 (what others say), you’re doing media monitoring or sentiment analysis. If you only focus on Ring 3 (what you do), you’re doing operations or CSR without the communication layer.

PR professionals work in the overlap:

They craft what you say (Ring 1) to influence what others say (Ring 2)
They listen to what others say (Ring 2) to inform what you should do (Ring 3)
They ensure what you do (Ring 3) aligns with what you say (Ring 1) so there’s no credibility gap

When all three rings align—when your messaging matches your actions, and what people say about you reflects both—that’s when PR succeeds. The perception gap closes.

What PR Actually Looks Like in Practice

The abstract framework helps, but PR becomes clearer through examples of what PR professionals actually do day-to-day.

Media Relations

A tech startup launches a new AI tool. The PR team doesn’t buy ads saying “our tool is amazing.” Instead, they:

Identify journalists who cover AI technology
Craft a pitch explaining why this tool matters and what makes it newsworthy
Offer the company’s CTO for interviews
Provide exclusive early access to a tech blogger with 200,000 followers

When TechCrunch or Wired publishes an article about the tool, readers see it as editorial content—journalists chose to cover it because it’s interesting—not because the company paid for space. That coverage has dramatically more credibility than an ad.

That’s media relations. About 8% of PR pitches result in media coverage, and the average journalist response rate to pitches sits at 3.43% in 2025. The work requires building genuine relationships with reporters, understanding what makes news, and timing stories to cultural moments.

Crisis Management

In January 2025, several major brands faced PR crises that became case studies in how public perception can shift overnight. A poor response can permanently damage a company’s reputation. A skilled response can sometimes even strengthen it.

When a crisis hits—a product recall, executive scandal, data breach, discriminatory policy—PR teams:

Assess the situation and its potential impact
Craft messaging that acknowledges the issue without making false promises
Coordinate responses across all channels (press statements, social media, internal communications)
Monitor public sentiment in real-time
Advise leadership on actions to take (not just what to say, but what to do)

The Stanley Cup fire incident in late 2023 shows crisis response done well: a woman’s car burned down but her Stanley tumbler survived with ice still inside. Stanley’s president responded within two days, engaged personally with the customer, and turned a potential crisis into a viral marketing moment. The company didn’t pay for that coverage—they earned it through a well-executed response.

Thought Leadership & Content Strategy

PR teams position executives as experts in their field by:

Securing speaking opportunities at industry conferences
Ghostwriting op-eds for publication in business media
Creating data-driven research reports that media outlets cite
Building relationships with podcast hosts for interview opportunities

When a CEO becomes a recognized voice on industry trends, it elevates the entire company’s credibility. But unlike ads, this requires actually being knowledgeable and having something valuable to contribute. You can’t fake thought leadership—at least not for long.

Internal Communications

Public relations isn’t only external. Many PR teams manage employee communications:

Company newsletters explaining strategic decisions
Internal messaging around organizational changes
Programs that encourage employees to become brand ambassadors
Crisis communications to employees before information goes public

Employee sentiment matters because unhappy employees talk publicly. Glassdoor reviews, Reddit posts, LinkedIn complaints—all of these shape public perception. Internal PR helps ensure employees understand and support company direction.

Digital PR & SEO Integration

Modern PR increasingly overlaps with digital marketing. Digital PR focuses on:

Earning backlinks from reputable publications to boost search rankings
Creating shareable content that generates organic social media engagement
Building relationships with online influencers
Monitoring brand mentions across digital channels

According to recent data, digital PR has emerged as the most effective link-building strategy because it secures editorial backlinks from trusted publications. Google’s John Mueller has noted that digital PR is often more critical than technical SEO.

How PR Differs From Marketing and Advertising

The confusion between PR, marketing, and advertising is so common that it deserves direct address.

Marketing’s Core Goal: Drive sales and revenue
PR’s Core Goal: Build reputation and manage perception

Marketing asks “how do we get people to buy?” PR asks “how do we get people to trust?”

Advertising’s Core Goal: Controlled promotion through paid channels
PR’s Core Goal: Earned credibility through third-party validation

Advertising gives you complete control—you decide the message, placement, timing, and frequency. PR gives you less control but more credibility. When Forbes writes about your company because you’re genuinely newsworthy, readers trust it more than if you bought an ad in Forbes.

The global PR market reached $114.1 billion in 2024 and is expected to hit $144.28 billion by 2028. That’s separate from the $1 trillion spent on advertising in 2024. Companies invest in both because they serve different purposes.

Think of it this way:

Marketing creates the strategy to reach your audience and drive business goals
Advertising pays to deliver your message directly to that audience
PR earns third-party voices to validate your message to that audience

The most effective companies use all three in coordination. A tech product launch might include:

Marketing strategy (identifying target customers, pricing, positioning)
Advertising (sponsored posts, display ads, paid search)
PR (media coverage, influencer partnerships, thought leadership articles)

Each reinforces the others, but they’re not interchangeable.

The Measurement Challenge

Here’s one of PR’s biggest struggles: proving it works.

Marketing has clear metrics. Sales revenue. Conversion rates. Cost per acquisition. You can draw direct lines from marketing spend to business outcomes.

PR’s impact is fuzzier. How do you quantify “reputation”? What’s the dollar value of a positive news article?

Traditionally, PR measured success through:

Media impressions (how many people potentially saw coverage)
Share of voice (how much you’re mentioned compared to competitors)
Sentiment analysis (are mentions positive, negative, or neutral?)

These metrics show PR activity but struggle to connect to business results. C-suites want to know: “Did this PR campaign increase revenue or not?”

Modern PR teams increasingly track:

Website traffic from earned media coverage
Backlink quality and domain authority improvements
Social media engagement on brand content
Conversion data for visitors coming from PR-generated sources
Brand search volume increases following PR campaigns

In 2024, 70% of PR professionals brief leadership on measurement and reporting monthly or more. The field is becoming more data-driven, but the challenge remains: PR’s true value often shows up in what doesn’t happen (crises averted, competitors blocked, trust maintained) rather than in positive events you can measure.

As one PR leader put it: “You don’t know the value of your smoke alarm until your house catches fire.”

Common Misconceptions About PR

Several myths persist about public relations. Let’s clear them up:

Misconception 1: “PR is just press releases and media coverage”

Press releases and media relations are PR tactics, not the whole job. Modern PR includes crisis communications, thought leadership, employee relations, influencer partnerships, event management, social media strategy, and stakeholder relations. Media relations is one tool in a much larger toolkit.

Misconception 2: “PR is spin and manipulation”

This is the one that bothers PR professionals most. Yes, there have been PR disasters involving deception. But sustainable PR is built on truth. As one practitioner noted, “You can’t spin your way out of actually being bad at what you do.”

Effective PR aligns what you say with what you do. If there’s a gap between messaging and reality, good PR either changes the messaging to be honest or advises leadership to change their practices. Spin might work briefly, but it destroys trust when people discover the truth—and they always do.

Misconception 3: “Any publicity is good publicity”

This P.T. Barnum quote from the 1800s needs to die. Bad publicity damages brands, sometimes irreparably. The 2010 BP oil spill, the 2017 United Airlines passenger-dragging incident, countless social media crises—these weren’t “good publicity” that “raised awareness.” They were reputation disasters that cost companies billions.

In today’s social media environment where bad news spreads faster than ever, “any publicity is good publicity” is dangerously wrong advice.

Misconception 4: “PR gives instant results”

Unlike ads that drive immediate traffic, PR is a long-game strategy. Building relationships with journalists takes months. Establishing thought leadership takes years. Recovering from a reputation crisis takes even longer.

A Harvard Business Review study found that it can take 20 years to build a strong reputation and five minutes to destroy it. PR’s value accumulates over time through consistent relationship-building and sustained credibility.

Misconception 5: “PR is only for big companies”

While Fortune 500 companies have large PR budgets, small businesses and startups benefit enormously from good PR. Local media coverage, community relations, and digital PR are accessible to companies of any size. A single well-placed media story can transform a small business overnight.

Misconception 6: “PR and marketing are the same thing”

We covered this earlier, but it’s worth repeating: they’re related but distinct. A 2024 study found that 96% of PR professionals have seen marketing and PR integrate further, but they remain separate disciplines with different goals. Marketing optimizes for sales. PR optimizes for trust and reputation.

The Future of PR: Where the Field Is Heading

Public relations is evolving rapidly. Several trends are reshaping the profession:

AI Integration

98% of PR professionals report using AI in 2024. AI helps with:

Drafting initial versions of press releases
Media monitoring at scale
Analyzing sentiment across millions of social media mentions
Identifying emerging trends and conversation topics
Personalizing outreach to journalists

However, AI can’t replace the human judgment required for PR strategy. As one professional noted, “AI can draft a press release, but it can’t tell you whether you should even send one.”

Influencer Relations Growth

60% of PR leaders believe social media influencers will continue playing a key role in PR success. The global influencer marketing industry reached $24 billion in 2024, more than triple its 2019 value.

Modern PR teams manage relationships with influencers much like traditional media relations, but with different dynamics. Micro-influencers (10,000-100,000 followers) often deliver better results than mega-influencers because of higher engagement and niche audience alignment.

Digital-First Strategies

Traditional media still matters, but PR increasingly prioritizes digital channels:

Securing backlinks for SEO benefit
Creating shareable social content
Building podcast interview pipelines
Engaging with online communities (Reddit, LinkedIn groups, industry forums)

Search interest in “digital PR” jumped 32% in the U.S. since 2020. The field continues shifting from print-first to digital-first thinking.

Employee Advocacy

Internal communications are becoming a PR priority. 44% of PR professionals plan to spend more time on internal communications. Engaged employees who understand and support company goals become powerful advocates.

Companies with high employee engagement show 21% higher profitability, and engaged employees are less likely to leave—important in a competitive talent market.

Purpose-Driven PR

Consumers increasingly expect brands to take positions on social issues. PR teams help companies:

Define and communicate values authentically
Respond to social movements appropriately
Demonstrate corporate social responsibility
Navigate controversial topics without alienating audiences

This requires genuine commitment. Brands that engage in “purpose-washing”—claiming values they don’t actually embody—face severe backlash when exposed.

How to Explain PR to Different Audiences

The best way to explain public relations depends on who’s asking:

To Your Parents or Non-Business Friends

“You know how companies have ads where they say they’re great? PR is different—it’s about getting other people to say you’re great. Like if I can get The New York Times to write an article about the company instead of the company just buying an ad, people trust that more. I help companies manage their reputation by building relationships with media, handling crises, and making sure what they say matches what they actually do.”

To a Business Professional

“PR is strategic reputation management. We build relationships with stakeholders—media, customers, employees, investors—to shape how the organization is perceived. This includes media relations, crisis communications, thought leadership, and stakeholder engagement. Unlike marketing which focuses on driving sales, PR focuses on building long-term credibility and trust.”

To Someone Considering a PR Career

“PR combines strategic thinking, writing, relationship-building, and crisis management. You’ll pitch journalists, manage social media, draft executive communications, handle reputation threats, and advise leadership on decisions that affect public perception. It’s fast-paced, requires excellent communication skills, and demands staying on top of news and cultural trends. The work is rarely predictable—you might handle a product launch in the morning and a crisis by afternoon.”

To a Potential Client

“We help close the gap between how you want to be perceived and how you’re actually perceived. Through media relations, we secure third-party validation from trusted sources. Through strategic positioning, we differentiate you from competitors. Through crisis management, we protect your reputation when challenges arise. And through thought leadership, we establish you as an expert in your field. The result is increased trust, which ultimately supports your business goals.”

The Core Skills Every PR Professional Needs

If you’re considering a PR career, these skills matter most:

Communication Mastery

Obviously—but it goes beyond writing clearly. PR professionals must:

Adapt tone for different audiences (executives vs. journalists vs. social media users)
Condense complex topics into compelling narratives
Listen actively to understand stakeholder concerns
Present confidently in high-pressure situations

Relationship Building

PR runs on relationships. Journalists, influencers, industry analysts, customers, employees—success requires building genuine connections with diverse groups. This isn’t networking-for-networking’s sake; it’s understanding people’s motivations and finding mutually beneficial ways to work together.

Strategic Thinking

Good PR isn’t reactive. It requires:

Anticipating how audiences will respond to messages
Identifying potential reputation risks before they explode
Aligning communications with broader business objectives
Understanding competitive dynamics and market positioning

News Judgment

PR pros must develop a “nose for news”—understanding what makes something newsworthy versus promotional. Journalists receive 100+ pitches daily. The ones that succeed offer genuine news value, not thinly disguised advertisements.

Crisis Management Under Pressure

When crises hit, PR teams must:

Assess situations quickly with incomplete information
Make high-stakes decisions rapidly
Manage competing priorities from multiple stakeholders
Maintain calm while others panic

Digital Fluency

Modern PR requires understanding:

How search algorithms affect content visibility
Social media platform dynamics and best practices
Data analysis for measuring impact
Digital media landscapes and emerging channels

Research and Analysis

Strong PR depends on understanding:

Audience demographics and psychographics
Media consumption patterns
Competitive messaging and positioning
Industry trends and emerging issues

88% of PR professionals identify strategic planning as one of the most important skills for success in the next five years, followed by media relations (77%) and social media (72%).

When Companies Need PR

Not every company needs a full-time PR team, but most need PR at specific moments:

Product or Service Launch
Media coverage at launch creates awareness and credibility that paid advertising can’t match. PR helps generate buzz and position the offering in competitive context.

Crisis or Negative Event
When bad things happen—product failures, executive scandals, lawsuits, negative media coverage—PR expertise becomes critical. The cost of mishandling a crisis typically exceeds the investment in skilled crisis management.

Significant Company Milestones
Funding announcements, acquisitions, major partnerships, anniversary celebrations—these moments offer PR opportunities to reinforce brand positioning and reach new audiences.

Industry Leadership
Companies aiming to be viewed as industry leaders need thought leadership programs that position executives as experts and the company as innovative.

Competitive Pressure
When competitors are getting substantial media coverage or reputational advantages, PR helps level the playing field. Share of voice matters in crowded markets.

Reputation Challenges
Negative reviews, social media backlash, employee complaints, regulatory scrutiny—these issues require PR expertise to address effectively.

Growth and Expansion
Companies entering new markets or launching new business lines need PR to build awareness and credibility in unfamiliar territories.

The PR market’s growth to $114.1 billion in 2024 reflects increasing recognition that reputation is a business asset worth protecting and developing systematically.

The Bottom Line on Explaining PR

Public relations is fundamentally about the space between reality and perception—identifying gaps, closing gaps, and maintaining alignment so what people believe about you matches what’s actually true (or what you want to become true).

It’s not spin. It’s not just press releases. It’s not advertising with a different name. It’s the strategic practice of building and maintaining relationships with the audiences that matter to your organization’s success, and shaping how those audiences perceive you through earned credibility rather than paid promotion.

The profession is evolving faster than its terminology, which is why even people in the field struggle to define it. But at its core, PR remains what it’s always been: helping organizations communicate their story through trusted voices and managing their reputation in an increasingly complex media environment.

When someone asks you what PR is, remember the Three Rings: what you say, what others say, and what you do. True PR works where all three overlap.

And if they still look confused, just say: “It’s how we get people who aren’t us to say nice things about us because they genuinely want to, not because we paid them.”

That’s probably about as simple as it gets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between PR and marketing?

Marketing focuses on driving sales and revenue through promotional activities, customer research, and market positioning. PR focuses on building reputation and managing perception through relationship-building and earned media. Marketing asks “how do we sell?” while PR asks “how do we build trust?” They often work together but have distinct goals and tactics.

Do I need PR if I’m a small business?

Size doesn’t determine PR need—goals do. If you want media coverage, need help managing your reputation, want to position yourself as an expert, or face potential reputation risks, PR can help. Local media coverage, community relations, and digital PR are accessible to businesses of any size and can deliver significant ROI.

How long does it take to see PR results?

PR is a long-term investment. Building media relationships takes months. Establishing thought leadership takes years. Individual wins (a great media placement, successful crisis management) can happen quickly, but sustainable reputation-building requires consistent effort over time. If you need immediate, measurable results, advertising might be better.

Can PR help during a crisis?

This is one of PR’s most critical functions. During crises, PR professionals assess the situation, craft appropriate messaging, coordinate responses across channels, and advise leadership on actions to take. Good crisis PR can limit damage, and sometimes even turn problems into opportunities. But it works best when relationships and strategies are in place before crises hit.

How much does PR cost?

PR agency retainers typically range from $3,000 to $30,000+ per month depending on company size, scope of work, and agency reputation. Freelance PR consultants charge $100-$300+ per hour. In-house PR salaries average $85,000 in the U.S., with brand-side roles typically paying more ($100,000 average) than agency roles ($80,000 average). For startups and small businesses, project-based engagements offer more affordable entry points.

Is PR still relevant in the age of social media?

More relevant than ever. Social media hasn’t replaced PR—it’s expanded it. Modern PR includes social media strategy, influencer relations, online reputation management, and digital content creation alongside traditional media relations. The core goal remains the same (building trust and managing perception), but the channels and tactics have evolved. 96% of PR professionals report that marketing and PR are integrating further, largely due to digital channels.

How do you measure PR success?

PR measurement has evolved beyond basic media impressions. Modern approaches track website traffic from earned media, domain authority and backlinks, social engagement, share of voice versus competitors, sentiment analysis, and increasingly, connections to business outcomes like leads and conversions. Many PR teams now use analytics tools to demonstrate ROI, though measuring reputation itself remains somewhat subjective.

Do journalists actually want to hear from PR people?

Complicated answer: yes and no. Journalists need sources, story ideas, and expert commentary—all things PR provides. But they receive 100+ pitches daily, mostly irrelevant. Successful PR-journalist relationships require understanding what each journalist covers, pitching genuinely newsworthy stories, and respecting deadlines and preferences. The 3.43% average response rate shows selectivity, but that means some pitches do work. Quality relationships matter more than volume.

Key Takeaways

Public relations manages the gap between how organizations want to be perceived and how they’re actually perceived by key audiences
PR works at the intersection of what you say, what others say about you, and what you actually do—authentic alignment across all three is crucial
Unlike paid advertising, PR relies on earned media and third-party credibility, making it more trusted but less controllable
The field is evolving rapidly with AI integration, digital-first strategies, and increasing overlap with marketing and SEO
Measurement remains PR’s biggest challenge, but modern tools are making impact more trackable and connected to business outcomes
PR proves most valuable during product launches, crises, competitive pressures, and reputation-building initiatives
Despite identity questions within the profession itself, demand for PR is growing—the global market reached $114.1 billion in 2024 and continues expanding

Recommended Resources

For those interested in learning more about public relations:

PRSA (Public Relations Society of America): Professional organization offering resources, certification, and industry standards
PRWeek: Leading PR industry publication covering trends, campaigns, and agency news
Meltwater State of PR Reports: Annual research on PR trends, tools, and professional insights
PRSA Jobcenter Salary Survey: Comprehensive data on PR compensation and role expectations
PR.co Blog: Practical articles on PR strategy, measurement, and best practices