Is Public relations a form of propaganda?

Question

Is Public relations a form of propaganda?

Answer 1

Public Relations is just was it implies.  It's the relationship between a company, organization, a person, or government, and the public.

PR is normally done to position the company in the eye of the customer.  It may be used to show the company's ethics, mission, or self-image.  Sometimes it puts a positive spin on a negative situation.  Sometimes it a proactive act of community involvement, like fund raising for a local charity.

It normally doesn't involve propaganda because propaganda isn't normally tied to the truth.  Propaganda is normally used to cover up or distort the truth.

Answer 2

That is an interesting question.  Certainly there are similarities, but I believe public relations is a far more complex and thoughtful strategy than propaganda.  I think advertising has more in common with propaganda than does public relations.  Propaganda is a short-term approach (like a displaying a poster) whereas public relations campaigns can take months or years to implement.  And successful public relations is really dependent on journalists (who are supposed to be impartial) to be effective.  Not so with propaganda, which can be "purchased" instead of "earned."   So, I think advertising and propaganda have more in common.  All methods aim to present a point of view to a targeted audience in order to achieve a specific goal.  However, propaganda has more negative associations than public relations, and is usually connected with nationalist or political aims, such as promoting certain viewpoints during war-time.  Propaganda plays on emotions and fears, but to be honest, so does public relations at times; and advertising certainly does, much of the time.

I think most public relations practitioners try to present the truth while also promoting a positive image (when possible!) for their client.   I'm a public relations practitioner and your question does give me food for thought.  I'll be interested to see what other people think about this.

Answer 3

If lying or manipulation of the truth is involved yes