10 misconceptions about PR
If you think everyone who works in the ‘glamorous’ field of public relations is like Samantha from ‘Sex and the City,’ think again.
Everyone has an idea of what public relations is all about, whether from TV and movies or just assumptions based on seeing a PR guy on a televised press conference “spin” a story.
Once you’ve worked in the field, though, it becomes clear that most depictions are inaccurate.
Here are some common fallacies:
1. PR and advertising are identical.
Though they’re in the same ballpark, advertising and public relations are in decidedly different sections. Look at it this way: Advertising is a one-way street, with the advertiser on one end and the willing customer on the other. On the other hand, public relations is a two-way street, with many trips between both ends.
2. PR pros distort the truth.
People have the sense that our beloved profession is all about trickery and deception. Of course, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The public relations field is all built around telling the truth and building trust. If we lose the public’s precious trust, we lose all footing. PR pros who distort the truth get found out and are quickly brought to light.
3. We’re all a bunch of drinkers.
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