Public relations defined and distinguished

Definitions of public relations

INTRODUCTION
Public relations concern any organisation, commercial or non-commercially exist whether we like it or not, one cannot decide to have or not have public relations. PR consists of all communications with all the people with whom an organisation has contact, an individual also experiences public relations, unless he or she is utterly isolated and beyond human contact
So misunderstood is public relations that the last place to look for satisfactory definition is in a dictionary. But let examine one or two internationally respected definitions which are good or rather familiar to PR professionals.

Definitions of the (British) institute of public relations (lPR)
Public relations practice is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics (As revised November 1987.)
Grunig and Hunt –defined public relations as the management of communication between an organisation and its public and emphasised that this definition equate public relations and communications management.

Analysis:
.lt is the planned and sustained effort--meaning that PR activity is organised as a campaign or programme and is a continuous activity. It’s not haphazard.
.its purpose is ‘to establish and maintain mutual understanding---that is, to ensure that the organisation is understood by others.