Definitions of Public Relations

Public relations as a profession was established less than a hundred years ago. At the same time during it’s relatively brief history people always tried to give definitions to public relations. The earliest definitions to public relations emphasized the roles of press relations and publicity because these were the most important fields from which modern public relations grew.

Later in the twentieth century as public relations was recognized and used by more organizations, definitions began to include:

• the need for research before actions, careful planning and evaluation of results;

• a systematic process, not a one-time activity;

• multiple publics;

• its role as an important function of management;

• public participation as an important tool;

• the need for long-term projects.

In 1988 the Assembly of the Public Relations Society of America made an attempt to solve this problem. It officially adopted a definition of public relations which has become very popular and widely used:

«Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other»

In this definition, the functions of research, planning communications, dialogue and evaluation are mentioned. Key words are «organization» rather than the «company» or «business», and «publics» which means that all organizations have multiple publics with which they have to work.

British Institute of Public Relations has the following definition of PR: «Public relations is planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and understanding between an organization and its publics» By words it is «the planned and sustained effort».

It means that PR activity is organized as a campaign or programme and is continuous systematic activity. Its purpose is «establish and maintain mutual understanding» - that is, to make sure that the organization is understood by others. This mutual understanding is made between an organization and its public.

ВАРИАНТ 2

I. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их на русский язык. Определите по грамматическим признакам, какой частью речи являются слова, c окончанием -s, и какую функцию это окончание выполняет, т. е. служит ли оно:

а) показателем 3-го лица единственного числа глагола в Present Simple;

b) признаком множественного числа имени существительного;

c) показателем притяжательного падежа имени существительного.

1. He realizes figures for total sales and net earnings every quarter.

2. Our lecturer’s book on philosophy is well-known and popular.

3. The important feature of our education is that it combines theory with practical training.

4. The students of our University are fond of their future profession.

II. Перепишите предложения и переведите их, учитывая особенности перевода на русский язык определений, выраженных именем существительным.

1. More than a thousand people will gather at the Youth Solidarity Forum.

2. The cotton market capacity in this country is rather limited nowadays.

3. These proposals will be discussed at the round table talks.

III. Перепишите следующие предложения, содержащие разные формы сравнения, и переведите их на русский язык.

1. You should practice more often if you want to improve your language.

2. This exercise is easier than the next one.

3. The most environmentally–friendly way of solving traffic problems is to use more widely public transportation.

4. The more attention you pay to your children’s education, the better results they achieve.

IV. Перепишите и письменно переведите на русский язык следующие предложения, обращая особое внимание на перевод неопределенных местоимений.

1. There are no delegates of the meeting at the reception.

2. Some famous journalists are present at the conference.

3. Do you need any information to prepare for your report?

4. Unemployment means no income and this lack of income hits youth especially hard because young people haven’t got any savings.

V. Перепишите следующие предложения, определите в них видовременные формы глаголов и укажите их инфинитив; переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. Every time inflation goes up, people demand higher wages.

2. I’m working in our customer services department this month.

3. We had a lot of trouble with our suppliers last year.

4. We are leaving for Moscow in July.

VI. Переведите на русский язык.

The first "names"

Edward Bernays was the self-appointed Father of Public Relations. In describing the origin of the term Public Relations, Bernays commented, "When I came back to the United States [from the war], I decided that if you could use propaganda for war, you could certainly use it for peace. And propaganda got to be a bad word because of the Germans ... using it. So what I did was to try to find some other words, so we found the words Counsel on Public Relations".

Ivy Lee, who has been credited with developing the modern news release (also called a "press release"), espoused a philosophy consistent with what has sometimes been called the "two-way street" approach to public relations in which PR consists of helping clients listen as well as communicate messages to their publics. In the words of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), "Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other." In practice, however, Lee often engaged in one-way propagandizing on behalf of clients despised by the public, including Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller. Shortly before his death, the US Congress had been investigating Rockefeller's work on behalf of the controversial Nazi German company IG Farben.

Bernays was the profession's first theorist. He drew many of his ideas from Sigmund Freud's theories about the irrational, unconscious motives that shape human behaviour. Bernays authored several books, including Crystallizing Public Opinion (1923), Propaganda (1928), and The Engineering of Consent (1947). He saw public relations as an "applied social science" that uses insights from psychology, sociology, and other disciplines to scientifically manage and manipulate the thinking and behavior of an irrational and "herdlike" public. "The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society," he wrote in Propaganda, "Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country." One of Bernays' early clients was the tobacco industry. In 1929, he orchestrated a now-legendary publicity stunt aimed at persuading women to take up cigarette smoking, an act that at the time was exclusively equated with men. It was considered unfeminine and inappropriate for women to smoke; besides the occasional prostitute, virtually no women participated in the act publicly. (Indeed, in some countries this is very much the case.

ВАРИАНТ 3

I. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их на русский язык. Определите по грамматическим признакам, какой частью речи являются слова, оформленные окончанием -s, и какую функцию это окончание выполняет, т.е. служит ли оно:

1. показателем 3-его липа единственного числа глагола в Present Simple;

2. признаком множественного числа имени существительного;

3. показателем притяжательного падежа имени существительного.

1. All citizens enjoy freedom of speech that is to say they are free to voice their opinions on any matter.

2. The aim of today's foreign policy is that peace in the world should be permanent.

3. The plane arrives in Munich at 10.30.

4. He will ring me up as soon as he knows the results.

II. Перепишите следующие предложения и переведите их, учитывая особенности перевода на русский язык определений, выраженных именем существительным.

1. The reporter spoke about the fulfillment of the Food programme in the region.

2. The tourist industry helps to maintain rural employment levels.

3. The students of our group will go to the State History Museum tomorrow.

III. Перепишите следующие предложения, содержащие разные формы сравнения, и переведите их на русский язык.

1. I think this suggestion is better than that one.

2. The first round of negotiation was easy. The next will more difficult.

3. Coca-Cola is the biggest soft drinks manufacturer in the World.

4. Nothing is worse than missing a flight because of traffic.

VI. Перепишите и письменно переведите на русский язык следующие предложения, обращая особое внимание на перевод неопределенных местоимений.

1. I suppose everyone is ready for their coffee break now.

2. I need some information about accommodation in London.

3. They sent some business letters to foreign firms yesterday.

4. Please come back tomorrow. There is no one to see you today.

V. Перепишите следующие предложения, определите в них видовременные формы глаголов и укажите их инфинитив; переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. The Library of Congress serves not only members of the Congress, but researchers and scientists who use it.

2. We translated many texts, but there is one more text to translate.

3. The enterprise will produce these goods with a great profit.

4. When I was in London last summer I visited a different museum every day.

VI. Переведите на русский язык.