什麼是公共關係

一種傳播形式，致力推銷一個人或團體自覺滿意的形象，以博取公衆的注意。公共關係作法最早出現在20世紀初的美國，開拓者是主張公關人員專業化概念的伯耐斯（Edward L. Bernays）和李伊（Ivy Ledbetter Lee）。英國和美國的政府部門很快就開始聘請專業公關人員，以爭取民衆對政策和計畫案的支持，公關行業也在第二次世界大戰後蓬勃發展。公關的客戶（clients）可以是個人，例如政治人物、演藝人員和作家，也可以是機關團體，例如公司行號、政府機構、慈善事業和宗教社團。訴求的對象之範圍，可能只限定在21到30歲男性的另類音樂樂迷，也可能廣大到全世界所有人。公關人員的作用，包括創造令人喜歡的廣告、洞悉什麼樣的故事會受媒體青睞等。公關工作的複雜度，隨着市面媒體的多樣化而增加：除了報紙、雜誌、廣播、電視，還有專業團體刊物、直接郵件名單、現場宣傳會等等。公關的基本原則就是誇大好新聞、封阻壞消息；如果發生災難危機，公關人員必須馬上評估狀況，協助客戶迴應狀況以將損害減至最低，尚須彙整及提供訊息給媒體。

public relations (PR)

Aspect of communications that involves promoting a desirable image for a person or group seeking public attention. It originated in the U.S. in the early 20th century with pioneers such as Edward L. Bernays, who first developed the idea of the professional publicist, and Ivy Ledbetter Lee. Government agencies in Britain and the U.S. soon began hiring publicists to engineer support for their policies and programs, and the public-relations business boomed after World War II. Clients may include individuals such as politicians, performers, and authors, and groups such as business corporations, government agencies, charities, and religious bodies. The audience addressed may be as narrow as male alternative-music fans between the ages of 21 and 30 or as broad as the world at large. A publicist's functions include generating favorable publicity and knowing what kind of story is likely to be printed or broadcast. The task is complicated by the variety of existing media: besides newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, there are publications of professional associations, direct-mail lists, on-site promotional events, and so on. It consists largely of optimizing good news and forestalling bad news; if disaster strikes, the publicist must assess the situation, organize the client's response so as to minimize damage, and marshal and present information to the media.