A public relations specialist manages communication for a company, maintaining positive relationships with the public, media, and employees. They may work on-site, off-site or on the road, and require education in public relations, communications, journalism or advertising. They may also work as consultants or freelancers.
A public relations specialist is an individual who works for a company that handles and organizes many functions that build and maintain strong relationships with the public. Someone in this role may be given other titles such as communications specialist, press secretary, information officer, press office, or media specialist, but their primary duty is to handle public communications for the company or organization they work for.
Businesses, government agencies, non-profit organizations and hospitals rely on public relations specialists to maintain positive relationships with communities, investors, public interest groups, the media, their employees and the general public. Examples of tasks this person is responsible for include managing community and media functions, consumer relations, and conflict resolution. A very specific role she can play is creating press releases and developing media relations to make information about a company or organization public.
Depending on the company or organization, a public relations specialist may be required to work on-site, off-site or on the road. Hours may also vary depending on the work environment, especially when an emergency or crisis is possible. For example, high profile companies can be negative for a variety of reasons and rely on their PR departments to execute “damage control” quickly and efficiently.
Experience and education requirements vary depending on the nature of the company or organization. The required education of public relations specialists may include a degree in public relations, communications, journalism or advertising. It is also important that this person has the ability to understand the audience and relate to the audience’s role in the success of a particular business or concept. There are several professional organizations for public relations people, including the Public Relations Society of America, whose membership requirements can also vary.
In addition to working for a specific company, many public relations specialists may choose to operate their own businesses as consultants or freelancers for various companies or organizations.
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