Public Relations Basics Flashcards

Question 1

What is the basic definition of public relations as a professional function?

Accepted Answer

Public relations is the planned, ongoing effort by an organization to build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with the groups whose attitudes and actions affect its success. It combines communication, research, and strategy so that the organization's reputation and goals align with the expectations of its audiences.

Question 2

How does public relations differ from advertising?

Accepted Answer

Advertising pays for space or airtime to deliver a message that the sponsor fully controls, and the sponsor is clearly identified. Public relations seeks coverage and endorsement through owned, earned, and shared channels, where a third party often shapes the story. Public relations relies more on credibility than on purchased placement.

Question 3

What role do reputation and trust play in public relations?

Accepted Answer

Reputation is the collective judgment that audiences form about an organization based on its past behavior, and trust is the confidence that it will act as it says. Public relations protects and builds both because they affect whether people buy, support, invest, or forgive mistakes. Strong reputations give organizations room to recover from errors.

Question 4

What does the two-way symmetrical model of public relations propose?

Accepted Answer

The two-way symmetrical model proposes that public relations should use research and dialogue to create mutual understanding between an organization and its publics. Both sides listen, adjust their positions when appropriate, and seek outcomes that benefit each party. This contrasts with one-way approaches that mainly seek to persuade.

Question 5

Why is research considered the first step in a public relations program?

Accepted Answer

Research establishes what is actually happening before any message is planned, so the team does not rely on assumptions. It identifies the problem, the audiences involved, their existing attitudes, and the channels they use. Without that baseline, the team cannot set measurable goals or tell whether its efforts changed anything.

Question 6

What does it mean for public relations to serve as a counselor to management?

Accepted Answer

Serving as a management counselor means advising leaders on how decisions, policies, and actions will be perceived by key audiences. The practitioner brings audience insight into planning before decisions are final. A message alone cannot fix a problem that the organization's own behavior created.

Question 7

What is the difference between a public relations strategy and a tactic?

Accepted Answer

A strategy is the overall plan that explains what an organization wants to achieve with a specific audience and why. A tactic is a specific action used to carry out that plan, such as a press release. Tactics should always serve the strategy, so a clever tactic that does not advance the goal wastes resources.

Question 8

What is issues management in public relations?

Accepted Answer

Issues management is the process of identifying emerging social, political, or business concerns that could affect an organization, then deciding how to respond before they escalate into crises. It involves monitoring trends, assessing how likely each issue is to matter, and choosing a position or action. Early attention keeps options open.

Question 9

What is a public in public relations?

Accepted Answer

A public is a group of people who share a common interest or situation in relation to an organization and who can be identified and addressed as a distinct audience. Publics are defined by their relationship to the issue, not simply by their location or size. Examples include employees, customers, neighbors, regulators, and journalists.

Question 10

How does a stakeholder differ from a public?

Accepted Answer

A stakeholder is any person or group that can affect or be affected by an organization's decisions, so the term is broad. A public is a specific group with a shared interest that practitioners can identify and communicate with. The terms overlap, and precise wording helps when writing plans.

Question 11

Why do practitioners segment publics instead of communicating with a single general audience?

Accepted Answer

Segmenting publics means dividing a broad audience into groups with shared needs, concerns, or behaviors, so each message can address what matters most to that group. A single general message often fails to resonate with anyone because it tries to speak to everyone. It also guides channel choice.

Question 12

What are internal publics, and why do they matter?

Accepted Answer

Internal publics are groups inside the organization, such as employees, managers, volunteers, and board members. They matter because they carry out the organization's promises and often speak for it to outside groups. Employees who feel uninformed or undervalued can undermine external messages, while informed staff can become credible ambassadors.

Question 13

What is a key message, and what should it include?

Accepted Answer

A key message is the central idea an organization wants a public to understand, remember, and repeat. It should be short, plain, and supported by a few facts or examples that a reader can check. Good key messages explain what is happening and why it matters to that audience.

Question 14

What is audience analysis, and which questions does it answer?

Accepted Answer

Audience analysis is the systematic study of who a public is, what it already knows and believes, what it values, and where it gets information. It answers questions such as what the audience cares about, who influences its opinions, and which channels it trusts. These answers guide the tone and content of every message.

Question 15

What is opinion leadership, and how can practitioners use it?

Accepted Answer

Opinion leaders are individuals whom others trust for information or advice on a topic. Practitioners can reach a larger public by giving these people accurate information, early access, or a chance to share their own experience. Their endorsement often carries more weight than a direct message from the organization.

Question 16

Why is it important to identify the publics most affected by an issue before communicating?

Accepted Answer

Identifying the most affected publics first ensures that effort goes to the people whose decisions and attitudes will determine the outcome. Communicating broadly without this step spreads limited time and budget thin and can alarm groups that were not involved. Clear identification also reveals which publics need direct engagement and which only need awareness.

Question 17

What is a press release, and what is its main purpose?

Accepted Answer

A press release is a written news announcement prepared for journalists and sent to media outlets to share information about an event, achievement, or development. Its main purpose is to give reporters accurate, ready-to-use information that they can verify and turn into coverage. A good release states the most newsworthy facts in the opening paragraph.

Question 18

What is the difference between earned media and paid media?

Accepted Answer

Earned media is coverage an organization receives through the independent judgment of journalists, reviewers, or others who choose to report on it. Paid media is space or airtime the organization buys, where it controls the content. Earned coverage often carries more credibility, but the organization cannot guarantee what it says.

Question 19

What is a media kit, and what might it contain?

Accepted Answer

A media kit is a collection of background materials that journalists can use when preparing a story about an organization. It often includes a fact sheet, biographies of spokespeople, recent press releases, high-resolution images, and a company history. Keeping the kit current helps reporters work accurately and quickly, especially on deadline.

Question 20

What is a spokesperson's role in media relations?

Accepted Answer

A spokesperson speaks on behalf of an organization to journalists and the public, so their statements reflect official positions. Effective spokespeople know the key messages, answer questions directly, and avoid speculating beyond the facts they have. They also prepare for difficult questions and stay consistent across interviews.

Question 21

What is a news hook, and why do reporters look for one?

Accepted Answer

A news hook is the timely or relevant angle that makes a story worth covering now, such as a new finding, a local impact, or a connection to a current event. Reporters look for hooks because editors allocate limited space and airtime to material that feels urgent, unusual, or important to their audience.

Question 22

What is the purpose of a media pitch, and how should it be written?

Accepted Answer

A media pitch is a brief, personalized message that persuades a specific journalist to consider a story idea. It should open with the reason the story matters to that reporter's audience, offer a clear angle, and offer a credible source. Generic mass pitches that ignore a reporter's beat rarely succeed.

Question 23

Why is it important to correct errors quickly in media relations?

Accepted Answer

Correcting errors quickly shows that the organization values accuracy. Errors left uncorrected tend to be repeated in later coverage, search results, and social media, so the mistake spreads. A prompt, clear correction, sent to the outlet that published the error, allows reporters to update their stories and limits lasting damage.

Question 24

What is message discipline, and why does it matter during an interview?

Accepted Answer

Message discipline is the practice of returning to a small set of key points during an interview. It matters because reporters choose which statements to quote, so a spokesperson who stays on message reduces the risk of a damaging quote. Good spokespeople bridge from unhelpful questions to their key points.

Question 25

What does ethics mean in public relations practice?

Accepted Answer

Ethics in public relations means making decisions that are honest, fair, and responsible toward everyone affected, not only the employer or client. Ethical practice goes beyond legal compliance, because an action can be lawful and still deceive people or cause unnecessary harm. Practitioners face choices where loyalty and honesty pull in different directions.

Question 26

What is the purpose of a professional code of ethics?

Accepted Answer

A professional code of ethics sets out shared expectations about honest conduct, so practitioners and the public know what to expect. It guides decisions in situations that laws do not directly address and gives practitioners a reference point when pressured to act poorly. Codes also signal credibility to clients, employers, and the public.

Question 27

What does transparency mean when a practitioner represents an organization?

Accepted Answer

Transparency means being open about who is speaking and whose interests are being served. A practitioner should identify the organization they work for when contacting journalists, bloggers, or community members, and should not present paid or sponsored content as independent opinion. Openness about sources and affiliations allows audiences to weigh information fairly.

Question 28

Why is honesty considered the foundation of credible public relations?

Accepted Answer

Honesty is the foundation because public relations depends on trust, and trust collapses quickly once audiences discover that information was false or incomplete. A practitioner who shades the truth may gain a short-term result but damages the relationship with journalists, employees, and customers. Honest communication lets people rely on what the organization says.

Question 29

What is a conflict of interest in public relations?

Accepted Answer

A conflict of interest occurs when a practitioner's personal, financial, or professional interests could improperly influence their judgment on behalf of the organization or its publics. Examples include undisclosed financial ties to a story's subject. Good practice is to disclose the conflict promptly and let others make the decision.

Question 30

What is the difference between confidentiality and disclosure?

Accepted Answer

Confidentiality means protecting information that an organization or client has shared in trust, such as unreleased financial results or personnel matters. Disclosure means revealing information that the public or a relevant party needs to know, such as a material conflict or a sponsorship. Confidentiality should never hide facts that audiences need for safety.

Question 31

How should a practitioner handle a request to misrepresent facts from a client?

Accepted Answer

The practitioner should decline to misrepresent facts, explain the ethical and practical risks to the client, and propose an honest alternative that still serves the client's legitimate goal. If the client insists, the practitioner may need to escalate within the organization or withdraw from the account. Documenting the discussion helps protect everyone.

Question 32

Why do many practitioners consider it wrong to create fake grassroots support, sometimes called astroturfing?

Accepted Answer

Fake grassroots support, sometimes called astroturfing, is wrong because it hides who is really speaking. Audiences assume that apparent community voices are independent, so manufacturing them deceives people trying to make informed judgments. Honest advocacy can name its sponsor and still persuade.

Question 33

What is a public relations campaign, and how does it differ from ongoing work?

Accepted Answer

A public relations campaign is a planned set of coordinated activities with a defined goal, audience, timeline, and budget. Ongoing work, such as routine media contact or employee updates, maintains relationships over time without a single finish point. A campaign concentrates effort on one objective and ends with an evaluation of what it achieved.

Question 34

What is the difference between a goal and an objective in planning?

Accepted Answer

A goal is a broad statement of the outcome the organization hopes to achieve, such as stronger community trust. An objective is a specific, measurable result that moves toward that goal within a set time. Objectives make progress visible and allow the team to judge whether the campaign is working.

Question 35

What makes an objective SMART?

Accepted Answer

A SMART objective is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Specific means it names exactly what will change, measurable means it has a number or indicator, achievable means resources can realistically deliver it, relevant means it supports the organization's goal, and time-bound means it has a deadline.

Question 36

What are outputs, outcomes, and impact in public relations evaluation?

Accepted Answer

Outputs are the activities and direct products of a campaign, such as the number of press releases issued or events held. Outcomes describe what changed among the audience, such as awareness, attitudes, or behavior. Impact refers to the longer-term effect on the organization's goals, such as reputation or business results.

Question 37

Why is counting media impressions alone an incomplete measure of success?

Accepted Answer

Impressions estimate how many times content could have been seen, but they do not show whether anyone read the message, believed it, or acted on it. A story can reach many people and still leave them unchanged or misinformed. Stronger measures connect coverage to audience understanding, opinion shifts, or specific behaviors.

Question 38

What should a campaign timeline include?

Accepted Answer

A campaign timeline lays out the sequence of activities from research through evaluation, with a start and end date for each phase. It should show dependencies, so the team knows which tasks must finish before others begin. Building in review points allows the team to adjust when conditions change.

Question 39

What is a crisis communication plan, and what should it contain?

Accepted Answer

A crisis communication plan is a prepared guide for responding quickly and consistently when an emergency or serious threat affects the organization. It names spokespeople, lists key audiences and contacts, and includes message templates. Plans should be reviewed and practiced regularly, because a document that no one has read will not help during a crisis.

Question 40

How does a practitioner use evaluation results to improve future campaigns?

Accepted Answer

Evaluation results show which messages, channels, and audiences produced the intended outcomes and which did not. A practitioner uses those findings to refine future objectives, reallocate budget toward the most effective tactics, and adjust messages for groups that responded poorly. Sharing results with leadership builds support for the next program.

Public Relations Basics Flashcards

1Foundations of Public Relations

2Publics and Stakeholders

3Media Relations and Messaging

4Ethics and Professional Standards

5Planning and Measuring Campaigns

Learning Resources