Communications: Public Relations

Public Relations is a management tool for businesses to establish beneficial relationships with other businesses and institutions according to the Media of Mass Communication. PR can also be used as a persuasive tool in communications because as Paul Garrett once said, an approach to public relations can be "enlightened self-interest". Many people in public relations help to implement policies in a company in order to better relationships with other groups and industries, but this approach is also a two way street where persuasion takes place through concern over an issue. Companies have issues that are made public all of the time. A process of enlightened self-interest is used to personalize a company when placed in the spotlight. This process typically persuades people to support a company or company policies through carefully constructed statements about the company itself or actions made by the company. For example, the company General Motors greatly benefited when its image was revised through the programs and scholarships set up for employees. Persuasive techniques which sway a person's opinion of a company are used constantly in public relations.