Publicity

Publicity is one function of public relations that involves deliberately disseminating strategic messages through mass media outlets (such as newspaper, television, radio, or Internet), without payment to the media, to advance the particular interest of the publicity client. While publicity generally refers to information placed in the mass media, publicity can also involve placing information in a controlled medium such as an organizational publication or corporate report.

While publicity is a critical function of public relations, it is not synonymous with public relations. This is a common misperception among those who do not fully understand the role or scope of public relations, because publicity is among the most visible parts of public relations. Publicity is focused on the information dissemination aspect and is not generally considered a management function. Publicity is geared toward coverage obtained and does not play a role in setting policy or providing counsel at a top organizational level.

Generating publicity involves advancing the client's interest through target-media coverage of strategic messages and events. A good publicist has a [Page 715]comprehensive understanding of media outlets and appropriate content in those outlets and is able to carefully select the most appropriate outlets to obtain free coverage and be of interest to the client's target audience. Much of the success or failure in obtaining publicity hinges on the ability to understand what the media gatekeeper deems newsworthy.

Publicity is not always favorable, however. In the time of a crisis, negative publicity is also generated. It is a public relations practitioner's responsibility to provide the organization's side of the story in a way that accurately and favorable represents the client.

Some similarities between publicity and advertising do exist. For example, both use mass media as a channel to distribute messages. Format and context are different, however. Publicity appears in the mass media as a news or feature item or editorial content, and the source of the material is a public relations practitioner. One major advantage that publicity has over advertising is the added element of credibility because of the implicit third-party endorsement of the news medium. Information that has been deemed newsworthy by the media outlet is often perceived as more credible than a paid advertisement. Another advantage of publicity is the cost. There is no cost for the time or space in the mass medium; however, the publicist does incur some expenses for the time and energy associated with the publicity process.

A major disadvantage of publicity, however, is the lack of control over the message and delivery of the material. An editor may choose to print the written material precisely as it was written in the news release, or it may be altered dramatically, to paint a negative picture or include competitors. The information goes to a metaphorical media gatekeeper who has the responsibility of making the decision to let the information pass through to the mass media channel or not to use the information at all. Therefore, the information appearing in the media is uncontrolled.

Advertising is a result of time or space in the mass media outlet that has been purchased by the advertiser; the advertiser therefore has complete control of the message content as it will appear to readers, listeners, or viewers.

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