Public relations (PR) is the managing of communication of an organization with the outside world to create and maintain a positive image for it. Public relations involves popularizing successes, downplaying failures, announcing changes and many other activities.

PR specialists handle organizational functions such as media, community, consumer, industry, governmental relations, political campaigns, interest-group representation, conflict meditation and employee and investor relations. They do more than tell the organizations story. They must understand the attitudes ad concerns of community, consumer, employee, and public interest groups and establish and maintain cooperative relationships with them and with representatives from print and broadcast journalism.

PR specialists draft press releases and contact people in the media who might print or broadcast their material. Many radio or television special reports, newspaper stories and magazine articles start at the desks of PR specialists.

PR specialists also arrange and conduct programmes to maintain contact between organization representatives and the public.