Public Relations

Abstract

This entry provides an overview of public relations and addresses how public relations relates to health communication. The field is first defined and then compared to related fields such as advertising and marketing. Public relations is often practiced in health organizations that are part of the government, nonprofit or nongovernmental organization (NGO) sectors; however, corporations are also involved in health communication. Public relations may go by other names, such as public affairs or public information, and it involves skills like writing, research, media relations, campaign planning, and management. Two public relations process models are discussed (RACES and ROPES), and examples of research on the overlap between public relations and health communication are provided. Finally, this entry touches on educational opportunities for those interested in learning more about or working in public relations, particularly as it relates to health communication.