You Will Drink the Kool Aid

Public relations (PR) is the art and social science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organization leaders, and implementing planned programs of action which will serve both the organization's and the public interest. By stating that PR practice is an art implies the element of specialized skill, knowledge and methods involved. It also implies that PR practice is not completely objective, as there are subjective factors involved. PR practice deals with the human element, which is by nature unpredictable; therefore not completely objective. PR practice also considers the inputs which social sciences (e.g. psychology, sociology, anthropology, and statistics) can contribute. For example, a PR practitioner would have to consider cultural factors when planning a program or campaign for its targeted publics so that there would be less risk of unintentionally offending other segments of the society.…