The Basics of Public Communication Explained
What is Public Communication?
Public Communication consists of ‘public’ and ‘communication’. Let us first try to understand both of them.
- The word ‘public’ originated from the Latin publicus, which means mass population. The Oxford Dictionary succinctly describes the public as “Of or concerning the people as a whole.” ‘Communication’, on the other hand, is “The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.”
In the broadest of terms, any communication carried out on a large scale involving a huge body of people qualifies as public communication. From televised speeches to radio broadcasts, newspaper columns and even addresses at public rallies, all fall under the umbrella term.
There is also a more specific use of the phrase ‘public communication’ in media circles. Typically, businesses, brands, politicians, and any entity that needs to communicate and influence public minds use public communication to help them achieve this. In this context, public communication is a strategic tool comprising the use of various media outlets, the release of curated text and images, and comprehensive information distribution campaigns to get a specific message across to a particular target audience. Public communication is the prime responsibility of any organisation's Public Relations (PR) department.
Often confused with advertising, the pursuit of popularising a product is driven by increased sales and profits, and public communication stands for something different. A public communication campaign aims to convey information from an individual or organisation to the public at large, helping the aforementioned parties gain the public's attention without direct payment to the media channels that share this information. The motivations behind a public communication campaign vary and are very individual to the parties undertaking them. They generally include attempts to sway the opinion of essential stakeholders such as investors, partners, stakeholders, the general public or even employees. The entity that issues the campaign could be looking to build a more positive public outlook, shine the spotlight on its leadership, generate goodwill, or create a specific impression regarding the company’s products or its decisions.
Most commonly, the methods employed by the PR team to reach out to its target audiences include the following:
- Conferences
- Public statements
- Press Releases
- Employee communication practices
- Press liaisons
- Events, ceremonies and commemorations
A public communication campaign, rather than selling a product or a service, aims to promote a specific ideology or decision, or even the ethos of a company as a whole, and without the use of conventional marketing and advertising tools. It is an attempt to gain unbiased and credible coverage and validation from those functioning outside of the individual of a company that is executing the communication operation.
Today, with the advent of technology and rampant development of communication channels, a whole host of media channels is employed by PR personnel to distribute public communications, including:
- Radio
- Television
- Print media (newspapers and magazines)
- Websites
- Social media
The Indian PR industry is still in its nascent stage, although it has been shown rapid growth in recent times. Companies, political parties and NGOs are all quickly realizing the need for better communication and relationships with the country’s populace, and are actively taking steps to achieve this.
So, for all those involved in the PR industry in India, there is a lot of promise and prosperity shortly. Suppose you feel you have it in you to make it big in the public communication realm. In that case, Seamedu’s degree offering (our latest addition to the journalism and mass communication department) can help you get there faster than you think. The media industry is calling!
