The term Public Relations was first coined by Edward Bernays in his 1923 book Crystallizing Public Opinion. Although President Thomas Jefferson used it in an address to Congress in 1807, Attorney Dorman Eaton also used the term in an 1882 talk before the Yale Law School Graduating class. Bernays was the first to describe the discipline of the word and the exact meaning of it.
Rex Harlow has complied 472 different definitions for Public Relations. And then he finally came up with this definition, "helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding,acceptance and cooperation between an organization and its public."
My understanding of PR is, it comprises of two words Public and Relations so by public I mean both my internal and external public and managing an healthy relationship with them is public relations. Its a managerial function, two way process and its a planned activity.
PR in India is in a very nascent stage and the job of PR professional is not defined properly, everyday a PR professional adds something or the other to his/her profile and its a continuous process of learning.
