There’s a clear misconception in the public relations industry, and it’s holding everyone back.
Scroll through LinkedIn or attend any PR conference, and you’ll see a familiar theme: PR professionals touting media coverage as the ultimate goal of public relations. They share clips from the BBC, celebrate a few inches in the Financial Times, or drop names of journalists as if they were trading cards.
And while there’s nothing wrong with celebrating hard-earned coverage, we have to ask: Is this really the full extent of what the public relations industry does? Because if it is, then we’ve misunderstood the assignment.
Let’s be very clear. Media relations is a tactic. It’s a tool. Public relations is a discipline. It’s a strategy. It’s a mindset rooted in relationships, reputation, and responsibility. Yet far too many PR professionals are confusing tools for purpose, and in doing so, they’re underselling the value of the public relations industry.
The purpose of PR is not press; it’s about trust.
Part of the confusion lies with the very public relations practitioners who are meant to represent our profession. All too often, they blur the lines instead of clarifying them, leaving others to equate publicity with purpose.
To avoid any doubt, public relations is about building and maintaining trust between an organisation and its stakeholders. That includes the media, yes, but also customers, communities, employees, investors, regulators, partners, even critics.
Media relations can help build that trust. But so too can community engagement that equally helps achieve the same amount of trust. So can internal communications. So can policy advocacy. So can strategic partnerships. So can proactive listening.
When PR is simply reduced to just ‘getting coverage’, or ‘column inches’ then the PR professionals of this world neglect the real work of public relations: helping organisations show up consistently, honestly, and meaningfully in the world. People mustn’t forget that the job of public relations isn’t just to craft a story, it’s to live it.
When you only speak to journalists, you miss the point.
Too many in the industry pander to journalists in the hope of validation. They pitch stories that tick editorial boxes but don’t align with their organisation’s purpose or values. They obsess overreach and circulation but ignore impact and resonance. They chase the byline but not the belief. This isn’t strategy. This is insecurity.
The real professionals, and there are a lot of them out there, are the ones who truly understand public relations, are the ones in the room when decisions are made. They’re the voice asking, “How will this land with our people?”, “How will this affect our community?”, and “Does this align with what we say we believe?”
They know that the story starts long before a press release and lasts long after an article is published. They’re not just messaging experts. They’re trust architects.
Stop seeking attention. Start earning influence.
We live in a world that’s drowning in noise. Attention is cheap. Influence is earned. The most effective PR practitioners aren’t scrambling to be heard; they’re building reputations that speak for themselves. They’re helping organisations act in ways that make media coverage a byproduct, not the goal. They’re creating clarity, consistency, and connection across every stakeholder touchpoint, not just the news desk.
If your only metric of success is how many journalists return your calls or emails, you’re either a press officer or thinking too small. Public relations has never been about being loud. It’s always been about being clear, being consistent, and above all, being trusted.
Public relations: more than press releases and headlines.
If all you know of public relations is media coverage and journalist schmoozing, then you’re only seeing a fraction of the picture. PR isn’t just about securing column inches or getting airtime, it’s about shaping perceptions, building trust, and managing relationships across every corner of the public landscape.
Media relations is just one tool in the kit. A valuable one, yes, but it’s far from the whole toolbox. To understand the true value of public relations, we need to look beyond the press office. Here’s what real PR looks like when it’s done with strategy, purpose, and impact:
Key tools and tactics beyond media relations.
- Stakeholder engagement: Building relationships with key groups including communities, investors, regulators, public sector bodies, charities, unions, etc. Two-way communication that fosters trust and collaboration.
- Internal communications: Ensuring employees are informed, engaged, and aligned with an organisation’s mission and values. Critical during change, crisis, or cultural shifts.
- Crisis and issues management: Preparing for, managing, and recovering from reputational threats. This includes scenario planning, message development, and real-time response.
- Public affairs and government relations: Engaging with policymakers, influencing legislation, and aligning with regulatory frameworks. Often involves lobbying, consultation responses, and relationship-building.
- Reputation management: Monitoring, protecting, and enhancing the long-term perception of a brand or organisation. Includes proactive storytelling and addressing misinformation or negative sentiment.
- Corporate communications: Strategic messaging from the organisation’s leadership, often covering financials, strategy, purpose, and values. Think annual reports, CEO communications, and environmental, social and governance narratives.
- Community relations: Connecting with local communities to foster goodwill, understanding, and legitimacy. Especially important for infrastructure projects, development, or social impact work.
- Thought leadership and executive profiling: Positioning leaders as experts and voices of authority on relevant topics. Includes speaking opportunities, op-eds, LinkedIn content, and panels.
- Content strategy and owned media: Creating and managing content across blogs, social channels, newsletters, podcasts, etc. Shaping your own narrative without relying on third-party media.
- Social and digital engagement: Listening and responding to audiences in real time across digital platforms.Includes community management, influencer partnerships, and platform strategy.
- Measurement and insight: Evaluating the impact of communications through both qualitative and quantitative tools.Focused on outcomes (behaviour change, trust, loyalty) not just outputs (coverage, clicks).
In short, public relations is about relationship-building, reputation stewardship, and strategic communication, not just press coverage.
So, who’s really representing you? Take a moment and ask yourself: do you have a public relations professional at your side, someone who understands reputation, relationships, and the full spectrum of strategic communication? Or do you have a press officer or agency PR, someone who’s solely focused on chasing headlines and pleasing journalists?
Because there’s a difference. A big one. One builds trust across every corner of your organisation. The other just tries to get your name in the paper. If your communications strategy begins and ends with media coverage, you’re not doing public relations. You’re doing publicity.
So, again, ask yourself who’s really representing you?
Let’s get back to why we started.
Public relations does exactly what it says on the tin, it’s about building relationships with the public. Media relations, on the other hand, is just a single slice of that pie, it’s about dealing with journalists and media outlets, not the whole audience.
Public relations, at its core, is about human connection. It’s about closing the gap between what an organisation does and how it’s perceived. It’s about earning trust at scale. Media relations is part of that journey, but it’s not the destination. Let’s stop pretending otherwise. Because the moment we remember that public relations is about people, not just press, is the moment we start doing work that actually matters.
Rapport North 