public relations

Promotion by a business organization, country, or political group of a positive image about itself to the general public. PR (or corporate communications) departments of companies deal with inquiries from the public, draft press releases, and build working relationships with the media. In government, information officers or press secretaries inform the public about the activities of their departments and regulatory bodies. The Public Relations Consultants Association, set up in 1969, is the profession's UK trade body.