Public Relations Specialists: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They craft media releases and develop social media programs to shape public perception of their organization and increase awareness of its work and goals.

What do Public Relations Specialists do?

Public relations specialists typically do the following:

• Write press releases and prepare information for the media
• Respond to information requests from the media
• Help clients communicate effectively with the public
• Help maintain their organizations corporate image and identity
• Draft speeches and arrange interviews for an organizations top executives
• Evaluate advertising and promotion programs to determine whether they are compatible with their organizations public relations efforts
• Evaluate public opinion of clients through social media

Public relations specialists, also called communications specialists and media specialists, handle an organizations communication with the public, including consumers, investors, reporters, and other media specialists. In government, public relations specialists may be called press secretaries. In this setting, workers keep the public informed about the activities of government officials and agencies.

Public relations specialists draft press releases and contact people in the media who might print or broadcast their material. Many radio or television special reports, newspaper stories, and magazine articles start at the desks of public relations specialists. For example, a press release might describe a public issue, such as health, energy, or the environment, and what an organization does concerning that issue.

Press releases are increasingly being sent through the Internet and social media, in addition to publication through traditional media outlets. Public relations specialists are often in charge of monitoring and responding to social media questions and concerns.

Public relations specialists are different from advertisers in that they get their stories covered by media instead of purchasing ad space in publications and on television.