The Public Relations Society of America defines public relations as the “strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” In other words, it is the practice and art of communicating to benefit both an organization and its stakeholders.
Public relations practitioners must possess excellent writing skills; know how to communicate effectively; and think like a businessperson or a news producer or anchor. Most importantly, public relations professionals must not be easily discouraged by the word “no.”
For individuals who wish to break into the public relations industry, it is important to be able to network with other public relations professionals and to gain practical, hands-on experience prior to seeking full-time employment. Internships offer a valuable opportunity to determine whether public relations would be a suitable and desirable field.