The difference between public relations and media relations can be confusing. They sound similar and even PR pros sometimes use them interchangeably. In fact, as more channels of communication develop, the lines between the two are seemingly more blurred than ever. However, there are specific aspects that separate these communication terms and it’s important to understand the differences before selecting a PR agency or embarking on a “PR campaign.”
What is Public Relations?
The Public Relations Society of America defines public relations as, “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
This raises the question: Who are “their publics”?
Customers and prospects both fall into this bucket — as do community members, employees and even competitors. Pretty much anyone who is a stakeholder in your business or industry could be considered part of the “public” in “public relations” — especially as the lines blur between internal and external communication. Media relations, on the other hand, narrows that field.
What is Media Relations?
Media relations encompasses a company’s interactions with a very specific audience: the public-facing press and news media. This audience could include editors and reporters at online and print media outlets like The Washington Post and Forbes as well as more modern content producers on YouTube or podcasts.
The lines between public relations and media relations begin to blur when everyday people act as journalists, using platforms like social media, niche communities and forums to report on and even break news. This also introduces the blurring of internal and external communications, as private moments (like reductions in force or leaked employee surveys) become public moments. As a result, the target audiences of media relations efforts drastically change.
Three More Ways to Think About Public Relations vs. Media Relations
Still unclear about what distinguishes media relations from public relations? Here are three other ways to differentiate the two:
- Public relations uses multiple channels to generate public exposure. Media relations uses one.
Public relations looks to build relationships between organizations and stakeholders. To do so, PR pros might use a variety of channels — a company blog, social media, webinar, or an owned event — to communicate directly with those individuals. Media relations focuses on one key channel: the press. Using the press as a channel to communicate with stakeholders not only allows you to meet those stakeholders where they already are — using what they’re already reading, watching or listening to — it also adds third-party validation to your message. That third-party validation is valuable. Just consider how much more powerful a message can be coming from The Wall Street Journal versus coming from your company-owned LinkedIn page. - Public relations is the rectangle. Media relations is the square.
Remember this old adage from geometry class: All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares? It’s true because a square is a special type of rectangle, one where all the sides have the same length. The same holds up with public relations and media relations — all media relations is public relations, but not all public relations is media relations. In other words, media relations is a special subset of public relations. If your business is looking for earned media coverage, it’s important to focus on this special type of public relations. If you want to enlist a variety of tactics to reach your target audiences, a broader public relations agency will help you pursue opportunities like speaking engagements, company award wins, thought leader LinkedIn strategy, and more.
- Public relations shapes the message. Media relations provides a megaphone.
Public relations pros are charged with sculpting the message that best represents the brand. Today, these individuals have many tools at their disposal to help disseminate that message. When it comes to increasing the reach of that message, the original megaphone and one of the most trusted (and often cost-effective) methods, is still the media, whether that be podcasts, digital publications or broadcast media. If you can plug your company’s story into a timely event, technology trend, or something impacting a specific community and connect with the right media outlet, your story has the potential to reach a larger audience.
Understanding the difference between public relations and media relations and how each can benefit your business can help solidify your communications strategy. Want to know more about the evolution of PR and media relations? Check out our ebook, “SaaS PR: Demystifying Modern Public Relations” to dig in deeper!