Public relations

From Nikonians Wiki

Public Relations, or PR, is the corporate communications function responsible for the public reputation of an organisation. PR generally works closely with marketing and may have a more arms-length relationship with advertising. The PR department is often also responsible for internal communications.

PR is a major purchaser of editorial photography. Typically, the PR team will submit images to newspapers and magazines free of charge, released for press use. A photographer should therefore consider this when setting prices for PR photography, as there may be very limited opportunities to earn money from the images afterwards, particularly if the PR team insist on exclusive use of the pictures, which is fairly standard for this type of work.

PR photography is as often photojournalism, designed to accurately document important events, as set-up shots, designed to present the organisation in a particularly favourable light.

Unlike advertising, which is primarily agency-based, PR tends to be split fairly evenly between agencies and in-house teams. When buying photographic services, PR teams tend to gravitate towards existing photojournalists who work for the publications they intend to submit to, in order to increase chances of inclusion.

For careers in PR, the primarily requirement is the ability to write, but photographic skills, especially when linked with a portfolio of published work, can substantially boost employment prospects in a competitive market.

• This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 22:54.
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