The difference between Public Affairs and Public Relations

To most, there’s little to no difference between Public Affairs (PA) and Public Relations (PR). But as you’ll learn in this article, although they’re similar, they’re still very different. This article will outline what businesses and organizations need to know and how not to conflate the two.

This blog is the first in my new series: They Not Like Us. In this series, I will compare two very similar roles and explain what businesses and organizations need to know when making staffing decisions.

Understanding Public Relations

Public Relations (PR) is the effective management of an individual or organization's reputation and image. PR professionals aim to shape public perception through media relations, branding, and strategic communications.

Key activities of PR professionals include:

• Writing press releases

• Organizing press conferences

• Handling media inquiries

• Managing social media presence

• Developing public relations strategies to promote a positive image

PR professionals’ target audience is usually broad, including customers, investors, and the general public.

Understanding Public Affairs 

Public Affairs (PA) involves managing and influencing public policy and building relationships between organizations and governments, as well as other key stakeholders like community groups and regulatory bodies.

PA professionals specialize in lobbying, advocacy, community engagement, and policy analysis to ensure that the interests of an organization are thoroughly represented in the political and regulatory arenas.

A good example of the kind of work public affairs professionals do is one of my favorite movies of all time, Miss Sloan. Elizabeth Sloan, the character played by Jessica Chastain, spends the movie working on passing a bill to expand background checks on gun purchases. It’s a fascinating, albeit dramatized, look into the work of public affairs through the lens of lobbying. 

The target audience of PA professionals is more specific than PR, including policymakers, government officials, industry regulators, and sometimes the public when rallying support for policy issues.

Skills and Trainings To Look For

There are many obvious similarities between the two. Leading to companies hiring PR professionals when they need PA professionals and vice versa.

PR Skills & Training

When hiring a PR professional, look for:

• Communication Skills: Strong writing and verbal communication for crafting press releases, speeches, and engaging with media.

• Experience in Media Relations: Someone with media relationships or experience building and maintaining relationships with media outlets. 

• Crisis Management: Ability to handle and mitigate public relations crises effectively.

• Brand Management: Experience with messaging and managing brand reputations.

• Social Media Experience: Proficiency in managing social media platforms and campaigns.

Candidates often have degrees in Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing, but also look out for PR Certifications, Media Training, Crisis Communications Training, or Digital Marketing.

Some believe Journalism is a key degree for PR, but my opinion differs. While journalism skills can transfer, specific PR training is essential as the disciplines are vastly different.

PA Skills & Training

When hiring a PA professional, look for skills such as:

• Policy Analysis: Experience analyzing public policies and their impacts.

• Government Relations: Building and maintaining relationships with government officials and agencies.

• Advocacy and Lobbying: Persuading policymakers to support specific causes or legislation.

• Stakeholder engagement: Finding allies and audiences that in the community to equip to support your cause 

• Public Speaking: Delivering persuasive speeches and presentations to various audiences.

• Strategic Planning: Developing strategies to influence public policy and regulatory environments.

Degrees in Political Science, Public Administration, or Law are common, but certifications in Public Affairs, lobbying training, policy analysis courses, and ethics training are also valuable.

Key Differences Between PR and PA

While PR professionals concentrate on maintaining a positive public image and broad communication, public affairs professionals are more focused on political and regulatory advocacy and influencing public policy.

Objectives:

PR: Manage a brand’s image, increase visibility, and handle crises.

PA: Shape and influence policies, advocate for regulations, and engage in legislative action.

Strategies:

PR: Develop and execute media campaigns, write and distribute press releases, manage social media, host and sponsor events, and create engaging content.

PA: Influence public policy, engage in lobbying, build coalitions with other organizations and stakeholders, conduct policy research, and support advocacy efforts.

How to Decide Which to Hire

Deciding whether to hire a PA or PR professional solely depends on the needs of your company. The key lies in truly understanding the difference betweeen public affairs and public relations.

Some companies prefer to intentionally blur the lines between roles because it works to their advantage– it allows for “mission creep” and they can get a few roles for the price of one. And at the same time, there are a host of people that refer to themselves as PR professionals, doing so with little to no training. They’re allowed to ease into an industry that, to be good at it and get results, requires training and experience. 

For example, PR people aren’t often equipped to engage in the influence of government officials around policy. They may lean on leveraging media more than they should, which could actually be counterproductive.

If your primary focus is on influencing public policy, navigating regulatory environments, and engaging with government officials,  then you need a PA specialist. They’re best suited for industries that need to build relationships with policy makers such as healthcare, telecom, finance, or even tourism.

Conversely, if your objective is to build and maintain a positive image, manage media relations, and engage with consumers, then you should focus on hiring a PR specialist. PR specialists are crucial for industries focused on consumers.

Choosing to hire a PR professional when you need a PA specialist can lead to misalignment in methods and results.  

Conclusion

Being clear about what you need as a business and organization, and finding the talent to meet that need is vitally important. When it comes to hiring a PR specialist or a PA specialist, or any related role for that matter, it’s easy to blur the boundaries because you’re not sure what these roles actually mean or in an attempt to save money. 

Thanks to amazing team members who share the work they do and my past experience as a one-stop-shop entrepreneur, I have a little experience in both fields. That can make it easy for me to work with professionals across roles. The truth is, a lot of people can’t.

If you need further advice on this topic, schedule a 30-minute phone call with me.

Joey Gaskins is a public affairs professional with a formidable record of designing and executing innovative strategies, campaigns, and tactics—turning around negative perceptions, reaffirming trust, amplifying and influencing policies, and achieving unprecedented results.

Connect with him on LinkedIn.