Letter to a Friend

Dear Friend,



I know that for the past two years I have attended Marquette you have been concerned with my plan in pursuing Public Relations. I am just beginning my third year in studying Public Relations and wanted to reassure you that Public Relations is both an honorable and very necessary profession, especially in this fast pace world we live in today. I know you have heard myths in the past about Public Relations, saying that how can Public Relations be a liable job if there is no set definition of what its practitioner. I also know that you think that Public Relations practitioners are manipulators who rely on spins to hype up their clients and get farther ahead. But myths are myths and I just wanted to better inform you about what Public Relations really is.

I know that the myths are easy to believe and that you have heard that Public Relations practictitioners jobs are simply to skew information and to faulsy represent their clients to the public to only show what the client wants the public to see. However, there is much more to this fast growing profession.

To me, Public Relations is a very energetic and vast way that people can help represent the image, goals, and products to the public. Public Relations is a way for company's, businesses, industries, and organizations to put what their work into the public eye in a way that they will both be favored and seen in a positive light. Public Relations works hard with companies to improve things such as image and goals, and help them often times get back on track after a crisis. This does not mean that Public Relations covers up or hides information from the public because of the crisis. This means that they publicly address the crisis and tell the public what they and the company plan to do to get back on their feet and into a more favorable light for their clients. Public Relations means representing and emphasizing to create a client- company relationship. Also, Public Relations isn't simply writing brochures it is event planning, organizing, and implementing. It is advertising and using the media all in one to help promote the good of their clients.

I feel that the most important part of Public relations is the relations that are created between the Public Relations practitioners to the clients to their publics. If Public Relations wasn't involved with helping companies and many other organizations improve their public images, then many of the events, fundraisers, and products that are sitting in your shelves today you may never have even found.

Though I could go on for ever about the numerous functions that Public Relations practitioners do, I hope that this somewhat gives you a better perspective of what I will be doing. I also hope that you can understand and support all of the great opportunities Public Relations can offer me.



Thanks for your understanding!

Kara Mullikin