How Important Public Relations are in Organizing
By: Regita Andriani
In today’s era, the role of public relations is considered important for an organization. Establishing a good relationship between the organization and the community cannot be ignored, because without a good relationship between the organization and its community, there will be no conducive atmosphere, openness, and acceptance from the community regarding all matters related to the organization including the policies of the organization. Therefore, many organizations including student organizations currently need a public relations role.
According to Rex F. Harlow quoted by Firsan Nova (2011: 44), public relations is a typical management function that helps establish and maintain two-way lines of communication, mutual understanding, acceptance, and collaboration between organizations and their communities that involve problem management or problems, helps management to stay informed and responds to public opinion, defines and emphasizes management’s responsibilities in serving the public interest, helps management follow and exploits change effectively, serves as an early warning system to help anticipate trends, and uses incoming research and communication reasonably and ethically as the main target.
In short, it can be concluded that the notion of public relations is an activity carried out by establishing relationships in the form of communication between the organization and the entire public, both external and internal, with the aim of fostering mutual understanding, goodwill, and cooperation between the publics by means of reciprocal communication to achieve common goals.
In the past, the roles and tasks of public relations were only considered complementary and could even be concurrently held by other departments. However, nowadays the role and tasks of public relations are considered important in the continuity of an organization. This is evidenced by the increasing number of organizations that have placed public relations in accordance with their fields and are no longer confined by other departments. Therefore, the public relations part needs to be prioritized in an organization, because if it is not used to the fullest, the organization will be left behind in this competitive era, especially in the field of obtaining and conveying information for the benefit of the organization itself. Particularly now, people need openness in the field of information from an organization and the existence of public relations will certainly make it easier for people to obtain the information they need.
Public relations is a series of activities that are organized continuously and regularly. Public relations is not an activity that immediately exists without prior organization. The purpose of the existence of public relations is to build and maintain an understanding of the company or organization between the parties involved in it (public) both groups and individuals. From the meaning of public relations, it means that the main role of public relations is as a builder of good relations between the organization and its people and to form a positive image in the eyes of the community.
Nowadays, the task of public relations has become increasingly complex, not only playing a role in shaping the image of the organization, but also as a good communicator for both external and internal communities. A public relation is also required not only to be concerned with physical appearance, but the most important thing is that a public relations person must have good communication skills and be good at getting along with the public. So that with the existence of public relations in an organization, it is hoped that it will be able to smoothen the course of interaction and provide information from the institution to the external and internal community in actual and factual terms about an activity or policy made by the organization.
Basically, the function of public relations is more oriented to the organization in building a positive image. But if the public relations function is properly executed, it is truly a powerful tool for improving, developing regulations, organizational culture, and a working atmosphere that is conducive and sensitive to employees, then a special approach and motivation is needed in improving their performance. In short, it can be said that the function of public relations in an organization is to maintain and develop the reciprocal communication needed in dealing with problems that arise or minimize the emergence of problems.
Reference
Sulistyaningtyas, I. D. (2013). Peran Strategis Public Relations Di Perguruan Tinggi. Jurnal ILMU KOMUNIKASI, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.24002/jik.v4i2.223
Jefkin, F. (1992). Public Relations. Jakarta : Penerbit Erlangga.
Satlita, L. (2011). Reposisi Peran dan Fungsi Strategis Public Relations. http:staff.uny.ac.id/dosen/lena-satlita-dra-msi/Reposisi-Peran-dan-FungsiStrategis-Public-Relations.pdf.
