Gracie Communications

At lunch with a prospective client last week, I was asked if I was a publicist. I inwardly recoiled at the term. Then I decided I’d better make sure I understood his definition of publicist before I answered.

He went on to describe a publicist as someone who helped clients gain media coverage, identify story ideas, share information internally and with clients and partners, and helped his staff understand how to talk to the media. I most assuredly fit his definition of publicist.

Here’s the thing. I prefer to be called a public relations or communications consultant. The term, publicist, has (at best) meant “spokesperson” to me. I train my clients to speak for themselves whenever possible. My aim is to have them quoted, not me. My gut reaction to the term was based on a more negative stereotype of the Hollywood publicist trying to get media attention for the D-list celebrity client.

There are many stereotypes around the terms of our trade, including my own. But what really separates the two fields? Are they one and the same?

I’ve always believed, and the dictionary backs me up, that the field of public relations is broader than that of a publicist.

public relations plural noun (Abbr. PR)
1. (used with a sing. verb) The art or science of establishing and promoting a favorable relationship with the public.
2. (used with a pl. verb) The methods and activities employed to establish and promote a favorable relationship with the public.
3. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The degree of success obtained in achieving a favorable relationship with the public.

publicist noun
1. (Communication Arts / Journalism & Publishing) a person who publicizes something, especially a press or publicity agent
2. (Communication Arts / Journalism & Publishing) a journalist
3. (Law) Rare a person learned in public or international law

(I also like the fact that PR is defined as both an art AND a science. As most good public relations specialists know to be true.)

It will continue to be difficult to educate prospective clients about our field if we don’t define ourselves uniformly. It gets even more confusing when you consider how the fields of public relations, marketing, social media and communications continue to overlap.

So how do you define your field? How do you differentiate what you do as a public relations/communications specialist?