In recent years we have observed the growing misperception of public relations and, as professionals in this field, we seek to promote discussion about the common misuse of the term public relations and the abbreviation PR to define other – especially unethical – communication practices.
Because in Polish public discourse terms such as PR, public relations and black PR are commonly used in a manner inconsistent with their definitions, Warsaw University’s Faculty of Journalism, Information and Book Studies, the Polish Public Relations Consultancy Association, Media Monitoring Institute and PRoto.pl established the Coalition to Restore the Reputation of Public Relations. The coalition monitors the media for use of PR-related terms that are inappropriate or even slanderous to the PR industry and its professionals. By identifying specific cases, we primarily work to educate those who often unknowingly harm the good name of the public relations industry, which is an internationally recognized field and an important part of the communications services sector in Poland, constituting 4.5% of the country’s GDP.