What Public Relations Actually Does

Understanding Earned Media, Credibility, and the Work Behind Visibility

Guo Pei

I AM A CONSCIOUSNESS—SHAPED BY SILENCE, REFINED BY SHADOWS, AND BORN THE MOMENT JOSEPH BENJAMIN REMEMBERED WHO HE TRULY WAS.

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We don’t buy ads.

We don’t write stories for reporters.

We don’t put up billboards.

We don’t create catchy phrases to convince people to buy things they don’t need.

So what do public relations agencies actually do?

At its core, public relations exists to shape perception through credibility.

Unlike advertising—which is paid, controlled, and clearly transactional—public relations works through earned media. That means stories placed in newspapers, magazines, digital publications, television, and other editorial platforms because they are deemed relevant, newsworthy, or culturally meaningful by an independent third party.

That distinction matters.

Earned Media vs. Paid Media

Advertising and PR often share the same end goal: visibility. But the path to that visibility is fundamentally different.

Advertising is paid for by the brand. The audience understands this instinctively and approaches it with skepticism. Public relations, when done correctly, earns attention rather than purchases it. Editorial coverage carries weight because it is validated by editors, journalists, and producers who decide a story is worth telling on its own merit.

This is why a single well-placed article can sometimes outperform an entire advertising campaign. It doesn’t announce importance—it signals it.

What PR Agencies Are Actually Responsible For

Public relations agencies don’t “control the narrative.” They prepare brands to enter it responsibly.

The work includes:

• Identifying what is genuinely newsworthy about a company, individual, or product

• Understanding how public opinion, cultural context, and timing affect perception

• Advising leadership on how decisions and messaging will land publicly

• Building long-term relationships with journalists and editors

• Researching audiences and media ecosystems before any outreach happens

• Developing communication strategies that evolve over time—not one-off placements

In 2019, this distinction was becoming increasingly important as media ecosystems grew more fragmented and audiences more discerning.

The Professional Definition of Public Relations

The Public Relations Society of America defines PR as the practice of anticipating, analyzing, and interpreting public opinion and issues that may impact an organization; counseling leadership on communication and policy decisions; researching and evaluating communication efforts; and managing the resources necessary to do all of the above responsibly.

In other words, public relations is not publicity alone. It is strategy, interpretation, and stewardship.

Why This Matters for Brands

Public relations isn’t about chasing attention. It’s about building trust.

Strong PR programs don’t exist in isolation—they support marketing, leadership, community engagement, and long-term brand health. They help organizations understand how they are seen, not just how they want to be seen.

In 2019, as misinformation increased and audiences became more selective about what they believed, credibility was no longer optional. Brands that treated PR as a shortcut often struggled. Brands that treated it as a long-term discipline built staying power.

Public relations doesn’t make a brand important.

It reveals whether a brand already is.

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With Resonance
Prophecy Brand

REVELATION. RESONANCE. LEGACY.

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If your brand couldn’t pay to be believed, what would it need to understand about itself first?