# PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRMS **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 17, 2001, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-relations-firms/72817 "2001-07-17T16:58:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![djf750](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@djf750](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/djf750)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-relations-firms/72817/1 "2001-07-17T16:58:29Z")
ok, what do they do? are they the ones who tell gary condit to always smile in public even though a young woman friend is missing and was probably viciously murdered and his career is over and he is a laughingstock? yet, he still has that idiotic smile wherever he goes. i saw jon benet ramseys parents doing the same thing, smiling in public. (if that happened to my daughter i would never smile again, especially if a camera was in my face) also oj and paula poundstone. is this what PR firms do? tell their clients to always look relaxed and happy when on camera? where did they come from and who uses them? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-relations-firms/72817/2 "2001-07-17T18:32:30Z")
[http://www.calmis.cahwnet.gov/file/occguide/PUBRELRP.HTM](http://www.calmis.cahwnet.gov/file/occguide/PUBRELRP.HTM) > [@](#): > > WHAT DOES A PUBLIC RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE DO? > > Public Relations not only tells an organization’s story to its public, but also helps shape the organization and the way it performs. PUBLIC RELATIONS > REPRESENTATIVES (PR Reps) develop and enhance positive images for their employer. As advocates for organizations or individuals, they build and maintain a > carefully planned relationship with the public. PR Representatives use various types of media such as publications, special reports, videos, and multimedia programs to influence the way their employer is viewed by the public, workers, stockholders, and legislators. > > PR Representatives work in public relations firms, private companies, schools, non-profit organizations, governments and public agencies, universities and colleges, > high technology firms, and hospitals. PR Reps may specialize in Media Relations, Community Relations, Government Relations, Special Events Coordinators, and > Employee Relations. There is much more info at the linked site. As far as I know, congresspersons smile in public by force of habit, they don’t need to hire an entire PR firm to instruct them to do this. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-relations-firms/72817/3 "2001-07-17T22:17:59Z")
PR guy checking in here. We do all that stuff, we also perform a reality check for clients who are smart enough to take our advice (“that story about the layoffs being good for the economy isn’t going to fly – why don’t you just come right out and say they’ll boost shareholder returns.”) We don’t tell our clients to smile – we tell them to look confident. If it comes out as a smile, well, some faces look better than others. But really, what we do during times of crisis is advise our client how far they should go in telling, how far they should go in not telling, which reporters we think they’ll get a fair shake from, which ones are out for blood, etc. One thing we NEVER do, however, is to tell a member of the United States Congress to have his staff lie about having a sexual relationship with an intern. I doubt if Condit’s lawyer recommended that, either.