Jargon buster: PR glossary

Some words you’ll find PR types use all the time – learn what they mean and sound really intelligent at your first job interview!

By Emily Morrison

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AGENCY or CONSULTANCY
Company that provides public relations services, hired by other companies because of their expertise.

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B2B PR
Business to business – communications from one company to another company. Normally from a company that provides services use by other companies, eg accountancy, training, office supplies.

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BLANKET COVERAGE
Covering everything. Every newspaper and TV channels. (opposite=targeted)

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CIPR
Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

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COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Corporate social outreach programmes designed to build relations and foster understanding of the role of the business to neighbours in the local community.

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CONSULTANCY or AGENCY
Company that provides public relations services, hired by other companies because of their expertise.

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COPYWRITING
The production of text for publications, advertising, marketing materials, websites etc. Most agencies employ specialists skilled with a direct and succinct writing style.

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CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
Another word for PR. Or, sometimes, specifically the part of the sector that deals with strategy and/or reputation management.

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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Borne from the belief that trade brings obligations; CSR makes companies responsible for their use of resources, both environmentally and socially.

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CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Having a plan in place that can be effectively actioned when an organisation is in crisis.

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ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS
PR sector specialising in communication on sustainable use of resources, environmental impact of business and corporate social responsibility.

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E-PR/ONLINE PR
Communicating over the web and using new technology to effectively communicate with stakeholders.

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FCA
Accountancy qualification often held by investor relations and financial PR people.

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FEES
The charges consultants, consultancies and agencies make for the time of their staff working on client programmes, usually invoiced in regular monthly installments or quarterly in advance.

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FINANCIAL PR
PR aimed at the financial press.

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GLASS CEILING
Sometimes an invisible barrier to promotion. Often felt by women or, similarly, by everyone in a small company with few opportunities.

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HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS PR
Sector specialising in public and private healthcare provision, including leisure health, effect of drugs and impacts of medical research.

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IN-HOUSE
Staff within a company or organisation responsible for the public relations and corporate communication function.

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IN-HOUSE NEWSPAPER/MAGAZINE
A tool to communicate to employees about news, issues and developments within the organisation they work in.

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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
Communicating with people inside a company – ie staff.

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INTERNAL RELATIONS OFFICER (IRO)
Looks after internal communications

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INVESTORS
People that invest time or money into a company.

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INVESTOR ROAD SHOWS
Corporate executives travel around the country to promote the benefits of their company.

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LOBBY FIRM
Companies that represent clients to politicians and government regulators.

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MBO
Management buy out.

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MEDIA MONITORING
Monitoring a company’s coverage in the press, on TV, and on the Internet.

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MEDIA/PRESENTATION TRAINING
Training to help deal with the various media (including television and radio), with journalists and when making a pitch to prospective clients.

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MEDIA RELATIONS
Dealing with and building up good working relationships with journalists within the broadcast and print media.

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PITCH/PITCHING
Making a proposal to a client – putting yourself out there. For example, if Barclays Bank were about to undergo big changes in their company an agency may offer their services of change management to them.

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PRESS OFFICE
A press office handles all media enquiries and puts out all company messages to the media on behalf of their organisation.

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PRESS RELEASE
Statement describing an event or item that is considered to be of sufficient interest to readers/viewers/listeners for an editor to publish reference to it.

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PRINT PRODUCTION
The process of producing printed material such as brochures, posters and leaflets.

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PUBLIC AFFAIRS/LOBBYING
Those aspects of public relations communication involving relations with governmental or statutory bodies or their semi-official organisations through sophisticated use of political intelligence and pressure.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS
PR. “The determined, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics”. May also be referred to as corporate communications or reputation management.

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RESEARCH
Finding out background information about a company, product or person to assist with a public relations campaign.

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ROLODEX
Book of contacts.

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SHAREHOLDERS
A person or company that has shares in a company.

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STAKEHOLDER
Anyone with an interest within the company.

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STRATEGY
Big picture standing back, general rather than specific.

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TARGET AUDIENCE
The types of people you wish to communicate with.

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This article is part of the unicornjobs.com guide to Working In PR & Communications. Click here to go to the guide index.

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