PR perception misplaced - Kojo Yankah

Accra, Dec. 01 GNA - Mr Kojo Yankah, President of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) Ghana has said that the understanding of public relations as only a publicity machinery had been misplaced.

"Public Relations is not all about publicity. The profession has grown over the years into strategic communications, which takes the form of advertising and marketing communications."

Mr Yankah was addressing student members of the Africa Institute of Journalism and Communications (AIJC) and Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) in Accra over the weekend.

The event organized by the AIJC student's chapter was under the theme; 'Fostering good relations through public relations.' He disclosed that public relations in the 21st century had taken a new dimension, specializing in growth communications, developmental communications and health communications.

"As career public relations practitioners, you should view PR holistically because we can develop when you put all the phases of PR into effective use," he entreated the students.

Mr. Allotey Pappoe, a member of the Federation of Africa Public Relations Association (FAPRA) said the theme of the event was in the right direction as it reflected the centrality of public relations.

He said PR was about maintaining good relationship and it could only be maximized when it was nurtured.

He attributed the frequent strike actions in the country to poor

relationship that existed in organisations. Mr. Pappoe advised the students to be abreast with the

environment within which they would operate, especially the media

since they had a direct control of the environment.

Mr Michael Edward Sarpong Bruce, President of IPR - AIJC chapter urged the student members to enrich their knowledge background in PR, adding' "believe in yourselves and keep strong relationship to achieve great success in the field of public relations." Students who interacted with GNA said the messages had

broadened their horizon in public relations and expressed the hope

that as future PR practitioners they would work to change the wrong

perception of the profession.