The Public Relations Handbook, edited by Robert L. Dilenschneider, teaches everything you need to know about public relations (PR) in the digital, post-pandemic world. Nineteen different contributors provide seventeen chapters. The first five chapters outline basic concepts applicable across the field. The next six chapters cover six specific sub-disciplines (government relations, investor relations, media relations, social media, internal communications, and crisis communications). The final six chapters deal with the unique requirements of PR in different settings (private families, higher education, China, Japan, Canada, and Europe).
The Public Relations Handbook is not for everyone. It is exactly what its name implies. This is a handbook for those involved in PR, especially at large companies. It could be used as the text for a college course on public relations since it provides a solid introduction to every facet of the profession. It also could be a very helpful guide for executives working closely with their PR teams, and I could see value in the communications department giving it as a gift to anyone newly identified as a spokesperson for their company to help them understand the nuances of communicating with different audiences.
However, I imagine it is most valuable residing on the shelf of PR practitioners. When you’ve spent the past few years focused on media relations and your boss asks you to help with investor relations, you can turn to that chapter in the handbook and remind yourself of the basics. When your company is expanding into Japan, the corresponding chapter in the handbook can inform you of the unique needs for PR in that country.