In March, I had the pleasure of interviewing with a public affairs agency for a summer internship position. Upon notice that I had earned myself a spot in their program, I spread the exciting news to my family and friends, only to find that none of them seemed to understand what exactly public affairs means. Like most public relations students, I am used to explaining the many facets of the professional field to peers who mistake public relations for marketing or advertising. Public affairs, however, seems to be even more misunderstood than public relations and the general lack of knowledge about this field intrigued me to dig deeper.

Public affairs brings stakeholders and government officials together through managing crises and raising public awareness and understanding about certain issues. The Public Affairs Council Web site contains a clear-cut definition of the field, which says it “combines government relations, communications, issues management and corporate citizenship strategies to influence public policy, build a strong reputation and find common ground with stakeholders.”

Public affairs agencies work to maintain an open path of understanding between stakeholders and organizations or government groups. Agencies use similar tactics that are practiced in public relations, such as media pitching and press release writing, to gain support and make knowledge about an organization’s intentions accessible to the general public. A public affairs agency plays the mediator position, in a sense, between an organization or group and its stakeholders. Professionals strive to support public policy and maintain a positive relationship between stakeholders and respective organizations or government officials.

Advertising, marketing, public affairs and public relations all share similarities but each have their own attributes that make them essential to the success of a brand, company, group, or even an individual. Luckily for those of us studying one of these fields, we can often sneak into similar areas, as I am doing with public affairs. After all, communicating and promoting a brand is a strong suit for each of us.

– Nicole Hyslop, Account Supervisor