The Practice of Public Relations

To succeed in public relations, professionals need an innate sense of the power, excitement, and value to society's primary institutions of its practice. This book uses a unique hands-on approach that prompts readers to think critically about the field. Prepares readers to deal with a full range of situations and to arrive at effective, ethical solutions. Offers two new mini-chapters on Investor Relations and International Public Relations. Features new contemporary cases including Rudy Giuliani and 9/11, Gary Condit, Trent Lott, Microsoft public relations, and more. Presents new hypothetical cases including cases on speechwriting, Internet monitoring, and sex discrimination. Features new contemporary interviews with such public figures as Gov. Jesse Ventura, Rudy Giuliani PR Director Sunny Mindell, National Black Public Relations Association President Pat Tobin, and White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. Presents a greater inclusion of minority and female practitioners. Provides Suggested Readings and Suggested Book lists. A handy reference for public relations professionals/public affairs officers, marketing professionals, advertising professionals, and general managers.

Fraser E. Seitel is a veteran of more than three decades in the practice of public relations. In 2000, PR Week magazine named Mr. Seitel one of the "100 Most Distinguished Public Relations Professionals of the 20th Century."

In 1992, after serving for a decade as senior vice president and director of public affairs for Chase Manhattan Bank, Mr. Seitel formed Emerald Partners, a management and communications consultancy, and also became senior counselor at the world's largest public affairs firm, Burson-Marsteller.

Mr. Seitel is a frequent contributor to cable television. Among other programs, he has appeared on Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor, Fox and Friends, Rivera Live, Fox Weekend, and On the Record with Greta Van Susteren; MSNBC's The News with Brian Williams and Nachman; CNBC's Wall Street Journal Report; and CNN's Connie Chung Tonight, Inside Politics, and Larry King Live.

Mr. Seitel has counseled hundreds of corporations, nonprofits, associations, and individuals in the area for which he had responsibility at Chase—media relations, speech writing, consumer relations, employee communications, financial communications, philanthropic activities, and strategic management consulting.

Mr. Seitel is an Internet columnist at odwyerpr.com and a frequent lecturer and seminar leader on communications topics. Over the course of his career, Mr. Seitel has taught thousands of public relations professionals and students.

After studying and examining many texts in public relations, he concluded that none of them "was exactly right:" Therefore, in 1980, he wrote the first edition of The Practice of Public Relations "to give students a feel for how exciting this field really is:" In more than two decades of use at hundreds of colleges and universities, Mr. Seitel's book has introduced generations of students to the excitement, challenge, and uniqueness of the practice of public relations.