ABSTRACT
How great is public relations? Very! In fact, public relations is a valuable and valued organizational function, especially among top organizational leaders. According to the most recent Generally Accepted Practices GAP VIII report from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Journalism and Communication (2014), “About 40% [of the senior-level communication professionals surveyed] report that PR/Com actively participates in corporate strategic planning, while over 45% view this as [a] grey area” (p. 17); nearly 60% of survey respondents said that C-Suite executives take public relations recommendations seriously, while almost 32% also see it as a grey area (p. 18). Additionally, public relations is seen in the C-Suite as a valuable contributor to financial success (p. 19).
