public relations

• PR (initialism)

Since the early twentieth century. The term gained popularity as a euphemism for propaganda after that originally neutral term acquired a negative connotation during the political upheavals of the early twentieth century.^[1]

public relations (uncountable)

1. The professional dissemination and management of information by a person or an organization to the public with the purpose of creating a favorable public image.
   • 1960 December, “The Glasgow Suburban Electrification is opened”, in Trains Illustrated, page 714:

     The public relations drive accompanying the opening of Stage I is impressive.

2. (by extension, metonymically) The favorability of the public image of a person or organization.

   to get bad public relations ― to have things happen that deteriorate the public image

• outreach

• public-relations (in attributive, adjectival use)