A publicist is a person whose job it is to generate and manage publicity for a
public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book,
film or album. Most top-level publicists work in private practice, handling
multiple clients. The term "publicist" was coined by Columbia law professor
Francis Lieber to describe the public-like role of internationalists
during the late nineteenth century. Description
In the world of celebrities, unlike agents or managers, publicists typically
take a monthly fee for serving a client. Publicists can be at local, regional or
national level. They can also have special expertise in areas such as
entertainment or literary publicity. One of the publicist's main functions is
to generate press coverage on behalf of clients and to serve as the bridge
between clients, their public and media outlets. A publicist manages campaigns
and performs other public relations functions. It usually takes many years
to develop the media contacts, experience and relationships necessary
to be an effective publicist. Some publicists specialize in
representing ordinary members of the public to procure the maximum possible
fee for stories they wish to sell to newspapers, television stations and
magazines. A number have now sprung up on the internet and work as media agents
gaining members of the public multiple deals with publications.
An older meaning of the term is closer to pamphleteer: someone who circulates
ideas by publishing them, perhaps in ephemeral forms. This term is still in
use in some countries, such as Israel. Types of publicists
Press representative Public relations publicist – manages the
public image of a client or a work of art such as a film.
Special publicity consultant Unit publicist – The unit publicist
brings attention to the production phase of making a film or other work of art by
organizing media kits, sending out press releases, and arranging media visits to
the production. Media agent – liaises between the
ordinary person and publications or TV to 'sell' their story.
Publicists in the Hollywood industry Hollywood publicists create and manage
relationships between film stars and the array of other media channels through
which the identities of stars are circulated. Stars have a dual
relationship with publicity, for they publicize films but also, and
importantly in the freelance market, have an interest in self publicity. It
is for the latter reason that while many stars continue to regard managers as an
optional luxury, today the majority of stars in Hollywood hire publicists to
manage their media visibility. In other words, celebrities hire publicists who
will be able to get their name out to the public preferably in a positive
light. Compared to channels of paid
advertising, publicity generates exposure which is relatively "free."
Publicity is at work whenever stars make personal appearances at press
conferences or film premieres, give television interviews, are displayed on
magazine covers, or allow the press to cover a private event. Independent
publicists include Hollywood stars and studios as their clients, alongside
corporations and individuals from the worlds of entertainment, sports,
finance, technology, retailing, and other business sectors.
The role of a publicist in Hollywood has changed and become more challenging in
recent years. With the enormous increase of entertainment news outlets such as
Perez Hilton, TMZ, and Page Six, it has become much more difficult for
publicists to control negative stories. Publicists must also work much harder to
keep some of their star clients relevant in the media with the entertainment
options in Hollywood continuously growing. Even booking a star for an
interview or on a television talk show has become a challenging task, because
if something goes awry, the publicist and the star could both be highly
criticized by the media. See also
Press agent Promotion
References ^ Samson, Steven Alan. "Francis Lieber
on the Sources of Civil Liberty". 9(2) Humanitas. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
^ McDonald, Paul; Wasko, Janet. "The Star System: The Production of Hollywood
Stardom In The Post-Studio Era". The Contemporary Hollywood Film Industry.
Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 173–175.
^ Siegel, Tatiana "PR: the first line of defense?", Variety. 420(1). 1–25
Wignall, Alice, The Guardian, 18 August 2008: "Wanted: real-life Shirley
Valentines" External links
Media related to Publicists at Wikimedia Commons