Public relations manages an organization's reputation through media relations, press releases, event management, and community engagement. Unlike advertising, PR earns media coverage through storytelling rather than paying for ad space.
For example, when a company donates to disaster relief, the resulting positive media coverage serves as PR. A well-handled crisis response can actually strengthen brand trust.
Good PR builds credibility because third-party endorsement (media coverage) is more trusted than self-promotion (advertising). It's often said that advertising is what you pay for, PR is what you pray for.