World Public Relations Day: Celebrating World Public Relations Day 2025, Bhubaneswar Chapter of Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) held an interactive session on this year’s theme ‘Building Bridges, Navigating Polarisation’, on Wednesday evening. Dr. Debilal Mishra from Ravenshaw University elaborated on the theme of this year’s World PR Day, as the guest speaker, in the presence of distinguished public relations practitioners, communication professionals and academia at the event, held at Press Club of Odisha premises. The event commemorated the legacy of Ivy Lee, regarded as the father of modern public relations.
Asserting that the goal of public relations is always positive as every PR activity should backed by positive intention, Dr. Mishra emphasized on communication skills, behavioral skills, research skills and situational skills among PR professionals and the need to respond with common sense, presence of mind and situational wisdom. Stating that the world is presently witnessing a global decline in trust, he said this year’s WPRD theme ‘Building Bridges, Navigating Polarisation’ brings to focus a very critical question ‘can public relations help rebuild what society has lost?’. When it comes to trust, three elements are important, positive intention, honest communication and responsible behaviour, he added. Communication creates understanding; understanding leads to trust; trust leads to acceptance and all these three aspects are very important in the field of public relations, he said. Adding that communication with the goal of public understanding should be our aim in PR, he said once the public understands the message, then we need to evaluate to know the communication effectiveness.
In his welcome address PRSI Bhubaneswar Chapter Chairman Sudhi Ranjan Mishra emphasized on the significance of World PR Day and the crucial role played by public relations professionals in every field and organizations. PRSI Bhubaneswar Chapter Secretary Krushna Chandra Mahapatra curated the event and presented vote of thanks. Along with according a formal welcome to the newly joined members of the chapter, several of the long-standing members were also felicitated at this event.
It is worth mentioning that World PR Day is observed annually on July 16th, celebrating the vital role of public relations in shaping communication, building trust, and promoting understanding. It’s a day to recognize PR professionals’ contributions to businesses, governments, and society, emphasizing ethical practices and the power of effective communication in an interconnected world
