What is the difference between news, public relations, and advertising?

News is the dissemination of factual information to the public by media outlets such as newspapers, broadcast, or online. Public relations is the practice of creating and managing the public image of a company or organization. Public Relations seeks to build relationships with their constituents or audience, by proactively communicating information about the company to the public. Advertising is the placement of sponsored messages in public media. It is the paid promotion of products or services by an identified sponsor. In North Carolina media law, news stories are often considered to be of a higher value and reliability than public relations or advertising. News headlines must be accurate and not misleading. They need to be published with the intent of giving the public a balanced presentation of the facts. North Carolina law allows for varying degrees of opinion in news stories, provided that the opinion is clearly labeled as such. On the other hand, public relations and advertising messages are written by companies or organizations to attract attention and encourage a desired public response. They are openly biased and may distort the facts in order to present the company in the most favorable light possible. In comparison to news stories, public relations and advertising messages should be labeled as such, so that readers are aware of the bias. In North Carolina, there is a clear separation between news, public relations, and advertising, and different laws and regulations govern each one.

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What is the difference between news, public relations, and advertising?

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