Which statement best distinguishes advertising from public relations?

• A. Public relations is a paid form of communication delivered through media from an identifiable source.
• B. Advertising is a paid form of communication delivered through media from an identifiable source.
• C. Advertising is never measurable.
• D. Public relations uses paid media only.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the distinction between paid versus earned media. Advertising is a paid form of communication delivered through media from an identifiable source, meaning the sponsor buys space or time and the message clearly comes from that sponsor. This gives the advertiser control over what’s said, where it’s shown, and when it runs. Public relations, by contrast, aims to earn media coverage rather than pay for it; messages reach the audience when journalists or outlets find them newsworthy and publish them, so the sponsor isn’t paying for each placement. That difference explains why advertising is paid, highly controllable, and often measurable, while PR centers on building credibility through third-party coverage and is less directly controllable.