During the final days of 1384 (the Iranian Calendar), , the Deputy for Press and Advertising (Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance) , upon the proposal by the director general of the Office for Advertising and Information, and due to need for specifically considering public relations in Iran via naming a special day as public relations, made a formal request to the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance in order to name a day as the day of public relations. The letter, pointed to the proceedings and suggestions made by active agencies and institutes in the field of public relation. It also mentioned some significant reasons for determining a day as the day of public relations as:

- Stressing the importance of public relations at the public opinion level
- Explaining the necessity of attention to public relations at the level of senior managers and promoting their views in this regard
- Integration of various ceremonies honouring public relations into one specific day

Responding to this request, through the letter No. 1555/A, dated to 10.12.2006, the director general of public cultural council announced: Regarding the suggestions for naming a day as “Day of PR” , and according to the Act no. 590, approved in 19.9.2006 session of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, Ordibehesth 27th (May 17th) is determined and announced as “the Day of Communications and Public Relations”.


Then, in 23.12.2006, talking to the media, Director General of the office for Advertising and Information (Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance) stated: Naming May 17th as the day of public relations reflects the sheer determination of the respective officials, regarding the significance and function of public relation agencies.

The First National Conference on Communications and Public Relations
The First National Conference on Communications and Public Relations was hold on Thursday, May 17, 2007, in the Conference Hall of Islamic Countries Leader. In the conference, the stamp commemorating the National Day of Communications and Public Relations was unveiled in the presence of President, Ministers of Industry and Minerals, Housing and Urban Development, the government spokesman and the chairman of government council of information.

Moreover, the regulations for celebrating “the Day of Public Relation”, in 5 chapters and 11 articles was approved and notified in 4.3.2007, thus, as mentioned, public relations, after 56 years, registered a day to its name.

Iranian Public Relation on the Track Toward Professionalism
Despite all usual obstacles before a progressive society on its path toward development, fortunately Public relations in Iran is stepping toward playing a professional role and having a major influence in cultural, societal, economic and international events.


Now, years of attempt and constant pursuits by those involved in public relations and communications society, resulted in naming a day, as public relations. Consequently we, as public relations, are highly required to put our best foot forward so as to achieve those targets set around PR day in the formal calendar of the state. Considering that May 17th is also the international day of communications and information society, the issue becomes more important.

May 17th, reflects the major significance and the leading part of this area of man’s science, as a field that applies different arts, it has become the beating heart of different collections, and now it is impossible to imagine any institute/organisation without what this sector performs, including assessment of strengths and weaknesses of organisations and forming the public opinion and establishing inhouse and outhouse connections.

Public relations day is a good reason to once more remind each other that economic, social and cultural developments of a society depends upon procedures such as equal distribution of information, upgrading and improving public opinion and orientation toward audience. Undoubtedly the said duties should be performed by public relations management of organisations, institutes, companies and other social, political, cultural and economic centres and other public or private agencies.

Mehdi Bagherian
Head of Iran Association of Public Relations Specialists