Which statement about publicity and advertising is true?

• A. Publicity is non-personal and often distributed through third-party sources, giving businesses less control over the message.
• B. Publicity is paid promotional content controlled entirely by the company.
• C. Publicity always uses paid media channels.
• D. Publicity is always negative.

Answer: (A)

Publicity is earned media, so it reaches audiences through third-party coverage rather than paid placements. Because the message comes from reporters, editors, bloggers, or other third parties, the company has limited control over how it’s framed, when it runs, or even whether it runs at all. This is why publicity is described as non-personal and distributed through third-party sources, with less direct control over the exact message.

Advertising, by contrast, is paid promotional content that the company creates and controls, and it appears in paid media channels. Publicity isn’t paid nor fully controllable, which is the key distinction.

Publicity isn’t inherently negative either; it can be positive, neutral, or negative depending on coverage.