In the late 1980s a major producer of business machines presented a new line of personal computers. At the same time that the paid advertising for the machines appeared, a series of publicity items was published on the business pages of newspapers announcing the products. Corporations achieve publicity by making contributions to the public well-being. Large donations to a college or university get news coverage. Corporations sponsor cultural programming on public television and such sports events as the Boston Marathon and the Olympic Games.
Companies also give significant contributions to charities.
When contradictory publicity from another source appears, a public relations crisis can occur. The administration of President Ronald Reagan was caught in such a crisis in 1986-87. After several years of announcements that it would never deal with international terrorists, the administration was forced to admit that it had sold weapons to Iran in the vain hope of gaining the release of hostages held in Lebanon. So damaging was the adverse publicity that no PR campaign could overcome it. Advertising is paid publicity.