The profession has failed to respond adequately to negative and often distorted public attitudes for a number of reasons. These include a fortress mentality that would protect the field from public scrutiny; a negative bias against the media; and a lack of knowledge, training, and skills in dealing with the media. Another major problem has been the failure to define media relations and public information as a serious part of the management function in corrections. Often there is no person responsible for dispersing information to the media and few agencies commit substantial resources to public information. Further, there often is a tendency to try to conceal problems when they occur and to respond to media inquiries in an ad hoc manner that results in inaccuracies and a loss of credibility. Effective leadership is needed if public perceptions of corrections are to be changed. Public relations must be approached in the same way as any other management problem. Public information and public relations must be defined broadly to include the community, the media, staff and their families, legislators, and professional organizations. The public information function should be seen as a significant part of every manager's job.