Unlike private communication, public communication takes place in a specific public space, therefore it is expected that a public communicator communicates according to certain rules that primarily refer to communication-rhetorical tools, but also to the language of communication. Due to its focus on a large number of recipients, public communication is a strong factor in the development of language culture and awareness of individuals, it directly affects the development of people's views and opinions, actions and reactions. This is precisely why it would be desirable for public speakers to master communication skills and rhetorical rules in which argumentative practice is respected, and to communicate in standard idiom as the preferred variety of the Croatian language most suitable for public communication discourse. Public communication is also an important segment of public relations, a branch that is developing more and more rapidly, so in this paper we will analyze the relationship between public communication and public relations. Furthermore, the development of digital technology has practically enabled every individual to become a public communicator, which means that the field of public communication is expanding uncontrollably to actors who until recently did not have access to public communication channels. With regard to the above, in the paper we will define what public communication is, what are the dominant discourses of public communication and what are their characteristics with regard to the role of the receiver and sender in communication, then determine the difference between the desirable (standard) code of communication and the non-standard one, and substantiate the above examples from public communication practice of different styles. The aim of the work is to present the characteristics of public communication in a systematic and transparent manner and to support the explanations with examples in order to achieve clarity and plasticity of statements. The methods that will be applied are the method of analysis and synthesis, the method of generalization, the method of description and the method of comparison based on examples of good and bad practice.