The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Publicity \Pub*lic"i*ty\, n. [Cf. F. publicit['e].]
   The quality or state of being public, or open to the
   knowledge of a community; notoriety; publicness.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

publicity
    n 1: a message issued in behalf of some product or cause or idea
         or person or institution; "the packaging of new ideas"
         [syn: promotion, publicity, promotional material,
         packaging]
    2: the quality of being open to public view; "the publicity of
       the court room"