Public relations is a uniquely pervasive force in our modern economy, influencing every aspect of our lives from the personal to the political. This comprehensive volume provides an expert overview of current scholarship, reflecting the impact of technology, society, and demographic shifts in a complex global environment.
The last century saw the emergence of the public relations discipline. This expertly curated collection explores the dynamic growth in thinking about public relations' role in our changing global society, now and into the future. It reflects the challenges and perspectives of postcolonial, postmodern, feminist, critical race theory, social responsibility, sustainability, activist standpoints, as well as the profound and unpredictable impact of technological change and social media. Each chapter provides an overview of current knowledge and its roots, while engaging with emerging new directions and old debates - and advocates for where the research agenda is likely to advance in the future.
This unique Companion will be an essential resource for students and researchers in public relations, communication, marketing, media, and cultural studies. It provides an authoritative reference for educators and a one-stop repository of public relations knowledge, scholarship, and debates for the enquiring professional.
The last century saw the emergence of the public relations discipline. This expertly curated collection explores the dynamic growth in thinking about public relations' role in our changing global society, now and into the future. It reflects the challenges and perspectives of postcolonial, postmodern, feminist, critical race theory, social responsibility, sustainability, activist standpoints, as well as the profound and unpredictable impact of technological change and social media. Each chapter provides an overview of current knowledge and its roots, while engaging with emerging new directions and old debates - and advocates for where the research agenda is likely to advance in the future.
This unique Companion will be an essential resource for students and researchers in public relations, communication, marketing, media, and cultural studies. It provides an authoritative reference for educators and a one-stop repository of public relations knowledge, scholarship, and debates for the enquiring professional.
"Nearly 40 years ago, some of us met at the International Communication Association conference in Honolulu aspiring to establish public relations as a research division. The 1980s was a fertile era of books and articles. In the 1990s, others joined the fray, but we worried who would sustain that emerging era of public relations inquiry. As I ponder The Routledge Companion to Public Relations, I am heartened that it arouses curiosity, targets key themes, brings in new voices, and (re)shapes the paradigm of public relations. It moves dialogically toward a paradigm less organizational-centric and more focused on the cultural."
Robert L. Heath, Professor Emeritus, University of Houston, USA
"The Routledge Companion to Public Relations is a timely and carefully curated compilation of critical public relations thinking for an increasingly polarized, volatile, and complex world. It is a must-read for those who are keen on exploring the potential of public relations to create ethical, equitable, and inclusive futures. The chapters offer inspiring insights from critical, senior public relations scholars from across the world into reimagining the future of public relations through disruptive, radical thinking."
Ganga Dhanesh, Associate Dean, College of Communication and Media Sciences, Zayed University, UAE
"In acknowledging dramatic changes in the public relations field, this long-overdue collection conveys those, sometimes transformational changes, with up-to-date perspectives and contemporary research. Instead of isolating critical and other kinds of new studies in separate handbooks, this book includes them as a natural and substantial part of the current canon. It also integrates work by top PR academics with less-known authors to offer a rich and wide-ranging mix. An essential volume for every public relations educator's bookshelf."
David McKie, Emeritus Professor, University of Waikato, New Zealand
Robert L. Heath, Professor Emeritus, University of Houston, USA
"The Routledge Companion to Public Relations is a timely and carefully curated compilation of critical public relations thinking for an increasingly polarized, volatile, and complex world. It is a must-read for those who are keen on exploring the potential of public relations to create ethical, equitable, and inclusive futures. The chapters offer inspiring insights from critical, senior public relations scholars from across the world into reimagining the future of public relations through disruptive, radical thinking."
Ganga Dhanesh, Associate Dean, College of Communication and Media Sciences, Zayed University, UAE
"In acknowledging dramatic changes in the public relations field, this long-overdue collection conveys those, sometimes transformational changes, with up-to-date perspectives and contemporary research. Instead of isolating critical and other kinds of new studies in separate handbooks, this book includes them as a natural and substantial part of the current canon. It also integrates work by top PR academics with less-known authors to offer a rich and wide-ranging mix. An essential volume for every public relations educator's bookshelf."
David McKie, Emeritus Professor, University of Waikato, New Zealand