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Various professional organizations in the public relations field have created opportunities for formal professional achievement. Among participating professional organizations, there is the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations for students near graduation time, and professionals may pursue Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) or Accreditation in Public Relations + Military Communication (APR+M). For advanced professionals, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) offers the College of Fellows to its members. However, perceptions of and participation in these achievement opportunities are varied. This study uses the lens of the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) to explore why people do or do not seek to attain these professional milestones. Mean responses on intrinsic social cognitive response variables (confidence, self-efficacy, goal-setting) did not show a significant relationship to motivation, but the extrinsic value expectation was significant. In addition, awareness and perception of these professional achievements among human resources and hiring managers were studied. Results show students and professionals who have earned career achievements have higher mean responses on social cognitive responses than those who do not. Hiring managers value professional development indicators as positive to have but not necessary if candidates have proven experience. Qualitative responses further indicated many respondents were not familiar with the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations, APR, or College of Fellows. Those who had earned these achievements were generally positive. Few students, professionals, or educators reported reaping no benefit once achieved. Those who chose not to pursue or who provided negative responses cited lack of necessity, lacks value, requires too much (e.g. time, money), or process as reasons why. • Awareness of the Certificate in Public Relations Principles is low among students, professionals and hiring managers. • The key theoretical variable driving pursuit of the Certificate and APR is value expectation, namely to be hired or promoted. • The primary value to seek membership in the College of Fellows is personal, to belong to a select group of professionals. • Hiring managers –in PR or HR—see some value in candidates having the Certificate or APR but also consider experience and degrees more. Membership in College of Fellows is less a factor when hiring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major sporting events bring a range of social, economic, and reputational benefits for hosting nations and serve as a vehicle to showcase the nation brand. Social media engagement during sport events provides opportunities for community members to cocreate, curate and communicate their nation brand's attributes. While research in nation branding and community engagement has examined the ways place-based communities contribute to nation branding, little is known about how and in what ways virtual communities contribute to their nation brand. This study addresses this gap by examining the virtual brand community (VBC) surrounding the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Using social network analysis and content analysis, the findings suggest that VBC contributions is dependent on the composition, participation, and cultivation of conversations focusing on the personality traits of a nation brand. Theoretically, the outcomes from this study advance understanding of leveraging the properties of VBCs in making contribution to the production and maintenance of an authentic nation brand, that values community perspectives facilitated through community engagement. For public relations, it extends the current research in digital social-level engagement in virtual settings and outlines future research in participatory approaches to nation branding. The growing use of major sporting events in supporting nation branding goals, particularly in Asian and African continents, suggests the outcome of this study has implications at regional and international levels to guide public relations managers in major events to facilitate sustainable VBCs for authentic place branding outcomes. • Digital social-level engagement facilitates authentic nation branding through VBCs. • VBCs require authentic and diverse community composition, prticipation and contribution. • Community-led nation branding reflects active community and brand organization engagement. • Cocreation of value-based content builds shared place and nation brand identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments use public relations to promote their interests in international venues like the United Nations. To understand how governments market their value in environments of elite competition, I compare Canadian, Irish, and Norwegian narratives while campaigning for seats on the Security Council. Results of a strategic narrative analysis suggest Ireland told the strongest stories, creating an authenticity as the 'nation of storytellers' that maximized its valuation. Norway failed to substantively articulate the motivation behind its foreign policy, likely impacting brand loyalty among stakeholders. Canada had the weakest storytelling, with self-referential narratives lacking a sense of care that discredited, and at times even contradicted, the mutuality of it serving on the council. I posit these varying storytelling approaches contribute to understanding the campaigns' disparate ROIs. Contextualizing strategic narratives as value propositions expands the interdisciplinarity of government public relations scholarship at the nexus of international relations, public diplomacy, and nation branding. I conclude by operationalizing system, identity, and issue narratives to highlight how practitioners can maximize organizational value through wholistic storytelling. • Strategic narratives are useful for understanding how governments use stories to relay the value of their brand and policies. • Ireland's storytelling had narrative coherence, fidelity, and continuity, reinforcing its brand as a nation of storytellers. • Norway's storytelling failed to convey the motivation in its foreign policy, weakening the ability to build brand loyalty. • Canada's storytelling was self-reflective and lacked mutuality, impeding it relationship cultivation with UN stakeholders. • This expands PR by anchoring the discursive turn in public diplomacy and nation branding in government public relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July of 2021, Simone Biles shocked the world with her withdrawal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics citing "mental health" as her rationale. Mental health remains a taboo subject within the realm of professional sports, and is often devalued, in stark contrast to the value placed on physical health. The present study explored Biles's framing of her withdrawal and publics' reactions to the withdrawal across two distinct social media platforms. Critical rhetorical analysis was used to analyze the Instagram posts made by Biles and a press conference transcript announcing and reifying her withdrawal, as well as 100 TikTok videos and 1000 comments illustrating publics' reactions. Findings demonstrate that Biles's framed her messages through genuineness, responsibility, resistance, and consistency. As a result of the frames used in the withdrawal messages, and the modality allowances afforded on TikTok (e.g., video, text, text and video, stitching), the space for dissent, as well as the ability to critique current power structures was created. From these findings, theoretically I argue that (1) framing theory can be used to create the space for resisting power, reclaiming agency, and challenging attacks of morality, and (2) theorize the ability of public relations to shape broader societal discourse. Practically, this research adds to the public relations literature (1) the value of new frames for image cultivation and the new role of publics for engaging in the acceptance, rejection, or co-creation of frames put forth by organizations and (2) the role of message modality for cultivating discourse and dissent. • Framing as a tool for resisting power and reclaiming agency. • Message modality access can influence dissensus discourse. • Social media allows publics to co-create frames with organizations. • Athlete communication shapes and is shaped by public relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic received considerable attention from public relations scholars and research publications after the pandemic exploded. This study provides an overview of the status of COVID-19 public relations research in terms of topics, regional focuses, organization-public relationships, public relations approaches and themes, stages of the pandemic, and theoretical and methodological frameworks. This study also investigated how public relations research has described the characteristics of the COVID-19 pandemic. We reviewed 126 articles published in peer-reviewed journals using quantitative and qualitative content analyses. We expect that this review provides new insights based on the current literature to advance public relations research in today's fast-changing society. • We analyzed 126 COVID-19 public relations research papers that have been published in peer-reviewed journals from the height of the pandemic in 2020 to February 2023. • Public Relations Review was the largest publication venue in COVID-19 public relations research (n = 17, 13.5%). • The most common topics in COVID-19 public relations research were relationship management (n = 43, 34.1%), crisis/risk management (n = 37, 29.4%), and issue management (n = 24, 19.0%). • Public Relations research papers described the COVID-19 pandemic situation commonly with six characteristics: transboundary impacts, uncertainty, global-scale event, health crisis, calling for sophisticated communication strategies, and an external crisis event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research in the field of investor relations has been experiencing a surge in recent years, one aspect of investor relations still commands little attention – media planning. Indeed, the research on the media mix investor relations officers use and the reasons behind such usage doesn't seem to exist. Yet, this may be an important topic to investigate for public relations scholars. In fact, anecdotal evidence suggests that investor relations would be quite different from other public relations specializations in its media usage. However, research on media planning is not well developed in the general field of public relations itself and pales in comparison with research in such fields as advertising and marketing. This study addresses this shortcoming by developing a new approach to measuring media usage in public relations. This approach is then tested through a survey of investor relations officers. The results indicate that the main tactic used in investor relations is one-on-one interpersonal communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, scholars in the United States have lamented public policies and government actions that seem to affect, intentionally or unintentionally, already marginalized Black populations. Urban renewal policies and initiatives are examples of government actions that receive such criticism. Arts promotion as a strategic public relations tactic, used to attract middle- to -upper class residents and visitors to cities, is one communicative approach cities take to sell their attractiveness and viability. Yet, cities, urban renewal, and urban tourism research has not received much attention from Public Relations researchers. Critical public relations scholars, however, can help to expose key issues such as displacement and marginalization of Black citizens that are associated with city public relations activities such as promotional culture, arts/city marketing, and urban tourism. Using racial neoliberalism as a theoretical, analytical framework, we examine urban renewal in Cincinnati, Ohio USA, to demonstrate the power of boosterish, government-sponsored urban renewal efforts and the ways such paradoxically positive discourse makes it difficult for the often Black, inner-city communities to challenge advancement that might marginalize them further. • Uses Paradox of the Positive to interrogate arts promotion and urban renewal discourse. • Identifies arts promotion as form of government public relations in urban contexts. • Examines Cincinnati, Ohio USA's urban renewal discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arab public relations research (APRR) has reached many milestones since its inception; however, no study has investigated extant literature to map the trends and patterns within the subject area. As a result, this study aims to aggregate the landscape of APRR from 1979 to date. To achieve this, this current study adopts a multi-method approach of content analysis and text mining of 106 peer-reviewed APRR articles. Findings show an inconsistent trend of APRR. Findings also illustrate the status of APRR methods, analytical methods, media genres, media platforms, organizations, industries, most used words and dominant perspectives within the subject area. This study concludes that despite the irregularities in the progression, APRR is an emergent sub-area with the potential to gain prominence concerning interest and output. • social media was the dominant genre followed by traditional media and digital media. • Public Relations Review distinguishes itself as the top publication destination for Middle Eastern scholars and researchers. • public relations research areas are typically characterized by theoretical contributions from other areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative content analysis of 74 novels featuring public relations characters distributed in the United States demonstrates that, rather than attempting to replicate reality, the mystery genre reflects debates about such issues as honesty, confidentiality, and the relative value of negative publicity. PR practitioners fit into all of the conventional mystery character roles, but particularly the role of sleuth, where access to information and powerful people allows them to solve the mystery but also sometimes forces them to choose between the client/employer and the public interest. The study confirms Fitch's (2015) contention that popular culture representations of public relations are best understood in their narrative and generic context. • Proximity to power makes public relations characters relevant to the mystery genre. • PR characters must balance client confidentiality with the public interest. • Fictional representations reveal that public relations is a contested field. • Mystery novels reveal a deep distrust of powerful institutions and people. • Fictional representations do not attempt to reflect the field accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the gap between crisis communication scholarship and the growing research on intractable issues and wicked problems in public relations. By synthesizing these literatures, the concept of intractability more clearly connects issues, risks, and crises within a community-oriented mindset. The literature review organizes crisis communication scholarship into rhetorical, perceptual, risk-oriented, and conflict-oriented categories, then introduces intractable issues and wicked problems as supplementary and beneficial frameworks. There are similarities and differences among crises and intractable issues, with distinctions mainly arising in terms of urgency and perceived proximity to organizations. Issues, risks, and crises can be mapped using the continua of immediacy/temporal urgency and organizational or societal issue centrality. This creates four quadrants: A zone of reputational crises, a zone of intractability, a zone of wicked problems, and a zone of organizational responsibility. • The purpose of the paper is to integrate intractable and wicked problems with existing crisis communication theory. • We organize existing crisis theory into four categories: rhetorical, perceptual, risk manifested, issue engagement/conflict management. • A new category of crisis as acute intractability/wickedness is proposed. • Immediacy/temporality and organization-centrality are developed as key continua. • This creates four zones of crisis communication: reputational crises, acute intractability, wicked problems, and organizational responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public relations scholarship frequently studies relations between organizations and publics but rarely considers how the nature of organizations influences this interaction. In this essay, we review conceptions of the organization in several areas of public relations scholarship and find complexity that is unexplained by theory, causing a disconnect between public relations scholarship and practice. Using insights from stakeholder theory, essential contract theory, and intersectionality, we provide a new definition of the organization and 14 propositions about the nature of organizations. This definition is explained with a metaphor of an organization as a tent. The tent is composed of many stakeholders, each with multiple identities, utilizing contracts as poles to push and pull the organization in their preferred direction. An illustrative example is given of how this metaphor operates in a university. We call for a reorientation of public relations theory's relationships to organizations and suggest an important role for public relations and communication in constituting the nature of organizations and ensuring representativeness in decision-making. • The nature of organizations as described in public relations scholarship is reviewed and found to be missing complexity. • This complexity is addressed with guidance from stakeholder theory, essential contract theory, and intersectionality. • 14 propositions are given regarding the nature of organization. • A metaphor of a tent and an example of a university are provided to explain the propositions in action. • Public relations has a role in constituting the nature of organizations and ensuring representativeness in decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores an area that has not been widely researched in the Latin American and Caribbean region: the identification of a capability gap in relation to key strategic public relations and communication management issues and activities. To this end, this article presents findings and analysis from a survey conducted in 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries in 2020. The existence of a capability gap in relation to key issues and activities in public relations and communication management is confirmed, which represents a challenge for the development of the public relations field as well as for higher education institutions across the region. • The concepts of competencies and capabilities are characterised and differentiated. • The most important strategic issue for Latin American public relations practitioners was "coping with digital evolution and the social web". • Almost one in two Latin American professionals lacks technology and data management capabilities. • A capability gap in relation to the key issues of public relations and strategic communication in Latin America is identified, which is a challenge from a practical and academic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hispanic or Latina/o community is an important and growing part of the economy, culture, and politics of the United States. As such, public relations professionals need to be knowledgeable about and responsive to the needs of Hispanic or Latina/o publics. Despite a growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion in the field of public relations, research on Hispanic public relations (HPR) remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, the present study conducted a Delphi panel with 17 experts in HPR in the U.S. The panel used a multi-iteration and consensus-building approach to evaluate different aspects of HPR, including the state of the profession, the competencies required to practice HPR effectively, the value of incorporating HPR courses into academic curricula, and strategies for recruiting and retaining HPR students. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for public relations scholars, educators, and industry leaders. By examining the current state of HPR and identifying key issues and challenges, this study contributes to a better understanding of the profession and its potential for growth and development. By highlighting the importance of HPR education and training, this study also offers practical guidance for those interested in advancing the field of HPR. • Delphi panel with 17 experts in Hispanic PR evaluated key aspects of the field. • Provides insights for PR scholars, educators, and industry leaders. • Examines the state of Hispanic PR, competencies required, and strategies for recruiting students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of community expresses a variety of responsibilities that public relations has in building connections, good will, and wellbeing amongst collectives of people. Community also parallels many U.S. expectations of government; however, public relations has few studies that investigate the collaboration between government and citizens or how different government services (e.g., public works, public health, building enforcement, etc.) influence community building. Specifically, parks and recreation has been overlooked in the public relations literature as citizens and government collectively support these lifelines of community wellbeing and social connectedness. Through qualitative analysis of focus groups with city residents and interviews with city parks and recreation personnel, I present thematic findings that explicate how citizens and city staff engage in community building and the specific role that leisure plays in community building processes. Lastly, I offer implications for public relations theory that argue to shift local community and governance theory to be citizen-centered and use the concept of family to explicate the function of community in small municipal contexts. • Argues for community building contexts to incorporate both governments and citizens. • Presents leisure as an integral community building activity for municipalities. • Offers implications for PR theory to center citizens and family in community theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public relations histories have frequently credited Ivy Lee as providing the first press release. This research uses primary and secondary historical sources to demonstrate that the American branch of the international peace movement was using press releases decades before Lee's birth. Starting at least as early as 1819, the movement disseminated press releases to newspapers. This program of sending out press releases increased in size until it was reaching as many as 1,000 separate newspapers in the 1840s. At that time, a young advocate named Elihu Burritt took over the operation. Using a newspaper loophole in postage laws, Burritt was able to regularly disseminate messages to as many as 1,500 separate newspapers, averaging over 200 article placements per message and reaching hundreds of thousands of newspaper readers. This research discusses implications for public relations history. • The public relations work of the American peace movement is documented. • The movement utilized an extensive and modern media relations program starting in 1819. • The peace movement distributed press releases to over a thousand newspapers reaching at least 500,000 readers. • Elihu Burritt utilized a loophole in postage law to distribute releases on a modern scale. • The occupation and function approaches to public relations history are explained and implications for them are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public relations practitioners and academics have long debated the merits of licensing; however, licensing has not been adopted due to a lack of appetite among practitioners as well as concerns about the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Using an analogy with the professions that practice therapy, we argue that licensing of public relations can comply with the First Amendment by providing incentives to licensees, as opposed to restricting the practice of the unlicensed. We identify several potential incentives and provide a detailed analysis of a proposed right to legally privileged communication. We conclude with suggestions for next steps toward creation of licensing and resources that may help in this endeavor. • Licensing public relations professionals can address crisis of mis- and disinformation. • Using an analogy with therapy, we argue that licensing public relations professionals can comply with the First Amendment. • Licensing PR professionals requires offering benefits for licensing rather than preventing practice of the unlicensed. • Licensed public relations professionals should be given the right to privileged communication. • Next steps toward creating licensure are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on how religious and faith-based organizations practice public relations is steadily increasing and of particular interest. Public relations scholars have examined the applicability of public relations theories with religious organizations, and sought to develop new public relations theories, concepts, and models that are appropriate for the context of faith and religion. However, one set of public relations concepts has been limitedly studied, irregularly applied, and inconsistently explained regarding their definitions, how they work together, how they are distinct, and how they can be studied within and outside the narrow context of religious public relations. This conceptual framework essay explicates four constructs found in religious public relations scholarship to provide clarification regarding the application of these murky concepts and a roadmap for how public relations scholars can apply, study, and advance these concepts and models within and outside the context of religious public relations to advance public relations theorizing. • This conceptual essay explicates four constructs in religious public relations research. • The devotional model provides a framework for religious relational engagement. • Covenantal relationships are characterized by shared values, benefits, and commitment. • Devotional campaigns are a public relations strategy to inspire devotion and allegiance. • The covenantal approach focuses on relational health and opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]