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• Considers official attempts to manage the press in Britain in the Houses of Parliament in the 18th and 19th centuries. • Differs from previous work in that it focuses on parliament and not the civil service. • Argues for greater awareness of pre-history of PR in Britain, following similar work in Germany and the US. This paper considers a topic that has received scant attention in the historiography of public relations: official attempts to manage the press in Britain in the Houses of Parliament in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Existing accounts of the emergence of government public relations in the UK have tended to focus on the civil service in the first half of the twentieth century, but this article sheds light on a series of earlier developments, including the allocation of seats for reporters in the viewing gallery of the Commons in 1803, the construction of dedicated Reporters' Galleries in both parliamentary chambers in 1847–52 and the creation of a Westminster Lobby in 1884. Taken together, these reforms improved journalists' access to parliament in an era in which direct governmental control over newspapers lapsed. Yet, they also allowed politicians to influence media commentary by determining who was permitted access to parliament and what type of content made its way into print. A case can thus be made that Westminster, not Whitehall, played host to the earliest official attempts to manage the media in Britain, and this has important repercussions for current understandings of public relations history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present meta-analysis study systematically reviews articles on media relations published from 1945 to 2021. It aims to explore media relations research in terms of progression, journals, theories, methods and data analytical tools, media genres and platforms, geospatial distribution of discussed issues and first author affiliations, organization types, most frequently used words, and major themes covered through a quantitative content analysis and a qualitative text mining approach. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 276 articles from 2006 to 2017 were collected as the final sample. Public Relations Review has published the most articles, while the most commonly used theories were agenda setting /building theory, rhetorical theory, and framing theory. Media relations articles utilize qualitative methodologies more than quantitative ones, while the commonly used data analytical tools were content analysis, interview, survey, and case study. Our analysis of the discussed regions and geospatial distribution of first-author show that the North American, European, and Asian continents and the US, the UK, China, and Australia have relatively more publications. The majority of media relations articles discussed governmental organizations. Five themes dominated media relations articles: public relations strategy, media relations practice, mass media and journalism, state–media relations, and organizational media relations. • The present meta-analysis study systematically reviews articles on media relations published from 1945 to 2021. • PPR has published the most articles of MR, while the most commonly used theories were agenda sitting/building theory, rhetorical theory, and framing theory. • MR articles utilize qualitative methodologies more than quantitative ones, while the commonly used data analytical tools were content analysis, interview, survey, and case study. • North American, European, and Asian continents and the US, the UK, China, and Australia have relatively more publications. • Five themes dominated MR articles: public relations strategy, media relations practice, mass media and journalism, state–media relations, and organizational media relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many research findings and some theoretical models regarding the interaction between journalism and public relations (PR). But only scarce research has been done so far on the historical perspective of this relationship, which is also called co-evolution of PR and journalism. The aim of this article is to make a first step into the analysis of this co-evolution with a focus on the emergence of PR in the German-language area and based mainly on German literature about the history of PR. The analysis shows that the rise of PR in the second half of the 19th century was, amongst others, a reaction to the development of journalism that had become increasingly biased. Thus, for many societal actors and organisations, the barriers to entering the public arena were increasing. At the same time the importance of the mass media, and pressures on social protagonists and organisations to legitimise their interests in a changing society, were growing. These results support a theoretical concept that describes the development of mass communication as a process of rationalisation of societal communication, which in addition can be linked with system theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper rests on an assumption that media is much more than a communication channel or type of organization and that we have to take media under consideration if we want to understand the conditions for public agencies and their public relations activities. This is very much due to the processes of mediatization ; that is to say, the double-sided process through which media (a) emerge as an autonomous institution with its own set of rationalities that other institutions adapt to; and (b) become an integrated part of other institutions’. A second assumption is that the extent to which public agencies adapt to media varies between different types of organizations, mostly as a consequence of an organization’s management structure. Public agencies governed by career managers are more eager to get media attention and control the media image of their organizations compared to agencies governed by field professionals. Circumstances that position public relations at the centre within agencies governed by career managers, but with limited freedom of action. This raises a number of questions concerning circumstances, motives and consequences for public relations and in this paper we suggest three propositions for how we can understand the interplay between media in its institutional form, public agencies and public relations (1) public relations professionals have limited control to what degree public agencies adapt to the media logic (2) public relations professionals have limited control over public agencies media activities due to their high level of formalization and standardization (3) public relations in public agencies is to an extensive degree limited to media activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing US, German and Chinese data from the 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer ® , the purposes of this study were: (1) to explore the impact of media preference on the perception of CSR, (2) to examine the role of CSR in building trust, and the effect of perceived trust in a business entity on public engagement with that entity, and (3) to test whether the above relationship between CSR and trust in business is moderated by media preference. The results show that China had the highest trust in business while Germany had the lowest. There were no consistent media usage patterns of the informed public that would link to positive CSR evaluation across the three countries. CSR dimensions (social, economic, and environmental) had various effects on predicting trust in business in these three markets, and there was a positive correlation between trust in business and behavioral engagement with trusted companies in informed publics in the US and Germany. Theoretical implications and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines from an information subsidies and framing theory perspective the media coverage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Through a content analysis of Malaysian government information subsidies ( N = 78), and Malaysian ( N = 155) and Chinese ( N = 93) newspaper articles, findings include differences of crisis frames and risk roles, the absence of crisis cause did not detract from attribution of responsibility in regard to risk arbiters’ potential solutions to managing the crisis, among other key findings. Implications include the need for the inclusion of an unknown crisis type to the crisis communication typologies and models and theories, as well as supporting the argument of previous studies in regard to media coverage partially determined by the country’s media system and Palmlund’s (1992, 2010) generic roles of societal evaluations of risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islamic State (IS) has been vilified for its brutality and admired for the sophistication of its media productions. This conceptual paper argues that IS media is not propaganda in the western sense but rather propagation of a minoritarian ‘take’ on Islam. IS media are not simply fora for the gratuitous display of violence but rather venues for rational, strategic communication designed mainly for regional consumption. Global audiences are targeted, too, but media produced for them is less voluminous than that presented to populations in IS-controlled areas and surrounding regions. While Islamic State’s diverse media output is not western-style public relations, the artifice and artefacts employed in the group’s “media war” are not only relevant but also noteworthy for public relations professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using global survey data based on the 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer annual survey, this paper looks at predictors of business trust in the top five countries based on GDP ranking – the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and France. Demographics emerged as significant predictors of trust across countries, while political ideology was a key driver of trust in the U.S. Political ideology also interacted with preferred media choice in predicting trust. Theoretical and practical implications for effective public relations practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on explaining agenda building power of corporate press releases. The purpose of the study is to investigate to what extent news factor theory can be applied to predict whether a press release generates media attention or not. A content analysis of 823 press releases from 30 of the largest Dutch corporations reveals that the news factors surprise, controversy, impact-negative consequences and elite organization have increase a press release's chance for succession. Furthermore, press releases on the topics financial performance, employees & management and organizational issues have a similar effect. The study shows that news factor theory can be applied successfully in the field of public relations and media relations and suggests that the variety of effective news factors depends on the news genre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influencing mass media discourse is considered an essential part of the work carried out by think tanks. This research focuses on the influence Spanish think tanks have exercised in shaping the ubiquitous and all-pervading concept of “economic crisis” in the press of reference during 2013 and 2014. The results show that very few such entities have had even a minimally significant impact in this area, while also demonstrating that very diverse communicative strategies exist that can result in maximizing the amount of media attention gained. Consequently, despite being regarded as intelligence actors, Spanish think tanks do not seem to be so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We examined five case studies of crisis with an inherent enduring image. [•] An enduring image is the shared image of first mention among its public. [•] Enduring image emerges from defining moments in crisis and is loaded with symbolic potential. [•] Enduring image exhibits a sense of permanence that endures beyond the crisis timeline. [•] An enduring image becomes a prime representation of the accused during a crisis and beyond. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] The minimal internet visibility of PR agencies in Israel, 2012. [•] The minimal number of PR agencies in Israel that implement social media. [•] A discussion of the changes undergone by PR agencies that implement the new media regarding work routines, work methods and manpower. [•] A discussion of task-related PR tactics that implement new media. [•] A presentation of the possible reasons for the limited use of new media tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Successive Catalan regional governments have made intensive use of mass media campaigns and other soft power methods to enhance Catalan identity. [•] Catalan regional governments have focused on the promotion of the Catalan language, culture, sports, and symbols through public relations, mass media campaigns, and the deployment of public diplomacy tactics. [•] Identification with Spain has decreased while dual Catalan/Spanish and Catalan-only identification has grown during the last three decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] This paper locates levels of confrontation and entertainment in PR and the media. [•] Austrian party and media communication can be categorized as antagonistic substance. [•] Conflict and negativity coin the electoral communication of Austrian parties and the media. [•] Party press releases are more marked by confrontation and entertainment than the media coverage. [•] The media decrease conflict and drama as compared to impulses set by political PR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigated the executive influence of public relations managers in the German higher education system. The study is based on a whole-population survey of German university decision makers (N =1619). It provides evidence that the mediatization of German higher education offers an important opportunity for the empowerment of university PR departments. They can benefit from the New Public Management reforms in recent years as power shifts to management-oriented administrators and the public image of universities turns into a competitive asset. Nevertheless, an indispensable precondition for PR departments’ organizational advancement resides in professionalization. PR workers need to claim a status of expert boundary spanners between their universities and the public stakeholders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This essay presents for the first time an integrated and comprehensive historical analysis of the relationship between the external intelligence service in Israel, the Mossad, and the media. The theoretical framework of this research demonstrates the significance of analyzing the relationship through the lens of a challenge–response model, based primarily on public relations literature. Since different changes have taken place in society, culture and media, it is crucial to define what issues the Mossad faced during each era in order to accurately evaluate its strategic communications. The Mossad's ability to cope efficiently with crisis situations was majorly influenced by the proportions between the challenges and the responses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This research looks at the teaching of crisis management at the colleges and departments of communication and public relations in the Arab world. Major findings of the study suggest that out of 24 colleges and departments of communication and public relations surveyed by this research, only two universities teach the course crisis management in their curriculum. The latest developments in the Arab world dictate new mechanisms in managing information and news and dealing with publics and the mass media locally and internationally. The new trends of teaching crisis management focus on the multidisciplinary approach which consists of a good knowledge of news management, dealing with the media, dealing with people, business administration, information technology, social and anthropological context. All these fields of knowledge are indispensable for understanding the general background of the issues and for choosing and selecting the best communication and persuasion techniques and tactics to manage crises effectively and successfully. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Under the framework of media system dependency theory, this study investigates and compares traditional media dependency and Internet dependency in public health crisis situations in the context of Mainland China. 373 college students participated in the survey. Empirical data demonstrated that, during public health crises: (1) traditional media and the Internet play different roles for individuals; (2) higher level of threat perception leads to more intense Internet dependency, but does not do the same to traditional media dependency; (3) individuals’ Internet dependency intensity is higher than their traditional media dependency intensity; and (4) the Internet may influence the behavior of young Chinese more directly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The underlying assumption is that a gradual change in economic and financial power will also lead to changes in ‘soft power’ like media communication, public relations, public opinion, public diplomacy and (new and old) media consumption. In other words, culture and mass communication play a significant role in shaping the dialogue between organizations and publics in different countries in general, and between the US and China in particular. New ways to conceptualize and study Public Relations and News, Public Diplomacy, International Communication, and Crisis Communication are being introduced. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Viewed through the lens of the dialogic theory of public relations, this study examines if universities use new media tools and how the world''s top universities use Facebook as an interactive forum that give voice to key stakeholders. With the declining economy and limited access to resources, it is important to know how organizations utilize Web-based tools to build and maintain relationships at national and global levels. Because prior research found that users had negative feelings about lack of dialogue on college websites, it is also important to know whether universities are tapping into the dialogic potential. The content analyses of the websites and Facebook platforms show that more than half of the universities have Facebook pages. The results also show that users cannot post content or photos, or participate in discussions and wall posts. In essence, the voices of key stakeholders are being silenced via a media that is intended to provide open forums for dialogue. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Deadlines have always played a significant role in the practice of public relations, especially the media relations specialization. Public relations textbooks and practitioner handbooks encourage budding practitioners to learn how and when journalists, broadcasters, and Internet authors work so that they may pitch story ideas to them appropriately. Even though media catching, an emerging trend in media relations, reverses the traditional direction of story pitching, deadlines are still critical for this new media relations approach. Through a content analysis of 2802 Help-A-Reporter-Out media requests, this study examines how deadlines vary among media outlets engaging in this new media relations story. Statistically significant differences provide insights for public relations practitioners as to how they can best utilize the service to compete for media placements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: How news media and organizations use visual images in reports of crisis events remains relatively unexplored in spite of possible effects on perceptions of crisis responsibility and reputation. This study assessed the impact of visual condition (no visual, neutral visual, and victim visual) in two product harm crisis scenarios. Results revealed minimal effects for victim visuals. Implications for future research on visual elements and crisis communication are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper explores and analyzes the intellectual debate and discussion about the slow reveal of public relations and both the perceived threat to journalism and the corruption of public opinion in American life as it appeared in the periodicals in the early twentieth century. Despite Edward L. Bernays complaint that a “conspiracy of silence” prevailed in the mass media about the growing field of public relations prior to 1930, this review found more than a hundred essays and articles about public relations. The topics ran the gamut from historical explanations and explorations of what were essentially the early beginnings of our contemporary information society to discussions, debates, and warnings about the ramifications of public relations in the commercial, governmental, political, and social areas of life. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study seeks to solicit Chinese PR practitioners’ views on the veracity of identified indigenous crisis response strategies (CRSs) and examine the underpinning socio-contextual factors that contribute to the employment of these strategies. Through 20 interviews, the authors found that political power, cultural backgrounds, media nature, public idiosyncrasies, and companies’ problematic status contributed to the use of indigenous strategies of “Barnacle”, “Third-party endorsement” and “Setting up new topics”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study examines selected newspapers’ coverage of college binge drinking while also serving as an example of evidence-based practices that can be of use to public relations practitioners and health care professionals working to draw attention to important factors that are not being addressed in either public or policy conversations related to this issue. We examine newspaper coverage in 32 newspapers from 1997 to 2006 to determine which strategies to address college binge drinking are being covered and which of those are evidence-based and implemented by colleges. The mix of individual versus environmental strategies was examined based on Social Cognitive Theory. In the 255 articles analyzed, the majority of strategies covered were environmental. The most frequently covered strategy, increasing student knowledge, is individual and not evidence-based. Strategies classified as effective were not frequently covered. Media advocacy is offered as an evidence-based practice that public relations and health care professionals can use to affect change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The research presented here offers public relations practitioners and scholars insight about how health journalists (N =598) view practitioners and evaluate the appropriateness of public relations materials by public relations source (e.g., nonprofit, government). Also assessed are differences in journalist perceptions according to medium (e.g., newspapers, magazines) and market (e.g., national, metropolitan). Rules theory guides the analysis, allowing practitioners to discern journalists’ general and specific rules for accepting publicity materials. Findings show that health journalists are least accepting of material from businesses and federal government agencies. Newspaper and freelance health journalists are more reluctant to use public relations materials than are other journalists. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There is growing interest about the ways in which the public relations field can contribute to democratization and civil society initiatives. Some scholars see enormous potential for public relations by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help get important social issues on the public agenda in transitional nations while other scholars have critiqued the practice of public relations in newly formed nations as a form of hegemony that privileges Western ideas, values, and standards of practice. One thing is certain: more scholarly attention is required if the field of public relations is to truly understand its evolving role in civil society. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the public relations–media relationship contributes to civil society development in Kosovo. The researcher interviewed media professionals, public relations/organizational spokespersons, and civil society experts about the opportunities and challenges of the public relations function in building civil society in Kosovo. The findings suggest that “protocol journalism” is the guiding metaphor for explaining and critiquing the public relations–media relationship in Kosovo. The implications of protocol journalism for media development and public relations credibility are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Explores original theorizing in social media and public relations. • Proposes axioms and theorems of human communication in digital times. • Bridges classic communication studies and latest social media research. • Extends social media theory and public relations theory. Although robust theories of radio, television, cinema, journalism, and other areas of mass media already exist, the social media sphere has received relatively little original theorizing. Modeled after Berger and Calabrese's (1975) seminal "axioms of human communication" article, this essay takes stock of the existing research on social media, and uses the same approach to theorizing about social media, advancing 7 axioms and 21 theorems, and exploring how the propositions chronicled can be used to build social media theory and improve public relations practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: One of the ways to alter the negative image associated with peripheral locations and assist them in constructing a positive image in national media is by directing resources and maintaining a professional, skilled PR system. This article focuses on the relation between PR and coverage patterns in the press, and examines whether media coverage of locations with similar characteristics is influenced by the systematic use of PR. Israel provides a unique opportunity to examine this relation, due to the existence of three towns with extremely similar characteristics that during the time of this study differed only in their use of PR. Examining the relation between the use of PR and media coverage was accomplished using a variety of research methods, including quantitative and qualitative content analysis and in-depth interviews. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This article considers the complex nature of sporting celebrity and the role of media and public relations in the creation of both sports celebrity and the fan expectations associated with that celebrity. While public relations literature has traditionally considered PR as a promotion and communication tool, this article acknowledges that in the cultural and ideological world of sport, PR has a much more sophisticated role to play. In the event of either positive or negative media attention, a sporting celebrity is subjected to unprecedented scrutiny and the increasingly high expectations of fans. However, the expectations of fans are not based on the simple notion of hero worship and role models, and this exploratory study suggests that fans are capable of very complex reactions to the behaviours and marketing personas of sporting celebrities. The use of PR in sport deserves close examination and the reactive spin doctoring techniques of the past should give way to the strategic integration of public relations and media planning in both the creation of the sporting celebrity, balancing the sport vs. private sides of that celebrity, and the varying fan expectations associated with each. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper argues that by examining a central feature of contemporary culture, new insights about public relations practice can be gained. Concepts of spectacle, ‘mega-events’, media events, celebrity, politics and lifestyle are highlighted. The paper blends various disciplinary sources and themes and links to the work of Curtin and Gaither, Hodges and Pieczka [Curtin, P.A. & Gaither, T.K. (2005) ’Privileging identity, difference and power: the circuit of culture as a basis for public relations theory’, Public relations review 17 (2), 91-115; Hodges, C. (2006). Relaciones humanas: The potential for public relations practitioners as cultural intermediaries in Mexico City. Unpublished doctoral thesis. University of Bournemouth; Pieczka, M. (2006). Promotional work: The case of PR consultancy in the UK 1995–2000. Unpublished doctoral thesis. University of Stirling] all of whom have explored Bourdieu''s concept of ‘cultural intermediary’ in relation to the role of public relations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study investigates the ethics of communication in print media in Turkey by exploring the potential incidences of publishing custom-made news stories and editorials by newspapers and magazines about Turkish and international businesses for promoting their advertising space. The study establishes that the incidence of corresponding news stories or editorials in newspapers and magazines and related paid advertisements increased by more than 100% between 1994 and 2004. In the second stage of the research, key informant interviews reveal that, in general, business officials and media executives have a teleological view of ethics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: NASA''s public relations effort following the explosion of the Challenger in 1986 is considered an example of crisis communications failure. After the Columbia disaster in 2003, NASA was praised for its successful handling of the crisis. This paper identifies how four newspapers presented NASA''s crisis communication efforts following the two crises, utilizing widely accepted crisis communication concepts associated with stakeholder theory. Results showed that the print media reported that NASA followed specific communicative practices and accorded NASA more positive coverage following the Columbia disaster than the Challenger disaster. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Internet is emerging as an important tool for organizations to communicate with journalists and publics. This article reports the results of a five point-in-time study of organizational use of the Internet in crisis communication. Through the lens of Rogers’ [Rogers, E. (1962/1995). Diffusion of innovations. New York: Free Press] diffusion of innovations research, the data suggest that about half of the organizations experiencing a national crisis are integrating the Internet into their response. To illustrate this diffusion, the article provides exemplars of innovative Internet response during crisis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article presents information on books and articles related to media relations, published in various journals. The article "An Experimental Investigation of News Source and the Hostile Media Effect," by L. Arpan and A. Raney, published in the journal "Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly," examined the interaction among different news sources, individual levels of partisanship, and the hostile media effect in sports news. The article "International Agenda Building in Cyberspace: A Study of the Middle East Government English-Language Web Sites," by P.A. curtin and K.T. Gathier, published in the journal "Public Relations Review, examines 10 official English language Web sites of Middle Eastern nations to determine if and how they are agenda setting. The book "Dynamics of Public Relations and Journalism: A Practical Guide for Media Students," by L. Alcock, A. Clear and L. Weidmann, discusses the common qualities of public relations and journalism professionals. The book "Media Relations for Public Safety Professionals," by L. Brown, provides a primer for emergency responders who find themselves dealing with the media at the site of a tragedy.

A complex relationship exists between journalists and public relations practitioners. A number of researchers claim that prejudice against public relations is not due to negative personal experiences, but is rooted in journalism culture. This study explores if academic programs may be in part responsible for perpetuating stereotypes and contributing to negative perceptions of public relations, and whether journalism and public relations programs belong in the same academic department. A web-based survey was completed by 187 journalism and public relations educators. Both samples had professional experience, which allows the assumption that attitudes and perceptions measured in the survey would reasonably apply to practitioners as well as educators. The study found journalism educators do not differ as substantially and negatively in their opinions of public relations as previous literature suggests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied the concept of Cheong-the fundamental foundation for Korean relationships to analyze the relationship between journalists and PR practitioners in Korea. Research drew on in-depth interviews with 10 pairs of journalists and practitioners. Most respondents said they felt Cheong through common encounters and that Cheong provided a positive force for their interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing data from a telephone survey of South Korean respondents, we explored public campaign strategies for relationship building between South and North Koreas. We examined three important questions essential for the relationship building: What are the typical images of the North that South Koreans find in the media? How do South Koreans perceive North Koreans? Do such perceptions guide their intention to integrate with North Koreans? Our findings may provide important insights in developing communication agenda and message strategies, particularly for policy makers and public communication practitioners, whose efforts aim to build a favorable relationship between the South and the North. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces the concept of "third gatekeeping," a process where Korean public relations practitioners review the early editions of the country's main daily newspapers and provide feedback to journalists about possible revisions to coverage of their organizations. Data came from 21 depth interviews with Korean public relations practitioners in the corporate and government sectors. Fifteen case studies published in Korea' s Media Today were also analyzed to add context to the practice. First-edition screening was found to have three distinct dimensions based on practitioners' level of concern about a news item. An earlier version of this study was presented at the 2003 International Communication Association convention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the practice of public relations in Croatia through the theories of relational communication and media richness. The findings suggest that the Croatian model of public relations is a mix of traditional media relations and personal influence. Croatian public relations is characterized by a heavy reliance on personal invitations, telephone contacts, and other relational methods for conducting and evaluating public relations. This preference for richer media tactics has implications for public relations practice and theory building. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Drawing upon the lines of research on public diplomacy and media communication, this study aims to use Chinese President Jiang Zemin's state visit to the US in 1997 as a case in point to examine the news values and judgment of the US local press in covering a major public diplomacy event and to discuss the effectiveness of the use of head-of-state visits as instruments of public diplomacy. The study focuses on two aspects of media image: visibility and valence. Its main findings indicate that, despite the PR efforts, the image of China, as reflected in the local press coverage, was not improved. This study highlights the critical role of the local press in managing the perception and reputation of a country in the eyes of a foreign public, and argues that the local aspect is not only significant in studying public diplomacy and the US media, but also relevant to US public diplomacy strategies and tactics overseas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public relations became modern in the nineteenth century, when it was lifted off its rhetorical foundations by the force of revolutionary ideas in science, mathematics, and philosophy. One of these transformative ideas was probability, a mathematically oriented logic that originated in the seventeenth century, when science itself became modern. In the two centuries leading up to the emergence of a public relations industry in post-Civil War America, probabilistic conjecturing, particularly in Europe, altered the physical sciences and spawned and quantified the social sciences—the antecedents of modern public relations. Bursting into modernity, public relations absorbed probability’s relationalistic and pragmatic outlook, if not always its rigorous methodology. This metahistorical essay, which is indebted to a methodology known as the history of ideas, explores the ways that probabilistic reasoning shaped the epistemology of modern public relations. The essay concludes that an explanation for the remarkable pervasiveness of public relations may be found not only in the oft-repeated spread of mass media, but in the way PR expresses and addresses the accidental nature of events and the contingent quality of perception and opinion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on the public relations efforts of protesters and Nabisco in the media coverage of the Crown Pilot situation. Use of framing in media coverage; Importance of mass media in the transmission of news; Accumulation of media messages.

Abstract: We experimentally found a negative effect of subsequent group conversations after media exposure on the audience's attitudes toward the covered organization, while we found sided media exposure to predict both attitudes and behavioral intentions relevant to the covered organization. The extent of conversational engagement immediately following media exposure also helped predict future word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions. These results highlight the roles of interpersonal interactions after media exposure to explain and predict public relations outcomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study examines framing of organizational crises by news media and the public. Due to the rapidly evolving and escalating character of crises, this study emphasizes the initial phase of a crisis, in which public social media manifestations (tweets) play a crucial role. Moreover, this study uses automated content analysis to obtain latent frames embedded in text. Through analyzing the Dutch Moerdijk crisis, this study reveals the dynamic characteristics of public crisis framing and the media framing potential to prevent crisis escalation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The following is an evaluation of “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer''s image restoration attempts during his March 2009 week-long media battle with Jon Stewart, host of “The Daily Show.” Using image restoration theory as a conceptual framework, it is apparent that Cramer failed in restoring his reputation because he frequently coupled incongruent strategies and was unable to grasp the dynamic nature of communicative image restoration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Grounded in first and second level agenda building and agenda setting, the relationships among public relations, global media, and public opinion were explored in the context of the 2008 United States presidential election. Two candidates’ speeches, press releases, and foreign media coverage were analyzed and compared with global public opinion. The results showed that object salience (issue and candidate) relationships were found between public relations messages and global media coverage while affective attribute (tone) salience relationships were partially found among public relations messages, global media, and public opinion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study examines how two major U.S. newspapers (The New York Times and The Washington Post) represented North Korea''s national image during the two-year period (from 2001 to 2002). According to the findings, The New York Times and Washington Post showed a similar trend in their portrayal of North Korea. An anti-North Korea frame dominated the news coverage of North Korea in both newspapers. Furthermore, this study reveals that most news articles related to North Korea were classified into negative images instead of positive images. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The radical shift by news audiences away from newspaper to motion media (video stories on TV, web, cell phones, handhelds) prompted the assessment of media modality (text, text+picture, video) and source (public relations, news, user-generated content [UGC]) effects on credibility and more importantly perceived veridicality, a perception of an object as being accurate and believable regardless of the source, as well as impact of messages. The findings revealed that motion media modality significantly enhances believability judgments and perceived veridicality, which is independent of source cue, in which news source garnered no greater credibility than PR or UGC source. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper applies the theory of image restoration discourse to the public outcry over the Pope''s 2009 revocation of the excommunication of four schismatic Society of Saint Pius X Bishops. The author argues that the Church correctly implemented image restoration strategies, but that the very organizational and rhetorical characteristics of the Church complicate the articulation of an adequate, timely response easily digestible by the media and public opinion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]