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Can village leaders' performance impact villagers' trust in the central government? Using village leader-villager relations at the village level as the explanatory variable, we examine a previously ignored source of public trust toward the Chinese government: face-to-face interactions with local leaders. We argue that, as the party-state's first point of contact with villagers, villagers use their interactions with village leaders as a proxy to determine the trustworthiness of China's central government. By analyzing the latest Guangdong Thousand Village Survey from 2020, we find that when villagers report better relations with village leaders, they also express greater trust in the Chinese central government. We find additional evidence for this relationship through open-ended interviews of villagers and village leaders. These findings advance our understanding of hierarchical political trust in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, inspired by the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model, examines the mechanisms by which perceived hazard characteristics and the informational subjective norms of Chinese youth, aged from 14 to 44 years old, become associated with their intentions to seek cancer risk information online. A sample of 684 Chinese youths was collected from four cities in Mainland China with results revealing that perceived hazard characteristics and informational subjective norms motivate their online cancer risk information seeking intentions. Specifically, perceived probability, perceived severity, and institutional trust are positively related to negative affect, however the relationship between personal control and negative affect is not significant. Institutional trust and personal control are positively related to positive affect while perceived probability and perceived severity have no significant effect on positive affect. Negative affect and informational subjective norms are positively related to perceived information insufficiency, while the relationship between positive affect and perceived information insufficiency is not significant. Negative affect, positive affect, informational subjective norms, and perceived information insufficiency are all positively related to the online cancer risk information seeking intentions of Chinese youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a multivariate framework and the most recently available data that include numerous African countries, this investigation has produced the first extensive statistical evaluation of China's image in Africa based on China's various economic relations with Africa, including aid, trade, FDI and contracts. We find that China's economic development assistance, contracts, and to some degree, trade with African countries contribute to a positive image of China in Africa. In addition, we find that people in African countries of a smaller population, poorer livelihood, less open economy, and better governance tend to have positive views of China's political and economic influence. With the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese economic activities in recipient countries have been increasing. The implications of this research shed light on how BRI may be received in the host countries and the likelihood of its success or failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the socio-political shaping of Chinese smart urbanism by examining the power relations between the government (national and municipal), private firms and citizens embedded in smartmentality. Our exploration begins with teasing out key analytical standpoints of Alberto Vanolo's concept of smartmentality applied in neoliberal practices of smart urbanism. Through this analytical framework, we conceptualise Chinafied smartmentality and illustrate how it is actually playing out in China by undertaking documentary research and in-depth interviews from an inductive case study of the Smart Transportation System (STS) in the city of Shijiazhuang. We observe that the idea of Chinafication extends smartmentality with a focus on the power dynamic. We further argue that this Chinafied smartmentality implies uncritical technological solutionism that is state-steered in nature, and citizen participation in digital platforms that is performed with limited roles and power for inclusion. The article concludes by calling for future research on the critical examination of value co-creation for shaping a truly citizen-centric mode of governance in Chinese smart urbanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is still debate on whether a global public relations model may be applied in any cultural setting. This article contributes to this discussion by presenting empirical evidence about how Chilean export firms develop public relations strategies to Chinese audiences and the dual dimension – global and cultural – of their practice. Two main findings are discussed: on the one hand, Chilean companies have mostly developed a global approach to reach general audiences. On the other, the actual practice of relationship management – through their firm's executives – is carried out by placing culture as critical for successful public relations efforts. Specifically, Chilean executives use guanxi as the main driver of their relationship management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's stringent rules have made a remarkable achievement in COVID-19 pandemic control. Beyond the stringency and thorough measures, emotion governance and resilience play noteworthy roles in crisis response and management at community level. The essay adopts a narrative approach through my personal experiences, observations, family members' storytelling and conversations with social workers. It draws on the lessons of China's community governance during the outbreak of COVID-19 to understand how social work practices nudge people towards positive emotion and facilitate implementing state's pandemic control policy in a community that consists of local residents and people from high-risk areas. It explores the bonding between emotion governance and resilient practice in communal pandemic control through interacting and constituting between state and society in the reflexive modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confronting a rising tide of police--society conflict, China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) is stepping up its propaganda campaigns. From television specials to social media accounts, this essay identifies the MPS's public outreach efforts and tracks their prevalence and development. Using data from content analysis of policy documents and interviews with ministry officials, I argue that public relations campaigns have grown alongside the agency's sometimes violent efforts to enforce law and order. Together with stability maintenance and the appearance of crime control, these tactics are part of a sophisticated and multipronged strategy to underpin regime legitimacy that extends far beyond brute force coercion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Urban risk assessment unit was divided into industrial risk, population-intensive and communal facilities. • Regional risk assessment index system in relation to urban public safety was defined. • Urban public safety regional risk assessment model of identity-discrepant-contrast was built. • A scenic tourist spot risk was estimated using risk matrix and the set pair analysis method. With the development of urbanization in China, the problem of urban public safety is becoming increasingly prominent. A scientific regional risk assessment of urban public safety can provide important support for risk warning and management systems. This study aims to introduce a comprehensive method to assess and manage regional risk factors of urban public safety. Taking regional risk assessment of urban public safety as the research object, and focusing on multiple sources of risk such as industry, infrastructure, traffic, and public places, this study provides a comprehensive and systematic classification of risks and identifies the characteristics of the various risk agents. The urban region is divided into three units: an industrial risk unit, an urban population-intensive unit, and an urban communal facilities unit. Then, a multi-agent index system for regional risk assessment in relation to urban public safety is established. Using the analytic hierarchy process, the entropy weight method, and multiple connection numbers, both static and dynamic analyses of regional risks in relation to urban public safety are undertaken and the regional risks in relation to urban public safety are predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through multiple case studies, this essay attempts to paint a general picture of "mediatised politics" in China. The author first discusses several phenomena typical in Chinese political communication, such as government Public Relations training, Internet public opinion guidance, government communication on social media, and regional branding. He then analyses the historical origins of "the mediatization of publicity" and "the public-relations oriented transformation of government administration" in China, and the complex influences they have had on the country's society and culture. With these descriptions and analyses, the author provides a new perspective to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese communication, especially vis-à-vis the relationship between the Party state and media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With globalization, corporations increasingly have to consider both domestic stakeholders and overseas stakeholders (i.e., international publics) in their corporate social responsibility (CSR) practice. Digitalization empowers international publics to scrutinize and react to a (multinational) corporation's CSR strategy, further affecting corporate outcomes of CSR practice. Drawing on the social media context and attribution theory, this study investigated international publics' reactions to corporate disaster relief, an emerging type of mobile-enhanced CSR (i.e., mCSR) practice, in the United States and China by looking at individuals' engagement with mobile social media during disasters, attribution of CSR motives, and level of CSR skepticism. Using structural equation modeling analysis, the survey data of randomly recruited Americans (n = 816) and mainland Chinese (n = 430) suggested that mobile social media engagement reinforces the values-, strategic-, and stakeholder-driven motives of mCSR in the United States and China. Egoistic-driven CSR motives elicited publics' skepticism toward mCSR, while values- and stakeholder-driven motives inhibited skepticism in both countries. However, the effect of strategic-driven motives on skepticism was inconsistent internationally. Last, CSR skepticism triggered negative relational outcomes between the mCSR-performing corporation and various stakeholders in both countries. This study advances CSR and attribution theory and contributes to the practice of CSR, public relations, and international business in the social media and disaster response context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the reform era, management of information by the Chinese Communist Party has been continuously moving away from explicit, crude tactics of the past toward more subtle and orderly mechanisms of the present. This study examines one facet of this transformation in the online sphere: digital persuasion. Drawing on three emerging trends in online persuasion, including official digital revamping of state media, expansion of government Weibo, and official promotion of patriotic bloggers, the authors explain how online persuasion is taking on an increasingly participatory form under President Xi. Specifically, the conceptualization of ‘authoritarian participatory persuasion 2.0’ includes direct co-production of persuasion, with netizens called to repost, share and create content, as well as the indirect participation, whereby netizens are invited to partake in the life of the top leader, Xi Jinping, and to consume exclusive practical tips provided by the state. The participatory digital persuasion, whereas intended to facilitate public complicity with the regime, has also opened up spaces for satire and ‘incivility’ unmasking and challenging the state’s covert propaganda practices. [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]

This article takes a fresh look at nonprofit/government relations in the context of both the partnership literature on collaboration and the closing space literature on repression. Following the Weberian ideal-type approach, we develop a heuristic tool for nuanced analyses of relations between the sectors in comparative research that is applicable in diverse political regime settings. We integrate foundational conceptions of Salamon, Young, and Najam to develop our framework, which we then illustrate with the cases of Russia and China. While repression is not necessarily the predominant characteristic of nonprofit–government relations in authoritarian regime settings, the reduction of intersectoral relations to collaboration strategies common in Western contexts also falls short of capturing the full complexity of the relationship. Rather than trying to establish national patterns, researchers need to remain sensitive to the coexistence of multiple government/nonprofit relationship types, affecting various parts of the nonprofit sector differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines paid online posting and its regulation in China. Profit-driven manipulation of online conversations, including paid posting and the so-called “dark public relations,” is a widespread problem on the Chinese Internet. Governmental regulation on paid posting, however, is ambiguous and inadequate. This research proposes a new approach to conceptualize paid posting. It argues that paid posting is a controversial form of content production that emerges in relation to market-oriented exploitation of the media as well as commodification of communicative labor in digital settings. On this basis, this research analyzes the law’s role in the installation of market relations in digital media. It argues that the ambiguous regulation of paid posting is part of a long-term problem that resulted from media policies that prioritize economic growth and political control over disruptive impacts of the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global public's growing interest in China and the controversial debates around international media's coverage of the country make it vital to investigate how China is represented in such reports. The existing literature, however, only examines which topics international China coverage addresses. This article assesses how the country is covered focusing on the use of quotes. Besides showing who is quoted in articles from the leading weekly publications, The Economist (UK), Newsweek (US), Der Spiegel and Die Zeit (Germany) as well as Le Monde Diplomatique (France), it links local reporting conditions with the types of sources that are quoted. Methodologically, the article combines quantitative content analysis of newspaper articles and qualitative expert interviews with foreign correspondents based in Beijing. Key findings are that reflecting the Chinese government's controls and public relations (PR) efforts, the Chinese central government is by far the most frequently quoted state institution, while others, such as local government or the police, hardly appear at all. Because of Chinese scholars' growing reluctance to speak to them, foreign journalists rely heavily on experts working abroad. Lastly, Chinese news products are heavily drawn upon, both for direct quotes and story ideas, mainly because they are easily accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study examined relationship cultivation and public relations practices in start-up companies in Mainland China. Findings from 28 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs in China1 suggest that employees and customers are the most important strategic publics for start-ups, followed by investors, the media, and the government. Symmetrical relationship cultivation strategies suggested in previous literature apply to the start-up context in China with specific variations. New strategies such as vision and value communication, empowerment, authentic communication, and proactive reporting were identified for start-ups to build quality relationships with various strategic publics. Compared with large established corporations, start-ups have unique public relations purposes, needs, and scope of practice. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is a mega-analysis to reconcile Carl Botan's Grand Strategy Models for strategic communication with actual cases. Invoking Botan's six-factor and four grand-strategy models proposition as an analytical framework, this study conducted a multi-case analysis on selected Chinese and international brands during the period of 2005-2014. Its preliminary findings revealed significant differences between Chinese and international corporations in applying strategic communication to brand crisis communication and management. The results also showed that, first, Chinese corporations tended to have lower level of understanding on all the six dimensions of grand strategies; second, they were more likely to rely on resistant strategy (70%), with 30% on intransigent strategy, but NONE on cooperative strategy and integrative strategy. This study hence asserts that the differences between the Chinese and international corporations in handling brand crises via strategic communication are, first and foremost, rooted in their different values attached to brands; second, effected by their different attitudes toward publics and competencies in issue management; and third, as a result of their different maturity level in crisis management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a special type of relationship exercised at the level of the individual in Chinese culture, guanxi has been claimed to pervasively affect business practices in China. Using a contextual perspective, this study compared guanxi -related practices in Beijing and Hong Kong, two Chinese societies with a similar Confucian heritage but different institutional and cultural traits. Four group interviews were conducted to identify the characteristics of guanxi -related practices, their main stakeholders, and the power relationships that exist between them. Public relations practitioners from Hong Kong and Beijing engage in guanxi -related practices with similar main stakeholders, except that only practitioners from Beijing valued guanxi with the government. Findings from the group interviews demonstrate regional differences in the closeness components, source of connections, and basic principles governing guanxi -related practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although recent research suggests that Twitter and other forms of micro-blogging are becoming increasingly relied upon by both the public and response agencies dealing with crises and disasters, little is known about how these dynamics may play out in a non-Western context. The current study examines the use of the Chinese Weibo service during a 2013 smog emergency, and compares user generated content to that found in earlier data concerning a weather event in North America. The results indicate that by way of comparison, the Weibo sample contained proportionately similar degrees of informative and affective content, but that users were less likely to use humor and showed no increase in affective outpouring as the crisis developed. Results are discussed in terms of implications for those designing social media campaigns for informing and motivating those affected by large-scale weather-related crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While public relations (PR) scholars have increasingly criticized the privilege of organizational interest , limited research has problematized the dominant analytical locus of organizational site . As a consequence, our understanding of the complexity and fluidity of PR in wider socio-cultural contexts has been constrained. To combat this shortcoming, this paper invokes the notion of “field” from institutional theory to examine how the field of Chinese PR is socially constructed, negotiated and contested by a range of actors based on their shared or competing logics and contingent inter-relations. Data were mainly collected through 48 in-depth interviews with PR agency consultants, in-house PR practitioners, journalists and industrial regulators as well as through complementary documents. The results indicate that studying PR as a socially constructed field can refresh extant PR scholarship by providing a dynamic and relational account of PR practices, and by reflecting the multifaceted interaction among various institutional actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article attempts to provide a more scientific overview of the discussion on cultural values in general, and those in China in particular, both from a theoretical perspective as well as exemplified in the reality of public diplomacy or public relations. The concepts of guanxi (inter-relationships) and mianzi (face) are being positioned as essential for an indigenous understanding of the Chinese core value of harmony. The article advocates for an ‘Asiacentric’ model of public relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As social media are used widely by Chinese organizations, this study comprehensively examines how Chinese public relations practitioners cope with social mediated crisis and how culture interacts with social mediated crisis response. An in-depth interview was conducted to collect data from 23 Chinese public relations practitioners who had experience in dealing with crises and issues via social media. The results showed that Chinese public relations practitioners use diverse social media platforms to satisfy the publics' needs and social media usage preferences. In addition, the results also showed the importance of matching information platform and information sources in response to social-mediated crises. Furthermore, we revealed how the uniqueness of Chinese culture moderated information platforms and information sources, such as face-saving strategies, collaborating with opinion leaders and influencers to shape the publics' opinions, using no response, apologizing, and self-mockery, and emphasizing the importance of media relations. • This study examines how Chinese strategic communication practitioners manage social-mediated crisis. • Diversified social media platforms were used to satisfy the publics' gratifications and social media usage preferences. • Matching information platforms and information source in responding social mediated crisis. • The uniqueness of Chinese culture moderated information platforms and information source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes academic journal articles in order to depict the features of Chinese crisis communication in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The findings revealed the following features of crisis communication in Chinese societies: collectivistic culture, nationalism, rationalism, face-giving/saving, striving for the “golden mean,” the preference for passive communicative strategies, and the avoidance of extreme strategies. Nevertheless, the differences in political systems—the ubiquitous intervention by authoritarian government on the Mainland, the mistrust of government in post-handover Hong Kong, and the relatively mature democratic polity in Taiwan all lead to unique crisis communication practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of activities by Chinese foreign policy think tanks, with a particular focus on developments over the last decade. Covering a sample of prominent institutes, it provides up-to-date information about their academic, advisory and PR functions, and highlights major differences between individual institutes and organizational groups. In line with the findings, I argue that Chinese think tanks have undergone a remarkable increase and professionalization in their academic work, as well as made big strides in improving their footprint in the media. Finally, the article also considers new developments in networking organizations that have been particularly important in bringing experts together to pursue mutual interests, and how these relate to changes in Beijing's international agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study approaches the history of China's public relations (PR) industry from the perspective of modernity. Coupled with China's modern transformation and modernization since the late 1970s, Chinese PR industry and practitioners sought to establish legitimacy in the following 30 years. Three developmental stages are identified: Introduction and Enlightenment (1978–1992), Marketization and Professionalization (1992–2003), and Diversification (2003–present). In each stage, the theme and practice of PR interplayed with China's modernization and modern transformation. Situated under unique political, economic, and social contexts, China's PR faced, and is still facing, crises in reputation, utility, social values, identity, legitimacy, and professional ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Lhasa riots in 2008 re-captured the world's attention on the Tibet problem. As China continues to grow as a rising power, it raises a concern over whether the perception of a rising China will affect how American people think about the Tibet problem. In this article, the authors apply public opinion data to evaluate this question. The results show that the perception of China's hard power or soft power has little influence on Americans' view of the Tibet problem, while factors of political values and China's policy stance matter greatly. Our findings suggest that the huge difference in political values between the PRC and the US makes it tough for both sides to agree on a resolution to the Tibet problem. In the long term, China needs to improve its human rights record and present itself as a responsible great power to win over the hearts of foreign publics rather than conduct a public relations campaign according to its own imagination. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper compares and analyzes the practice of public relations between Southern European countries (Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain) and China. The author argues Western countries are not a monolithic entity and there are a number of similarities, mainly focused on the importance of personal relationships, that shape the public relations field in Europe and Asia. A review of the concepts of guanxi and clientelism, both based on the asymmetrical character of relationships based on the abdication by the client of any potential autonomous access to the use of resources and to the setting up of public goods and services, revealed the importance of personal relationships and the emphasis of government relationships at the expense of other publics. Despite the consideration of the Anglo-Saxon symmetrical public relations model as a normative ideal among professionals, persuasive models are prevalent in the public relations practice in these societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on components of a nation, this paper proposes a national image evaluation system from five dimensions including territory, sovereignty, government, corporation and population, and conducts an empirical research on the images and ranking of ten major countries in the world in the eyes of Chinese undergraduates. It is found that there is no obvious correlation of economic performance with overall national image index, while global competitiveness has a significant influence on national image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although China ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [FCTC] in 2005, the partial ban on tobacco advertising does not cover the internet. Weibo is one of the most important social media channels in China, using a format similar to its global counterpart, Twitter. The Weibo homepage is a platform to present products, brands and corporate culture. There is great potential for the tobacco industry to exploit Weibo to promote products. Methods: Seven tobacco industry Weibo accounts that each had more than 5000 fans were selected to examine the content of Weibos established by tobacco companies or their advertising agents. Results: Of the 12073 posts found on the seven accounts, 92.3% (11143) could be classified into six main themes: traditional culture, popular culture, social and business affairs, advertisement, public relations and tobacco culture. Posts under the theme of popular culture accounted for about half of total posts (49%), followed by ‘advertisement’ and ‘tobacco culture’ (both at 12%), ‘traditional culture’ and ‘public relations’ (both at 11%), and finally ‘social and business affairs’ (5%). 33% of posts included the words ‘cigarette’ or ‘smoking’ and 53% of posts included the tobacco brand name, indicating that tobacco companies carefully construct the topic and content of posts. Conclusions: Weibo is an important new online marketing tool for the Chinese tobacco industry. Tobacco industry use of Weibo to promote brands and normalize smoking subverts China's ratification of the WHO FCTC. Policy to control tobacco promotion needs reforming to address this widespread circumvention of China's tobacco advertising ban. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the role of public relations leadership during organizational change in 3 multinationals in mainland China. Based on 40 in-depth interviews, the findings suggested that the leadership of public relations unit or function during organizational change was shown through coaching middle management to manage employee emotions, providing communication training to middle management, communicating and reinforcing shared visions for change, and managing the conflicts between middle management and top management regarding change rationales, planning, and procedures. The leadership role of public relations managers was enacted through consulting CEOs' communication styles, exerting upward influence in change management, and acting as the different voice when decision making for change was questionable. Results of the study extended existing public relations leadership scholarship and shed light on some tentative dimensions of public relations leadership during organizational change: (a) coaching emotion management, (b) educating communication knowledge and skills, (c) reinforcing shared visions, (d) resolving conflicts, (e) exerting upward influence, and (f) acting as a different voice. Limitations of this study and suggestions for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study describes funding, capital management, and public relations of the University of Houston and its implications for Chinese universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese society is characterized by emerging fragmentation and by the coexistence of traditional and Western values, goals and norms. In this multifaceted environment bi-cultural selves, which encompass social and individual orientations, may emerge. The aim of this paper is to explore if features of bi-cultural selves concerning interactions, emotions, and values are reflected in online public discussions in China. In order to address this question, we explored two of the most popular bulletin board systems (BBSs): Tian Ya and Feng Huang Forums. BBSs attract almost one third of Internet users in China and provide these users with a forum to carry out public dialogue; BBSs are thus an ideal place to study how the self is socially shaped in public communication. A sample of 6109 messages was subjected to quantitative content analysis. Results show that twofold self-construal, corresponding to the individual- and social-oriented self, are (also) detected in BBSs forum content: direct and polemic content coexist with conciliatory content; ego-focused and other-focused emotions are almost equally as frequent as one another; and traditional values are evoked together with the quest for truth and individual rights. Moreover, three typologies of Internet users (proactive, ambivalent, and follower), which were identified on the basis of the quality of their online interactions, show different patterns of emotions and values. We may thus conclude that alternative ways of constructing self-other and self-society relationships currently coexist in China and that these alternative views confront each other on BBS forums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mr Sheng Wang demonstrated his perception of Mercedes-Benz's unfair treatment and insensitivity to Chinese buyers by having his Mercedes sports coupe towed by a water buffalo through his Chinese hometown, Wuhan. But he did not stop there. Next, he ordered workers, specifically hired for this purpose, to pound the car with sledge hammers and sticks until the exterior was completely disfigured. Journalists love the story's inherent drama, and in subsequent days, media reports showed images of the car being towed and ultimately smashed. The event created strong public awareness about both Mr Wang's dissatisfaction about the treatment he received from Mercedes-Benz and the subsequent Mercedes-Benz's management reactions triggered by the event. In our paper, we explore this case in more detail, highlighting the crucial role of brand fairness in managing brands in China. Although brand managers implicitly emphasize the importance of fairness in branding strategies, brand management emphasizing fairness is an underdeveloped research concept. Our paper provides an understanding of theories and concepts of brand (un)fairness and brand fairness management illustrated by what we refer to as the Mercedes-Benz case. We identify three dimensions of Brand Fairness Management: prevention, procedures, and outcomes. This framework will assist brand managers in China in developing successful brand fairness strategies and management programs. We posit that implementing these branding practices will increase the likelihood that consumers perceive the brand in question as fair, leading to an increase in loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Public engagement was assessed using a multi-dimensional construct consisting of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral measures. • The data was analyzed using a Tobit regression model, a hierarchical regression model, and a multinomial logistic regression model. • Both relationship cultivation strategies and disaster social media use effectively increased engagement, although on different levels. • Although generally underutilized by companies, the access tactic significantly predicted all three dimensions of public engagement. • Emotional posts, a functional use of social media by companies, positively predicted an emotional response by publics. This study explores the relationship cultivation strategies and disaster social media functions Chinese companies used to maintain relationships with their publics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public engagement was assessed using a multi-dimensional construct consisting of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral measures. A quantitative content analysis of 756 Weibo posts from China's Fortune 500 companies and 553 top user comments formed a data set that was analyzed using three types of regression analysis. Results showed that both relationship cultivation strategies and disaster social media use effectively increased engagement between Chinese companies and their publics, although on different levels. Although generally underutilized by companies, the access tactic in the relationship cultivation strategies significantly predicted all three dimensions of public engagement. Emotional posts, a functional use of social media by companies, positively predicted an emotional response by publics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To respond to a recent call for a sociological turn to the promotion of institutional thought in public relations research, we propose a novel theoretical framework based on institutional work for studying PR practice in Chinese cultural contexts. Specifically, we attempted to stay away from the functional approach of examining PR outcomes, and focus on how institutional actors “navigate” the existing cultural contexts for institutionalising PR. We used triangulate methods based on 40 semi-structured interviews, participant observation and document collections. We found that PR actors do not passively respond to institutional pressures, but rather creatively and reflexively interpret and incorporate existing cultural aspects, especially guanxi and harmony, to construct and transform their PR practices. These practices offer insights into why and how guanxi, as well as other cultural factors, are integrated and legitimised in PR practice in China. [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: Can we construct transnational or international public service advertising to counterbalance the proliferation of transnational commercial advertising? As an important first step in exploring the possibility of such an application of shared media public diplomacy among nations, this paper describes a complete survey of commercial and public service advertisements collected from the public spaces of subway systems in American and Chinese cities in 2010 – New York, Washington, DC, Shanghai and Beijing – to reveal the range of themes of commercial and public service ads in these spaces. The study reveals first that analogous commercial and public service ads are ubiquitous in the public spaces of both Chinese and American cities. Second, many of the themes that might appear in international or transnational public service ads are already being portrayed in ads created by local or national governments or NGOs, although these themes are portrayed in ads created by different sets of actors in China and in the US: government actors and a few international NGOs in Chinese cities, and governments, corporations and non-profit organizations in the case of American cities. Finally, the survey reveals that in all four cities there are many commercial advertisements that appeal to the identity of a transnational consumer, but that there are almost no public service ads that appeal to the identity of a transnational citizen: merely local or national ones who can solve such public problems as global warming, education, and health issues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hosting global events like the World Expo is a new form of public relations for cities, but few studies have been conducted to explore the extent to which they can change the content of media reports and media attitudes toward city image. We conducted a content analysis of all Shanghai-related news reports from November 2009 to April 2011 on 30 English newspapers in 10 countries. We found a few interesting discoveries. First, the Shanghai Expo 2010 did affect newspapers’ agenda-building, with the Expo being the topic of most reports and the most important news before and during the Expo. Second, the Expo brought changes to the news frames of newspapers, but the changes were still constrained by media practices. Third, the Expo improved newspapers’ attitudes toward Shanghai''s city image, particularly toward the city''s potential. Finally and most importantly, global events such as the Expo do have a significant impact on the content and attitudes of newspaper reports, but a single event cannot produce long-lasting effects. Therefore improving city image requires “better actions than just better words.” [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study advances our understanding of relationship cultivation on social media from a cross-cultural perspective. We examined how companies use popular social network sites (SNSs) to facilitate dialogues with publics in two culturally distinct countries: China and the United States. We employed a content analysis of 50 corporate pages with 500 corporate posts and 500 user posts from each country. Overall, companies in both countries have recognized the importance of SNSs in relationship development and employed the appropriate online strategies (disclosure, information dissemination, and interactivity and involvement), but the specific tactics vary across the two markets. Furthermore, cultural differences among the types of corporate posts and public posts on SNSs indicate that culture plays a significant role in shaping the dialogue between organizations and publics in different countries. Implications for corporate relationship management practice in the global market in the digital era are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Unlike previous studies that focus on the problems of public relations management, this study tackles the institutionalization of PR in China from a sociological perspective. Through the process of social construction, public relations is institutionalized according to changes in the larger environment, making use of different sources of legitimation. Focusing on the evolution of the Chinese Premier''s Press Conference (CPPC), this study finds that the institutionalization of PR in China, especially in the realm of governmental practices, has varied in its structure, settings and contents, which are mixed with informal features within the Chinese social–political context. The CPPC has become a venue for top-down publicity for the powers that be. Because the organizational structure of the CPPC is more centralized than that of other governmental institutions, the form and content of its PR communications are mostly predictable. However, it is the process of the institutionalization of the CPPC that is revealing of how the Chinese government rationalizes its authority and legitimacy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As the first quantitative examination of perceived public relations professional standards in China using an online survey, this study was designed based on the standards of professional standards inventory Cameron, Sallot, & Lariscy (1996) constructed and tested among practitioners in the U.S. The survey results suggest six dimensions of perceived standards of professional performance: (1) role and function in organizational strategic planning, (2) sufficiency in professional training and preparedness, (3) gender and racial equity, (4) situational constraints, (5) licensing and organizational support, and (6) participation in the organizational decision-making team. Four dimensions of public relations roles were also identified by the survey participants: (1) brand promotion facilitator, (2) public information specialist, (3) media relations counsel, and (4) conflict management expert. Primary practice area was found to affect how Chinese practitioners perceive the six clusters of professional standards and the four identified public relations roles. These findings provide insights for both practitioners and researchers on how Chinese public relations practitioners view public relations as a profession and how the profession currently holds its professional standards in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study re-conceptualizes the interaction between public relations (PR) practitioners and journalists in news construction. Proposing a new conceptual framework of “news-source involvement,” this study applies two dimensions – “involvement width” and “involvement density” – when examining how information and/or stories generated by PR people affect news coverage. Empirically, this study identifies seven types of news sources derived from a systematic content analysis of 1600 stories in four selected Chinese newspapers from 2001 to 2010 – 10-year period. The major findings include: (1) information subsidy has become a popular phenomenon in China; (2) over the past decade, the Chinese government has been slowly but surely becoming more tolerant of public''s expression of their opinions relating to social and political issues. Though the government remains as the dominating “news source” for newspapers, other non-mainstream news sources (e.g. grass-root civilian) have emerged. Growing from the used-to-be “silent mass,” they have become the “subordinate majority” nowadays, having strong influence in certain coverage; and (3) PR people as one of the major news sources, interact with media in a selective manner; and such interaction takes places largely on tactical level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study used the conceptual framework of organizational–public relationship cultivation strategies to quantitatively evaluate how the Chinese government''s international media relationship cultivation strategies at news conferences changed from 2001 to 2009. It found that the Chinese government has begun to enhance its international media relations efforts but that there is room for further improvement. [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]

In China, approximately 20 million farmers produce the world's largest share of tobacco. Showing that income from crop substitution can exceed that from tobacco growth is essential to persuading farm families to stop planting tobacco, grown abundantly in Yunnan Province. In the Yuxi Municipality, collaborators from the Yuxi Bureau of Agriculture and the University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health initiated a tobacco crop substitution project. At 3 sites, 458 farm families volunteered to participate in a new, for-profit cooperative model. This project successfully identified an approach engaging farmers in cooperatives to substitute food crops for tobacco, thereby increasing farmers' annual income between 21% and 110% per acre. (Am J Public Health. 2012;102:1660-1663.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to develop an integrated, 2-level, cross-cultural scale for measuring multidimensional public relations value (called PRVA—Public Relations Value Assessment). Three data sets explore the views of a total of 524 public relations professionals from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and a number of Hong Kong corporations and PR associations, which were incorporated to empirically test the proposed framework. The results show that PRVA, which includes measures of media publicity, organization–public relationship (OPR), organizational reputation, cost reduction, and revenue generation, demonstrated satisfactory construct reliability, structural validity, and cross-cultural applicability. The conceptual Two-level Model of Public Relations Value is also empirically supported across three independent samples. Theoretical, practical and cultural implications derived from the findings for research on public relations value and effects are elaborated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2004 China has set up over 700 Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms around the world to promote its language and culture and thereby to shape its image. Despite this impressive number Confucius Institutes are surprisingly understudied, especially in terms of their actual structure, operation mode and activities. This paper uses German Confucius Institutes as a case study to bridge this gap. It first discusses the concepts of public and cultural diplomacy and culture institutes as a conceptual tool to analyze Confucius Institutes. It then turns to the case study to provide empirical data to better understand this instrument of China's image shaping efforts. It argues that Confucius Institutes are connected to the rise of China and a unique member of the family of national culture institutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]