Public Relations Inquiry 

About: Public Relations Inquiry is an academic journal published by SAGE Publishing. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Politics & Social media. It has an ISSN identifier of 2046-147X. Over the lifetime, 211 publications have been published receiving 2753 citations. The journal is also known as: PRi.

Defining the ‘object’ of public relations research: A new starting point:

Abstract: In this article I consider the importance of paradigmatic variety in the scholarly field of public relations. I reflect on the role that both conflict and cooperation between different paradigms play in the development of academic fields, and review definitions of public relations to examine the extent to which both are present in public relations scholarship. Based on this discussion, I consider the assumptions that underpin existing approaches to public relations in order to reveal the ways in which they are connected, as well as differentiated, along a series of continua. I conclude by proposing a new definition of public relations, as flow rather than organizational function, that can accommodate the range of research encompassed by these continua, thereby facilitating greater unity, inclusivity and, I would hope, dialogue in the field.

Environmental risk, sustainability discourses, and public relations:

Abstract: As modern societies become increasingly aware of the social and environmental costs of industrialization we are seeing significant shifts in the ways in which businesses, governments and societies think about a viable future. Traditional discourses of economic growth are meeting ascendant discourses of sustainability. This article explores the resulting struggle through analysis of discursive influences in the development of environmental policy in New Zealand at potential critical turning points over a 10-year period. The role of public relations professionals in such discursive struggles, and the implications for organizations and public relations in the long term are discussed.

Transparency Matters: The Concept of Organizational Transparency in the Academic Discourse

Abstract: Although transparency is currently a buzzword in the public discourse, public relations (PR) theory has not yet produced a theory of transparency. Instead, its body of knowledge lacks theoretical depth and critical perspectives. Taking this as a point of departure, the article searches for alternative accounts on transparency, which could stimulate PR discourse and help to overcome the theoretical and normative deficits. Therefore it aims to discern whether or not the discourse in related disciplines such as business studies is more reflective and complex than in the PR domain. To determine this, we analysed 105 articles taken from Business Source Premier, one of the leading databases in the business field. Relying on a combined qualitative and quantitative analysis, our main findings are: (1) more than half of the articles set transparency in a positive frame; (2) a definition of transparency was given in only 13 articles; and (3) like in the public relations discourse, a theory-driven analysis of transp...

A public relations identity for the 2010s

Abstract: New voices are being heard and new questions are being asked within the field of public relations. However, in its present multifaceted state, public relations research is still struggling with rec...

Public relations and neo-institutional theory:

Abstract: This special section seeks to enrich research on the field by using neo-institutional theory to describe, explain and understand the activities, processes and dynamics of public relations. By this ...