| This handbook offers a detailed examination of the field of public relations. It reviews the status of the scholarly literature, stressing the role that public relations can play in building relationships between organizations, markets, audiences, and publics. Heath (communications, U. of Houston, director of the Institute of the Study of Issues Management, and advisory director of Research for Bates Churchill Southwest) presents 61 contributions that define the field and explain the role public relations plays in society; examine cutting edge issues of management, ethics, gender, evaluation, public relations education, and media; challenge academics and practitioners to identify best practices that shape daily activities; discuss the challenges of new communication technology; and provide a global view of the theories in international public relations as well as the trends in practice that will shape the field in coming years. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) |
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| This handbook provides a comprehensive examination and review of the theory, academic research, and professional practices of the public relations discipline. Ninety leading scholars and practitioners from around the world provide insights into the historical and changing role of public relations in building relationships with "organizations, markets, audiences, and publics." The handbook is divided into five sections, each of which begins with an introductory overview: "Defining the Discipline" (12 chapters), covering shifting foundations of the discipline and public relations as relationship building; "Defining the Practice" (23 chapters), covering the dynamics of change in public relations practice, organizational legitimacy, education of practitioners, and public relations ethics; "In Search of Best Practices" (16 chapters), focusing on planning and organization, crisis communication, relationship building, and educational public relations; "Public Relations in Cyberspace" (4 chapters), covering the frontier of new communication technologies; and "Globalizing Public Relations" (7 chapters), addressing issues related to multinationalism and cultural diversity. The extensive bibliography includes more than 2,000 references, some multidisciplinary, which serve to enhance understanding of public relations. The detailed index is user friendly. A must for academic collections serving scholars, practitioners, and students, upper-level undergraduate and graduate. Copyright 2001 American Library Association |
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