Introduces students to the key concepts in Public Relations, with chapters providing explanations of concepts such as: reputation; risk; impression management; celebrity; ethics; persuasion and propaganda; and, promotional culture and globalization. This book also encourages students to think critically about public relations as an occupation.

It is designed to help readers understand the paradigms which have shaped the discipline and the practice. The 12 chapters provide careful clear explanations of concepts and discuss competing definitions. Each chapter reviews a number of related themes from a variety of perspectives. Topics covered include: - Reputation - Risk - Impression management - Celebrity - Ethics - Persuasion and propaganda - Emotional and spiritual dimensions of management - Promotional culture and globalization The book helps students engage with big philosophical questions about the occupation and its concepts and to think about their own relationship with the occupation. It achieves this through student exercises at the beginning and end of chapters, 'critical reflections' questions and exercises, 'questions for discussion' and vignettes. Students are helped to widen their intellectual perspective on the subject of public relations through 'discipline boxes' which explain source domains, their origins and approaches and connections to public relations. This book works well on under- as well as postgraduate conversion courses.

Introduction

Critical Thinking and Interdisciplinary Perspectives Public Relations

Defining the Discipline and the Practice Reputation, Image and Impression Management Risk, Issues and Ethics Public Affairs and the Public Sphere Media Perspectives

Critique, Effects and Evaluation Health Communication and Social Marketing Public Relations and Management Organizational Communication

Understanding and Researching Organizations Public Relations in 'Promotional Culture' and 'in Everyday Life' Public Relations in a Globalized World Key Thinkers and Thought in Public Relations