Research Guides: Principles of Public Relations (29-360): Theory descriptions

Communication Theory

“Press agentry. One-way (information) dissemination focusing on publicity for persuasion/attention.

Public information. One-way (information) dissemination providing information.

Two-way asymmetrical. Two-way (research), which is imbalanced in favor of persuading publics to support the organizations’ interests.

Two-way symmetrical. Two-way (research), which is more balanced in terms of creating mutual understanding; moving equilibrium.”

Bowen, S. A., Martin, T. R., & Rawlins, B. (2012). An overview of the public relations function. Business Expert Press.

McCombs, M. (2012). Civic osmosis: The social impact of media. Comunicación y Socieda, 25(1), 7-14

Setting the agenda (2nd ed.) by Maxwell McCombs
Call Number: 302.23 M129s, 3rd floor
Publication Date: 2014
"Setting the Agenda describes the mass media's significant and sometimes controversial role in determining which topics are at the centre of public attention and action. In this new edition of his comprehensive book, Max McCombs, one of the founding fathers of the agenda-setting tradition of research, extends his previous synthesis of hundreds of studies carried out on this central role of the mass media in the shaping of public opinion. Across the world, the mass media strongly influences how we picture public affairs. In describing this media influence on what we think about and how we think about it, Setting the Agenda also discusses the sources of these media agendas, the psychological explanation for their impact on the public agenda, and the subsequent consequences for attitudes, opinions and behaviour."

Johnson, T. J. (2013). Agenda setting in a 2.0 world : New agendas in communication. Routledge.
"This volume explores agenda-setting theory in light of changes in the media environment in the 21st century. In the decades since the original Chapel Hill study that launched agenda-setting research, the theory has attracted the interest of scholars worldwide. Agenda Setting in a 2.0 World features the work of a new generation of scholars. The research provided by these young scholars reflects two broad contemporary trends in agenda-setting: A centrifugal trend of research in the expanding media landscape and in domains beyond the original focus on public affairs, and a centripetal trend further explicating agenda-setting's core concepts."

McCornack, S. (1992). Information manipulation theory. Communication Monographs, 59(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637759209376245

Benoit, W. L. (2014). Accounts, excuses, and apologies: Image repair theory and research (2nd ed.). State University of New York Press.

Kent, M. L., & Taylor, M. (2002). Toward a dialogic theory of public relations. Public Relations Review, 28(1), 21-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0363-8111(02)00108-X

Rawlins, B. L. (2006). Prioritizing stakeholders for public relations. Institute for Public Relations, 1-14. http://painepublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/prioritizing-stakeholders-Rawlins.pdf

Hamilton, P. K. (1992). Grunig's situational theory: A replication, application, and extension. Journal of Public Relations Research, 4(3), 123-149. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532754xjprr0403_01

Dennis, A. R., Fuller, R. M., & Valacich, J. S. (2008). Media, tasks, and communication processes: A theory of media synchronicity. MIS Quarterly, 32(3), 575-600. https://doi.org/10.2307/25148857

Services	Other Links	About Us
Ask a Librarian Teaching Resources Interlibrary Loan Off-campus Access Library DIY	Resource Suggestion/Request Brick & Click Conference Research Awards Maryville Public Library Privacy Policy	Mission Statement Hours Library Directory Horace Mann Library Terms & Conditions