[ecrea] CfP- Public Relations Inquiry special issue on Theories in Public Relations

REMINDER: DEADLINE APPROACHING – SEPTEMBER 15

Call For Papers – Public Relations Inquiry: 
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2046147X18775847

*Special Issue: Theories in Public Relations: Reflections and Future 
Directions*

**

The field of public relations has grown in the last thirty years both 
academically and professionally, and it is now a specialised, applied 
communication discipline. Most scholars and practitioners would agree 
that public relations is primarily a strategic organizational function 
that nurtures positive relationships with publics and stakeholders for 
organizations of all kinds: private, public, non-profit, activist, 
advocacy etc. However, some have taken a broader view of both public 
relations and the organisations it works for, focusing on their role as 
interventions in social, cultural and political environments. As a 
result, the theoretical landscape of public relations has expanded 
beyond its organisational origins.

Despite increasing theoretical depth, however, the quality and 
significance of public relations’ theoretical contributions are disputed 
and its discrete body of knowledge and stock of theories have received 
little recognition outside the specific disciplinary domain. Public 
relations scholars tend to agree that this is an interdisciplinary field 
and that many studies in public relations are rooted in diverse 
communication, sociological, cultural, managerial, and organizational 
knowledge. Almost all established theories in public relations come from 
a wider field and/or have borrowed concepts and understandings and 
adapted them to public relations questions. Yet, to enjoy greater 
recognition and academic legitmacy, the theoretical contributions of 
public relations as a field in its own right must be able to both stand 
alone and contribute to fields beyond disciplinary boundaries.

For this special issue, we seek papers that provide an in-depth 
reflection on the quality and significance of theoretical development in 
public relations scholarship. The aim is to discuss and reflect on what 
might be considered as current theories of public relations and theories 
for public relations, as well as emerging bodies of work that are 
changing the shape of the field. Scholars might consider their use, 
their ability to answer research questions of fundamental importance for 
the profession, their relevance to today’s global problems, and the 
exploratory avenues of scholarship that could form the basis of new 
theorizing.

Examples of questions that are of relevance to the special issues are:

•• What can be considered a classical or emergent public relations theory?

•• What are the field’s grand theories and middle-range theories? How do 
they shape our thinking?

•• What are the emergent theories that can (re)define public relations?

•• What types of problems has public relations addressed and through 
which theoretical lenses has it addressed them? Do these approaches 
remain adequate? How mightthey evolve?

•• Are there fundamental research questions capable of yielding 
theoretical development?

•• Why do public relations theories have limited impact beyond the field?

•• How does public relations theory need to evolve in order to become 
more widely recognised in organisational, media and communication fields 
of scholarship?

We welcome both conceptual papers that contribute to building a broader 
picture of public relations theory, as well as empirical papers that 
provide a basis for theoretical and conceptual discussions. In line with 
the interdisciplinary nature of the journal, we welcome a wide range of 
theoretical perspectives representing the whole spectrum of opinions in 
the field. All submissions will be blind-reviewed in line with the 
standard practice of the journal. If you have any questions regarding 
the special issue, please contact the editors Chiara

Valentini ((chiara.c.valentini /at/ jyu.fi)) or Lee Edwards ((l.edwards2 /at/ lse.ac.uk)).

Deadlines

Papers should be submitted by 15 September 2018 via the journal’s 
manuscript central submissions system. Please visit the journal website 
for full submission instructions, including information about word 
length, format and referencing style. Papers should adhere to the 
guidelines and risk being rejected if they do not. The target 
publication date for the special issue is September 2019.

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