Click on the following links. Please note these will open in a new window.

Journal Article 3.1: Archer, C., & Harrigan, P. (2016). Show me the money: How bloggers as stakeholders are challenging theories of relationship building in public relations. Public Relations Inquiry, 160(1), 67-77.

Abstract: Conventional “normative” theories of public relations have often centred on relationship building, dialogic theory and two-way communication. Despite these theories dominating much of the academic literature, practitioners continue to seek control in relationships to produce “value outcomes” and meet measurable objectives for the organizations they work for. Public relations workers’ ability to influence the influencers has been framed as relationship development, and payment for editorial content or other influence has been seen as unethical. With the rise of social media, the so-called “new” influencers are now bloggers and Instagrammers. Given that most social media influencers now wish to be compensated with payment or in-kind for any work related to brands, this article discusses the implications for ethical practice and public relations theory. The mask of relationship building in the social media age needs to be removed and the importance of payment to bloggers needs to be acknowledged for the theories of public relations to develop.

Journal Article 3.2: Sutherland, K. E. (2016). Using propinquital loops to blend social media and offline spaces: A case study of the ALS Ice-Bucket Challenge. Media International Australia, 160(1), 78-88.

Abstract: The social media phenomenon of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Ice-Bucket Challenge attracted more than 3 million donors to upload 1.2 million Facebook videos and give more than US$ 115 million. In fundraising terms, it was a social media anomaly. This article applies Kent and Taylor’s dialogic theoretical component of propinquity (immediacy of presence, temporal flow and engagement) to explore how the ALS Ice-Bucket Challenge leveraged a propinquital loop (and subsequent chain), to enable participants to move between social media and offline spaces, while creating relational elasticity between participant and cause. Propinquity and its function within a social media context is an area of research that has not yet been greatly considered in the literature, yet may have the potential of informing public relations professionals from the non-profit sector and more widely about social media practice.

Journal Article 3.3: Sweetser, K. D., (Grace) Ahn, S. J., Golan, G. J., & Hochman, A. (2016). Native advertising as a new public relations tactic. American Behavioral Scientist, 60(12), 1442-1457.

Abstract: Using a pretest and posttest online experiment (N = 105), this study empirically explored the impact of native advertising sponsorship disclosure on organization–public relationships (OPR), credibility, brand attitude, and attitude toward the advertisement. Credibility and brand attitude predicted the two OPR factors; however, OPR was not affected by participants’ cognizance of ad sponsorship/disclosure. Brand attitude for obviously sponsored (e.g., ad disclosed) content decreased slightly. However, the presence or absence of sponsorship did not significantly influence either credibility or attitudes toward the advertisement itself. The study also examined perceived information utility.