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Journal Article 7.1: Cho, S. (2006). The power of public relations in media relations: A national survey of health PR practitioners. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 83(3), 563-580.

Abstract: Based on the typology of power suggested by French and Raven, this study identified five types of power PR practitioners believe they have. Survey results suggest that PR practitioners working for health organizations believe they have Expert Power in media relations, especially those who work for nonprofit organizations, have frequent contact with reporters, and develop close relationships with reporters. In general, they do not believe they exert Information Coercive and Advertising Coercive power. This research also examined the effect of three internal contingent factors on the perceived power of PR in media relations. Only Organizational Stability was a significant predictor of Expert Power.

Journal Article 7.2: Yoon, Y. (2005). Legitimacy, public relations, and media access: Proposing and testing a media model. Communication Research, 32(6), 762-793.

Abstract: This study examines how an organization’s access to the media reflects two sets of influences--its public relations (PR) expertise and legitimacy. A context of stem cell and the cloning debate is used to test the relationships. Two surveys and a content analysis show that the legitimacy of sources perceived by journalists has an impact on the regularity and valence of those sources’ media coverage, whereas the PR expertise of sources does not have an impact on any of the media access indicators. Public relations expertise, however, shows some impact on the legitimacy of sources as perceived by journalists, indicating that legitimacy operates as an intervening variable between PR expertise and media access of sources.

Journal Article 7.3: Koch, T., Obermaier, M., & Riesmeyer, C. (2017). Powered by public relations? Mutual perceptions of PR practitioners’ bases of power over journalism. Journalism, 1-17.

Abstract: Public relations practitioners depend on journalists to report information, and journalists count on public relations practitioners to provide information. This mutual dependence gives the two parties a degree of power over each other that can be wielded if certain resources are available. However, there are many unanswered questions about how public relations exerts power over journalists and how these influence attempts may affect news coverage. We differentiate six bases of power that public relations practitioners may use to influence journalists. To test the use of these bases of power, we conducted a quantitative survey among German journalists and public relations practitioners. Our results show that while public relations practitioners perceive themselves as exerting influence by providing information and maintaining good relationships, journalists state that public relations practitioners exert influence by putting pressure on journalists or by buying advertising space. Also, purchasing advertising space (reward power) and maintaining good contacts (expert power) account for the largest proportion of variance.