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Whether politically, socially, economically, or psychologically, postmodern institutions attempt to influence their environments through the use of rhetoric in their public relations campaigns. As corporations increasingly dominate the public discourse we experience daily, it becomes increasingly important to understand how that discourse operates, and to become more informed creators and consumers of institutional rhetoric.
This volume examines the theoretical bases and practical effects of a variety of public relations campaigns. The contributors demonstrate that rhetorical inquiry is a viable and underrated approach to explaining the influence of public relations campaigns. Cases analyzed in the book range from those of national scope (e.g., Mobil Oil's Observations campaign of the 1970s and 1980s), to studies of targeted influence (e.g., corporate recruitment videos), to cases of internal relations (e.g., issues management during corporate mergers), to studies of local situations (e.g., the anatomy of a local ballot issue campaign). While the various contributors employ a broad range of rhetorical methods and analysis, the discussions remain approachable and understandable for students and professionals alike.
List of contents
OrientationPublic Relations is a Rhetorical Experience: The Integral Principle in Case Study Analysis by William N. Elwood
Scandalous Rhetorics by Barry Brummett
Case Studies With National PurviewsMobil's Epideictic Advocacy: "Observations" of Prometheus Bound by Richard E. Crable and Steven L. Vibbert
The Engineering of Outrage: Mediated Constructions of Risk in the Alar Controversy by Jamie Press Lacey and John T. Llewellyn
"I Am a Scientologist": The Image Management of Identity by Jeffrey L. Courtright
Plastics as Planet-Saving "Natural Resource": Advertising to Recycle an Industry's Reality by Patricia Paystrup
From "We Didn't Do It" to "It's Not Our Fault": The Use of Apologia in Public Relations Crises by Keith Michael Hearit
Case Studies of Targeted InfluencePhilip Morris Magazine: An Innovation in Grass Roots Issue Management by Rachel L. Holloway
Janus in the Looking Glass: The Management of Organizational Identity in Corporate Recruitment Videos by Theresa A. Russell-Loretz
Case Studies of Internal RelationsThe Rhetoric of Indoctrination: A Critical Analysis of New Employee Orientation by Mitchell S. McKinney
SANE/Freeze, Issue Status, and Rhetorical Diversification by Michael F. Smith
Issues Management during Corporate Mergers: A Case Study of AT&T and NCR by Kelly Fudge
Case Studies of Local SituationsCommunication in Ballot Issue Campaigns: A Rhetorical Analysis of the 1991 Cincinnati Public Schools Levy Campaign by Jeffrey P. Joiner and Kathleen M. German
Public Relations and the Ethics of the Moment: The Anatomy of a Local Ballot Issue Campaign by William N. Elwood
Future DirectionsCritical Theory in Public Relations Inquiry: Future Directions for Analysis in a Public Relations Context by Kathleen M. German
Bibliography
About the author
WILLIAM N. ELWOOD is Senior Research Scientist at NOVA Research Company and Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Texas/Houston School of Public Health. He is the author of
Rhetoric in the War on Drugs (Praeger, 1994).
