{"title":"Organizational activism undertaken and its ramifications faced by public relations practitioners, examined through the lens of postmodernism","authors":"Soumitro Sen","doi":"10.1177/2046147X211071032","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"In mainstream public relations, the word “activist” has a negative connotation of one who disrupts an organization’s financial well-being. This is because mainstream public relations takes a modernist stance that valorizes the organization’s interests above all else. Postmodern scholars such as Holtzhausen (2012), however, urge public relations practitioners themselves to take an activist stance when confronted with organizational malpractices. Holtzhausen (2012) especially points out new media as tools with which the discursive space between stakeholders and organizations can be democratized. This study will explore the barriers to and the consequences of such activism as faced by public relations practitioners who resisted their employers over malpractices. We will also examine what form their activism took and how these public relations practitioner-activists leveraged the power of new media in their organizational activism.","PeriodicalId":44609,"journal":{"name":"Public Relations Inquiry","volume":"12 1","pages":"3 - 25"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2022-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"3","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Public Relations Inquiry","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2046147X211071032","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"COMMUNICATION","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 3
Abstract
In mainstream public relations, the word “activist” has a negative connotation of one who disrupts an organization’s financial well-being. This is because mainstream public relations takes a modernist stance that valorizes the organization’s interests above all else. Postmodern scholars such as Holtzhausen (2012), however, urge public relations practitioners themselves to take an activist stance when confronted with organizational malpractices. Holtzhausen (2012) especially points out new media as tools with which the discursive space between stakeholders and organizations can be democratized. This study will explore the barriers to and the consequences of such activism as faced by public relations practitioners who resisted their employers over malpractices. We will also examine what form their activism took and how these public relations practitioner-activists leveraged the power of new media in their organizational activism.
期刊介绍:
Public Relations Inquiry is an international, peer-reviewed journal for conceptual, reflexive and critical discussion on public relations, supporting debates on new ways of thinking about public relations in social, cultural and political contexts, in order to improve understanding of its work and effects beyond the purely organisational realm. We interpret public relations in a broad sense, recognising the influence of public relations practices on the many forms of contemporary strategic, promotional communication initiated by organisations, institutions and individuals. The practice of public relations arises at points of societal and organisational change and transformation, affecting many aspects of political, economic, social and cultural life. Reflecting this, we aim to mobilize research that speaks to a scholars in diverse fields and welcome submissions from any area that speak to the purpose of the journal, including (but not only) public relations, organizational communication, media and journalism studies, cultural studies, anthropology, political communication, sociology, organizational studies, development communication, migration studies, visual communication, management and marketing, digital media and data studies. We actively seek contributions that can extend the range of perspectives used to understand public relations, its role in societal change and continuity, and its impact on cultural and political life. We particularly welcome multi-disciplinary debate about the communication practices that shape major human concerns, including: globalisation, politics, and public relations in international communication migration, refugees, displaced populations terrorism, public diplomacy public and corporate governance diversity and cultural impacts of PR the natural and built environments Communication, space and place The development and practices of major industries such as health, food, sport, tourism, technology.