Today's Public Relations: An Introduction

Today′s Public Relations: An Introduction works to redefine the teaching of public relations by discussing its connection to mass communication, and linking it to its rhetorical heritage.  The text features coverage of ethics, research, strategy, planning, evaluation, media selection, promotion/publicity, crisis communication, risk communication, and collaborative decision making as ways to create, maintain, and repair relationships between organizations and the persons who can affect their success. The book also examines the challenges of creating a solid foundation in the field of public relations while working to become a professional in a global society.

Key Features:

• Chapter-opening vignettes illustrate key points to be covered in the chapter.
• Web Watcher boxes highlight the importance of the Internet in PR today and encourage students to use the Web′s resources.
• Ethical Quandary boxes lead readers to think through difficult situations in order to better prepare them for the challenges of public relations.
• Professional Reflections, written by practitioners, give a real-world perspective on the topics covered.
• End-of-chapter questions and summary questions, exercises, and recommended reading lists help readers to better comprehend the chapter material and delve more deeply into the topic at hand.

Intended Audience:   Undergraduate and graduate courses in public relations in journalism and business departments

Robert L. Heath, professor emeritus of communication at the University of Houston, is an internationally recognized authority on public relations, crisis communication, issues management, risk communication, and business-to-business communication. He has published many award-winning books, including The SAGE Handbook of Public Relations (2010), Handbook of Risk and Crisis Communication (2009), Strategic Issues Management (2nd ed., 2009), Rhetorical and Critical Approaches to Public Relations II (2009), and Terrorism: Communication and Rhetorical Perspectives (2008).

Heath has 3 decades′ experience in corporate communication and positioning research. He has conducted research on risks related to various hazards, including those associated with chemical manufacturing and community right-to-know―key themes in community relations. In addition, he has published more than 100 chapters and articles and serves on the editorial and reviewer panels of several premier academic journals. He has received many honors from public relations professionals and academic associations and has lectured nationally and internationally on a wide array of topics.

W. Timothy Coombs (PhD Purdue University in Public Affairs and Issues Management) is a senior partner with Center for Risk Communication and a Fellow with the International Communication Association. His primary areas of research are crisis communication and CSR including the award-winning book Ongoing Crisis Communication. He is the current editor for Corporation Communication:  An International Journal.  His research has appeared in Management Communication Quarterly, Public Relations Review, Corporate Reputation Review, Journal of Public Relations Research, Journal of Communication Management, Business Horizons, and the Journal of Business Communication.