Rhetorical and Critical Approaches to Public Relations II

This volume illustrates the application of rhetorical theory and critical perspectives to explain public relations practices. It provides a systematic and coherent statement of the crucial guidelines and philosophical underpinnings of public relations. Rhetorical and Critical Approaches to Public Relations II addresses the rhetorical/critical tradition's contribution to the definition of public relations and PR practice; explores the role of PR in creating shared meaning in support of publicity and promotional organizational efforts; considers the tradition's contributions to risk, crisis, and issues dimensions of public relations; and highlights ethics, character, and responsible advocacy. It uses a rhetorical lens to provide practitioners with a sense of how their PR campaigns make a contribution to the organizational bottom line. Book jacket.

Robert L. Heath, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Communication at the University of Houston. He has published 17 books, and has contributed chapters and articles on issues management, public relations, crisis communication, risk communication, environmental communication, emergency management, rhetorical criticism, and communication theory. Elizabeth L. Toth, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland, College Park. She has published books, journal articles, and book chapters on gender and public relations. Damion Waymer, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Communication at Virginia Tech. His teaching and research interests include public relations and organizational rhetoric, and he has published his work in scholarly communication journals.