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7 November 2023
New report: Recommendations for Undergraduate Public Relations Education
The newest Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE)’s 2023 Signature Report, Navigating Change: Recommendations for Advancing Undergraduate Public Relations Education, is now available!

To succeed in today’s public relations workplace, graduating public relations students should be critical strategic thinkers, have a
solid grounding in ethics, writing, and communication, complete an internship, and understand data analysis, DEI as an ethical social responsibility, and their role in driving social change.

Those are among the recommendations in the Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE)’s 2023 Signature Report,
Navigating Change: Recommendations for Advancing Undergraduate Public Relations Education.

The CPRE report’s recommendations highlight seven areas that practitioners and educators identified as critical  to pre-professional preparation in the post-pandemic environment.

Key recommendations include the following:

  • The Future of the Public Relations Workplace. Educators and practitioners should work together to develop experiential learning opportunities for students. Educators should include case studies and other course content on the ethical challenges of contemporary practice. Employers must adapt their onboarding practices for new hires to better
    represent a new workplace.
  • Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities and the Six-Course Standard. Given that ethics is the top knowledge area, CPRE’s recommended sixth course in public relations ethics must be required in public relations curricula. It joins public relations courses in principles, research, writing, campaigns/cases, and internships.
  • Critical Strategic Thinking. Public relations sequences must include critical strategic thinking, ideally using the DASA model (Detecting, Analyzing, Strategizing, Acting) and with real-world case studies to understand critical strategy.
  • Data Insights and Strategy. Educators should integrate KSAs related to data analytics and AI into academic programs and build a solid foundation in quantitative and qualitative research for students. Educators also should teach students to align data analysis with measurable organizational outcomes and public relations objectives rather than low-level outputs.
  • Ethics. Survey results indicated that our newest professionals are not adequately prepared to address public relations’ ethical challenges and lack a personal code of ethics. Ethics  should be a required course and educators should continue to incorporate ethics into all courses across the curriculum.
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Educators should understand DEI as an ethical social responsibility to be embedded in the curriculum, take a comprehensive approach to DEI, create public relations DEI course materials, and prepare for pushback.
  • PR as a Driver of Social Change. Educators must be courageous in addressing challenging issues such as gender identity, sexuality, racism, ableism, and poverty. They should ensure that their students understand their role in driving social change and consider how social change content can be integrated with skills-based and technical content.

The report represents over a year’s involvement of the 65 CPRE board members as they participated in brainstorming sessions, crowdsourcing surveys, focus groups, and an omnibus quantitative survey of more than 460 public relations practitioners and educators. Seven teams of educators and practitioners contributed their expertise and content.

The full CPRE Signature Report is available for free at
www.commissionpred.org
Read the full press release
30 October 2023
#EUPRERAtalks: Insights from the European Communication Monitor 2023

#EUPRERAtalks series dives into the latest edition of the largest transnational study on strategic communication worldwide, the European Communicarion Monitor 2023.

Insights from the European Communication Monitor 2023
Date: November 10, 2023, Friday
Time: 11:00 am CET
What to expect from the webinar

The webinar will focus on the European Communication Monitor (ECM), a long-standing and extensive study in the professional communications sector. This annual study, conducted for 15 years across nearly 50 European countries, has been supported by EUPRERA and various academic institutions. In 2023, the researchers aim to summarise the key insights from their longitudinal research and discuss its implications for education, research, and industry practice.
The ECM 2023 report identifies five key areas that will shape the future of strategic communication and need specific attention, based on the empirical data and current research which has been additionally evaluated. These topics will be explained and expanded on in the webinar but they are:

1) Leveraging the potential of advanced tech and data use
2) Developing rare competencies and new roles for professionals
3) Reaching and impacting audiences in a hyperconnected world
4) Leading and motivating extraordinary communication teams
5) Building relationships in times of misinformation and distrust

The webinar will feature discussions by Professors Ralph Tench and Dejan Verčič, along with Stephen Waddington, offering insights into the ECM’s findings and its relevance to modern communication practices. It will also provide an opportunity for questions and answers.

The ECM is a rigorous academic study led by prominent university professors and supported by EUPRERA and the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD), with partnerships from organisations such as Cision, CECOMS, #NORA, and Fink & Fuchs.

The ECM has tracked the evolution of important issues for communicators since 2007. Notably, building and maintaining trust and aligning communication with business strategy consistently remain top priorities for communicators. Stakeholder expectations regarding sustainability and social responsibility, as well as managing the challenges and opportunities of the digital and globalised information flow, have also been key concerns.

 

Speakers and webinar moderators

Professor Dr  Ralph Tench, Leeds Beckett University, UK
Professor Ralph Tench is Director of Research for 150 academics at Leeds Business School and Past President (2017-2020) European Public Relations Research and Education Association. Tench’s research involves national and international projects. He’s written and edited 26 books; published over 60 academic journal papers; presented worldwide 70+ peer reviewed papers.  Books include the market leading strategic communication textbook, Exploring Public Relations, and Communication Excellence – How to Develop, Manage and Lead Exceptional Communications, based on the longitudinal, annual European Communication Monitor project (16 years, www.communicationmontor.eu). Tench’s research focuses on strategic communication and its impact on societal issues including health, business, social and public policy.

Prof. Dr. Dejan Verčič, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dejan Verčič is Professor and Head of Centre for Marketing and Public Relations at the University of Ljubljana, and Partner in communication and strategy firm Herman & partnerji, Slovenia. He received his PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.  A Fulbright scholar, recipient of the Pathfinder Award, the highest academic honour bestowed by the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) in New York, and a Distinguished Public Relations Scholar by EUPRERA. He is a past president of EUPRERA, a member of the ECM research team, and since 1994 he organizes annual BledCom symposia.

Stephen Waddington, Managing Partner, Wadds Inc.
Stephen is the founder and managing partner of Wadds Inc, a professional advisory firm for creative agencies and communication teams. He is also a PhD researcher at Leeds Business School, investigating the relationship between public relations and management.  He’s an entrepreneur who has benefited from disruption in media and technology during his career in public relations. He built Rainier PR during the 90s, supporting companies in creating the infrastructure and applications that were the foundation of the Internet. He did it again ten years later, scaling Speed, one of the first agencies to work across paid, social, and earned media.  Stephen has worked for clients including Amazon, ARM, Associated Press, BMW, The Economist, Salesforce, Microsoft, and Virgin Media Business. Along the way, he has written and edited ten books and served as President of the CIPR. He’s an Honorary Fellow of the CIPR and a Fellow of the PRCA.

Duration

1 hour

 

27 October 2023
#EUPRERAtalks: Communication in uncertain times. How organizations deal with issues, risks and crises

#EUPRERAtalks series is richer than ever!

Communication in uncertain times. How organizations deal with issues, risks and crises
Date: November 3, 2023, Friday
Time: 12:00 pm CET
What to expect from the webinar

In this webinar, Chiara Valentini discusses with several scholars, who contributed to the new EUPRERA book, their recent research findings on how organizations communicate and interact with their stakeholders in uncertain times.
The webinar is based on EUPRERA’s new book, that contains twelve chapters on how organizations deal with issues, risks and crises and will appear in 2024 as Volume 7 in Emerald’s book series ‘Advances in Public Relations and Communication Management’.

In this webinar you will get a vivid preview of some of the novel insights related to how organizational communication has changed after the pandemic, employee engagement during critical situation, CEO’s role in crisis situation and stakeholder perceptions, government communications in times of crises. 

 

Speakers and webinar moderators

 

Merja Koskela, University of Vaasa (Finland), co-author of the chapter (with Helena Kantanen) “Mapping the Challenges of COVID-19 from the Point of View of Organizational Communication”

Sabine Einwiller, University of Vienna (Austria), co-author of the chapter (with Christine Korn) “What’s Happening at Your Company?! Employees’ Reactions to Inquiries of Outsiders in the Event of Negative Media Coverage”

Benno Viererbl, Johannes Gutenberg-University (Germany), co-author of the chapter (with Nora Denner and Stefanie Holzer) “Effects of a CEO’s Social Distance and Communication Strategy on Stakeholders’ Perception 
and Judgement Processes in Corporate Crises”

Petra Kouldeková, Charles University (Czech Republic), co-author of the chapter (with Denisa Hejlová, Tereza Ježková, Soňa Schneiderová, Tereza Klabíková Rábová and Marcela Konrádová) “Emergency Communication of Government Organizations: Lessons learned from the Pandemic-related Communication in Education”

Moderator:
Chiara Valentini, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

 

Duration

1 hour

 

More about the speakers

Sabine Einwiller is the Professor of Public Relations Research and Department Chair of the Department of Communication at the University of Vienna (Austria) where she heads the Corporate Communication Research Group. Currently, she is a visiting professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Sabine serves as an Executive Director in the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) and is a member of the Austrian Ethics Council for Public Relations. In her research, she focuses on employee communication, the management of contents and controversial issues, consumer complaining, crisis communication.

Petra Koudelková holds a PhD in Management and economy of companies. She is Assistant Professor at Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Marketing Communication and PR. Her fields of study comprise corporate social responsibility and sustainability approach of companies, above all SMEs and marketing and institutional communication. Petra has participated in a project of communication of the Czech Ministry of Education, and in a project focusing on Increasing the Effectiveness of Direct Citizen Invitation to Screen Colon and Rectal, Breast and Cervical Cancer of the Czech Ministry of Health. She is the author of many research articles and two monographs

Merja Koskela is professor of Applied Linguistics at Communication Studies, University of Vaasa, Finland. With a career spanning over 25 years, she has experience of a wide variety of research topics ranging from Swedish linguistics to environmental communication. Currently, her research interests concern professional communication, financial communication and environmental communication. Among others, she is involved in a research project studying representations climate-wise housing in public discourses. Methodologically, she specializes in genre analysis and discourse analysis. She has published widely in international journals, including International Journal of Business Communication,Studies in Communication Sciences, and Discourse & Communication. She is also a dedicated educator and has mentored a number of next generation scholars towards academic excellence.

Chiara Valentini is Professor and Head of Corporate Communication Discipline, at Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics (JSBE), Finland, and Adjunct Professors in Strategic Communication at IULM University, Milan, Italy. Dr. Valentini is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications and books in strategic public relations, public and government communication, and crisis communication in the digital environment. Her work has appeared in several international peer-reviewed journals, and has authored and co-authored over hundreds of scholarly works. 

Benno Viererbl is a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Communication at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. His dissertation addressed the professional role concept and role conflicts of professionals working in the grey area between journalism and Public Relations. His other research interests include the public perception of organizational CSR communication,  issues management and crisis communication, and the effects of personalization in external corporate communication.

 

 

 

16 October 2023
EUPRERA 2024 Congress in Bucharest – Call for Papers

We are happy to invite members and colleagues to the EUPRERA XXV annual congress, taking place in Bucharest on September 11-14, 2024, and co-organized by the Department of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest, Romania on the theme:

The Art of Communication
Bridging the Future and Past of Strategic Communication
in a New Technological Ecosystem

In addition to sessions and panels, the programme will also include:

  • multiple activities from our networks,
  • the Paper Development Workshop,
  • the PhD Seminar,
  • the Education Café,
  • a session on project collaboration proposals (new!),
  • activities from EUNES European Network of Emerging Scholars.
Call for Papers

Academics, PhD students and practitioners are invited to submit papers and panel proposals related to the congress theme and tracks:

  • Track 1 – Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Communication Research
  • Track 2 – The Future of Strategic Communication: Ethical Implications and Impact of Emergent PR Tools
  • Track 3 – Learning from the Past of Strategic Communication: Old Theories in a New Ecosystem
  • Track 4 – Community, Communication, and Stakeholders’ Interactions in the New Technological Ecosystem
  • Education track (new!) – Public Relations and Strategic Communication Education Research
  • Open track – Current Research in (Strategic) Communication and Public Relations

THREE TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS ARE POSSIBLE:
1. Short-length paper (double-blind review),
2. Full-length research paper (double-blind review),
3. Panel proposal.

Important dates
    • Deadline for submissions: March 15
    • Feedback for authors:  May 28
    • Full programme release: June 25
    • Submission of final full paper: August 25
Publications

Authors who have successfully submitted and presented papers at the congress can enter the selection for:

    • a special issue of the Journal of Communication Management (publication conditional upon the double-blind peer review process of the journal)
    • the EUPRERA Congress Book (edited collection), part of the Advances in Public Relations and Communication Management series, published by Emerald (publication conditional upon a peer-review process by the editors).
Call for Papers | The programme
Poster

15 October 2023
#EUPRERAtalks: Insights from the Prague Education Café

#EUPRERAtalks series is back!

Insights from the Prague Education Café
Date: October 27, 2023, Friday
Time: 2:00 pm CET
What to expect from the webinar

During the EUPRERA 2023 Congress that took place in Prague, the Education Network introduced the Education Café as a way to explore issues shared by EUPRERA members and EUPRERA Congress participants in their teaching activity. This 90 min workshop was an adaptation of the World Café, a methodology for hosting group dialogue that emphasizes the power of simple conversation in considering relevant questions and themes.

The participants in the Education Café went through four rounds of informal discussions regarding a selection of topics, issues and possible solutions that are relevant to communication and public relations education. The topics were shortlisted by the EUPRERA members through an online poll before the Prague Congress and then the participants selected the final topics. After fruitful and engaged discussions during the Education Café, the Education Network will present a summary and actionable insights from the discussions through the four members who acted as moderators in Prague.

Topics discussed during the Prague Education Café:

From negative to positive: Transform negative, dull or problematic tools and activities for the students (e.g.: leading an online presentation, integrating ChatGPT, identifying issues and solutions themselves) into positive and constructive ones in the classroom.
Education and sustainability: How do we teach and embed sustainability into courses/curriculums, how do we enable a clearer link between sustainability, what we teach and SDGs in order to build a framework around teaching PR and sustainability?
The challenge of reading: How to bring students to read (in a blended environment)? If the students do not go through the recommended readings before the class, it is difficult to have a constructive experience.
Gen Z: How to talk with them, how to bridge the gap? Are we speaking the same language?

 

Speakers and webinar moderators

Education Café moderators:
Anne-Marie COTTON – Artevelde University of Applied Sciences, Belgium
Camelia CMECIU – University of Bucharest, Romania
Raluca MOISE – City University of London, UK
Camelia CUȘNIR – University of Bucharest, Romania

Webinar moderators:
the co-leaders of the EUPRERA Education Network
Anca ANTON – University of Bucharest, Romania
Monique ABBENBROEK – Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands

 

Duration

1 hour

 

More about the speakers

 

 

Anne-Marie Cotton is Senior lecturer at Artevelde University of Applied Sciences (communication management, public relations and reputation management) and affiliated researcher to the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL).
She leads the MARPE Network and coordinates the Master Programme in European Public Relations (MARPE) since 1997. She was president of EUPRERA (1999–2000) and EUPRERA secretary general (2001–2009).  She is a member of several scientific committees and publishes in the fields of communication, public relations and education.

Camelia Cmeciu is a professor of organizational communication, risk and crisis communication at Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies, University of Bucharest. She is a member of the Romanian PR Awards Jury. Her research was published in Web of Science journals (Public Relations Review, Comunicar, Global Health Promotion, Discourse & Society) or at international publishing houses (Routledge, Springer, Peter Lang, IGI sau Bloomsbury Publishing).

Camelia Cușnir is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Cultural Anthropology and Communication of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences. She has a PhD in Communication Sciences with the thesis “Media discourse of Romanian public intellectuals after 1989”. Her research interest include Sociology of intellectuals, Social Media Influencers, Discourse Analysis, Digital Communication and Semiotics.

Raluca Moise is Senior Lecturer in Communications at School of Communication  & Creativity, City University of London. Her past research in public relations has focused on areas such as new technologies, reputation (individual, organizational; online and classic media); public opinion and public interest. Most recent research explores sustainability in strategic communications: in its
occupational field, with a focus on freelancers; in its communication practices, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusivity. Raluca is an active network member in ‘Women in PR’ and ‘Education in PR’.

 

 

4 October 2023
2023 Distinguished Public Relations Scholar Award

The European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA), a body of academic institutions, researchers and senior professionals in the field of strategic communication with 550 members from 51 countries, has named Peggy Simcic Brønn, from BI Norwegian Business School, Distinguished Public Relations Scholar. The lifetime award recognizes her outstanding contribution to research and education in public relations as a social science discipline on an international level.
She has been awarded on September 22, 2023, at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, on the occasion of the EUPRERA annual congress, by the association’s president elect Prof. Jesper Falkheimer.

Peggy Simcic Brønn is professor emerita at the highly-ranked BI Norwegian Business School, where she has been a professor since 2011. She has a long history as a leader, researcher and lecturer in the field of corporate communications and public relations. She was founder and leader of BI Centre for Corporate Communication for several years as well as an associate editor of Journal of Communication Management, among other assignments. Her research contribution is clear and relevant, especially in the field of reputation, corporate social responsibility and corporate branding. Besides her international career – she is a US citizen but with a strong base in Norway – she has been an active communication expert in the Norwegian public sphere. Alongside her academic reputation, she is a notorious motorcyclist, along with her husband Carl.

 

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29 September 2023
2023 Master Thesis Awards and PhD Award

The European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA), a body of academic institutions, researchers and senior professionals in the field of strategic communication with 550 members from 51 countries has awarded two master students for their excellent theses in strategic communication.

The Master Thesis Award for Excellence is an annual prize aimed to celebrate the PR academia and the role performed by European Higher Education Institutions in the evolution of knowledge of this field. The jury, headed by Martina Topić, from Leeds Beckett University in UK, selected the winning theses in two categories:

Practical Impact Award

“PR Strategies for Audience Engagement and Dialogue on Social Media: A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Select British NGOs’ Twitter Posts”
by Temitope Oyelade, University of Stirling, UK
Supervisor: Sally Chalmers

This dissertation expands upon the dialogue theory of PR as enacted by Taylor and Kent in 2002 and 2014 by focusing on the use of social media for engagement by NGOs. It addresses the lacunae in PR research on social media engagement and dialogue within the relational paradigm, especially regarding social media’s multimedia affordances for facilitating dialogic engagement between organisations and their publics and building ethical Organisation-Public Relationships (OPR). The study indicates that purposeful selection of social media discourses for maximum cognitive and affective engagement may allow for more dialogically oriented conversations, and thus more ethical relationships with online audiences, as the presence of a dialogic orientation in the NGO communications has the effect of largely mitigating the effect of the unequal power dynamic that naturally exists between organisations and their audiences, leading to better OPRs in practice. The study also situates social media engagement within the dialogue theory of PR and provides direction for further research on the use of social media for dialogue, particularly the implementation of vulnerability, a key element of dialogic orientation.

Theoretical Impact Award

“The Role of Consumer PR in Feminist Menstrual Activism”
by Caitlin Carbury, University of Stirling, UK
Supervisor: Clare McKeown

This dissertation sought to examine the role of consumer PR in Feminist Menstrual Activism (FMA) to gather insight into what PR does for FMA and menstruators, and what FMA can do for PR. The findings revealed three dominant categories of meaning which (re)produced both old and new meanings regarding menstruation: 1. Prepare and Protect, 2. Menstruation as Womanly, and 3. Feminist Menstrual Activism. These dominant categories highlighted that consumer PR’s role in FMA is complicated by tensions and contradictions which largely stem from capitalism and commodification. Despite this, instances of transgression within the data suggested that PR has the potential to act as FMA. By drawing on these findings, this paper argues that PR practitioners need access to the dominant coalition, a will to do the right thing and harbour a feminist intelligence if consumer PR is to play an active role in the progression of both FMA and PR practice. Moreover, the paper highlights the need for further theoretical and empirical research which incorporates more organisations and media platforms to draw stronger conclusions on the role of PR in FMA and what these communications mean for varying identities.

 

The PhD Award for Excellent Doctoral Thesis is a bi-annual prize awarded by EUPRERA aimed to stimulate the academic discussion and build the body of knowledge in communication management across Europe. The jury, headed by Prof. Winni Johansen and Prof. Wim Elving, selected as winning thesis:

“The contribution of different communication channels and sub-state actors to country perception in today’s globalized and digitalized society. A public diplomacy listening approach”
by Jérôme Chariatte, University of Fribourg, CH
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Diana Ingenhoff

The thesis (179 pages) addresses new, relevant, and fascinating topics: listening within public diplomacy, as well as civic engagement across countries, and the role of sub-actors such as cities for the country image and the branding of a country. In addition, the relationship between place branding and public diplomacy in the digital sphere is addressed and extended by linking it to concepts like global governance and social responsibility. Furthermore, the study contributes with combining new and multiple methods and ways to listen and to measure country image and public diplomacy that take into account the globalized and digitalized context of todays’ public diplomacy efforts.

The methods are ambitious and broad ranged. Based on four different empirical studies the thesis contributes a mixed methods approach to study country image and public urban actors relying on both classical and recent research methodologies, such as media content and survey analysis, semantic network analysis, structural equation modelling and analysis of trace data. The analyses are thoroughly executed and based on appropriate and well-argued research methodologies. The ‘mystery’ of the thesis is clearly embedded in its implementation of new research methods adopted to match the digitalization and social media implementation in today’s public diplomacy practices. Furthermore, the thesis contributes to strengthen the role and status of communication in the public diplomacy and country image branding, and to add new insights into methodological theories and issues related to public diplomacy research enriching the perspectives of diplomacy and urban civic engagement across countries.

The thesis clearly demonstrates how the field of public diplomacy and public relations can benefit from taking new theoretical and methodological steps forward.

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27 September 2023
Awards for Best Papers 2023: EUPRERA honours academics and practitioners from Europe

We are just back from the EUPRERA  Annual Congress, organised by Charles University in Prague, one of the largest and oldest universities in the world, as it was founded in 1348 by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.

The congress was a success both in participation with nearly 200 attendants and in scientific contribution, with works on the theme “Responsible Communication – or Communicating Responsibility?”, grasping the legacy and challenges of the unprecedented times we are facing.

The Annual Congress is also time to hand out the EUPRERA Best Paper Awards. As always, the Awards were given to the authors of three papers with the highest rankings in a two-stage, blind peer-review process performed by a scientific committee of renowned international scholars, headed by Chiara Valentini.

EUPRERA Best Paper Awards

The three winning papers:

“I want what you want! Understanding the Impact of Public Interest Arguments in Lobbying and Public Affairs”
by Ketil Raknes and Øyvind Ihlen

This paper significantly contributes to the realm of public affairs by providing valuable insights into how politicians and lobbyists in Norway use the concept of public interest to advocate for or against energy and environmental issues. The paper is well constructed, rigorous and well-argued. It offers a comprehensive, relevant, and coherent theoretical framework that thoroughly examines the utilization of “topos” in the communicative interactions of these influential social actors. The theoretical framework is highly valuable in that it can be used to analyze a diverse set of advocacy initiatives beyond the ones in focus in this study. Overall, this study constitutes a significant advancement in the understanding of lobbyism and rhetoric within the political sphere and offers a theory-driven tool to dissect the quality of argumentations of those in power and the role of communication in affecting democratic processes.

“Sustainable Engagement with Digitalization Challenges in Strategic Communication: Introducing the VUCA Radar”
by Peter Winkler, Jannik Kretschmer, and Philip Wamprechtsamer

This paper explores the frequently used, yet ambiguously defined concept of VUCA, aiming to provide a conceptual and empirical analysis that sheds light on its impact on strategic communication and outlines effective responses to its challenges. The study is backed by qualitative data gathered in Austria. A commendable aspect of this research is the authors’ intention to enhance our comprehension of VUCA while contributing to the theoretical understanding of current public relations in both internal and external environments. To aid professionals in navigating complex and volatile situations, the paper introduces a valuable tool called the VUCA RADAR. Overall, the study stands out as an intriguing, innovative, pertinent, and ambitious contribution to the field.

 “Trend Research in Communication Management: Introducing an Interdisciplinary Approach based on Futures Research Methodology”
by Ansgar Zerfass, Daniel Ziegele, Sünje Clausen, and Stefan Stieglitz

This paper proposes an integrative approach for future research in public relations and communication management. The methodological approach integrates insights from research developments in society, management, and technology and integrates insights from professionals. There is a nice dialectical engagement between theory and practice-based experiences which positions this work as one highly commented for its practical implications and contribution in expanding our knowledge for conducting formative research. Overall, the paper suggests an innovative integrative methodological perspective, that can become an important practical toolkit for professionals and their research efforts in identifying key trends.

 

Special recognition to the best reviewer

EUPRERA Best Reviewer Award recognizes the work done by the reviewer because it is an essential contribution to the quality and success of the annual congress. This year’s winner is:

Melissa A. Johnson,
North Carolina State University

Dr. Johnson’s review stands at an exceptional level of quality. Her feedback is thorough, comprising in-depth and comprehensive comments, along with practical suggestions that effectively aid authors in enhancing their papers. Notably, her constructive and encouraging remarks prompt authors to introspect on their arguments and research decisions. Moreover, the review exhibits attentive feedback and a profound respect for diverse academic cultural traditions and perspectives, making it truly commendable.

 

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8 September 2023
IPRA’s webinar: Express crisis management: the 1-hour diagnostic

On Thursday 14 September 2023 at 12.00 GMT/UCT (unadjusted), IPRA is organizing the webinar “Express crisis management: the 1-hour diagnostic”, presented by Gerry McCusker, issues management specialist and the author of the book “PR Disasters”.

The webinar will introduce participants to the  Drill Crisis Simulator,  an online crisis management technology, developed by crisis management experts. Based around a custom SaaS portal, the Drill portal is an interactive, real-time crisis immersion simulator, that replicates the decision-making and publishing challenges of customised crisis scenarios to test, train and upgrade crisis management skills. The goal of The Drill is to teach the methodological steps that empower professionals to handle crisis, disaster, emergency and issues communication.

The event is free and registration is available here.

More info about the webinar

 

7 September 2023
European Communication Monitor 2023
A 15 year study by five universities reveals longitudinal insights: enhancing trust and securing strategic alignment remain top challenges for the communications and PR profession in Europe

The 2023 edition of the European Communication Monitor (ECM) has been presented by a research group from
leading universities in Germany, the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Norway, and Spain today. The study is known as the
world’s longest running empirical study on current and future developments in strategic communication and public
relations. It is based on surveys of almost 40,000 communication professionals from 50 countries.

The current edition provides unique insights by combining a look back at the most important strategic issues for
communication management over 15 consecutive years with a look ahead that identifies five key areas of action for
communication leaders. The outlook is based on longitudinal empirical insights from the ECM and current research
literature. The authors present theses for communication leaders that stimulate reflection and debate.

The full ECM 2023 Report (PDF, 64 pp.) is available for free at
www.communicationmonitor.eu
Unique insights into a rapidly changing profession that drives our societies

Leaders in business, politics, and education are invited to download and read the European Communication Monitor
2023 report to learn about a profession that shape today’s societies in a profound way.

Today’s media reality with 24/7 debates on multiple channels forces businesses, non-profits, and
governments alike to invest huge resources into internal and external communications with multiple stakeholders.
This is the domain of communication departments and their external supporters like agencies or consultancies. The
profession counts hundreds of thousands of practitioners in Europe – there are no reliable statistics, as different terms
such as communication management, corporate communications, corporate affairs, organisational communication,
public relations, or simply communications are used to denominate this converging field which has long outnumbered
journalism in terms of employment.

Original empirical knowledge about the field is rare. Many concepts discussed have been developed in other
regions, especially in the United States, without taking into account the cultural, economic, and political diversity on
the Old Continent. Also, new trends are often propagated by industry studies that are hardly suitable as a basis for
strategic decisions as they do not meet minimum standards of applied research.

The European Communication Monitor (ECM) has closed this gap. It started as a small academic initiative in
2007 and has grown into the largest collaborative research project in the field, now involving 28 leading universities
and several partners from practice. It is the largest and longest running transnational study on strategic
communication and communication management world-wide with parallel surveys in North America, Latin America
and Asia Pacific, coordinated by Professor Ansgar Zerfass under the Global Communication Monitor umbrella.

The ECM is an academic study fulfilling high quality standards of social science research. It has been designed
and executed by a changing team of renowned university professors representing different countries, currently:
Ansgar Zerfass (Leipzig University, Germany), Dejan Verčič (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia), Ángeles Moreno
(University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain), Ralph Tench (Leeds Beckett University, UK), and Alexander Buhmann (BI
Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway). The non-profit project is formally organised by the European Public
Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) and the European Association of Communication Directors
(EACD), supported by premium partner Cision as well as partners CECOMS, #NORA, and Fink & Fuchs.

What keeps communicators awake at night

The ECM has tracked the rise and decline of key issues rated as important by communicators since 2007. These unique
longitudinal insights reveal how communicators across Europe started to pay attention to new developments, how
they deprioritised issues after some time (probably due to a better understanding and the development of practices to deal with them), and how some issues took off again or kept their status as a key strategic issue.

The study shows that two issues have been constantly on top of the mind of communicators and they will
continue to stay there at least until 2025: building and maintaining trust and linking business strategy and
communication. The trust placed in organisations by their stakeholders is a valuable immaterial resource, which is
often based on communication activities. It is not surprising that communicators rate building and maintaining trust as
important – but the fact that they continuously prioritise it over multiple other values created by communications
confirms that trust is essential for excellent organisations.

Aligning communication management with overarching organisational goals is another perennial issue.
Research on future-proofing business models for communication departments; using measurement and evaluation for
continuous improvement, and for benchmarking communication practices provide many solutions today, but they
have probably not yet arrived in practice.

Stakeholder expectations regarding sustainability and social responsibility have also been a main concern for
communicators in Europe. However, they have become less important between 2008 and 2022 and are now again
among the top three strategic issues. A similar volatility, but on a higher level, applies to the assessment of challenges
and opportunities related to the intensified speed and volume of information flow in a digitalised and globalised
world. Last but not least, it is interesting to note that algorithmic communication has already been identified as a key
strategic issue by every fourth ECM respondent in 2016 – six years before ChatGPT took off in the last year.

Key insights and drivers of success for the next decade

The ECM 2023 report identifies five areas that will shape the future of strategic communication and need specific
attention, based on the empirical data and current research which has been additionally evaluated. These topics are
explained in the full report with references to additional sources. The authors provide three theses for each area that
help readers to reflect and discuss potential initiatives in their daily practice.

1) Leverage the potential of advanced tech and data use

Digitalisation is without any doubt the most important trigger and backbone for the rapid transformation of
communication departments and consultancies. This transformation goes well beyond new channels and forms of
stakeholder communication. It has a fundamental impact on the structures and workflows of communication
management and the communication profession as a whole.

Ansgar Zerfass, Professor and Chair of Strategic Communication at Leipzig University, Germany, states:
“Never before have communication leaders faced such great opportunities and risks at the same time. CommTech, big
data, and services based on artificial intelligence can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of organisational
communication, but they also threaten current business models of communication departments and agencies.
Concise transformation strategies adapted to the situation and courageous leadership are necessary to move
forward.” He outlines several theses in the ECM 2023 Report:

  • Digital technologies, artificial intelligence and big data change everything. Key to communicators’ success is using
    technology beyond automated messaging for internal advising and improved workflows.
  • Vigorously implemented digitalisation strategies increase the digital maturity of communication units. They should
    focus on redesigning tasks and processes as well as breaking down structural barriers.
  • Cyber security is essential: protecting organisational communication infrastructure, implementing analogue back-
    up routines and preparing for crises triggered by cyberattacks are indispensable.
2) Develop rare competencies and new roles for professionals

Managing and executing strategic communication in a global and mediatised world is a complex task. Few other
professions change so quickly. The move towards engagement across multiple media platforms, use and management
of large data sets and the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) require new competencies. They need to be
addressed to enable practitioners to keep up with the sector’s evolution.

“These are difficult times”, says Ralph Tench, Professor and Director of Research for Leeds Business School, Leeds
Beckett University in the United Kingdom. “Holding responsibility for managing and delivering strategic
communication in our global and mediatised world is challenging. Communication professionals need to ensure they
develop the skills to deal with changes to their work and evolving operational environments. The ECM outlines
roadmaps for developing the next generation of communicators to be high performing and equipped to meet future
business, environmental and social demands.” He argues that leaders should take care of those aspects:

  • Communication practitioners lack many of the competencies required to face the challenges and unleash the full
    potential of digital opportunities. More effective training for use needs to be developed.
  • New opportunities for communicators emerge from serving as advisors or consultants in their organisations – two
    roles that are expected to grow in importance in the coming years.
  • Increased investment in training, even for seasoned communications professionals, and new virtual formats are
    needed to keep communications departments and agencies at the cutting edge.
3) Reach and impact audiences in a hyperconnected world

Globalised media, analogue and digital, have produced a hyperconnected world in which communication is not only
connecting people and organisations, but is becoming the very environment in which we live. Reaching and impacting
audiences is becoming easier and harder for organisations at the same time. The mediatisation of our lives calls for
new ways to understand and manage media and relations with stakeholders.

This has major consequences on several levels, as Dejan Verčič, Professor of Public Relations at the University
of Ljubljana in Slovenia, states: “The digitalisation of communications is driving its datafication and strategisation.
Social media and social networks, often used via smartphones, shape today’s omnichannel communication. We are
witnessing an amalgamation of communication disciplines in organisations, and a hybridisation of formats in the
media. Trends towards greater visualisation of content are leading us into a post-literal society enhanced by
augmented and virtual realities that will soon multiply into parallel worlds.” His theses derived from current research
are:

  • There is a clear convergence of importance of all communication channels. Today, effective and efficient
    stakeholder communication must be conducted omnichannel via all suitable platforms and media.
  • The hybridisation of media content exemplified by brand journalism, content marketing and native advertising
    requires a deeper integration of communication disciplines in organisations.
  • The visual turn in strategic communication through advancements in digital media, augmented reality (AR), virtual
    reality (VR) and parallel worlds (e.g., the Metaverse) calls for new approaches and solutions.
4) Lead and motivate extraordinary communication teams

Excellent communication depends on advanced technology, media, and skilled practitioners – but also on diverse
teams that foster collaboration and innovation. The ECM and related studies in other continents have researched
these aspects in detail to identify drivers of success.

Ángeles Moreno, Professor of Public Relations and Communication Management at University Rey Juan Carlos,
Madrid, Spain, states: “Leadership makes a difference in communication. Educating, mentoring and promoting
leadership skills should be a priority to retain the talent into collaborative, committed and DEI inclusive teams to
advocate these changes for organisations and clients”. She highlights the following theses:

  • Communication leaders should reinforce inclusive leadership based on shared power and collaborative decision-
    making to nurture a supportive team culture.
  • Job satisfaction resulting from interesting tasks, career opportunities, and appreciation by superiors is a key driver
    for commitment among communicators – leveraging this must be a priority.
  • Combining the experiences and skills of diverse colleagues will enable communication departments and agencies
    to support organisations’ diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives with solid expertise.
5) Build relationships in times of misinformation and distrust

Trust in the media and other institutions has been declining across Europe during the last decade. While the rise of
social media has opened up dynamic spaces for meaningful and interactive stakeholder engagement, it has also
spawned new challenges for strategic communication. As content on social networking sites is shared in real-time and
with little ability for editorial filtering or fact-checking, misinformation is now a common occurrence in digital online
environments.

“Mis- and disinformation pose seminal challenges within our increasingly digitalised information societies”, says
Alexander Buhmann, Associate Professor of Corporate Communication at BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo,
Norway. “Tackling the various forms of information disorder is now a priority issue for many, including strategic
communicators who are looking to build and maintain trust. As new platforms and AI-driven tools are set to further
exacerbate these challenges, the search for ways to achieve purpose-driven and authentic stakeholder engagement
will occupy practitioners and researchers alike.” His theses are:

  • Social media platforms have created an environment in which misinformation thrives – communicators should use
    contemporary digital tools to monitor and challenge information disorder.
  • Authenticity, emotional engagement, and storytelling are key to effective communication in a post-truth society,
    especially when stakeholders are highly involved, such as in crises.
  • More investment in concrete and applicable ethics guidelines is needed as the shift to autonomous forms of
    communication assisted by AI brings new challenges for building and maintaining trust.
Study will be relaunched in 2024 with a new research design

The ECM 2023 Report concludes the successful phase of this transnational study based on a broad quantitative
research design. The research project will recommence in 2024 with a new, more focused and advanced research
design to be announced later this year.

Press contact for interviews and more information

Professor Ralph Tench
Leeds Beckett University, UK
eMail: r.tench@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

Ansgar Zerfass
Leipzig University, Germany
eMail zerfass@uni-leipzig.de

About the survey organiser

European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) – The mission of EUPRERA, an autonomous organisation with nearly 500 members from 40 countries, is to enhance and promote innovation in the knowledge, research, education and practice of strategic communication. Through its membership of universities and other research associations and bodies, EUPRERA is a global leader on high profile transnational research projects and networks. More than 200,000 scholars and practitioners can potentially be reached through its extended communication channels and partnership arrangements. www.euprera.org

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