Publics, dialogism, and advocacy: Notes towards a reconceptualisation of public relations in the United States

In the United States, history suggests we have made many errors in the practice of public relations. We now face a conflicted and often negative professional reputation. This commentary essay asks whether a paradigm shift that offers a new conceptualisation of public relations might be possible from weaving together Gerard Hauser’s theory of publics, Marvin Olasky’s advocacy public relations model, and Mikhail Bakhtin’s dialogism. At present, this work is in its early stages, and is exploratory and conceptual in nature. The author welcomes contact from others working in similar research fields who may have feedback on this commentary piece.