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Fourth edition of pioneering PR book released
The book, which is edited by Ralph Tench, Professor of Communication Education, and Dr Liz Yeomans, Principal Lecturer in Public Relations and Communications, is an established text within the UK and overseas market and is a definitive guide on public relations.
As well as integrating the standard devices of an educational text, such as Think About boxes, tables and diagrams with full colour photographs, this fourth edition has fresh content and features a new chapter on digital and social media; and changes to public relations practice due to digital communications are considered in each chapter. There are also updated international case studies throughout the book.
Explaining the book, co-author, Dr Yeomans, said: “Exploring PR was the first textbook of its kind to integrate original scholarship and research, and theory and practice with teaching. This has seen it become the definitive text for students of PR and Corporate Communication at an undergraduate, postgraduate and professional level.
“Over the last 10 years it has been translated into Dutch and Croatian, as well as having enjoyed worldwide sales.”
Professor Tench added: “We first conceived this book in the early 2000s and it started with the idea that a textbook should put the student at the centre of the learning experience. We wanted to involve them in a personal journey that brought the subject to life on the page and spurred them on to find out more.
“We are pleased to include contributions from people around the world who are closely associated with us individually and collectively and have the same aspirations to improve the subject knowledge and application of public relations in society.
“I hope this fourth edition is a thought-provoking and enjoyable read for students, practitioners and tutors alike.”
Betteke van Ruler, the Professor Emerita for Corporate Communication and Communication Management at the University of Amsterdam, said: “This is a book every public relations author wished s(he) had written. It will help to provide students with an introduction into the field, and will also help teachers to discuss important topics with their students.
“It is theoretical and practical at the same time, it provides an insight in almost all theoretical approaches and different ideas on how to look at and do public relations, and it raises unsettled questions about the definition, the tasks of the professional, the debate about professional ethics, and the issue of its impact. This is the most open-minded book I know.”
Published by Pearson, the 500-page book comprising of 29 chapters covers topics ranging from internal communications and ethics to crisis management and digital trends. There are also chapters covering specialist sectors such as celebrity public relations and strategic communication in healthcare organisations.