Public Relations and the Public Interest

Jane Johnston is Associate Professor, Public Relations and Communication at the University of Queensland, Australia. She has written and (co)edited several key texts including Public Relations: Theory and Practice and Media Relations: Issues and Strategies, both in several editions. Her diverse research interests include the intersection between justice, media and communication.

"This important work puts the ‘public’ where it belongs in public relations, providing perspectives that cross paradigms, cultures and disciplines to provide a compelling vision for public interest public relations." - Kenn Gaither, Elon University, USA"This book has the potential to open up the debate on the positioning of public relations in society—one that has been simmering under the surface for a considerable time. It calls the ‘profession’ to account—to justify its claims to be working in the public interest. And it adds to the growing scholarly critiques of the discipline, which in turn, contribute to PR’s growth as a field of academic research and as an ethical practice." - Leanne Glenny, University of South Australia

• 1. The Public Interest, Public Relations and Society 2. Theoretical Scaffolding and Critical Perspectives 3. Locating the Public Interest in Public Relations: Agency, Alliances and Pro Bono Publico 4. Communication and Media in the Public Interest 5. Culture and Public Interest: Community Voices, Social Inclusion and Participation 6. Social Captial and Capacity Building: Connecting Communities in the Public Interest 7. The Law, Social Change and the Public Interest 8. The Public Interest, Ethics and Values: From Moral Philosophy to Professional Codes 9. The Public Interest and Public Relations: Key Intersections and Considered Directions