Historiography (and Theory) of Public Relations History

Wehmeier, Stefan

doi:10.1057/9781137404381_6

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Many historical analyses proceed via chronological organization; however, my analysis has more in common with non-linear approaches that embrace a variety of complexities often involved in historical interpretation (Holtzhausen, 2012; Lamme and Russell, 2010; Wehmeier, 2015). Thus, in this article, archival materials are not always presented in the order in which the events happened.…”

Section: Historical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Coverage chronicled the railroad expansion debate, railroad celebrations, and corporate responsibility. While this data set of archival materials provides a productive rendering of the rise of the railroad in Virginia and the public relations efforts that supported its emergence, my analysis is necessarily limited by the typical challenges associated with archival work, such as incomplete or missing documents, multiple interpretations of historical events, and the inherent ambiguity of the meanings ascribed to both historical documents and events (Holtzhausen, 2012; L’Etang, 2008; Wehmeier, 2015). A brief overview of railroad development in Virginia and the battle for westward expansion will provide useful historical context for the analysis that follows.…”

Section: Historical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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The rise of the railroad in Virginia: A historical analysis of the emergence of corporate public relations in the United States

Logan

2018

Public Relations Inquiry

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This article explores the origins of corporate public relations by examining the untold story of railroad development and expansion in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Understanding the circumstances surrounding Virginia’s pioneer railroads, which emerged at a tumultuous time within a state deeply divided over the related issues of the railroad and slavery, can enrich our comprehension of public relations history in corporate contexts. Fully functioning society theory (FFST) is used as a theoretical framework to guide the historical analysis of the rise of the railroad in Virginia in the 19th and 20th centuries. The article expands FFST’s application to historical inquiry and productively directs attention to the varied and complex nature of the emergence of corporate public relations without venerating or denigrating the field’s origins.

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Section: Historical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Historical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

The rise of the railroad in Virginia: A historical analysis of the emergence of corporate public relations in the United States

Logan

2018

Public Relations Inquiry

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“…The PR field was long dominated by an American-centred progressivism linked to a functional model, and celebration of a few key figures (nearly all men) largely presented as heroes in an emergent mythology that often privileged the views of the longest-living. Nevertheless, critical, revisionist histories have emerged as have recent critical historiographies (see, for example, Bentele, 2015; Lamme, 2015; L’Etang, 2015; Wehmeier, 2015; all in Watson, 2015), alongside diverse cultural and national histories, some inflected with power and gender perspectives. In particular, feminist scholars have sought to incorporate better historical understanding of PR in part to address the emphasis on male histories (Brown, 2014).…”

Section: Public Relations History and Historiographymentioning

confidence: 99%

Problematising history in the public relations curriculum

Fitch

L'Etang

2020

CCIJ

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PurposeThe aim of this paper is to begin a conversation about historicising the public relations (PR) curriculum in universities.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses PR history and historiography to identify the underlying ideological and methodological influences. It considers scholarship on PR education, and the inclusion or, more often, the exclusion of history except where it serves to reinforce a narrative of steady, and apparently unproblematic, professional development. The paper reviews the presentation of history in textbooks and discusses the authors' experiences of teaching PR history. The paper concludes with a discussion of how the inclusion of history in the PR curriculum offers an important critical intervention in PR education.FindingsThe PR curriculum tends to meet industry expectations around practice and skills in order to develop students as future practitioners. But this paper argues that a more historical and historiographical understanding of PR can develop in students important skills in research, analysis and interpretation. It can also introduce students to working with ambiguity and alternate perspectives. Foregrounding new histories and challenging existing histories introduce students to richer and more complex understandings of PR. It also introduces students to epistemology and ethics, and therefore offers a way to introduce critical thinking into the curriculum.Originality/valueA more historical understanding of PR develops student skills in research, analysis and interpretation as well as critical thinking.

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“… 1. Wehmeier’s (2015) voice is present in the series in the volume on historiography, in which he reviews theories underpinning, positivist, postmodern and poststructuralist historiographies putting ongoing debates within public relations into a broader perspective that re-considers time and epochs. …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Other voices? The state of public relations history and historiography: Questions, challenges and limitations of ‘national’ histories and historiographies

Fitch

L'Etang

2017

Public Relations Inquiry

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This essay offers an overview of public relations history and historiography, using a review of a recently published book series as a starting point. In offering sometimes previously undocumented national histories and regional and non-US perspectives, National Perspectives on the Development of Public Relations: Other Voices opens up the field. However, the series also raises philosophical and methodological issues regarding the role of history, the positioning of public relations, tensions within the field and public relations’ relationship to societal communication and powerful strategic interests. Scholars have not always grounded their histories within wider historical literature that contextualises the public relations occupation and its role in a particular societal context. We argue that a renewed focus on historiography is needed to better address the influence of US progressivist accounts, the scientisation of western public relations and the narrow confines of the public relations discipline.

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Historiography (and Theory) of Public Relations History

Cited by 4 publications

References 34 publications

The rise of the railroad in Virginia: A historical analysis of the emergence of corporate public relations in the United States

The rise of the railroad in Virginia: A historical analysis of the emergence of corporate public relations in the United States

Problematising history in the public relations curriculum

Other voices? The state of public relations history and historiography: Questions, challenges and limitations of ‘national’ histories and historiographies

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