Top Academic and Professional Papers From the International Public Relations Research Conference

The selected papers presented at the 2020 International Public Relations Research Conference. Papers were chosen by the IPRRC board of directors to represent top ideas and research that public relations professionals need to be up-to-date strategic communicators. Seven papers are presented panel format where presentations are made for seven minutes, followed by Q&A.

Crisis and Risk Preparation: An Evidenced Based Model for Communication
David Michaelson, David Michaelson & Co.
Jennifer Clark, Teneo
Stephan Merkens, Teneo
Kevin Cleary, HiFI
A study was conducted that evaluated all 69 sites of a global industrial manufacturer to determine which of the company’s sites needed to be prioritized for crisis communication training, resources, and support. The study assessed each location for the presence of specific operational risks and if identifiable procedures were in place in the event an operational risk occurred. An analysis of the findings determined which procedures provided the greatest contribution to effective crisis preparation.

A Few Good Studies: A Meta-Analysis of Military Public Affairs Scholarship
Kaye D. Sweetser, APR+M, Fellow PRSA, San Diego State University
LCDR Patricia Kreuzberger, APR+M, US Navy
As a meta-analysis of approximately 150 academic works, this study aims to provide a clear picture of the theory driving the research area, the most commonly employed method, identify the stand-out scholars and institutions, and determine trends over time in public affairs research.

Being There: The Effect of Perceived Presence in 360-Degree Video on Military-Public Relationships
LT Andrew DeGarmo, USN
CAPT Benn Barr, USMC
Sherrie Flippin, San Diego State University
This inceptive experiment will investigate the effect of 360-degree video on military organization-public relationships compared to traditional 2D video. Our study will examine a novel interpretation of framing with the use of an immersive 360-degree military public relations video in a longitudinal experiment.

Effects of News Framing and Third-Party Moral Licensing on Organizational Reputation
LT Courtney M. Callaghan, USN
MAJ Nicholas Mannweiler, USMC
CAPT Joshua Pena, USMC
LT Samantha Drumb, USN
Researchers conducted a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design experiment with control to test the framing effects of moral licensing and history in news coverage of off duty servicemember misconduct on US naval forces’ organizational reputation and brand. A pretest and posttest utilized organizational reputation and marketing scales

Fighting Disinformation in the Post-Truth Era: A Study of Response Strategies and Audience Perceptions of Truth
LT Chloe Morgan, USN
Petty Officer 1st Class Corinne Zilnicki, USCG
MAJ Diann Rosenfeld, USMC
Two-thirds of Americans consider disinformation to be an epidemic problem. Disinformation undermines the truth, requiring public relations practitioners to combat the intentional spread of false information. Explicating from previous research, our experiment builds upon Coombs’s (2007) situational crisis communication theory by testing disinformation response strategies.

Listening, Measuring and Evaluating to Identify Intangible Contributions of Internal Communication
Julie O’Neil, Texas Christian University, APR
Michele Ewing, Kent State University, APR, Fellow PRSA
This research responds to the clarion call to examine communication measurement and evaluation in a more holistic and novel way. Using social capital theory as a framework, researchers interviewed 27 corporate communicators to explore how they use internal communication to listen to employees and to create, maintain and measure social capital.

Testing the Factors for a Theory of Expectations Management in Media Relations
Dustin Supa, Boston University
Lynn M. Zoch, Radford University
The study for presentation contains findings from a survey and a series of interviews conducted with journalists and public relations practitioners, along with an overview of theory development for a theory of expectations management in media relations. Survey questions and the interviews focused on the expectations and experiences of the respondents in terms of the concepts of product, process, roles, and relationships between the professions

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Acquire the newest research in public relations.
• Find out how to meet top public relations researchers.
• Learn what IPRRC has to offer at its international conference.