Priorities for Public Relations Leaders

Throughout the history of Public Relations, many academics and professionals have been concerned about the social function of the discipline. One of the research focuses that persists, now more than ever from various points of view, is on the relevance of communication strategies in processes of social change. This focus derives from the European doctrine of Public Relations whose main reference is Lucien Matrat, focused on the social subject. Even Ferguson, addressing a perspective from management, highlights that to understand relationships it is required not only to understand the communication process and its effects, but also to understand the different actors within the communication process and their social context. One of the priorities, and at the same time emerging challenge for public relations leaders, is how to address diversity and multiculturalism in the public sphere, society and organizations from this anthropological perspective. This topic provides the possibility of a broad and interesting debate that can enrich research on the management of relationships between different social actors.

Andrea Oliveira is an Associate Professor in the Advertising and Audiovisual Communication Department at the University of Malaga. With several articles published in prestigious international journals, her lines of research focus on public relations, digital communication, strategic communication, and crisis communication. With more than 15 years of academic experience, she is the Scienti c Coordinator of the Association of Researchers in Public Relations (AIRP) and also is the principal investigator of the project Transference of Knowledge Relaciones Públicas al Descubierto podcast. María Isabel Míguez-González, PhD, and Associate Professor at the University of Vigo founded the SEPCOM research group in 2016. Author of the book "Los públicos en las relaciones públicas" (2010) and several articles in academic journals, her research interests focus on public relations, communication management, disinformation, and fact-checking. From 2020 to 2023, she was the principal investigator of the project “Digital Narratives Against Disinformation: Study of Networks, Themes, and Formats in Ibero-American Fact-checkers.” She is part of the DIXITAIS teaching innovation group and a member of the UNESCO Chair on Transformative Education: Science, Communication, and Society. Ferran Lalueza, PhD, a former PR strategic consultant, is an Associate Professor in the Information and Communication Sciences Department at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain). He has served as the editor-in-chief of the academic journal COMeIN since 2011. Focusing his research on PR, social media, crisis communication, and CSR, he has authored numerous academic articles and several books, including the didactic novel The Show Must Go On. He is currently involved in the eHealthLit4Teen research project, which aims to improve the mental and emotional health of adolescents in Barcelona through the use of social networks.