Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2999-01-01

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Statement of the topic under study The purpose of exploring this topic has been to examine the various methods used in recruiting women college graduates and to analyse the background against which these methods are applied, in the hope of gaining new insight into the problems of Navy recruiters and of providing new approaches to recruitment of women for the commissioned programs [TRUNCATED] / 2999-01-01

This thesis examines how the United States federal government used public relations to improve the diets of everyday Americans during World War II. The government invested in several years of research, led by Margaret Mead, to understand the competing forces that influence dietary habits, choice, and folkways. Information about healthy eating was distributed to media and food companies along with other messages about rationing restrictions and compliance. A vestige of that time that still exists today is the USDA's Recommended Dietary Allowances. This study examines cookbooks, newspaper and magazine articles as examples of how nutrition information was presented. The study finds that the government chose not to prioritize nutrition messages as part of their overall PR strategy, but the messages were embraced by private industry and integrated into promotional materials. The addition of this story to public relations history challenges current PR histories as it demonstrates a comprehensive campaign that integrated research, planning, implementation, and evaluation of those efforts. / MA / Forty percent of draftees were rejected from service in World War II because they suffered from malnutrition-related diseases. This inspired the government to find a way to encourage Americans to eat healthier, and led to the development of the Recommended Dietary Allowances. A team of social scientists led by Margaret Mead researched how culture might influence eating choices, and this paper investigates that research as well as how nutrition information was communicated in newspapers, magazines and cookbooks. This paper finds that while the government did not prioritize nutrition messages, corporate food producers integrated the government’s nutrition guidelines into their own advertising enthusiastically.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2999-01-01

Unfavorable opinions and images of the public relations industry have persisted for decades, and the industry still struggles to deal with them. Additionally, it is a demanding profession that is expected to grow faster than average but struggles to retain talent. Public relations research has also predominantly focused on how nonpractitioners perceive public relations. The present study psychoanalytically analyzed two movies with cinematic representations of public relations practitioners and 20 interviews with public relations practitioners to examine how practitioners' self-perceptions of public relations unconsciously influence their practice and expectations, as well as their stress and burnout. More specifically, stress and burnout dynamics were explored among younger and older practitioners and gender.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / The following work gives an overview about the current situation of online-PR and develops a best-practice guide for corporate communication on the internet. The scope of online-PR as covered in this research project encompasses PR tools shaped through the technology of the internet - from communication applications to applications for the distribution and sharing of information - which are used in the communication between an organization and its stakeholders. After giving an introduction into the objectives and methods of PR, the differences between traditional and online-PR are described. This first chapter is followed by an introduction into the online communication ecosphere where the different kinds of communication and information distribution platforms on the internet are described. The third chapter analyses devices, software applications and standards relevant to online-PR. Following this summary a best-practice guide is developed to help PR practitioners in optimizing online-PR efforts using the described tools (e.g. email newsletter, weblogs). The empirical part of the work consists of a survey in which PR practitioners were asked to disclose their current knowledge and application of online-PR and to give their opinion about future trends in online-PR. The results of the observations were analysed and a comparison was drawn between the best-practices and their practical application. This work closes with a summary of the results, a conclusion and a view into the future. There were two main findings identified in the theoretical analysis as well as through the empirical observations: First the PR environment is becoming increasingly complex and faster through the emergence of internet technology and the only way for PR practitioners to keep up with this development lies in the utilization of sophisticated and internet-based means of communication. The second finding was that internet innovations are reshaping the traditional media environment and the way news is created and thereby making online-PR essential in reaching and influencing company's stakeholders effectively and efficiently.

This dissertation explores intersections of public relations and social media in the context of professional sports organizations. Specifically, this dissertation examines sports public relations practitioners’ perceptions of public relations, social media, the relationship between the two, and their organizational roles relative to both practice areas. This study explores the degree to which these practitioners have integrated social media into the organizational functions of public relations. With this, the purpose of this dissertation is to examine how social media have affected the practice of excellence in public relations within professional sports organizations in the U.S.

This study has presented insights into emotional perceptions surrounding ethical practices in the public relations field. The evidence resulting from the Q-sort process alluded to the grouping of practitioners as Truth Seers and students as Pragmatists. The Truth Seers revealed complete, balanced and consistent feelings identifying truth as the primary motivation for personal decision making. The Pragmatists were conversely found to believe that while truth was the basis of decision making, it was often necessary to make decisions or be confronted with moral choices that were not the most ethical out of necessity of circumstance. These groupings were general and did not apply toward all of the students or practitioners who participated. No definitive partition was established only a general theory. / Department of Journalism

This research focused on gaining a greater understanding of Indiana nonprofit theatre professionals regarding relationship-building practices with their patrons. In addition, this researcher questioned whether Bruning and Ledingham's organization-public relationship theory was applicable to theatres.Executive directors and managing directors from 21 theatres completed a Q sort to evaluate their perceived level of relationships with their patrons. From the sorts, three distinct factor groups were revealed: communitarians, partner makers, and idealists.The communitarians placed a strong commitment to the community and education. The partner makers focused on building community and business partnerships. Idealists showed a generalized focus on both community, patron, and businesses without being able to fully implement their interests. / Department of Journalism

Increasingly, corporations receive pressure from activist organizations to alter activities that these individuals find problematic and irresponsible. Despite this escalation, research on activism from a public relations perspective progressed slowly; much of this literature privileges the perspective of corporations and rarely examines the process from the activist perspective. To address this gap, this dissertation examined how activist organizations use issues management and communication strategies to incite corporations to change their practices and policies while simultaneously building relationships with pertinent audiences. This study incorporated data collected from qualitative interviews with activist practitioners representing a variety of activist organizations, along with organizational texts and news articles. These data provided an understanding of how activist organizations campaign against corporations using a variety of strategies and tactics in an effort to pressure corporations into changing their behavior. Because this dissertation focused on how activist organizations generate and promote issues to gain the attention of their targets, issues management served as the theoretical framework. Guided by this theory and existing issues management models, this dissertation demonstrates how activist groups identify and establish legitimacy for their issue(s). As issues management is traditionally studied from a corporate perspective, the findings show that the process differs slightly for activist organizations and introduces the Issue Advancement Model to demonstrate how activists employ issues management. Additionally, this dissertation explored how activist groups develop relationships with their targets, supporters, communities, and other relevant publics, noting the nuances involved in each of these dynamics. Specifically, this dissertation supports claims that the dialogue approach is more appropriate for understanding and analyzing the corporation-activist relationship than other public relations models, but also notes that some activist organizations may not seek resolution. In addition to these theoretical findings, this dissertation also offers practical implications, introducing the Corporate Campaign Model, which depicts how activist organizations challenge firms while also offering suggestions for corporations targeted by these groups.