Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank the most important topics for research in the field of public relations. An associated outcome was to propose the research questions most closely linked to the prioritised topics. Design/methodology/approach – An international...

Purpose – This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the origins of Spanish public relations from the end of the nineteenth to the early twentieth century. Although the term “public relations” was an export to Europe by the end of the second world war (with some...

Purpose – This paper aims to gain an understanding of the nature and extent of the practice of “public relations” in history. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses an analysis of popular narratives (in particular rumour, legend and myth) to inform a detailed case study of...

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the concept of public relations in the progressive era to gain a greater understanding of the historical development of corporate public relations in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides historical analysis of 87 magazine articles...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that public relations (PR) history‐writing has profoundly shaped the discipline and that its US bias may have limited theoretical developments. The author aims to explore the challenges in writing PR history and to consider some of the...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the work of Howard Chase within the history of public relations, his role in the birth and development of issue management, and his relevance for contemporary practice. Design/methodology/approach – Research for this paper draws heavily on the...

Purpose – The paper traces negative and limiting media depictions of public relations (PR) to their origins in the 1920s in order to determine whether modern media characterizations of “public relations” are new or a legacy of the past. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative content...

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the entrepreneurial Fred Harvey Company's early public relations and publicity efforts to determine what they add to our knowledge of the development of public relations in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – This historical analysis uses mainly data...

Purpose – This brief essay aims to introduce public relations historians to PRimary Source, a new search tool designed to help them, their students, and public relations professionals locate archives and manuscript collections relevant to the field. Design/methodology/approach – The article...