Abstract

What is the role of public relations in making a society a good place in which to live? This lecture will explore the themes of generalized and particularized trust, social capital, and their connections to public relations practice. The lecture will explore questions such as: how can public relations effectively and ethically persuade, and serve as an advocate for, organizations in environments where public trust in institutions, media, and government is rapidly diminishing? 

CV

Erich J. Sommerfeldt is a Professor of Strategic Communication at the University of Minnesota, USA. He studies the ways in which communication contributes to social change and (re)building relationships in developing nations, and in crisis, conflict prone, or post-conflict societies. He publishes across public relations, public diplomacy, networks, and organizational communication areas. Sommerfeldt is the Editor-in-Chief of Public Relations Review, the largest, oldest, and most widely read academic journal in the public relations discipline. View his publications and citation impact on Google Scholar.