Political Public Relations and Image Management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jpr.1697Keywords:
Political Public Relations, Image Management, Strategic Communication, Transparency, Authenticity, Stakeholder EngagementAbstract
Purpose: The general objective of the study was to explore political public relations and image management.
Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to political public relations. Preliminary empirical review revealed crucial insights into the multifaceted nature of political communication and its influence on public perceptions and reputations. It emphasizes the significance of strategic communication in effectively managing image and reputation, highlighting the benefits of proactive strategies like media relations, crisis management, and message framing. Additionally, authenticity and transparency emerge as pivotal factors in political image management, fostering trust and credibility among constituents. Furthermore, the study stresses the importance of adapting communication strategies to evolving media landscapes and audience preferences, advocating for innovation and audience-centric approaches. Lastly, ethical and responsible communication practices are deemed essential for maintaining trust and legitimacy, emphasizing the need for honesty, transparency, and respect for diverse perspectives. Overall, by understanding the complexities of political communication dynamics and embracing ethical and audience-centric approaches, political entities can successfully navigate image management challenges and cultivate positive relationships with stakeholders.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Agenda Setting theory, Attribution theory and Social Identity theory may be used to anchor future studies on political public relations and image management. The recommendations for political actors in managing their image encompass adopting a strategic communication approach that aligns with organizational goals and values, prioritizing transparency and authenticity to build trust among constituents, establishing a crisis communication plan to address crises effectively, integrating social media strategies responsibly to engage with followers and counter negative narratives, investing in personal branding efforts to connect with voters on a personal level, and prioritizing stakeholder engagement to demonstrate responsiveness and inclusivity. These recommendations underscore the significance of strategic planning, transparent communication, crisis preparedness, social media engagement, personal branding, and stakeholder collaboration in political public relations and image management, ultimately aiming to enhance communication effectiveness and cultivate a positive public image.
Downloads
References
Benoit, W. L. (2015). Image repair discourse and crisis communication. Public Relations Review, 41(3), 298-301.
Blanton, H., Stuart, A. E., & Van Gilder, D. (2017). Political communication ethics: An oxymoron or an achievable goal? Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 32(1), 19-33.
Cameron, G., & Niven, K. (2015). The Scottish independence referendum: Public relations, democracy, and the public sphere. Public Relations Inquiry, 4(2), 137-155.
Chadwick, A. (2017). The hybrid media system: Politics and power. Oxford University Press.
Enli, G. S., & Skogerbø, E. (2013). Personalized campaigns in party-centred politics. Information, Communication & Society, 16(5), 757-774.
Esser, F., & Strömbäck, J. (Eds.). (2014). Mediatization of politics: Understanding the transformation of Western democracies. Palgrave Macmillan.
Gallup. (2022). Confidence in U.S. Institutions. Retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/poll/1597/confidence-institutions.aspx
Garcia, M., & Rodriguez, J. (2015). Crisis communication in political public relations: Lessons from case studies. Public Relations Review, 41(5), 635-647.
Guth, D. W., & Marsh, C. (2015). Image repair in political campaigns: Why “hope” is not “change” in the age of Obama and beyond. Lexington Books.
Heider, F. (1958). The psychology of interpersonal relations. John Wiley & Sons.
Holtz-Bacha, C., & Just, M. (2014). Mediated political communication in the US: Strategies for engagement. Routledge.
Jackson, D., & Lilleker, D. G. (2018). Political communication in Britain: Campaigning, media and polling in the 2017 General Election. Springer.
Jones, A., & Green, L. (2014). Crisis communication, content, and tone: The BP case. Public Relations Review, 40(2), 379-385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.01.006
Jones, C., & Brown, M. (2019). Personal branding in political public relations: Strategies for image management. Journal of Political Marketing, 18(1), 78-94.
Kalsnes, B., & Larsson, A. O. (2017). Politicians on social media: Between communication and campaigning. Information, Communication & Society, 20(10), 1565-1581.
Kelley, H. H. (1967). Attribution theory in social psychology. In Nebraska symposium on motivation (Vol. 15, pp. 192-238). University of Nebraska Press.
Kim, S., & Lee, J. (2020). The impact of political advertising on image management: Evidence from a national election. International Journal of Communication, 14, 3012-3033.
Lilleker, D. G. (2018). Political communication and the public sphere in the digital age: A crisis of faith? Routledge.
Lilleker, D. G., & Tenscher, J. D. (Eds.). (2011). Political communication in Britain: Polling, campaigning and media in the 2010 general election. Palgrave Macmillan.
Lipartito, K., & Ziemann, A. (2013). Corporate political agency in the British American Tobacco Nigeria saga. Business History Review, 87(1), 117-144.
Liu, B. F., & Fraustino, J. D. (2014). Crisis communications in a digital world. Cambridge University Press.
Liu, J., & Horsley, J. S. (2017). Political public relations: Principles and applications. Routledge.
Luo, X., & Yang, F. (2016). Political public relations and political populism in China: Exploring the interactivity of Weibo and WeChat. Public Relations Review, 42(5), 811-818.
McCombs, M., & Shaw, D. L. (1972). The agenda-setting function of mass media. Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2), 176-187.
Nyamoya, P., Ntahobari, J., & Kwizera, J. (2020). Strategic communication and tourism development in Rwanda. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 9(1), 1-12.
Park, H., & Smith, K. (2018). Media framing and political image management: A case study of a presidential campaign. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 95(2), 345-364.
Pfau, M., Park, D., Holbert, R. L., Cho, J., & Szabo, E. A. (2012). Political communication in action: From theory to practice. Routledge.
Rodriguez, M., & Martinez, A. (2016). Strategic communication in political public relations: Lessons from a gubernatorial campaign. Public Relations Inquiry, 5(4), 419-435.
Santos, F., Gonçalves, C., & Silva, R. (2017). Political marketing and communication: A comparative analysis between Brazil and Portugal. Media & Jornalismo, 17(31), 11-30.
Schnell, F. R. (2015). Ethics in political communication. Journal of Political Marketing, 14(4), 305-327.
Smith, A., & Jones, B. (2018). The impact of social media on political public relations: A study of the 2016 presidential election. Journal of Political Communication, 25(3), 312-328.
Smith, J., Johnson, M., & Brown, K. (2019). Political advertising in the United States: Trends and implications. Journal of Political Marketing, 18(4), 329-346. https://doi.org/10.1080/15377857.2018.1515689
Sriramesh, K., & Verčič, D. (2012). The global public relations handbook: Theory, research, and practice. Routledge.
Stanyer, J. (2016). Intimate politics: Publicity, privacy and the personal lives of politicians in media-saturated democracies. Polity.
Strömbäck, J. (2014). Mediatization and political communication research. Journalism Studies, 15(3), 310-319.
Strömbäck, J., & Dimitrova, D. V. (2014). Political public relations: Concepts, principles, and applications. Routledge.
Suzuki, T., & Tanaka, K. (2018). Corporate social responsibility and image repair: A case study of Toyota. International Journal of Business Communication, 55(4), 442-463. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488416631638
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33-47). Brooks/Cole.
Wang, L., & Chen, Y. (2017). Corporate social responsibility in political public relations: Implications for image management. Journal of Public Affairs, 17(4), e1763.
Wolfsfeld, G., Segev, E., & Sheafer, T. (2013). Social media and the Arab Spring: Politics comes first. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 18(2), 115-137.
Xifra, J., Strömbäck, J., & Kiousis, S. (2015). Political public relations: Old practice, new theory-building. The International Journal of Strategic Communication, 9(4), 311-327.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Frank Semande
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
