Journal of Public Relations Research

Slater, Michael D.; Chipman, Helen; Auld, Garry; Keefe, Thomas; Kendall, Patricia

1992 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr0404_1

Situational theory provides a conceptual framework for identifying and examining the active and passive information use behaviors of audiences in public relations campaigns. We suggest that the utility of situational theory may be increased by examining several possible dimensions of passive information use, using the cognitive response measurement approach. Data were collected from 85 female consumers at eight experimental sessions across the United States. Results suggest that situational theory and cognitive response approaches may be usefully combined to study a variety of dimensions of attention to messages. Such a combination may also serve to better inform message strategy in communication campaigns by providing a conceptually rigorous approach to conducting message tests.

Lauzen, Martha M.; Dozier, David M.

1992 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr0404_2

We argue that the public relations manager role provides the "missing link" between environmental challenges and the consequences for the public relations function. Conceptualizing the manager role in terms of organizational power, the concept provides linkages between the environmental-imperative and the power-control perspectives. The model posits that environmental challenges to the organization, in part, determine the role enacted by the top public relations practitioner. This role enactment, in turn, increases the function's capacity to maintain the integrity of its domain. Using a sample of 262 public relations practitioners in the United States, we tested the relationships just stated. Findings indicate that the range of publics and changeability of publics (environmental variables) are positively related to the manager role. The manager role is negatively related to marketing involvement in public relations activities and to the assignment of individuals from outside public relations to head the public relations unit.

Reese, Stephen D.; Cameron, Glen T.

1992 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr0404_3

Video news release (VNR) producers limit references in VNRs to the sponsor of the VNR to avoid rejection by news directors on the grounds that the story is merely a commercial message for the sponsor. We posited in this study that when reference is made to the sponsor, optimal effect may be garnered by judicious use of captions in the VNR. An information-processing experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of limited captions on memory and understanding of TV news. Success with VNRs has been notable in two genres: scientific/medical/technical topics and event coverage. News items in this study tapped these two genres, categorized as abstract/word stories and concrete/picture stories, respectively. Captions improved memory for abstract/word stories but not for concrete/picture stories. Captioning had no significant effect on either understanding or visual recognition of the stories. We conclude that VNR producers might best use captions to the sponsor's advantage in scientific/medical/technical stories but should expect only enhanced recall of information, not understanding or visual recognition.

Nathan, Kathy; Heath, Robert L.; Douglas, William

1992 Journal of Public Relations Research

doi: 10.1207/s1532754xjprr0404_4

As organizations, especially companies, regulators, and environmentalists, attempt to communicate with key publics about risk conditions in the workplace and neighborhoods, serious research attention is being given to understanding risk communication, especially as mandated in the Superfund Amendment Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA). Title 111, Section 313 of that act requires chemical companies to inform key publics about their chemical emissions. In this vein, we compare respondents who are more tolerant of environmental risk with those who are less tolerant based on each group's level of knowledge, perception of benefits, level of involvement, perceived control, and level of uncertainty concerning a potential risk source. Analysis showed a significant difference between less risk-tolerant and more risk-tolerant subjects concerning perception of benefits and level of involvement. As predicted from previous research, no significant difference was found between the two groups based on their knowledge about the issue. No significant differences were found between the two groups for perceived control and level of uncertainty, although differences were found to follow predictions. These findings were analyzed in detail, with special attention to implications both for public relations practitioners who are interested in the content of risk messages and for defining targeted audiences based on those audiences' desire for information.