Abstract :
This article presents a critically informed analysis of public relations practice in what Mark Poster termed the Second Media Age that began with the internet and which is increasingly characterised by interactive ‘social’ media enabled by Web 2.0 and the emergent Web 3.0. Industry texts and statements suggest that the growth of ‘PR 2.0’ is taking advantage of the interactive two-way communication and relationship-building capabilities of Web 2.0 media and realising the ethical and practical ideals of dialogic and Excellence Theory in public relations. However, there is a lack of empirical data on use of social media and the ‘social web’ in public relations, and research that exists indicates that practice lags public relations theory and social and cultural shifts occurring in other areas of public communication. This critical analysis draws on research undertaken in relation to Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 in the contexts of the public sphere, journalism, and advertising, as well as public relations, to identify the ways in which public communication is changing and the opportunities as well as risks posed in this emergent media environment.
