Abstract
The research used videotaped ethnographic observation and analysis of verbal and non-verbal actions to examine how a public relations practitioner (PRP) handled a client during a time of financial crisis in the client’s organization. Three interactions in which the PRP discussed media messaging with his client were analysed to discover what techniques the PRP employed and how much influence he had in constructing and disseminating the organization’s media strategy. The research provides rare empirical evidence of the day-to-day practices of PRPs in consultancy–client relationships, which is an area under-examined by researchers. The analysis found the relationship was characterized by competing interests and information asymmetry, which often hampered collaboration and reduced PRP influence.
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