A critical review of the Four Models of Public （的四个模型的关键评论）.pdf

A critical review of the Four Models of Public Relations and the Excellence Theory in an era of digital communication Stephen Waddington BEng(Hons) MCIPR MPRCA Executive Summary This paper started life as a short article following a discussion with public relations consultant and author Andy Green in Newcastle, UK in August 2012, about how messages from organisations are conveyed among communities and markets via digital networks. It led me to question whether Grunig and Hunt’s Four Models of Public Relations (1984) and the Excellence Theory (1992) remain fit for purpose. These theories are taught as normative models and a cornerstone of public relations on courses throughout Europe and the US. They also form the basis of much academic research, especially in the US. In a draft article I repeated Green’s assertion that the Four Models of Public Relations and the Excellence Theory were defined in an era of rigid organisational structures. The Internet has broken down these structures and has given rise to informal communication structures. I read around the topic and shared my initial conclusions in September 2012 with several public relations thinkers and doers all of whom are referenced in this paper. They were all critical and each had a different viewpoint. My original article remains unpublished but I knew that it would make a worthwhile topic to explore for my Chartered Practitioner paper. The paper examines the Four Models of Public Relations and Excellence Theory. It examines historical criticism and instances where the theories are being challenged by modern public relations practice as a result of digital communication. Four Models of Public Relations In 1984, James Grunig and Todd Hunt published the Four Models of Public Relations as part of i their book Managing Public Relations. The model describes the different forms of communication between an organisation and its stakeholders. Th