Is Public Relations without a Future? A South African Perspective

Abstract

The praxis of public relations seems to be under threat, owing to a bad reputation among other things. However, it is a fundamentally important partner in the organization’s value chain, and could be beneficial if used in a proper manner. This paper finds, however, that (at least in South Africa), public relations practitioners are not clear about their potential contribution to organizational value and success, and may be prone to be exploited by the “real” spin doctors—managers with little or no ethical conscience.