Public relations, activism, and the culture of assertion: The case of Blackrock’s Larry Fink and the letter to the CEOs

Abstract

This study argues that public relations scholarship on activism needs to better contextualize the ascendancy of non-dialogic, raw assertions in today’s public sphere. Analyzing 10 years of corporate communication by Blackrock CEO Larry Fink, we show how his corporate activist rhetoric suggests a growing disregard for dialogic communication, which is typically articulated within American public relations scholarship as a vital component in, for example, Grunig’s Excellence Theory and Heath’s rhetorical perspectives. This analysis of Fink’s communication further suggests the need for American public relations scholarship to move beyond a false binary between external and internal approaches to activism, which is further complicated by Fink’s seeming lack of interest in dialogic communication. Relatedly, we note that the mainstream conception of public relations as a consensus-oriented, good faith exchange seems at odds with the emerging reality of a societal disposition for mere assertions. We end with discussing theoretical implications regarding public relations’ ability to engage with stakeholder groups.