Public relations, voice and recognition: a case study

Abstract

Public relations’ role in democracy is most often conceptualised as a distortion of public debate through the intrusion of vested interests in the public sphere. In this article, an alternative view of public relations is proposed, grounded in the work of Silverstone, Couldry and Honneth, as a tool through which spaces of appearance may be constructed for individuals within deliberative systems. The results of a pilot study conducted with one UK charity are presented, to explore how the use of public relations by marginalised young people allowed them to express voice, receive recognition and engage with others as citizens. The article concludes with a consideration of the limitations of the study and its implications for the role of public relations in democracy.