Different Sides of the Same Coin: Mixed Views of Public Relations Practitioners and Journalists for Strategic Conflict Management

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2005

Department

Mass Communication and Journalism

School

Communication

Abstract

A Web survey of 641 public relations practitioners and journalists showed that the source-reporter relationship is conflictual, involving stratagems on both sides. Coorientational analysis simultaneously showed the "mixed views" of the two professions oil two dimensions of "conflict" and "strategy." Both professions disagreed and inaccurately predicted responses of the other. Their inaccurate projection about the views of the other profession was greater than their disagreement, resulting in false dissensus. Nevertheless, the perceived conflict between the two professions appeared to be a strategic choice. Practitioners have a tendency to be accommodative or cooperative, whereas journalists are oriented to conflict as part of their strategic approach to dealing with sources.

Publication Title

Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly

Volume

82

Issue

2

First Page

318

Last Page

338

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