ABSTRACT
Scholars have long recognized the interdisciplinary nature of the concept of corporate reputation. Just about every major social science discipline (e.g., economics, management, marketing, psychology, sociology) has enjoyed some facet of interest and contribution (Fombrun & Van Riel, 1997). Mass communication is often considered to be a latecomer to the study (Carroll, 2004). As this chapter will show, seeds of mass communication research can be found in the concept’s early American history. This chapter will briefl y explore some of these infl uences and then provide an empirical test of the agenda-setting function of the news media as it is applied to organizations in the United States.
