ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses new and heightened challenges that have emerged for political public relations professionals since the first edition of this book was published in 2011. These challenges include: the evolution of social media as a campaigning tool; the White House’s dominance of news headlines through the continual creation of public spectacles; attacks on the media; fake news; fake social media accounts; foreign efforts to meddle in domestic politics via the Internet and social media; heightened political polarization, and the use of populist appeals by politicians. It also discusses new political challenges that have emerged for corporate public relations practitioners, including increased expectations that businesses will articulate opinions on political issues and public attacks for such stances from not just customers, but also employees and endorsers. Finally, the chapter offers strategies for how public relations professionals can effectively respond to some of these new challenges, including fake news and social media attacks by high-level politicians. It also discusses how corporations should decide whether to take public positions on political issues and how they can effectively address criticism for such stances.
