ABSTRACT
This chapter examines contemporary communicative culture, where it is axiomatically 'good to talk' (Craig 2005), in relation to strategic communication initiatives deployed by police services in deeply divided societies. It examines contemporary communicative culture, where it is axiomatically 'good to talk' (Craig 2005), in relation to strategic communication initiatives deployed by police services in deeply divided societies. The chapter explores how applications of notions of the public interest in public relations and wider communication scholarship tend to underestimate the levels of division and plurality in many communities. It argues that theorising communication as ritual is essential especially in the kinds of interactions whose purpose is engaging in repairing deep societal division and demonstrating a deliberative legitimacy in developing a common view of the public interest. The chapter assesses the use of communication fora/rituals in attempts to establish public interest policing by drawing on case studies which highlight communicative efforts to resolve sectarian distrust and racial tension.
