ABSTRACT
The growth of co-creational theory as pertains to public relations’ role in building and maintaining communities, societies, and nations is remarkable. One important aspect of this evolution is the ever-growing role of research with and on publics, and the expansion of the research methods and outcome variables employed into more qualitative, critical, and humanist paths. By the turn of the century, it was still considered noteworthy for public relations practitioners to utilize Internet-enabled technologies for public relations purposes. The exponential growth in digital communication technology and its impact on the professional practice of public relations is unquestionable and deep. Changes in the capabilities and use of new information technologies have dwarfed what people thought they knew about the topic in 2006, helping to substantially reshape our understanding of the role of publics in public relations. This chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book.
