Public Relations and Pandemics

Public relations is the use of communication to co-create meaning among individuals organizations, publics, and societies. Public relations helps all kinds of groups and organizations to accomplish their goals. The public relations industry informs, and is formed by, academic public relations research. The field of public relations is no stranger to dealing with crises, yet the COVID-19 pandemic provides an interesting context to understand the strengths and challenges of public relations communication during a global crisis. Pandemics serve as disruptor events that can prompt industry-wide changes. This chapter explores nine current trends in public relations theory and practice that underpin public relations as a valuable partner and communication function during COVID-19. It then looks forward to identify ways that public relations will contribute to relationships in organizations and societies that may experience future pandemics.