Public Communication/Communication in Public - The Editor's Preface

Finn Frandsen
2017 Hermes - Journal of Language and Communication Studies  
During the last decade or so, interest in researching the communication of public organizations (municipalities, counties, ministries, state agencies and administrations, relief organizations, etc.) has increased considerably. An interest that has manifested itself in a wide range of publications for both scholars and practitioners. This happens while at the same time the very same public organizations experience a clear need for implementing a strategic approach to the planning of their
more » ... l and internal communication activities, an effort which has lead to the introduction of a series of new management disciplines and tools inspired by the business world. Corporate communication, that is, the strategic and integrated approach to the organization's external and internal communication with their stakeholders, is just one example of how public organizations have taken over such new disciplines. Corporate branding, management by values, change communcation and crisis communication are other examples. What makes the communication of public organizations particularly interesting to communication researchers is the fact that they as organizations are far more complex than private ones. This complexity is due to many things, among others that public organizations in most cases include a strong political dimension and that traditional bureaucracy often is combined with newer forms of management and organization, as we know it from the New Public Management wave in the public administration of many European countries. The result of this complexity at both managerial and organizational levels is that communication with stakeholders turns into a decisive strategic challenge, and that pub-
doi:10.7146/hjlcb.v20i38.25898 fatcat:uqxometf6zfjfo43afeewjjl5u