An Examination of the Public Relations Practice in the Post-Truth Era

This thesis examines the transformative impact of the post-truth era on the public relations practice and investigates the strategies and tactics employed by practitioners to navigate today's polarized and fragmented communication landscape. Through a comprehensive analysis of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the Russian disinformation war in Ukraine, as well as interviews with nine experienced public relations professionals, this study delves into the evolving role of communicators in the post-truth era. The findings highlight the critical need for practitioners to remain vigilant in monitoring and countering misinformation, while also leveraging digital technologies to detect and mitigate false information that could potentially harm the reputation of the profession. Furthermore, the implications of these findings emphasize the importance of developing a global code of ethics that guides the ethical principles necessary for the public relations profession to thrive in the contemporary media environment. Keywords: communications, crisis communication, disinformation, fake news, gatekeepers, misinformation, post-truth, propaganda, public relations, and social media