Looking for digital in public relations

The purpose of this study was to review the growth of the body of knowledge on the nexus between public relations and ICTs, and digital, social and mobile (DSM) media. We also sought to assess whether these “new” media had induced the body of knowledge to redefine the term public and whether these media had induced us to think differently with regard to the rules of engagement with these publics. Our review of over 35 years of articles in the Public Relations Review that discussed ICTs and DSM media revealed a lop-sided growth of the field. But the focus has almost exclusively been on using these media as “tools” for purposes of media relations with negligent study of DSM media stakeholders and publics. Issues of the Digital Divide and Privacy are absent, while amalgamation of public relations, advertising and journalism in DSM media is overlooked.