Public Relations Journal is a free, web-based, open-access, quarterly academic journal presented by the Institute for Public Relations, dedicated to offering the latest public relations and communication-based research to connect academia and the practice.
Volume 19: Issue 1
July 2026
Editor’s Introduction
Hilary Fussell Sisco, Ph.D., APR
Editor-in-Chief
Views from the Bandwagon: The Effect of Comments on Audience Response to an Organizational Leader’s Youtube Apology
Jean K. Sandlin, Ed.D., California Lutheran University (Corresponding Author)
Monica L. Gracyalny, Ph.D., California Lutheran University
Organizational Social Media Mourning for Public Tragedies as Corporate Social Responsibility
Jensen Moore, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma (Corresponding Author)
Robert Pritchard, APR, Fellow PRSA, University of Oklahoma
Kristine Nicolini, Ph.D., APR, University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
From Press Kits to Prompt Engineering: A History of Automation in Corporate Public Relations Tools
Natalie B. Andreas, Ed.D., University of Texas at Austin (Corresponding Author)
Volume 18: Issue 4
Published October 2025
Volume 18: Issue 3
Published August 2025
Volume 18: Issue 2
Published June 2025
Volume 18: Issue 1
Published March 2025
Volume 17: Issue 3
Published October 2024
Volume 17: Issue 2
Published September 2024
Volume 17: Issue 1
Published February 2024
VOLUME 16: ISSUE 1
Published September 2023
VOLUME 15: ISSUE 2
Published September 2022
Research Journal of IPR (2014-2017)
PR Journal (2007-present)
Editor-in-Chief
Hilary Fussell Sisco, Ph.D., APR
Quinnipiac University
hfsisco@quinnipiac.edu
Senior Associate Editor
Cylor Spaulding, Ph.D.
California State University, Fullerton
cspaulding@fullerton.edu
Academics
Lois Boynton, Ph.D., University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill
Chris Wilson, Ph.D., Brigham Young University
Dean Mundy, Ph.D., University of Oregon
Spiro Kiousis, Ph.D., University of Florida
Natalie Tindall, Ph.D., University of Texas-Austin
Marlene Neill, Ph.D., Baylor University
Kelli Mathews, Ph.D., University of Oregon
Michelle Ewing, Ph.D., Kent State University
Amiso George, Ph.D., Texas Christian University
Jen Vardeman, Ph.D., University of Houston
Julie O’Neil, Ph.D., Texas Christian University
Fay Chen, Ph.D., University of San Francisco
Kim Johnston, Ph.D., Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
Yi-Ru Regina Chen, Ph.D., Hong Kong Baptist University
Weiting Tao, Ph.D., University of Miami
Matt Ragas, Ph.D., Dupaul University
John Brummette, Ph.D., Radford University
Rita Men, Ph.D., University of Florida
Erik Collins, Ph.D., University of South Carolina
Nandini Bhalla, Ph.D., University of Texas-
Kathy Fitzpatrick, J.D., University of South Florida
Ganga Dhanesh, Ph.D., University of Maryland
Melissa Dodd, Ph.D., University of Central Florida
Sean Williams, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University
Cayce Meyers, Ph.D., Virginia Tech
Professionals
Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines
Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., APR, Institute for Public Relations
Chuck Wallington, Ph.D., Cone Health
Tony Cheevers, Researchscape International
Stacey Smith, APR, Jackson Jackson & Wagner
Johna Burke, AMEC
Carolyn Kim, Ph.D., APR, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Melissa Janoske McClean, Communty Legal Center
Denise Hill, Ph.D., APR, Lowe’s
Aims and Scope
The Public Relations Journal will publish original research articles, commentaries, research-in-briefs, case studies, and is open to a variety of formats. The goal of Public Relations Journal is to rapidly share results of important research findings that explore the science beneath the art of public relations™ and are applicable to public relations practice.
Editorial Scope
Public Relations Journal is a free, web-based, open-access, double-blind peer-review quarterly academic journal presented by the Institute for Public Relations dedicated to offering the latest public relations and communication-based research. This includes the online “publishing” of articles by academics or practitioners who examine public relations in depth and/or create, test or expand public relations theory. We accept all appropriate methodologies including social-scientific, case studies, philosophical, legal/historical and critical. All submissions should be focused on “research that matters to the profession,” and should include a section that outlines that both in the paper and executive summary. Implications for the discipline are required. The Journal provides vital insights that professionals can incorporate into daily practice, and if of interest, explore rich academic studies and resources for a fuller perspective.
Editorial Board
The Editorial Board members serves two-year terms with an opportunity for renewal with no limits. Editorial Board members will be sought for their area of their expertise. Editorial Board members will review a minimum of two papers per year to determine whether the manuscript fits the purpose of the Journal, applies an appropriate methodology, and thoroughly and appropriately explains the research findings. Additionally, reviewers will offer specific suggestions and feedback, communicating in a professional manner. The annual review and renewal period will involve removing some individuals, inviting others, and renewing existing members for another term.
PR Journal Rubric
Ethical Publishing Practices
The PR Journal is committed to ethical publishing practices through transparency. The PR Journal will not engage in predatory publishing practices or editorial instructions leading to excessive, inauthentic journal self-citation or any other fraudulent practices.
The PR Journal does not charge any fees for article submission or processing.
The Public Relations Journal is a free, web-based, open-access, quarterly academic journal presented by the Institute for Public Relations dedicated to offering the latest public relations and communication-based research. Users have the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of its articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose.
Creative Commons: CC BY-NC
This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
Copyright:
Copyright law prohibits a manuscript from appearing in more than one copyrighted publication. Allowing an article to be published in the Public Relations Journal guarantees that it has not been nor will be published in any other copyrighted publication. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to use any copyrighted material in their manuscripts. The costs associated with artwork, graphs and other materials not provided by the author will be billed to the author. Copyright of all journal manuscripts is held by the Public Relations Society of America.
History
In 1945, the Public Relations Journal (PRJ) was founded by Rex Harlow, the founder of the Public Relations Society of America. In 1947, PRJ became a monthly publication of PRSA until 1995 when it was superseded by PR Tactics and Strategist. During these 50 years, PRJ was not an academic research journal as it is today, but did feature secondary research in short articles. In 2007, PRJ was relaunched as a peer-reviewed, academic research journal.
From 2007 to 2014, Dr. Donald K. Wright, APR, of Boston University, served as the Editor-in-Chief of PRJ, and then the editor and founder of the Research Journal of IPR from 2014 to early 2017. Dr. Robert Wakefield, APR, of Brigham Young University, served as the editor of PRJ from Fall 2014 through Spring 2017.
In June 2017, IPR and PRSA relaunched the PR Journal, combining IPR’s Research Journal of IPR with PRSA’s PR Journal. Dr. Hilary Fussell Sisco, APR, of Quinnipiac University was elected editor-in-chief of PRJ in 2017.
In March 2026, PRSA ended its partnership in the PR Journal, and IPR assumed full responsibility. Under IPR’s leadership, the Journal continues to feature the best academic research dedicated to informing and improving the public relations industry.
Archives for the Research Journal of IPR from 2014 to 2017 may be found here. The archive for the PR Journal from 2007 to present may be found here. All other archives are available through academic libraries.
ISSN 1942-4604
Review Process
All articles considered for publication in the Public Relations Journal will be initially screened by editors in an attempt to determine relevance, and then submitted to a rigorous objective academic, blind, peer-review.
See rubric here: PR Journal Rubric
Article Submissions
To submit an article, please review the Editorial Scope of the Journal to ensure your article fits the requirements. The PR Journal uses Scholastica to peer review manuscript submissions. By submitting your article, you are agreeing to any necessary originality checks to screen papers for unoriginal material.
The PR Journal does not charge any fees for article submission or processing.
Articles submitted to PR Journal should only be submitted to PR Journal and not published, in press, or submitted elsewhere.
• Authors are responsible for all statements made in their articles and for obtaining copyright permission to reprint tables, figures or quotations of 500 words or more.
• Authors should write to original author(s) and publishers to request nonexclusive worldwide rights in all languages to publish in all formats and future editions the material in the article.
• Authors must provide copies of all permissions at the same time they submit the article for consideration by Public Relations Journal.
All submissions must include a two-page Executive Summary that makes clear the impact to the discipline and the public relations profession. This should be included before the Introduction. The Journal only accepts electronically submitted manuscripts. Please submit your paper with contact information in the email and not in the paper itself. Authors should remove all identifying information from the paper. Manuscripts should be prepared using Microsoft Word and must conform to the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Once you submit your article, you will receive a confirmation email from Scholastica.
