Presents annotations of articles, commentaries, and publications that emphasize the importance of communication and the role of the study of communication in contemporary life. Discusses six emergent themes. Concludes that communication education develops the whole person, improves the work of education, advances the interests of society, bridges…

Examines the current job market in the Communication Arts and Sciences as indicated in the classified ads in "Spectra" (the newsletter of the National Communication Association) between December 1997 and November 1999. Summarizes findings in terms of faculty rank, qualifications, specializations, tenure, and geographic locations. (NH)

Examines the role of culture as a key variable in public relations research and practice. Finds (1) American practitioners continue to practice one-way models of public relations; and (2) public relations practitioners who have collectivistic values tend to practice two-way models of public relations. Discusses implications for theory and…

Applies schema theory to explore how undergraduate students respond to brand ads that incorporate social issues. Finds that placing an issue in an ad offers important advantages for advertisers and that congruent issue information elicits more positive affective and conative responses than incongruent issue information. Finds placing an issue in…

Describes the use of a public opinion research study to repair relationships at Mary Washington College (Virginia). Also offers case studies of how "town-gown" relations were fostered at four other higher education institutions and their local communities: Beloit College (Wisconsin); Oglala Lakota College (South Dakota); Midwestern State…

Investigates how organizational dimensions of companies in the United Kingdom relate to conditions in a company's internal and external environments. Finds that the organizational relationship between the two primary departments involved in a company's external communication programs were correlated with such internal environmental conditions as…

Presents a three-tiered framework intended to expose hidden cultural assumptions and expectations that plague international public relations. Notes the country profile outlines what may be feasible within a particular country; the cultural profile speaks to what may be effective in that country; and the communication profile delineates…

This column is about a city with two tales--one of spin and the other of sputter. No matter who occupies the White House for the next four years, the past four have borne witness to some of the most ludicrous uses of taxpayer money ever, as the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has tried to spin its message on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) across…

The author of this article, a card-carrying member of the American Library Association (ALA), discusses her views on how difficult it is for some leaders to accept that this is the 21st century. She feels that people do not need to choose between blogs and printed text, because people can read both. She also feels that library shelves have room…

Purpose: Evidence from the UK shows that public relations (PR) in schools initially met with resistance but has since entered a second phase, that of "post marketisation". But, it is still believed that unqualified and untrained administrators practise it in schools. Little formal research has been undertaken into this, especially among the…

The Saint Paul Public Library and its Friends collaborated to create an identity program as part of its public relations efforts. The work started with a team made up of the library's key administrators and its Public Relations and Communications office, plus Friends' staff and the Friends Board's Public Awareness Committee. In this article, the…

The primary objective of this study was to examine revenue generation and resource allocation and deployment practices associated with the implementation of three smaller learning communities (SLC) project high schools in a single school district. The study used a variation of Levin and McEwan's (2001) ingredients approach. District- and…

Library transformation requires a cohesive vision and execution. Beyond excellent management, organization, technical deployment and collection development, success of the public library as a sense of place requires additional dimensions. This includes attention to the details of environment, presentation, ambiance, graphics, customer service and…

This article describes Universal Instructional Design as an inclusive pedagogical model for use in educational programs, whether provided by traditional educational institutions, community-based initiatives, or workplace literacy projects. For the benefit of public relations specialists and classroom educators alike, the article begins with a…

Similar to other underdeveloped countries, the Republic of Turkey is also faced with high levels of poverty and unemployment, and to ameliorate these problems the state has traditionally devoted much of its social welfare efforts towards improving health and education. Certain private sector corporations also recognize that to grow and advance…