EuroBlog 2010: The impact of social media on Public Relations practice in Europe

Building on the EuroBlog 2006 and 2007 surveys and 2006, 2007 and 2008 Symposia (Stuttgart, Ghent,  Brussels) the project will develop  three themes:

1. A quantitative survey

Taking a similar format to 2006 and 2007, surveys, this research will track the impact of social media on practice and collate case studies/ best practice illustrations.

A number of studies have drawn on the benchmarking empirical data collected for previous EuroBlog studies and there is value in maintaining continuity and momentum.  There is also an increasing body of similar studies, many developed to a commercial agenda and with varying degrees of academic credibility and it would be useful to critically review such perspectives. Comparative analysis  with other EU and US studies is recommended.

2. Develop a generic teaching module 

We will produce a framework to help those teaching social media in PR programmes at BA/BSc and MA/MSc levels. This will identify themes and resources etc that can then be adapted for the needs of individual institutions.  There is the opportunity for a range of people to collaborate on this, and it could offer useful experience for colleague who are beginning to develop  an international research profile, and those who work in cultures that have less developed social media infrastructure.
This initiative would be complemented by an overview of the extent to which social media is influencing curricula in various countries (ideally a contributor would come forward from each country represented in Euprera).

3. Academic strand

How theory is embracing new directions. A number of Euprera members are publishing commentary and polemic on the impact of social networking on communications practice, often in the form of online essays etc. There is a clear need to bring together the most useful work in a structured and accessible manner, perhaps in an e-book format, or as a section on the Euprera website.  There is a balance to be struck between cost of production and achieving the academic permanence needed to  persuade leading thinkers to contribute to publication. It is also necessary to consider notions of timeliness.

Join the EuroBlog team!

The project will require a significant commitment from at least three other members (discussions already in process), one to co-ordinate each of the three strands of the application – to drive forward the empirical survey, to co-edit the theoretical inquiry and to co-ordinate compilation of the generic module. It would also benefit from input from a range PR cultures.

Email Philip Young (philip.young@sunderland.ac.uk) if you are interested in hearing more.

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