The Handbook of Public Relations is another in the series of communication handbooks which has distinguished Sage Publications. Like its companion handbooks, it offers a comprehensive and detailed examination of the topic. It gives students, scholars, and practitioners a solid review of the status of the scholarly literature, stressing the role that public relations can play in building relationships between organizations, markets, audiences, and the public. The handbook is divided into five sections. The first defines the field, seeking to explain the role public relations play in society. The second section examines the state of the practice by delving into the cutting edge issues of management, ethics, gender, evaluation, public relations education, and media. The third section challenges academics and practitioners to identify the best practices that shape the daily activities of practitioners. The fourth section looks at the fascinating and daunting challenges the new communication technology pose for scholars and practitioners. The fifth section takes a global view, examining theories in international public relations as well as the trends in practice that will shape the field in the coming years.

No other book in public relations is as comprehensive in its inclusion of authors and its coverage of academic research, theory, and best practices. Global in scope, the book?s contributors comprise an academic "who?s who" of the public relations discipline. The Handbook offers one-stop shopping for the best insights into the definition of the field of public relations, the practice, and best practices. It has substantial insights into the impact of new communication technologies and the global challenges of international public relations. A must-have reference for libraries and practitioners, the book also is ideal for upper level and graduate study of public relations.