Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 1992

Shared Meaning and Public Relations Writing

Nancy Roundy Blyler Iowa State University

Abstract

Public relations writing has been neglected as a research topic in professional communication. This article uses rhetorical theory from a number of fields to examine a topic of recent concern—shared, or negotiated, meaning—in relation to two very different samples of public relations writing: the public relations texts produced by political-advocacy organizations involved in the midwestern farm crisis of the 1980s and an entry from an organizational newsletter. More specifically, the article studies the role of four rhetorical elements—exophoric and intertextual references, metaphors, and narratives—in generating a shared meaning. In doing so, the article develops the thesis that narratives were particularly important to this public relations writing because they provided a comprehensive, compelling framework for belief and thus contributed greatly to the shared meaning created by writers and readers.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
1992-07-01
DOI
10.2190/xt47-79ub-uk8a-02kj
Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical theory professional writing multilingual writers

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

  1. SMITH (1997)
    Intertextual Connections to “A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing”
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Harmon (1994)
    The uses of metaphor in citation classics from the scientific literature
    Technical Communication Quarterly

Cites in this index (4)

  1. Blyler (1990)
    Rhetorical Theory and Newsletter Writing
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Buchholz (1989)
    The Boston Study: Analysis of a Major Metropolitan Business- and Technical-Comm…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Porter (1986)
    Intertextuality and the discourse community
    Rhetoric Review
  4. BRANDT (1986)
    Toward an Understanding of Context in Composition
    Written Communication
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CrossRef global citation count: 2 View in citation network →

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