Strategic Silence

Mainstream public relations overvalues noise, sound and voice in public communication. But how can we explain that while practitioners use silence on a daily basis, academics have widely remained quiet on the subject? Why is silence habitually famed as inherently bad and unethical? Silence is neither separate from nor the opposite of communication. The inclusion of silence on a par with speech and non-verbal means is a vital element of any communication strategy; it opens it up for a new, complex and more reflective understanding of strategic silence as indirect communication. Drawing on a number of disciplines that see in silence what public relations academics have not yet, this book reveals forms of silence to inform public relations solutions in practice and theory. How do we manage silence? How can strategic silence increase the capacity of public relations as a change agent? Using a format of multiple short chapters and practice examples, this is the first book that discusses the concept of strategic silence, and its consequences for PR theory and practice. Applying silence to communication cases and issues in global societies, it will be of interest to scholars and researchers in public relations, strategic communications and communication studies.

Roumen Dimitrov is Senior Lecturer of Public Relations and Advertising at the School of the Arts and Media, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Roumen has conducted various international research projects such as for the European Commission, United States Agency for International Development and UNESCO.

Table of ContentsForewordAcknowledgmentsI INTRODUCTIONII WHY IS PR SILENT ABOUT SILENCE? The Western bias against silence Logocentrism in the European tradition Binomial separation of silence Problematizing and naturalizing Socialized in public relations How do we measure silence? Silence does not sell Seller's market of PR labour, byer's market of PR product Silence does not violate the senses Silence does not click-bite Silent symbiosis Getting attention or directing attention? The dominance of journalism silences over PR silences Core and periphery The message is the story The messenger is the story The media is the story III STRATEGY AND SILENCE: MICHEL FOUCAULT, JEAN BAUDRILLARD, PIERRE BOURDIEU, STUART HALL, NORMAN FAIRCLOUGH AND JÜRGEN HABERMASStrategy as discursive practice Discursive practice Strategy in silence, silence in strategy Silence and secret Strategy and practice Instrumental and communicative action Action and practice Serious and authentic Practical mastery Instrumentality and finality IV INDIRECT COMMUNICATIONSilence and invisibility The sayable and the seeable Presence and absence Image and representat