Emerging Publics in Government Communications: Domestic Publics and Diaspora Communities

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

In communication efforts led by government institutions, both nationally and transnationally, there are national and international publics that are strongly emerging, although the academic scholarship and the practice has tended to neglect them until recently, as evidenced by the lack of public relations programs and scholarly work incorporating these publics. By ignoring these publics, with exceptions, some governments have overlooked their increasing presence and their strategic importance for the communities, the people, and the organizations they interact with, as well as for the different countries where these emerging publics have linkages and influence. This panel will discuss about the domestic and foreign publics that these governmental efforts have failed to include, as well as their increasing significance for not only public institutions, but for society at large.

In other words, this panel will discuss about the relevance and strategic value of emerging publics that have thus far been left in the sidelines by government international communication efforts, as well as avenues for advancing research about these emerging publics. Drs. Fitzpatrick and Golan will discuss about domestic publics for U.S. public diplomacy efforts; Drs. Bravo and Molleda will speak about diaspora communities as key publics for the communication efforts of both home-country and foreign governments; and Dr. De Moya will present on the state of U.S. government efforts directed toward recent immigrants.

This panel session will likely interest practitioners and scholars in the fields of government and public diplomacy communication, international public relations, advertising, journalism, political communication, and activism, and it will attract other conference attendees who are working with organizations (mainly governments, but also organizations from other sectors) that are trying to connect with publics such as diaspora communities, recent immigrants, and ethnic groups in the United States.

Sub Unit

• Public Relations

Individual Presentations

• U.S. Public Diplomacy’s Emerging Domestic Publics: The Other Half of Mutual Understanding - Kathy Fitzpatrick, Florida International U

• Engaging Foreign Publics via Diaspora Media: An Emerging Frontier in International Public Relations - Guy J. Golan, Syracuse U

• National Politics Transcend Country Boundaries: A Theoretical Discussion of the Lack of Communication of the Venezuelan Government With the Country’s Diaspora in Miami - Juan-Carlos Molleda, U of Florida

• Government-Diaspora Relations: The Cases of Mexico, El Salvador, and Costa Rica - Vanessa Bravo, Elon University

• Engaging Host Publics: U.S. Government Communication With Latino Diaspora Groups - Maria De Moya, DePaul University