Deborah Wise

RMIT University, School of Media and Communication, Faculty Member

University of Newcastle NSW, School of Creative Industries, Faculty Member

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Dr Deborah Wise is a teacher, researcher and consultant in professional communication. Her research is underpinned by her interest in how organisations use words and images to influence how people feel, think, and act, and what are the associated rights or duties they have to take a particular position in the contested environment in which such messages are promulgated.

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The relation between social representation theory and Positioning Theory

the relation between social representation theory and Positioning Theory, 2019

Introduction: The relation between Social Representation Theory and Positioning Theory

This special issue of Papers on Social Representation is devoted to Positioning Theory (PT). For ... more This special issue of Papers on Social Representation is devoted to Positioning Theory (PT). For some readers, this might look odd: what does PT have to do with social representation theory (SRT)? This introduction will answer that question by first introducing PT, secondly by explaining how both theories relate to each other as they each focus upon one dimension of social situation: respectively the moral order in play and knowledge available. Most of the papers gathered here have been presented at the second PT conference that was held on 9‐12th July, 2017, at Linacre College, Oxford University, UK.

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Public relations ethics in the 21st century: a state-of-the-field review

Journal of Communication Management

PurposeTo conduct a systematic review of public relations ethics (PRE) research and scholarship i... more PurposeTo conduct a systematic review of public relations ethics (PRE) research and scholarship in the 21st century and suggest future research directions. The study is prompted by macro-level phenomena that have impacted societies since the beginning of the 21st century—notably globalisation 4.0 and the fourth industrial revolution.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review was used to search academic literature. Articles discussing PRE in nine leading English-language public relations and business ethics journals between 2000 and 2019 were reviewed. A code-frame facilitated data extraction and subsequent quantitative analysis; qualitative analysis identified key themes.FindingsThe review identified 288 articles, with discussions involving PRE increasing over time. Most works approached the topic generally, rather than from a specific sub-disciplinary perspective, and drew from professional settings. Works were dominated by authors from North American institutions and North Ame...

An Analysis of the Strengths and Weaknesses of Applying James’ (2014) Framework for Intentional Positioning in Public Relations

The concept of positioning ‘something’ (be that a person, product, or a social construct) has bee... more The concept of positioning ‘something’ (be that a person, product, or a social construct) has been shown to be a significant facet of contemporary public relations practice. Nonetheless, how positioning is actually undertaken remains a vague concept that is rarely explicated, with public relations practitioners mostly referring to positioning from a marketing perspective. In this article, I present an evaluation of James’ Framework for Intentional Positioning in Public Relations (James, 2014) as a model for examining and explaining public relations positioning. James’ Framework is based on Positioning Theory (Harre & van Langenhove, 1999), a social constructionist approach to understanding why people say and do certain things in their interactions with others. I show that James’ (2014) conceptualisation of Positioning Theory potentially provides answers in terms of answering a key problematic of public relations scholarship; that is, how is strategic intent conceptualised in public ...

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Virtual strategic positioning to create social presence: reporting on the use of a telepresence robot

This qualitative cross disciplinary research examined to what degree social presence was achieved... more This qualitative cross disciplinary research examined to what degree social presence was achieved through the use of a telepresence robot by one of the authors, in her capacity as a keynote speaker at an international research symposium. We explored if and how social presence was a factor in her ability to strategically position herself as a notable researcher whilst in ‘telepresence mode’, with the aim of understanding whether one could exercise the same degree of agency in telepresence mode as compared to appearing in person. We were also interested to know how those attending the symposium experienced having a tele present delegate in their midst. The research used an analytic framework based on Hassenzahl’s (2014) ideas of “experience design” and his des cription of the “user experience” and evaluated the tele present person’s ability to strategically position in a virtual environment by applying the analytical lens of Positioning Theory (Harre van Langenhove, 1999).Findings ind...

Teaching trust and reputation: A collaborative autoethnography comparing how crisis communication was taught at an Australian and an Indonesian university

Strategic positioning and the City of Newcastle's declaration of a climate emergency: Framework for action or branding exercise?

Globally it is estimated that over 600 entities have declared a climate emergency and yet there i... more Globally it is estimated that over 600 entities have declared a climate emergency and yet there is no clear definition of what a climate emergency actually means, and there is no legal compulsion for entities declaring a climate emergency to do or say anything beyond the actual declaration itself. So why do it? Declaring a climate emergency appears to be a communicative action undertaken by entities to position themselves as environmentally responsible. This case study applies the public relations concept of strategic positioning to examine how, and to what extent, did the Newcastle City Council’s (NCC) declaration of a climate emergency provide a framework for climate action, or was it in fact, an exercise to brand the City of Newcastle as ‘green’?

Positioning a price on carbon: Applying a proposed hybrid method of positioning discourse analysis for public relations

Public Relations Inquiry

ABSTRACT The primary aim of this research was to explore whether the conceptual framework for int... more ABSTRACT The primary aim of this research was to explore whether the conceptual framework for intentional positioning in public relations proposed by James in 2010–11, which is underpinned by positioning theory, could be used to guide a discourse analysis of strategic positioning tactics. Positioning discourse analysis is designed to examine how discourse is being used to strategically position something in order to gain an advantage, or to achieve a goal in a public relations context. In this study, a sample of speeches by the two leading politicians in Australia on the topic of carbon pricing was analysed. Both politicians worked to position a carbon price/tax as good and bad for Australia respectively. Guided by James’s framework, the positioning goal, positioning type and positioning purpose were identified along with the discursive strategies used. However, one of the positions was not as strongly held in the public debate as the other. Applying positioning theory, it could be seen that although other factors in the strategy and tactics were basically sound, it could also be argued that the right to position in a certain way had not been sufficiently established in the opinion of Australian voters. Undertaking a positioning discourse analysis offers another way of examining practice and sheds more light on the role of discourse in strategic public relations. This was a small study with generally encouraging findings that indicate further testing of the method is warranted.

PR, positioning & a carbon tax: applying a new conceptual framework to the analysis of polarised political positions

This paper examines the role of public relations in constructing mediated forms of communication.... more This paper examines the role of public relations in constructing mediated forms of communication. Specifically it looks at the use of the social media site, YouTube, by the Australian Government and the Opposition to position the introduction of a carbon price. The study applied James’ public relations positioning framework as a method for conducting a positioning discourse analysis of these texts. It was found that both parties used YouTube to support their positions that a carbon price was good for Australia (Government), or bad for Australia (Opposition). The Government’s supporting storylines were embedded in visionary discourses that centred on the financial opportunities that the scheme would offer in terms of new energy technologies. Contrastingly the Opposition’s storylines were embedded in fear discourses that played into community concerns about the global financial crisis, with the crisis used as a rationale for not introducing a carbon tax. These storylines/positions were strongly supported by visual communication, with both Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, self-positioning as authority figures. The Opposition position of tying the carbon tax to the GFC was hugely successful - numerous polls indicating that if an election had been held the Opposition would have won convincingly, with a mandate to repeal any carbon price legislation. This project is a work in progress and is original in that it brings together the complexities inherent in positioning theory and overlays them with public relations perspectives. Research undertaken to date suggests that using the positioning framework approach to conduct a discourse analysis demonstrates the dynamism of positioning efforts of both sides in a debate, as they each seek to strengthen their own position while destabilising the opposition’s position. From a public relations /strategic communication theoretical perspective, the framework offers a hybrid method of mapping the discourses used in public policy debates, and for conducting a discourse analysis of public relations texts.

Positioning PR: an analysis of the representation of public relations in Australian political speeches

In Australia, as in many westernised democracies, each of the political parties fully understands... more In Australia, as in many westernised democracies, each of the political parties fully understands the importance of effective public relations strategies in gaining public acceptance of their policies, with public relations specialists playing a key role in managing and shaping political debates. Nevertheless, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) Government has been repeatedly positioned by the Liberal National Party (LNP or Coalition) as using ‘spin’ and ‘PR stunts’ to promote its policies in relation to a proposed price on carbon pollution. In this study the speeches of the ALP Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and the LNP Opposition leader Tony Abbott, were examined over a three-month period using a new provisional conceptual intentional positioning framework for public relations. The study specifically tests the framework’s applicability as a methodology for conducting a positioning discourse analysis of public relations texts. It is anticipated that using the positioning framework to c...

The HPV school vaccination program: A discourse analysis of information provided to parents about the product and the program

Public Communication Review

Public relations practitioners play a central role in the construction and maintenance of discour... more Public relations practitioners play a central role in the construction and maintenance of discourse. Through the use of specialised techniques and strategies, texts are designed so that they have the power to mean something. Australia was one of the first countries to roll out a national HPV vaccination program for schoolgirls. However, research indicated that parents lack knowledge about HPV and HPV vaccination. This paper reports on a discourse analysis of the brochure: “Questions and Answers (Q&A) about HPV Vaccination Program: A prevention strategy for cervical cancer”. This brochure is given to parents prior to vaccination and as such is a primary source of information about HPV for these audiences. The research strove to answer the question: What are the discourses contained in the information given to parents about the NSW HPV school vaccination program? A critical discourse analysis of the Q&A brochure found a discourse of the risk of cancer, supported by a discourse that HP...

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The HPV school vaccination factsheet: communicating risks and benefits

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Positioning a price on carbon: Applying a proposed hybrid method of

by Deborah Wise and Melanie B James

Public Relations Inquiry, 2013

The primary aim of this research was to explore whether the conceptual framework for intentional ... more The primary aim of this research was to explore whether the conceptual framework for intentional positioning in public relations proposed by James in 2010–11, which is underpinned by positioning theory, could be used to guide a discourse analysis of strategic positioning tactics. Positioning discourse analysis is designed to examine how discourse is being used to strategically position something in order to gain an advantage, or to achieve a goal in a public relations context. In this study, a sample of speeches by the two leading politicians in Australia on the topic of carbon pricing was analysed. Both politicians worked to position a carbon price/tax as good and bad for Australia respectively. Guided by James’s framework, the positioning goal, positioning type and positioning purpose were identified along with the discursive strategies used. However, one of the positions was not as strongly held in the public debate as the other. Applying positioning theory, it could be seen that although other factors in the strategy and tactics were basically sound, it could also be argued that the right to position in a certain way had not been sufficiently established in the opinion of Australian voters. Undertaking a positioning discourse analysis offers another way of examining practice and sheds more light on the role of discourse in strategic public relations. This was a small study with generally encouraging findings that indicate further testing of the method is warranted.

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An Analysis of the Strengths and Weaknesses of Applying James' (2014) Framework for Intentional Positioning in Public Relations

The concept of positioning 'something' (be that a person, product, or a social construct) has bee... more The concept of positioning 'something' (be that a person, product, or a social construct) has been shown to be a significant facet of contemporary public relations practice. Nonetheless, how positioning is actually undertaken remains a vague concept that is rarely explicated, with public relations practitioners mostly referring to positioning from a marketing perspective. In this article, I present an evaluation of James' Framework for Intentional Positioning in Public Relations (James, 2014) as a model for examining and explaining public relations positioning. James' Framework is based on Positioning Theory (Harré & van Langenhove, 1999), a social constructionist approach to understanding why people say and do certain things in their interactions with others. I show that James' (2014) conceptualisation of Positioning Theory potentially provides answers in terms of answering a key problematic of public relations scholarship; that is, how is strategic intent conceptualised in public relations theory and what role does power play in such practices? But while James' (2014) Framework has obvious merit in terms of increasing understanding of strategic positioning in public relations, particularly in relation to issues of power and legitimacy, there were some identified Papers on Social Representations, 28 (1), 8.1-8.27 (2019) [http://psr.iscte-iul.pt/index.php/PSR/index] 8.2 shortcomings with the Framework as it stands. Principally, this is that the Framework is failing to fully capture the dynamism of positioning as it has been more traditionally conceptualised. Given this, I argue that more research is needed to determine how, or if, James' (2014) Framework requires further adaptation. This article will be of interest to positioning theorists and public relations scholars alikecontributing to both wider discussions of positioning in public relations as well as scholarship within Positioning Theory. DEBORAH WISE, PhD, is an academic in communication at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Deborah's research interests are in the area of public relations/strategic communication, and she has published in the areas of health, risk, and political communication. Her doctoral thesis applied positioning theory to analyse the strategic positioning of carbon mitigation policies by political leaders in Australia. Dr Wise has also held high-level strategic communication roles outside of academia, and she brings this experience to her research and teaching. Her current research applies positioning theory to examine inter-cultural communication within the context of higher education teaching and learning.

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Virtual strategic positioning to create social presence: reporting on the use of a telepresence robot

objectives can be achieved. We demonstrate how social presence is achieved both through the capab... more objectives can be achieved. We demonstrate how social presence is achieved both through the capabilities of the telepresence robot, but also through a combination of the amount of symbolic capital possessed by the user and the user's social competencies. This has implications for decision-making in terms of who is likely to be able to successfully operate in tele-present mode at such events. examine inter-cultural communication within the context of higher education teaching and learning. (Deborah.Wise@newcastle.edu.au) LUK VAN LANGENHOVE, PhD, is Academic Commissioner for International institutes and Networks at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Between

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Introduction: The relation between Social Representation and Positioning Theory

Papers on Social Representation, 2019

Introduction: This special issue of Papers on Social Representation is devoted to Positioning The... more Introduction: This special issue of Papers on Social Representation is devoted to Positioning Theory (PT). For some readers, this might look odd: what does PT have to do with social representation theory (SRT)? This introduction will answer that question by first introducing PT, secondly by explaining how both theories relate to each other as they each focus upon one dimension of social situation: respectively the moral order in play and knowledge available. Most of the papers gathered here have been presented at the second PT conference that was held on 9‐ 12th July, 2017, at Linacre College, Oxford University, UK.

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Deborah Wise

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