Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ILEF DERGISI, cilt.11, sa.2, ss.151-185, 2024 (ESCI)
This study examines public-relations practices in the post-truth era from the perspective of public-relations practitioners in Türkiye. To discover how they professionally experience and evaluate the post-truth era, this study employs a qualitative research methodology using in-depth interviews conducted with public- relations practitioners working in public-relations agencies. Through a thematic analysis of the data obtained from these interviews, the study concludes that public-relations practitioners in Türkiye have adapted to the requirements of the post-truth era and view their work within this framework. More specifically, the findings suggest that public-relations practitioners emphasize the importance of disseminating accurate information in an uncertain information environment. In this context, accuracy, transparency, and clarity arise as the three most important themes in the dynamics of public-relations practices in the post-truth era. These themes contribute to the understanding of how public-relations strategies are shaped amid the confusion of information and perception of the post-truth age. The study also sheds light on the role of public-relations practitioners in this process. In summary, the study seeks to clarify, from the perspective of public-relations practitioners, the changing situation of public-relations practices in the post-truth era, where cognitive biases, information overload, and disinformation interrupt the communication between organizations and their target audiences. It emphasizes the importance of awareness of the post-truth period for the field of public relations and draws attention to the need to disseminate this awareness. The findings obtained in this study contribute on both fronts, offering insights to professionals and researchers in the field.