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Foreword
This research presents a new, important direction for public relations scholarship. By combining theoretical and applied insights from public administration, rhetoric, public relations, and international studies, the study broadens our knowledge of government relations while extending public relations theory. The study combines quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the Web sites of developing countries and their leaders, providing a look that is both broad and in depth.
An important contribution of the study is its examination of the ?theoretical links between public relations, persuasion, and propaganda. Although persuasion and propaganda have almost disappeared from recent scholarly work in public relations, this study makes a compelling argument for their inclusion. The model that results from the study provides an examination of the synergistic effect these three conceptual areas can hold for modern government relations practice and public relations theory. The argument is nuanced and based on solid evidence, providing new ground for theorists to explore.