Crime has a PR component: Public relations in U.S. mystery novels

Karen Miller Russell (2024) "Crime has a PR component: Public relations in U.S. mystery novels," Public Relations Review 50(1). DOI: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2023.102396

Abstract: Qualitative content analysis of 74 novels featuring public relations characters distributed in the United States demonstrates that, rather than attempting to replicate reality, the mystery genre reflects debates about such issues as honesty, confidentiality, and the relative value of negative publicity. PR practitioners fit into all the conventional mystery character roles, but particularly the role of sleuth, where access to information and powerful people allows them to solve the mystery but also sometimes forces them to choose between the client/employer and the public interest. The study confirms Fitch’s (2015) contention that popular culture representations of public relations are best understood in their narrative and generic context.