This book investigates the relationship of secrecy as a social practice to contemporary media, news cultures and public relations.
Drawing on Georg Simmel-s theorisation of how secrecy produces a -second world- alongside the -obvious world- and creates and reshapes social relations, Anne Cronin argues for close analysis of the PR industry as a powerful vector of secrecy and an examination of its relationship to news cultures. Using case studies and in-depth interviews, as well as recent research in media and cultural studies, sociology, journalism studies and communication studies, the book analyses how PR practices generate a second, shadow world of the media sphere which has a profound impact on the -obvious world-. It interrogates both the PR industry-s and news culture-s role in shaping social relations for a digital media landscape, and those initiatives promoting transparency of data and decision-making processes.
An insightful, interdisciplinary approach to debate
