Open research questions in Public Relations and Crisis Communication

What the literature leaves open

• Prior studies have not clearly elucidated the social media used in the Global Sumud Flotilla campaign.

  Narrative and Operational Communication on X · 2026 · DOI

• Since “animals” -which contribute to a country’s image at both local and international levels- have not been addressed as a public relations strategy within the context of image, this study highlights its importance by filling an existing gap in the literature.

  İnsan-Hayvan İletişiminin Bir Halkla İlişkiler Stratejisi Olarak Ülke İmajına Katkısı · 2026 · DOI

• However, few studies are exploring the crisis communication strategies employed by Chinese universities and colleges in response to crises.

  A Comparative Analysis of Crisis Communication Strategies: Handling Faculty Academic Misconduct and Sexual Misconduct in Chinese Higher Education Institutions · 2025 · DOI

• While memories influence different aspects of organizational life, little is known about their antecedents and the mechanisms behind the retrieval of past events.

  Organizational Memories of Extreme Events: Evidence from U.S. Public Transit Agencies · 2025 · DOI

• The gap in understanding how the use of media monitoring technology represents technological determinism in government public relations. The need to explore the impact of AI-powered media monitoring tools on PR workflows.

  Technological Determinism in Practice: A Case Study of Media Monitoring Tools in Government Public Relations · 2026 · DOI

• Academic Recommendations The concept of technological determinism used in this research opens the way for deeper discussion about how technology not only facilitates but also shapes organizational work practices and communication patterns. Therefore, further research is needed on the ethics, control, and balance between the roles of humans and technology in public communication governance. In addition, the number of technology studies in government communication studies is still limited, therefore it is hoped that further research on similar studies can be increased and deepened further. The research methods can also be developed using mixed methods, which combine qualitative methods for in-depth understanding, and quantitative methods to expand the scope of research.

  Technological Determinism in Practice: A Case Study of Media Monitoring Tools in Government Public Relations · 2026 · DOI

• The application of large language models to crisis communication is still limited. Challenges such as domain mismatch, lack of structured priors, and output interpretability remain unresolved in high-stakes scenarios.

  Sentiment analysis of social media for enhancing disaster response strategies · 2026 · DOI

• The gap between unstructured social signals and actionable insights in disaster response scenarios. The lack of robust and interpretable sentiment prediction models for crisis communication.

  Sentiment analysis of social media for enhancing disaster response strategies · 2026 · DOI

• The need for adapting conflict data collection models to balance timeliness and credibility, - The importance of addressing disinformation and increased political control over media environments

  ASSESSING CHALLENGES: VIOLENCE MONITORING IN A CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT · 2026 · DOI

• This study highlights the effectiveness of Queen Rania of Jordan's speech in mobilizing public sentiment around humanitarian issues. The sentiment analysis of Queen Rania's speech on the refugee crisis has provided critical pattern into the emotional tone and thematic elements of her advocacy. The analysis revealed that 72% of the speech conveyed positive sentiments, underscoring her ability to inspire hope and resilience among her audience, underscoring the emotional impact of her message. By employing advanced NLP techniques, this research provided a robust framework for analyzing public addresses, contributing significantly to our understanding of effective communication strategies in humanitarian advocacy. The quantitative analysis supports these conclusions. Overall, 72% of the speech was classified as positive, and emotion scores showed high resonance (Empathy = 0.85; Urgency = 0.75). Model evaluation demonstrated strong performance, baseline test accuracy 87%, and incorporating expert feedback improved accuracy to approximately 90% while raising precision, recall, and F1‑score. The confusion matrix indicated most misclassifications were between neutral and positive classes, and expert validation on 15 key sentences produced five discrepancies that guided model improvements. The findings emphasize the critical role of emotional engagement in advocacy messaging, illustrating how empathy and urgency can inspire action and connect with audiences on a deeper level. Furthermore, the identification of effective rhetorical strategies, such as inclusive language and rhetorical questions, provides practical insights for advocates looking to enhance their messaging. These strategies can be utilized to create compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences and drive collective action. In bridging theoretical frameworks in communication studies with practical applications in humanitarian advocacy, this study reinforces the importance of theory in informing effective practice. The analysis contributes to the broader discourse on humanitarian issues, demonstrating how influential figures can shape public opinion and influence policy discussions. This potential for advocacy to effect change highlights the necessity for communicators to harness the power of language thoughtfully and strategically. For future work, it would be beneficial to expand the analysis to include a wider range of speeches from various advocates, allowing for comparative studies that can identify broader trends in effective communication strategies. Additionally, exploring the impact of cultural contexts on the effectiveness of advocacy messages could provide deeper observation into how different audiences respond to various rhetorical techniques. Longitudinal studies examining the long-term effects of such speeches on public opinion and policy-making could further illuminate the role of influential figures in humanitarian discourse. This research lays a foundation for future studies aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of humanitarian communication, serving as a call to action for advocates to use the power of language in driving meaningful change. By integrating theoretical frameworks with practical recommendations, future research can continue to explore the dynamics of advocacy communication, ensuring that humanitarian issues remain at the forefront of public discourse.

  Analyzing Humanitarian Advocacy: A Machine Learning Approach to Sentiment Analysis of Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan's Speech · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should investigate the implementation, ethics, and long-term impacts of GenAI in PR. Empirical investigations into the effects of GenAI on PR practices and the future of corporate communication are necessary. The study suggests that future research should explore the technical intricacies of AI model development and its application in other communication disciplines.

  The Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Public Relations Strategies: A Shift in Practitioner Roles and the Future of Corporate Communication · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the existing literature regarding the impact of GenAI on PR practices and the future of corporate communication. The integration of GenAI signifies a potential paradigm shift, moving beyond incremental automation to fundamentally altering traditional methods of message development, stakeholder engagement, and strategic analysis.

  The Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Public Relations Strategies: A Shift in Practitioner Roles and the Future of Corporate Communication · 2026 · DOI

• The study suggests extending the framework to other disaster types as corresponding NOAA reports become available. The study proposes investigating the temporal causal relations on social media as crises unfold. The study suggests developing a human-AI collaborative verification pipeline to enhance the reliability of extracted causal graphs.

  Large Language Models for Causal Relations Extraction in Social Media: A Validation Framework for Disaster Intelligence · 2026

• The study identifies a gap in the use of LLMs for causal relation extraction in disaster decision-support systems. The gap is related to the risk of LLMs relying on internal priors when social media evidence is insufficient.

  Large Language Models for Causal Relations Extraction in Social Media: A Validation Framework for Disaster Intelligence · 2026

• As the value organizations create is increasingly under- stood to reside in stakeholder perception and experience, corporate communication will be one of the most decisive drivers of organizational success. Today’s organizations face growing stakeholder expec- tations, increased societal scrutiny, and rapid cultural change. In this environment, communication managers face a strategic challenge. They must consider not only the man- agement of communication activities and the production of outputs, but also the entire process through which organ- izational, wider stakeholder, and societal value is formed. The shift from a production-focused to an experience- focused view of value fundamentally expands the com- munication function’s scope and responsibilities. Value is no longer something organizations deliver – it is something stakeholders co-create through experiencing organizational outputs over time.

  Value formation in corporate communication · 2026 · DOI

• Considering the study’s findings, several practical recommendations are proposed to enhance strategic planning and strengthen crisis management effectiveness in public commercial banks in Libya. These recommendations are directed at banking institutions, senior management, policymakers, and future researchers. 6.1 Banking institutions Public commercial banks should move beyond formal or symbolic strategic planning practices and adopt a more integrated and dynamic planning approach. Particular emphasis should be placed on strengthening alternative planning and scenario analysis to improve preparedness for unexpected financial, operational, and systemic crises. Regular reviews and updates of strategic and crisis management plans are essential to ensure their relevance in rapidly changing environments. 6.2 Senior management and leadership Bank leaders should promote a strategic culture that encourages employee participation, cross-departmental coordination, and proactive risk identification. Leadership development programs focusing on crisis leadership, decision-making under uncertainty, and strategic foresight can significantly enhance banks’ crisis response capabilities. Veredas do Direito, v.23, e236362 – 2026 Veredas do Direito, v.23 n.2, e23xxx – 2026 IN THE WESTERN REGION 20 THE IMPACT OF STRATEGIC PLANNING (SP) ON CRISIS MANAGEMENT (CM) IN THE LIBYAN BANKING SECTOR, A FIELD STUDY OF PUBLIC COMMERCIAL BANKS 6.3 Training and capacity building Continuous professional training should be institutionalised to reinforce employees’ competencies in strategic analysis, risk assessment, and crisis response. Simulation exercises, crisis drills, and scenario-based training can help translate strategic plans into actionable responses and reduce reliance on improvisation during actual crises. 6.4 Policy and regulatory authorities Regulatory bodies and policymakers are encouraged to develop clear guidelines and frameworks that integrate strategic planning requirements with crisis management standards. Encouraging banks to align their strategic planning processes with national financial stability and risk management policies would further enhance sector-wide resilience. 6.5 Future research Future studies are encouraged to expand the scope of analysis by incorporating longitudinal designs to assess how strategic planning and crisis management practices evolve. In addition, integrating objective performance indicators—such as financial stability measures, recovery time after crises, or regulatory compliance outcomes—would provide a more comprehensive assessment of crisis management effectiveness. Comparative studies across regions or between public and private banks could also yield valuable insights.

  THE IMPACT OF STRATEGIC PLANNING (SP) ON CRISIS MANAGEMENT (CM) IN THE LIBYAN BANKING SECTOR, A FIELD STUDY OF PUBLIC COMMERCIAL BANKS IN THE WESTERN REGION · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should investigate the specific leadership styles and strategies that are most effective in different administrative subfields, administrative continents, crisis types, and hierarchy levels. Future research should explore the mechanisms by which leadership styles influence crisis management outcomes.

  Leadership in public administration amid crisis: a meta-analysis of leadership styles and crisis management related outcomes · 2026 · DOI

• The literature on leadership in public administration remains fragmented, with studies focusing on different leadership styles, crisis contexts, and outcome constructs. There is a need for a more integrated understanding of the relationship between leadership styles and crisis management outcomes in public administration.

  Leadership in public administration amid crisis: a meta-analysis of leadership styles and crisis management related outcomes · 2026 · DOI

• Weak inter-institutional coordination. Inconsistent messages. Delays in information. Low public trust. Socio-cultural factors and limited access to technology.

  Revisiting Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) in Disaster Governance: Evidence from Indonesia · 2026 · DOI

• Prior CERC studies have largely focused on developed countries with relatively high institutional capacity and public trust. There is a need to examine the implementation of CERC in developing countries like Indonesia.

  Revisiting Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) in Disaster Governance: Evidence from Indonesia · 2026 · DOI

• Existing disaster sentiment analysis overlooks causal reasoning in disaster discourse. There is a need for a framework that can capture contextual dependencies in causal attribution discourse.

  LSTM-Based Causal Attribution Modeling of the 2025 Sumatra Flash Flood Discourse on YouTube · 2026 · DOI

• Further exploration of the adoption of language FMs and multimodal FMs within Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI). Investigation of the use of other social media platforms and news aggregators for disaster detection.

  Towards multimodal geospatial reasoning: a foundation model approach for disaster detection from social media, news, and weather data · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of standardised evaluation for disaster detection using rapidly available digital data. The need for a multimodal approach that integrates social media, news, and weather observations.

  Towards multimodal geospatial reasoning: a foundation model approach for disaster detection from social media, news, and weather data · 2026 · DOI

• The study does not provide a comprehensive review of prior research on public panic during infectious disease pandemics. The study's findings may be limited by the sample size and selection criteria.

  Research on influencing factors of public panic during infectious disease pandemics: a structural equation modeling study in five cities · 2026 · DOI

• Prior research on public panic during infectious disease pandemics has not adequately theorized the transmission dynamics of public panic. There is a need for a comprehensive framework to understand the factors influencing public panic.

  Research on influencing factors of public panic during infectious disease pandemics: a structural equation modeling study in five cities · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Public Relations and Crisis Communication

• ENACTED SENSEMAKING IN CRISIS SITUATIONS[1] · Journal of Management Studies · 1988 · 1,495 citations
• Unbundling the Structure of Inertia: Resource Versus Routine Rigidity · Academy of Management Journal · 2005 · 1,040 citations
• Image repair discourse and crisis communication · Public Relations Review · 1997 · 948 citations
• Crises and Crisis Management: Integration, Interpretation, and Research Development · Journal of Management · 2016 · 933 citations
• The novel coronavirus (COVID-2019) outbreak: Amplification of public health consequences by media exposure. · Health Psychology · 2020 · 929 citations
• Helping Crisis Managers Protect Reputational Assets · Management Communication Quarterly · 2002 · 922 citations
• Toward a dialogic theory of public relations · Public Relations Review · 2002 · 893 citations
• Sensemaking in Crisis and Change: Inspiration and Insights From Weick (1988) · Journal of Management Studies · 2010 · 814 citations
• Managing Strategic Surprise by Response to Weak Signals · California Management Review · 1975 · 759 citations
• Social media and disasters: a functional framework for social media use in disaster planning, response, and research · Disasters · 2014 · 704 citations

Most recent work

• Code Pink: Leverage Social Media Platforms to Bypass Traditional Media Gatekeepers and Construct Alternative Public Narratives · Journalism and Media · 2026
• Social Media and Organizations: An Integrative Review and Future Research Directions · Journal of Management · 2026
• Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Public Emotion on Social Media During Earthquake Disaster—A Case Study of Jishishan Earthquake in 2023 · Risk Analysis · 2026
• What constitutes an organizational crisis? A scoping review and a conceptual model of crises as stakeholder perceptions (CASPER Model) · Public Relations Review · 2026
• Learning from crisis: how crisis volunteering fosters resilience and change-oriented behaviors · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · 2026
• Public communication alters private confidence · Current Biology · 2026
• Crisis leadership and power dynamics in Portuguese hospitals: organisational learning from COVID-19 · Leadership in Health Services · 2026
• Bricolage as Enacted Sensemaking in Emergent Response Groups: Organizing in Conditions of Extreme Equivocality · Academy of Management Journal · 2026
• Intersecting crises: a scoping review on the impact of underfunding, violations of international humanitarian law, and climate crisis on humanitarian action · Journal of International Humanitarian Action · 2026
• Overcoming the limitations of social media analytics: Dynamic capabilities and workaround strategies for inclusive and resilient public service continuity · International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction · 2026

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