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Using experimental design, this study compares first-time voters' gratifications and uses of a traditional News1 format with the increasingly popular fake news format. The data here found that while indeed young people may have initially assessed a greater level of gratification associated with the fake news genre, the group was significantly "let down" after exposure to such a program. Though first-time voters understand that traditional surveillance-type information-seeking activities are better associated with traditional News, they were ambivalent about approaching and avoiding both traditional News and fake news genres.

The current study examines the influence of press releases about scientific studies in terms of their impact on news coverage. Using an innovative approach that allowed for analysis of a large corpus of text and calculation of similarity scores, we were able to trace the uptake of press release materials into news media articles. In some cases, up to 65% of sentences in science news articles reflected high similarity to press release material—a potent indication of how powerful information subsidies can be. While our results contain some good news for public relations practitioners, they also carry a warning for consumers of journalism and for the public science agenda, which may be left vulnerable to bad actors undermining the trust that the public, and journalists, have in science. News organizations that had a history of producing award-winning science journalism were much less likely to draw on press release materials, indicating the importance of topic area expertise in producing independent science journalism.

This article conceptualizes organizational advocacy as a relational communication strategy by which organizations take stances on controversial, sociopolitical issues to signal shared commitment with key publics. The authors conducted a series of two-by-two experimental surveys—controlling whether an organization took a defined position (advocacy vs. silence) and whether it acted alone or in line with peers (leader vs. follower)—across both less partisan (Study 1) and highly partisan (Study 2) issues. Findings indicate advocacy is an effective relational communication strategy that strengthens organization–public relationships (OPRs) and increases publics' support for the organization. Theoretical contributions and practical applications are discussed.

This study examines how frequently committed ethical misconduct regarding values closely aligned to an organizational mission affects stakeholders' pro-organizational responses to an offending nonprofit. Using a 2 × 2 experimental survey, findings showed that ethical misconduct in primary values resulted in significantly decreased positive attitudes toward and donation intentions to the organization. Also, the patterns of unethical behaviors significantly increased stakeholders' negative attitudes toward the organization and willingness to assign the organization responsibility for unethical behavior. Perceived organizational responsibility for ethical misconduct and deteriorating organization–public relationships (OPRs) were significant mediators for the effects of primary ethical violations.