What question did this study set out to answer?

This review aims to synthesize how digital transformations affect public relations theories and practices.

March 10, 2026Open Access

The Digital Shift in Public Relations: A Systematic Review of Social Media, Brand Management, Crisis Communication

Key Points

This review aims to synthesize how digital transformations affect public relations theories and practices.
Conducted a systematic literature review of 300 articles from Public Relations Review.
Utilized PRISMA protocols for article selection and analysis.
Examined classical and contemporary PR theories in the context of social media.
Identified an algorithmic shift affecting visibility and legitimacy in PR management.
Found SCCT remains vital in crisis research, integrating emotional perspectives.
Highlighted methodological changes toward data analytics, while noting gaps in Western-centric perspectives.

Abstract

HRMARS - The rapid expansion of social media platforms, algorithmic curation, and data-driven engagement metrics has fundamentally transformed public relations (PR) theory and practice. As organisational communication becomes increasingly platform-mediated, traditional assumptions about message control, stakeholder dialogue, and reputational management are being challenged. Despite a growing body of empirical research on digital PR, existing scholarship remains fragmented, offering limited synthesis of how core PR theories are adapting to algorithmic environments. Addressing this gap, this study conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) of 300 peer-reviewed articles published in Public Relations Review between 2021 and 2024, guided by PRISMA protocols. The review examines classical paradigms, including Agenda-Setting, Framing, and Dialogic Communication, in relation to contemporary frameworks such as Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), Contingency Theory, and Relationship Management Theory. Findings reveal three key transformations in PR scholarship: (1) an algorithmic turn in which visibility and legitimacy are shaped by platform architectures; (2) the continued dominance of SCCT in crisis research, increasingly integrated with affective and moral-emotional perspectives to address phenomena such as cancel culture and viral reputational threats; and (3) a methodological shift toward computational and large-scale data analytics, accompanied by persistent gaps such as Western-centric perspectives and limited longitudinal trust research. By synthesising recent theoretical and methodological developments, this review advances a coherent understanding of PR’s evolution in an AI-driven communication environment and provides a conceptual roadmap for future research on digital reputation, crisis communication, and strategic relationship management.

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