Symmetrical Communication: Excellent Public Relations or a Strategy for Hegemony?

This article examines the process of symmetrical communication, as described by J. E. Grunig, through the critical lens of the concept of hegemony. The practice of symmetrical communication is commonly considered to be the model for excellent and ethical public relations. However, this article questions the ethics of a process that is often one of compromise to deflect criticism and maintain power relations rather than one of open, collaborative negotiation.