Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Public Relations Writing: A Literary-Rhetorical Framework

This study addresses the scarcity of literary-analytical attention dedicated to public relations writing by examining organisational literature as a form of persuasive discourse. It establishes a comprehensive literary-rhetorical framework based on the classical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos to demonstrate how these elements function linguistically and narratively to shape credibility, emotional engagement, and logical reasoning within institutional communication. Employing qualitative textual analysis that bridges classical rhetoric, literary studies, and public relations scholarship, the research analyses specific PR documents, such as news releases and public statements, treating them as strategic, manufactured narratives designed to influence public opinion. The findings indicate that the efficacy of PR writing relies on a precise balance of ethical authority, emotional resonance, and logical argumentation. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that these persuasive strategies mirror techniques typically found in literary texts, suggesting that organisational documents operate as highly sophisticated narrative constructions. By fusing rhetorical analysis with PR theory, this study offers an advanced conceptual framework that enhances the critical comprehension of professional communication and argues that PR education can be enriched by adopting literary-rhetorical methodologies to foster ethical consciousness and audience-cantered strategies. Ultimately, this research presents a novel interdisciplinary approach connecting the humanities with communication studies, highlighting the enduring relevance of classical rhetoric in modern professional practice and providing a new analytical lens for evaluating the persuasive power of organisational discourse.