There's no two‐way symmetric about it: A postmodern examination of public relations textbooks

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Abstract
This article critiques five of the influential textbooks in post‐secondary public relations using a postmodern and deconstructive approach. It argues that public relations textbooks uncritically present a singular view of PR as an ever‐evolving and positive social force. The essay examines versions of public relations history presented in textbooks and points out how alternative and less positive versions of that history are not expressed. Public relations definitions, theories, and practices in the textbooks are deconstructed including the two‐way symmetric conceptualization of PR, notions of a socially‐responsible PR and the role of the free marketplace of ideas. It calls for pedagogies that encourage students to become skeptical rather than credulous readers and raise their awareness of alternative ways of understanding public relations and corporate communication.