Media relations in Bosnia: A role for public relations in building civil society

This paper offers a benchmark of the status of media relations in Bosnia. Public relations has expertise at relationship building and, therefore, it can influence democracy building. In a place such as Bosnia, the practice can be more than merely a business function; it has an important role in the development of civil society. The media relations function of public relations is a tool to bring like-minded groups together to articulate needs, pressure government, and represent interest group needs. Thus, the function of media relations places the practice of public relations squarely at the center of building civil society in Bosnia. Maureen Taylor is an assistant professor in the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies at Rutgers University, NT.