The Institute for Public Relations’ BledCom Special Prize was awarded to Bo Laursen and Chiara Valentini, both of the University of Aarhus, Denmark, for best new research on government communication. The award was presented at BledCom2010, an international public relations research symposium at Lake Bled, Slovenia.
The winning paper entitled, “Communicating the EU to the Media: The Delicate Role of Press Officers at the Council of the European Union”, explores the media relations activities performed in the Council of the European Union. More specifically, it addresses the communication tasks and practices of press officers in the Press Service. The paper can be found on the Institute web site, instituteforpr.org.
“The research has relevancy and practicality for professionals working in levels of all government “, said Fraser Likely, a member of the Institute’s Commission on Public Relations Measurement & Evaluation and presenter of the award.
“In an era when governments worldwide are struggling to connect with constituents, build reputation and strengthen trust with citizens amidst a global economic recession — this paper fulfills our 2010 research objective,” added Robert Grupp, Institute President and CEO.
