Analysis and Pathology of Communication and Interaction Condition of Public Relations and The Media

Public relations and media need effective communication, interaction and cooperation with each other to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. But what is observed -in many cases- in this communication process is the existence of various communicative challenges. This research has been conducted with the aim of understanding these very challenges and providing solutions to improve and develop communication and interactions between public relations and the media. In this research, two methods, qualitative and quantitative, have been applied; one is an in-depth interview with professors and experts in public relations and media, and the other is Q-methodology and the questionnaire to obtain the views of managers, public relations experts, editors and reporters of national newspapers. Based on the findings, factors such as lack of professional communication approach, political and factional attitude, discrimination, lack of ethics and mutual trust have been among the most important factors of the emergence of communication challenges between public relations and the media. Also, in the Q method, exploratory factor analysis showed that among the four factors influencing the creation of communication challenges between public relations and the media, the functional factor with 0.64 had the highest impact and the cognitive factor with 0.407 had the lowest impact on the occurrence of these challenges. Finally, it should be stated that by relying on the results of this research, the trustees and policymakers in the field of public relations and media can plan and organize the optimal way of communication and scientific and professional interaction of the people involved in these two communication organizations, and design, communicate and implement regulations and instructions in this regard.