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Abstract

The public relations (PR) function in Malawi was passing through a period of growth when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. For the first time, a professional body – the Public Relations Society of Malawi (PRSM) – was established and commended for improving media and stakeholders’ relationships with various organizations and institutions. However, the pandemic, accompanied by an infodemic, increasingly affected the role of practitioners in disseminating effective communication. Previous literature indicates that environmental factors force companies and institutions to redirect resources away from PR activities, forcing PR practitioners to adjust some practices to accommodate the new circumstances. This study explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the role of PR practice and the function’s prospects in Malawi. Drawing on the excellence theory, the PR function can be of value if the department is empowered through practitioners’ inclusion in the coalition of the dominant. Data were collected from fourteen selected PR practitioners, who were also members of the PRSM, using in-depth interviews. The findings indicated that PR practitioners in Malawi were brought closer to the centre of power in organizations but somehow excluded from the coalition of the dominant. Most of the practitioners served as technicians. However, the pandemic forced organizations to direct more resources to PR activities due to the practitioners’ increased workload of disseminating information, working from home, and adopting information and communication technology in PR activities. PR practitioners’ efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic made the function a necessity in many organizations, a development that signalled a bright future for the industry in the country.

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/content/journals/10.1386/jams_00126_1
2024-12-09
2025-02-07
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