Journal of New Communications Research, Vol II

Book excerpt: The Society is focused on the mastery of new communications tools and technologies and is dedicated to creating a bridge between the academic and theoretical pursuit of these topics and the pragmatic implementation of new media and communications tools and methodologies, with an emphasis on the establishment and promotion of best practices. This issue of the JNCR features several contributions that support this underlying ideal, including: an analysis of Internet dependency relations and Internet news exposure, a report on government in the Web 2.0 era and the public sector's use of social media, an exploration of the social media release and its implications for the PR-journalist relationship and a case study that focuses on the ethics of journalism and public relations in the new media environment. In addition, SNCR Founding Fellow Elizabeth Albrycht witnesses the Venice Biennale online and proposes the notion of the noosphere. And, we are pleased to feature the executive summary, authored by SNCR Senior Fellow Paul Gillin, of an upcoming SNCR research study New Media, New Influencers and Implications for the Public Relations Profession. This research, made possible by a grant from the Institute for Public Relations and Wieck Media, examines the criteria communications professionals use to define new influencers; explores how social media is being used to communicate with these influentials; and how organizations are measuring the effects of such efforts.