Call for Papers | Vol. 1 | Cartography of Public Relations in Latin America: Challenges, Trends and Opportunities | From December 2, 2025 to May 4, 2026

2025-12-01

Thematic Editors: Lana D’Avila Campanella (Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil) and Marcelo de Barros Tavares (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)

Latin American countries are marked by a complex historical fabric of social inequalities, power asymmetries, political instabilities, and symbolic disputes that permeate the daily lives of populations across the region. At the same time, Latin America expresses plural cultural dynamics, significant social movements, and continuous processes of democratic reinvention in the face of contemporary challenges such as the crisis of institutional trust, accelerated technological transformations, informational conflicts, new forms of citizen participation, and the reconfiguration of relationships between organizations and their publics.

This scenario highlights the need to understand how communicational practices and the discipline of Public Relations assume a strategic social function by engaging in ethical, dialogical, and sensitive mediation between organizations and their multiple publics. Such engagement contributes to the construction of legitimate bonds, trust-based relationships, and more democratic communicational processes. By mapping trends, identifying emerging demands, interpreting cultural sensibilities, and promoting qualified listening processes, Public Relations play a relevant role in addressing the region’s historical challenges. Thus, proposing a cartography of Public Relations in Latin America acknowledges that its practice goes beyond organizational image management, encompassing social participation, public responsibility, and a commitment to strengthening democratic systems — opening pathways for critical perspectives and for opportunities to reconfigure communication in favor of collective interest.

The purpose of this dossier is to gather contributions that map and analyze the current state of Public Relations science and practice in Latin America, highlighting the cultural, political, economic, and communicational dynamics that shape the field in different countries across the region. The aim is to foster debate on the historical, epistemological, and institutional conditions that guide the consolidation of Public Relations, as well as on emerging trends that point to new modes of professional practice, knowledge production, and teaching approaches.

From a critical and interdisciplinary perspective, RELATIUM invites authors to submit works that problematize the profession’s challenges and possibilities in the face of technological transformations, misinformation movements, diversity–equity–inclusion agendas, the reconfiguration of public spaces, and the expanding social role of organizations. Empirical, theoretical, or methodological studies are welcome, as long as they contribute to understanding, analyzing, and strengthening Latin American scientific thought and production in Public Relations.

RELATIUM welcomes scientific articles, experience reports, interviews, and book reviews aligned with the scope of the dossier, covering — among other possibilities — the following non-exhaustive thematic axes:

Thematic Axes

  1. Latin American epistemologies and cartographies;
    Theoretical foundations, history, and models of Public Relations in the region.

  2. Democracy, public sphere, and communicational mediation;
    Social participation, trust, misinformation, and symbolic disputes.

  3. Professional trends and emerging technologies;
    Digital platforms, Artificial Intelligence, data analysis, and new modes of practice.

  4. Culture, diversity, and inclusion;
    Interculturality, ethics, diverse narratives, and inclusive communicational practices.

  5. Organizations, public responsibility, and sustainability;
    Social role, ESG, crisis management, and trust relations.

  6. Public Relations education, research, and training;
    Pedagogical innovation, research methods, and curriculum development.

  7. Applied studies and professional practices;
    Experience reports, case studies, interviews, and reviews.

By proposing this inaugural issue, RELATIUM – Inter-American Journal of Public Relations Studies reaffirms its commitment to the open circulation of knowledge, inter-American dialogue, and the strengthening of research in Public Relations and Organizational Communication. We invite the academic and professional community to join this collective effort to build a critical, plural, and deeply grounded cartography of the Latin American reality.

Submission period (full manuscripts): December 2, 2025 to May 4, 2026

Publication period: continuous publication (July to December 2026)

Language: Articles may be submitted in Portuguese, Spanish, or English.

 

EDITING AND SUBMISSION

RELATIUM – Inter-American Journal of Public Relations Studies is an open-access publication, with continuous flow and annual periodicity, adopting rigorous scientific evaluation standards. All submitted manuscripts undergo peer review in a double-blind process. Each submission is evaluated by at least two reviewers, who assess it based on academic quality, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope and objectives.

Submissions must be made exclusively through the official RELATIUM website. Authors accessing the system for the first time must register (registration instructions here) before submitting their manuscripts.

The Author Guidelines, containing complete instructions on formatting, standards, and submission procedures, are available on the journal’s website.

For further information or clarification, please contact: relatium@ufsm.br

 

References

Barquero Cabrero, J. D., & Castillo Esparcia, A. (2011). Marco teórico y práctico de las Relaciones Públicas. Editora Furtwangen.

Gonçalves, G. (2010). Introdução à teoria das Relações Públicas. Porto Editora.

Grunig, J. (1989). Teaching public relations in the future. Public Relations Review, 15(1), 12–24.

Holtzhausen, D. (2012). Public relations as activism: Postmodern approaches to theory & practice. Routledge.

Kunsch, M. M. K. (Org.). (2016). Comunicação organizacional estratégica: Aportes conceituais e aplicados. Summus.

Lattimore, D., Baskin, O., Heiman, S. T., & Toth, E. L. (2012). Relações públicas: Profissão e prática (3ª ed.). AMGH.

Peruzzo, C. K. (1986). As relações públicas no modo de produção capitalista. Summus.

Pérez Senac, R. (2013). Relaciones públicas: Apuntes para una historia. Ediciones Logo.

Simões, R. P. (1995). Relações públicas: Função política. Summus.

Watson, T. (2012). The evolution of public relations measurement and evaluation. Public Relations Review, 38(3), 390–398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2011.12.018