Øyvind Ihlen

2026

• Ihlen, Ø. (2026). PR og strategisk kommunikasjon: Teorier og fagidentitet [PR and strategic communication: Theories and field identity] (2nd Ed.). Universitetsforlaget.
• Ihlen, Ø., Johansen, W., Falkheimer, J., Sanden, G. R., Buhmann, A., & Valentini, C. (2026). Nordic Perspectives on Strategic Communication: Myth and Reality of ‘Nordicness’. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 20(3), 239-253. 
• Ihlen, Ø., Rommetvedt, H., Helgesson, E., Raknes, K., & Christiansen, P. M. (2026). Lobbying and the Nordic Model: Strategic communication in the political realm. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 20(3), 335-351.
• Meissner, F., Buzoianu, C., & Ihlen, Ø. (2026). Closing the gap: Bridging research and practice to implement best practices in disaster warning communication. Crisis and Risk Communication, 1-16. 
• Ihlen, Ø., Anton, A., & Cmeciu, C. (2026). Vaccine communication in high- and low-trust countries: an exploratory study. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 1-17. 
• Cole, S. & Ihlen, Ø. (2026). Coordination and multivocality in the communication of uncertainty across different trust contexts. Crisis and Risk Communication, 1-15. 
• Hidle, C., & Ihlen, Ø. (2026). “The Coast” as an affective chronotope. Argumentation and Advocacy, 1-20. 
• Edwards, L., & Ihlen, Ø. (2026). Disrupting and consolidating critical public relations research: Status and outlook. Public Relations Review. 
• Offerdal, T., & Ihlen, Ø. (2026). Culture and crisis communication: Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic. In K. Sriramesh (Ed.), Global crisis communication cases: A socio-cultural perspective. Routledge

2025

• Offerdal, T., & Ihlen, Ø. (2025). Negotiating coordination and freedom of speech: Challenges for strategic communication. In L. Dühring, F. Krebber, A. Melzer, & J. Seiffert-Brockmann (Eds.), Kommunikation als Strategie (pp. 77-86). Springer.
• Raknes, K., & Ihlen, Ø. (2025). I want what you want! Understanding the impact of public interest topics in lobbying and public affairs. Journal of Communication Management.
• Larsen, E. S., & Ihlen, Ø. (2025). Political crisis communication and the rhetorical arena: An analysis of President Zelensky’s war addresses and social media. In A. Schwarz & M. W. Seeger (Eds.), Handbook of International Crisis & Risk Communication Research (pp. 180-192). Wiley-Blackwell.

2024

Ihlen, Ø., Just, S. N., Kjeldsen, J. E., Mølster, R., Offerdal, T. S., Rasmussen, J., & Skogerbø, E. (2024). Navigating pandemic phases: Public health authority communication during COVID-19 in Norway. NORDICOM.

• Ihlen, Ø., Fladmoe, A., & Steen-Johnsen, K. (2024). Uncertainty communication in a high-trust society: Source type, political preference, and trust. International Journal of Communication.
• Ihlen, Ø., Kjeldsen, J. E., & Offerdal, T. S. (2024). Handling protracted crises: Communication challenges, constraints and opportunities. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management.
• Skogerbø, E., Ihlen, Ø., Kjeldsen, J. E., & Vranic, A. (2024). Trustworthiness: Public reactions to COVID-19 crisis communication.Communications.
• Ihlen, Ø., & Raknes, K. (2024). Made to measure: interest group message customization in a multi-party system. Interest Groups & Advocacy.
• Raknes, K., & Ihlen, Ø. (2024). Analyzing frames in public and media venues. In A. Timmermans (Ed.), Research handbook on public affairs (pp. 163-176). Edward Elgar.

2023

• Ihlen, Ø., & Vranic, A. (2023). Dealing with dissent from the medical ranks: Public health authorities and COVID-19 communication. Public Understanding of Science.

• Fiskvik, J., Bjarkø, A. V., & Ihlen, Ø. (2023). Trustworthiness on Twitter over time. Social Media + Society.

• Ongenaert, D., Joye, S., & Ihlen, Ø. (2023). Manufacturing humanitarian imagery: Explaining Norwegian Refugee Council’s public communication strategies toward the Syrian and Central African crises. International Journal of Communication, 17, 3799-3821. 

• Johansson, B., Ihlen, Ø., Lindholm, J., & Ørsten, M. (Eds.). (2023a). Communicating a Pandemic: Crisis Management and Covid-19 in the Nordic Countries. NORDICOM
• Johansson, B., Ihlen, Ø., Lindholm, J., & Ørsten, M. (2023b). Introduction: Communicating a pandemic in the Nordic countries. In B. Johansson, Ø. Ihlen, J. Lindholm, & M. Ørsten (Eds.), Communicating a Pandemic: Crisis Management and Covid-19 in the Nordic Countries (pp. 11-30). NORDICOM.
• Johansson, B., Ihlen, Ø., Lindholm, J., & Ørsten, M. (2023c). Conclusions: In search of a Nordic model of crisis communication. In B. Johansson, Ø. Ihlen, J. Lindholm, & M. Ørsten (Eds.), Communicating a Pandemic: Crisis Management and Covid-19 in the Nordic Countries (pp. 349-361). NORDICOM.
• Rasmussen, J., Ihlen, Ø., & Kjeldsen, J. E. (2023). Strategic COVID-19 management in communicational practice: At the crossroads to remain open or not in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In B. Johansson, Ø. Ihlen, J. Lindholm, & M. Ørsten (Eds.), Communicating a Pandemic: Crisis Management and COVID-19 in the Nordic Countries (pp. 73-95). NORDICOM.
• Edwards, L., & Ihlen, Ø. (2023). Social theory in public relations: Insights and directions. In C. Botan & E. J. Sommerfeldt (Eds.), Public Relations Theory III (pp. 213-227). Routledge.

2022

• Ihlen, Ø., Just, S. N., Kjeldsen, J. E., Mølster, R., Offerdal, T. S., Rasmussen, J., & Skogerbø, E. (2022). Transparency beyond information disclosure: strategies of the Scandinavian public health authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Risk Research, 1-14. doi:10.1080/13669877.2022.2077416
• Offerdal, T. S., Ihlen, Ø., Just, S. N., & Rasmussen, J. (2022). “We do not have any further info to add, unfortunately” – Strategic disengagement on public health Facebook pages. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 16(3), 499-515. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2022.2041021
• Ihlen, Ø., & Raknes, K. (2022). The game of goodwill: An exploratory study of discursive strategies of interest organizations in a consensus democracy. Interest Groups & Advocacy. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41309-022-00153-4
• Wollebæk, D., Fladmoe, A., Steen-Johnsen, K., & Ihlen, Ø. (2022). Right-wing ideological constraint and vaccine refusal: The case of the COVID-19 vaccine in Norway. Scandinavian Political Studies, 45(2), 253-278. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9477.12224
• Seiffert-Brockmann, J., Hackl, L., & Ihlen, Ø. (2022). Between progress and struggle: young PR-scholars’ contribution to theory building and progress in public relations research. Journal of Communication Management. doi:10.1108/jcom-12-2021-0150
• Ihlen, Ø., Lock, I., & Raknes, K. (2022). Democracy, strategic communication and lobbying. In J. Falkheimer & M. Heide (Eds.), Research Handbook of Strategic Communication (pp. 165-176). Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Catellani, A., & Ihlen, Ø. (2022). CSR communication from a rhetorical and semiotic perspective. In A. O’Connor (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility Communication (pp. 34-45). New York: Routledge.
• Kjeldsen, J. E., Mølster, R., & Ihlen, Ø. (2022). Expert uncertainty: Arguments bolstering the ethos of expertise in situations of uncertainty. In S. Oswald, M. Lewinski, S. Greco, & S. Villata (Eds.), The pandemic of argumentation (pp. 85-103). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91017-4_5

• Ihlen, Ø., Johansson, B., & Blach-Ørsten, M. (2022). Experiencing COVID-19 in Denmark, Norway and Sweden: The role of the Nordic model. In R. Tench, J. Meng, & Á. Moreno (Eds.), Strategic Communication in a Global Crisis (pp. 184-198). Routledge.

  Valentini, C., Ihlen, Ø., & Tench, R. (2022). A question of trust: Exploring trust concepts, experiences and early observations from Europe. In R. Tench, J. Meng, & Á. Moreno (Eds.), Strategic Communication in a Global Crisis (pp. 15-31). Routledge.

• Ihlen, Ø. (2022). A sociological lens on public relations. In D. Pompper, K. R. Place, & C. K. Weaver (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Public Relations (pp. 125-135). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003131700-12

2021

• Kjeldsen, J. E., Ihlen, Ø., Just, S. N., & Larsson, A. A. O. (2021). Expert ethos and the strength of networks: negotiations of credibility in mediated debate on COVID-19. Health Promotion International. doi:10.1093/heapro/daab095
• Offerdal, T. S., Just, S. N., & Ihlen, Ø. (2021). Public ethos in the pandemic rhetorical situation: Strategies for building trust in authorities' risk communication. Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research, 4(2), 247-270. doi:10.30658/jicrcr.4.2.3
• Ihlen, Ø., Toledano, M., & Nørholm, S. J. (2021). Using rhetorical situations to examine and improve vaccination communication. Frontiers in Communication. doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2021.697383
• Skogerbø, E., Ihlen, Ø., Kristensen, N. N., & Nord, L. W. (Eds.). (2021). Power, communication, and politics in the Nordic countries. NORDICOM.
• Ihlen, Ø., Binderkrantz, A., & Öberg, P. (2020). Lobbying in Scandinavia. In E. Skogerbø, Ø. Ihlen, N. N. Kristensen, & L. W. Nord (Eds.), Power, communication, and politics in the Nordic countries (pp. 305–323). NORDICOM
• Skogerbø, E., Kristensen, N. N., Nord, L. W., & Ihlen, Ø. (2021). Introduction: A Nordic model for political communication? In E. Skogerbø, Ø. Ihlen, N. N. Kristensen, & L. W. Nord (Eds.), Power, communication, and politics in the Nordic countries (pp. 13-27). NORDICOM.
• Heath, R. L., Waymer, D., & Ihlen, Ø. (2021). Rhetorical theory of public relations. In C. Valentini (Ed.), Handbook of public relations. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.

2020

• Ihlen, Ø., & Raknes, K. (2020). Appeals to ‘the public interest’: How public relations and lobbying create a social license to operate. Public Relations Review, 46(5), 101976.
• Valentini, C., Ihlen, Ø., Somerville, I., Raknes, K., & Davidson, S. (2020). Trade unions and lobbying: Fighting fat cats while defending the public interest? International Journal of Communication, 14, 4913–4931.
• Ihlen, Ø., Valentini, C., Davidson, S., & Shavit, A. (2020). Lobbying, the public interest, and democracy: Communication perspectives. Journal of Public Affairs, 20(2), e2091. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2091
• Raknes, K., & Ihlen, Ø. (2020). Self-interest in new wrapping: “Appeal to the public interest” as a topos in lobbying. Journal of Public Affairs, 20(2), e2059. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2059
• Ihlen, Ø. (2020). Science communication and strategic communication: The case of health authorities, trust building and vaccine hesitancy. Journal of Communication Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-03-2020-0017
• Ihlen, Ø. (2020). Le côté obscur de la communication dans la RSE [The dark side of corporate social responsibility communication]. In V. Carayol, V. Lepine, & L. Morillon (Eds.), Le Côté obscur de la communication des organisations (s. 169-184). MSHA.
• Ihlen, Ø., & Washbourne, N. (2020). Public relations, politics and democracy. I R. Tench & S. Waddington (Eds.), Exploring public relations (pp. 51-65). FT Prentice Hall.

2019

• Somerville, I., Edwards, L., & Ihlen, Ø. (Eds.). (2019). PR and society: The generative power of history in the present and future. London: Routledge.
• Ihlen, Ø., & Lie, E. (2019). Topos for virksomhetsretorikk: Lederlønn i egalitære mediesamfunn [Public debate of CEO compensation in an egalitarian society: Topoi for organizational rhetoric]. Rhetorica Scandinavica, (77), 68-89.
• Ihlen, Ø., Gabrielsen, J., & Falkman, L. L. (2019). Virksomhetsretorikk: Betingelser og effekter [Organizational rthetoric: Conditions and effects]. Rhetorica Scandinavica (77), 7-21.
• Ihlen, Ø., & Heath, R. L. (2019). Ethical grounds for public relations as organizational rhetoric. Public Relations Review, doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.101824
• Buhmann, A., Ihlen, Ø., & Aaen-Stockdale, C. (2019). Connecting the dots: A bibliometric review of Habermasian theory in public relations research. Journal of Communication Management. doi:10.1108/JCOM-12-2018-0127
• Dan, V., Ihlen, Ø., & Raknes, K. (2019). Political public relations and strategic framing. In J. Strömbäck & S. Kiousis (Eds.), Political public relations: Principles and applications (pp. 146-164). New York, NY: Routledge.
• Somerville, I., Edwards, L., & Ihlen, Ø. (2019). Introduction: Public relations, society and the generative power of history. In I. Somerville, L. Edwards, & Ø. Ihlen (Eds.), PR and society: The generative power of history in the present and future (pp. 1-12). London: Routledge.

• Hidle, Charlotte & Ihlen, Øyvind (2026). “The Coast” as an affective chronotope. Argumentation and Advocacy. ISSN 1051-1431. p. 1–20. doi: 10.1080/10511431.2026.2727329. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article develops the concept of affective chronotope, as a synthesis of rhetorical topos, affect heuristics, and place-based argumentation, to examine how configurations of time, place, and affect shape political debate. Empirically, we analyze the 2023 Norwegian parliamentary debate on a proposed ground-rent tax on the profitable salmon farming industry, where representatives on both sides repeatedly anchored fiscal and technical arguments in The Coast. Drawing on rhetorical criticism of the debate transcript and video recordings, we identify 132 text fragments invoking a coastal topos and assess them through three criteria: proximity, concreteness, and intensity. The analysis shows how the affective chronotope constituted proximity to The Coast as a source of expertise, forged an unlikely alliance between blue-collar workers and billionaire owners, and sidelined environmental concerns by naturalizing a growth-oriented rationale. In shifting the premise from public welfare to place-based privilege—from commons to commodity—the affective chronotope proved a strategic mobilizing force. We argue that the framework offers a more nuanced account of place-based arguments and their affective and temporal entanglements in political rhetoric.

• Cole, Sebastian & Ihlen, Øyvind (2026). Coordination and multivocality in the communication of uncertainty across different trust contexts. Crisis and Risk Communication (CRC). ISSN 2998-6915. p. 1–15. doi: 10.1080/29986907.2026.2725648. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A crisis always comes with uncertainty, which is often increased by changing guidelines or rules, and multiple actors communicating their perspectives. This exploratory qualitative study examines the role of a coordinated and multivocal approach to address uncertainty during a global crisis and generates assumptions for future research. Through semi-structured interviews with communication professionals and community actors involved in health crises, we investigate how uncertainty was managed in three trust contexts—Germany, Italy, and Romania—during COVID-19. The analysis shows how uncertainty was perceived during the pandemic, and we propose ideas for future research and crisis management regarding coordination, multivocality, and acknowledgment of uncertainty, which were revealed as preferred strategies.

• Ihlen, Ø.; Johansen, Winni; Falkheimer, Jesper; Sanden, Guro Refsum; Buhmann, Alexander & Valentini, C. (2026). Nordic Perspectives on Strategic Communication: Myth and Reality of ‘Nordicness’. International Journal of Strategic Communication. ISSN 1553-118X. 20(3), p. 239–253. doi: 10.1080/1553118x.2026.2673734. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Over the past two decades, the Nordic countries have attracted attention, for instance, due to their high rankings in surveys of happiness and a range of other economic and social indicators. This special issue investigates how strategic communication is theorized and practiced within this regional context, focusing on the distinctive conditions that shape both conceptual frameworks and professional approaches. In this introduction, we first ask whether there is such a thing as a Nordic approach to strategic communication. We then consider how communication practices may be influenced by what is commonly referred to as the “Nordic model” – a concept associated with social-democratic welfare states characterized by extensive public services, high labor participation, and substantial taxation. While frequently cited as a blueprint for effective welfare governance, the Nordic model is also increasingly used as a lens for interpreting regional communication norms. We outline the main features typically attributed to the Nordic model and critically assess its usefulness as an analytical framework, a myth, and as both a strategic resource and a constraint for strategic communication within and beyond the region. In doing so, we highlight the potential ‘Nordicness’ that may underpin strategic communication and prepare the ground for the contributions presented in this special issue.

• Ihlen, Øyvind; Rommetvedt, Hilmar; Helgesson, Elin; Raknes, Ketil & Christiansen, Peter Munk (2026). Lobbying and the Nordic Model: Strategic Communication in the Political Realm. International Journal of Strategic Communication. ISSN 1553-118X. doi: 10.1080/1553118x.2025.2607045. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Organizational lobbying to influence political decision-makers varies in practice across political and cultural contexts. In this article, we generate ideas for future research on the Nordic region and how the Nordic model may impact the lobbying of organizations. The Nordic region is characterized by longstanding democratic traditions, corporatism, and collaborative political culture – the so-called Nordic model. Historically, Nordic countries have had an active state and have emphasized consensus and compromise in policymaking, resulting in a political environment with relatively low conflict levels. However, the decline of traditional and highly institutionalized corporatist structures and the rise of less formalized types of lobbying have led to significant changes. The emergence of a lobbying industry has raised concerns about the integrity of political decision-making, leading to government inquiries. With a particular focus on the Scandinavian countries, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, we discuss the legacies of and more recent changes regarding the role of the active state, the corporatist tradition, and the political culture. These elements, we argue, influence argumentation strategies and the need to generalize interests when communicating with political decision-makers.

• Larsen, Elin Strand & Ihlen, Øyvind (2025). Political Crisis Communication and the Rhetorical Arena: An Analysis of President Zelensky's War Addresses and Social Media Use. In Schwarz, Andreas; Seeger, Matthew & Kim, Sora (Ed.), The Handbook of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research. Wiley-Blackwell. ISSN 9781394180837. doi: https:/onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781394180844.ch15. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  International political crises are often immensely complicated, involving many different actors communicating in different arenas and employing different formats. Legacy media and social media can fuel the crises, but crisis communicators seeking to manage them can also take advantage of such media. In this chapter, we discuss international political crisis and crisis communication using the so-called rhetorical arena model and draw on empirical examples from the war addresses and social media use of the Ukrainian President in the ongoing war with Russia.

• Offerdal, Truls Strand & Ihlen, Øyvind (2025). Norway : Culture as Crisis Resource: Trust and Compliance during the COVID-19 Pandemic. In Sriramesh, Krishnamurthy (Eds.), Global Cases in Crisis Communication: A Socio-Cultural Approach - 1st. Taylor & Francis. ISSN 9781003536291. p. 56–71. doi: 10.4324/9781003536291-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, governments and public health authorities of the world responded differently, partly conditioned by the socio-cultural context.

• Offerdal, Truls Strand & Ihlen, Øyvind (2025). Negotiating Coordination and Freedom of Speech: Challenges for Strategic Communication. In Dühring, Lisa; Krebber, Felix; Melzer, Anne; Seiffert-Brockmann, Jens & Oliveira, Evandro (Ed.), Kommunikation als Strategie. Springer Gabler. ISSN 9783658483043. p. 77–86. doi: 10.1007/978-3-658-48305-0_5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This essay examines the debate on unified versus polyphonic communication in organizations, particularly during crises. While a singular voice is often seen as essential for consistent messaging, allowing multiple voices can enhance participation and critique as well as ensure the freedom of speech of organizational members. Focusing on the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the analysis highlights the challenges of balancing coordinated messaging with the freedom of speech among the research staff. The NIPH’s unique position as a public bureaucratic entity underscores the need for effective negotiation strategies regarding this challenge. Key strategies discussed include managing official and unofficial communications and a policy requiring employees to alert the management before voicing criticism of the institute’s public position. This exploration offers insights into navigating communication challenges during periods of uncertainty.

• Raknes, Ketil & Ihlen, Øyvind (2025). I want what you want! Negotiating the public interest in lobbying and public affairs. Journal of Communication Management. ISSN 1363-254X. 29(2), p. 153–167. doi: 10.1108/JCOM-12-2023-0136. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Fladmoe, Audun & Steen-Johnsen, Kari (2024). Uncertainty Communication in a High-Trust Society: Source Type, Political Preference, and Trust. International Journal of Communication. 18, p. 219–247. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Studies of uncertainty communication have produced mixed results concerning the consequences for trust. In this article, we focus on uncertainty communication as it concerns trust in a message about vaccine effectiveness and safety, seeing source type and political preference as mediators. These factors have become increasingly important as public health issues are becoming politicized in several countries. To test these relationships, we conducted a survey experiment in Norway—a high-trust society. Our results show a consistent tendency that statements expressing certainty were trusted more, especially when the source of the statement was the government or public health authorities. Importantly, however, the differences between statements expressing certainty and uncertainty were small. Also, when asked about their trust in messages from the public health authorities, respondents’ political beliefs played a minor role. The relatively high acceptance of uncertainty communication may be interpreted in the light of generally high levels of trust in authorities, as well as low levels of polarization in the Norwegian context, in general, and in the context of the pandemic.

• Skogerbø, Eli; Ihlen, Øyvind; Kjeldsen, Jens Elmelund & Vranic, Anja (2024). Trustworthiness: Public reactions to COVID-19 crisis communication. Communications. ISSN 0341-2059. doi: 10.1515/commun-2023-0132. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In an unprecedented situation of uncertainty, the COVID-19 pandemic tested the public crisis communication capacity. Using focus group data, this study analyzes public reactions to COVID-19 policies in Scandinavia. In line with the “rally around the flag” hypothesis, trust in public health authorities remained high in all three Scandinavian countries throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked how people assessed the trustworthiness of authorities, and how they discussed reasons for complying with regulations and recommendations. Our findings suggest that the trustworthiness of experts and leaders was continually negotiated, manufactured, and renegotiated, producing critical and conditional trust. Willingness to and reasons for complying with measures to curb the disease were expressed and justified by participants from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, notwithstanding the national policies consisting of harsh regulations and mild pressure.

• Ihlen, Øyvind & Raknes, Ketil (2024). Made to measure: interest group message customization in a multi-party system. Interest Groups & Advocacy. ISSN 2047-7414. doi: 10.1057/s41309-024-00220-y. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Kjeldsen, Jens Elmelund & Offerdal, Truls Strand (2024). Handling protracted crises: Communication challenges, constraints and opportunities. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management. ISSN 0966-0879. 32(3). doi: 10.1111/1468-5973.12589. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Recent research on crisis communication has focused on the challenges of complex and protracted crises. In this essay, it is argued that such crises must be handled communicatively by putting the communication challenges, constraints and opportunities at the centre. To this end, the combination of the notions of the rhetorical situation and kairos is suggested as a keystone that provides a bottom-up, context-sensitive approach needed to cope with the fluid and changing situations of such crisis. Importantly, the life cycle of a protracted crisis can not only be understood in terms of physical factors (e.g., infection rates in a pandemic) but is also formed through the public's perceptions and the communicative choices of crisis communicators calling for action to mitigate or end a crisis. The rhetorical situation and kairos highlight the importance of spatial temporality, the uniqueness of the situations and the constitutive dimension of communication in a crisis. This implies the identification of the opportune moments to present a response and recognising the important ‘spaces’ between typical crisis situations.

• Ihlen, Øyvind & Vranic, Anja (2023). Dealing with dissent from the medical ranks: Public health authorities and COVID-19 communication. Public Understanding of Science. ISSN 0963-6625. doi: 10.1177/09636625231204563. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  During a public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, the public health authorities will typically be criticized for their efforts. When such criticism comes from the ranks of medical personnel, the challenge becomes more pronounced for the authorities, as it suggests a public negotiation of who has sufficient expertise to handle the pandemic. Hence, the authorities are faced with the challenge of defending their competence and advice, while at the same time adhering to a bureaucratic/scientific ethos that imposes communicative boundaries. This explorative study analyzes the response strategies used by the Norwegian public health authorities in this regard. A main finding is that the authorities shunned aggressive language and mostly relied on a strategy pointing to well-established values such as proportionality (between the measures and the gravitas of the epidemiological situation) and relevance (the measures should meet the challenge in question).

• Ihlen, Øyvind (2023). A sociological lens on public relations. In Pompper, Donnalyn; Place, Katie & Weaver, C. Kay (Ed.), The Routledge Companion to Public Relations. Routledge. ISSN 9780367654641. p. 125–135. Full text in Research Archive
• Ongenaert, David; Joye, Samantha & Ihlen, Øyvind (2023). Manufacturing humanitarian imagery: Explaining Norwegian Refugee Council’s public communication strategies toward the Syrian and Central African crises. International Journal of Communication. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  As refugee organizations’ communication can influence public perceptions, this study analyzes the underlying motivations and practices. To explain Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) public communication strategies toward the recent Syrian and Central African crises, we conducted a 3-week office ethnography at its main communication department, interviewed 10 communication officers, and analyzed key communication policy documents. First, NRC’s discursive strategies are molded by medium-based and/or context-sensitive routines, organizational goals and trends, and challenging institutional and societal contexts. Second, NRC’s crisis foci are institutionally shaped through the “Vicious Neglected Crisis Circle effect,” which is reinforced and/or limited by organizational and individual (counter) incentives, sensitive contexts, and context-sensitive routines. Third, NRC’s choice of represented forcibly displaced people is influenced by various selection criteria and sociodemographic-specific reasons. Thus, complex organizational, institutional, and societal contexts largely shape public communication strategies, suggesting that reflexivity and structural institutional changes are essential to achieve more balanced, representative humanitarian imageries.

• Edwards, Lee & Ihlen, Øyvind (2023). Social theory in public relations: Insights and directions. In Botan, Carl & Sommerfeldt, Erich (Ed.), Public relations theory III. Routledge. ISSN 9781003141396. doi: 10.4324/9781003141396-15. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Drawing on social theory to study public relations can mean many things. Researchers have been able to study the institutional, organizational, and professional conditions for public relations and how practice is influenced by such conditions. Furthermore, social theory invites a focus on how public relations has consequences in and for society. Such a perspective on public relations represents an expansion of the academic field of public relations, looking beyond the immediate application of theory for organizational and instrumental purposes. Importantly, this is an invitation to grasp what is going on when public relations is practiced in society. This chapter reflects on the way social theory has informed our understandings of the practice and its relation to power. Based on this discussion, we consider potential research avenues for future studies of public relations.

• Ongenaert, David; Stijn, Joye & Ihlen, Øyvind (2023). Manufacturing Humanitarian Imagery: Explaining Norwegian Refugee Council’s Public Communication Strategies Toward the Syrian and Central African Crises. International Journal of Communication. 17, p. 3799–3821. Full text in Research Archive
• Fiskvik, Jannicke; Bjarkø, Andrea Vik & Ihlen, Øyvind (2023). Trustworthiness Over Time on Twitter: Three Critical Periods for the Norwegian Health Authorities and Political Leadership During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Social Media + Society. 9(April-June). doi: 10.1177/20563051231179689. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Public health authorities and political leaders need to come across as trustworthy in their handling of a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. There is, however, little knowledge about how the affordances and dynamics of social media influence perceptions of trustworthiness, especially during a protracted crisis. In this article, we study how Twitter users were discussing the trustworthiness of the Norwegian health authorities and political leadership throughout three periods of partial lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across all the periods, there was a substantial number of positive comments, but these were outweighed by negative ones. Ability was clearly the most discussed factor for trustworthiness, and many users offered up their lay expertise. Discussions of integrity and benevolence were less frequent and mostly negative when they occurred. An increase in negative comments during the last period might be read as an expression of fatigue, and there was a noted dissatisfaction with the ability of the political leadership. Taken together, the study suggests Twitter to be an arena where users are exposed to arguments and counterarguments in negotiations over ability in particular. Such discussions can intensify as a crisis drags on and are important to grasp for health authorities and political leadership alike. Thus, the study sheds light on the contribution that a socio-technical platform like Twitter makes to the discursive formation of trustworthiness over time, which in turn might function to strengthen or erode public trust in public authorities and political leadership.

• Johansson, Bengt; Ihlen, Øyvind; Lindholm, Jenny & Ørsten, Mark (2023). Conclusions: In search of a Nordic model of crisis communication. In Johansson, Bengt; Ihlen, Øyvind; Lindholm, Jenny & Blach-Ørsten, Mark (Ed.), Communicating a Pandemic: Crisis Management and Covid-19 in the Nordic Countries. Nordicom. ISSN 9789188855688. p. 349–361. doi: 10.48335/9789188855688-16. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This concluding chapter summarises findings of the various contributions and points to new directions of research for the future. In the first part, we address the results from each of the book’s three empirically based sections: section II) politicians, public authorities, and the corporate sector as crisis managers and communicators; section III) media and crisis communication; and section IV) citizens and crisis communication. Furthermore, we disucss the relevance of a Nordic crisis management model based on these findings.

• Rasmussen, Joel; Ihlen, Øyvind & Kjeldsen, Jens Elmelund (2023). Strategic COVID-19 management in communicational practice: At the crossroads to remain open or not in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In Johansson, Bengt; Ihlen, Øyvind; Lindholm, Jenny & Blach-Ørsten, Mark (Ed.), Communicating a Pandemic: Crisis Management and Covid-19 in the Nordic Countries. Nordicom. ISSN 9789188855688. p. 73–95. doi: 10.48335/9789188855688-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This chapter examines how leading politicians and representatives of the public health authorities in Scandinavia attempted to create consent for their strategic choices to adopt or refrain from collective prevention measures, such as border and school closures, when such measures became relevant in the region in March 2020. It thus also concerns the broader strategic choices of the administrations in their attempts to curb or stop Covid-19. Based on a strategy-as-practice perspective, the chapter assumes that strategies are not artefacts that organisations only possess, but they are shaped, consolidated, and made public communicatively. The analysis of statements from press conferences shows how strategies are shaped communicatively through claims regarding a number of themes: economic consequences; the validity of epidemiological measures; secondary public health effects; the issue of risk severity (and in the Swedish case, natural immunity); and risk management history. The chapter also highlights the pragmatic arguments used and the dialogicality involved when a particular strategic choice is made viable through the presentation of alternatives. The chapter thus helps to bridge a gap between major response choices facing national and agency leaders on the one hand, and on the other, numerous micro-level communication efforts facilitated in part through press conferences.

• Johansson, Bengt; Ihlen, Øyvind; Lindholm, Jenny & Ørsten, Mark (2023). Introduction: Communicating a pandemic in the Nordic countries. In Johansson, Bengt; Ihlen, Øyvind; Lindholm, Jenny & Blach-Ørsten, Mark (Ed.), Communicating a Pandemic: Crisis Management and Covid-19 in the Nordic Countries. Nordicom. ISSN 9789188855688. p. 11–30. doi: 10.48335/9789188855688-1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden are generally praised for their performance in terms of political and economic governance. The Nordic model, defined as a stable democratic welfare state, has been considered a role model internationally, but also used as a framework for research interpreting political communication, the media systems, as well as crisis management of Covid-19 in the Nordic countries. This edited volume takes the Nordic model as a point of departure, and scholars in crisis communication, media, journalism, political science, and rhetoric explore crisis communication in the Nordics during the Covid-19 pandemic. The chapters compare experiences of strategic communication, media coverage, media use, and citizen response and point out both differences and similarities among the five countries. In this introductory chapter, we present the backdrop against which the empirical analyses can be understood. We discuss the Nordic model, give a brief overview of the Nordic experiences of Covid-19, and highlight the immense field of crisis communication research on Covid-19. In addition, the normative function of crisis communication during a pandemic is discussed, and also how to understand the specific risk culture in the Nordic countries. In the last part of the introduction, we give a short overview of the chapters of the book.

• Ihlen, Øyvind & Raknes, Ketil (2022). The game of goodwill: an exploratory study of discursive goodwill strategies of interest organizations in a consensus democracy. Interest Groups & Advocacy. ISSN 2047-7414. 11. doi: 10.1057/s41309-022-00153-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract In consensus democracies, interest organizations are likely to pursue their goals by attempting to create goodwill to strengthen their relationships with politicians. Through an exploratory analysis based on interviews with representatives from 58 organizations, a typology of seven strategies for such goodwill is suggested: Lobbyists will convey an understanding of the politician’s professional needs, while also recognizing constraints for what is possible to achieve. Several interviewees maintained that they avoided coming across as self-centered. Instead, they would be on the lookout for the politician’s interests, express empathy, provide public recognition of the politicians when ‘deserved,’ and they would keep a friendly and respectful tone. The first two of these strategies—emphasizing professional needs and recognizing constraints—were mentioned most frequently. The NGOs in the sample pointed to constraints more often than the other organization types, while the work-life organizations stated the importance of understanding professional needs the most. The use of such strategies increased with the level of organizational resources.

• Wollebæk, Dag; Fladmoe, Audun; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Ihlen, Øyvind (2022). Right-wing ideological constraint and vaccine refusal: The case of the COVID-19 vaccine in Norway. Scandinavian Political Studies. ISSN 0080-6757. 45(2), p. 253–278. doi: 10.1111/1467-9477.12224. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Research has shown a correlation between votes for populist parties and the belief that vaccines are not important or effective. More recent investigations in the United States and France have similarly shown that attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine have been politicized. In this article, we show a similar pattern analyzing survey data from Norway, a country relatively mildly hit by the pandemic and characterized by high trust and a consensual political culture. We find that refusal to vaccinate is associated with right-wing ideological constraint, even when considering a wide array of control variables (e.g., lack of confidence, complacency), and sociodemographic characteristics. The results imply that vaccine refusal latch onto established political cleavages, particularly among the most ideologically consistent. Thus, polarization in the form of increasing ideological constraint may represent a mounting challenge for vaccine uptake, suggesting that vaccine communication should go beyond “explaining the science” and factor in ideology.

• Ihlen, Øyvind; Johansson, Bengt & Ørsten, Mark (2022). Experiencing COVID-19 in Denmark, Norway and Sweden: The role of the Nordic model. In Tench, Ralph; Meng, Juan & Moreno, Angeles (Ed.), Strategic Communication in a Global Crisis. Routledge. ISSN 9781003184669. p. 184–198. doi: 10.4324/9781003184669-17. Full text in Research Archive
• Valentini, Chiara; Ihlen, Øyvind & Tench, Ralph (2022). A question of trust: Exploring trust concepts, experiences and early observations from Europe. In Tench, Ralph; Meng, Juan & Moreno, Angeles (Ed.), Strategic Communication in a Global Crisis. Routledge. ISSN 9781003184669. p. 15–31. doi: 10.4324/9781003184669-4. Full text in Research Archive
• Offerdal, Truls Strand; Ihlen, Øyvind; Just, Sine Nørholm & Rasmussen, Joel (2022). “We Do Not Have Any Further Info to Add, Unfortunately”–Strategic Disengagement on Public Health Facebook Pages. International Journal of Strategic Communication. ISSN 1553-118X. 16(3), p. 499–515. doi: 10.1080/1553118X.2022.2041021. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  During the COVID-19 pandemic, communication with the public has been a central concern for state actors. One important question has been how to best use social media to ensure the sufficient uptake of their advice and recommendations to the public. With regard to such strategic communicative aims, a significant amount of attention has been previously devoted to the engagement, interaction, and dialogic forms of strategic communication on social media. This paper, however, focuses on an aspect that has not been discussed much in the literature: the need an organization might have to disengage due to a lack of resources or when a conversation has stalled. Using the communication that Scandinavian public health authorities carried out through their Facebook pages as cases, this paper employs a thematic analysis of the associated posts and qualitative interviews with employees to argue that these institutions use three disengagement strategies: 1) contradiction, 2) meta-discursive disengagement, and 3) disengagement through sympathy/empathy. Based on this, we consider the strategic potential of disengagement and discuss whether disengagement strategies can be considered legitimate tools for public health organizations’ crisis communication that can allow them to achieve the dual aim of ensuring citizens’ support for and compliance with authorities’ recommendations.

• Ihlen, Øyvind; Just, Sine N.; Kjeldsen, Jens Elmelund; Mølster, Ragnhild; Offerdal, Truls Strand & Rasmussen, Joel [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). Transparency beyond information disclosure: strategies of the Scandinavian public health authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Risk Research. ISSN 1366-9877. 25(10), p. 1176–1189. doi: 10.1080/13669877.2022.2077416. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The concept of transparency has been problematized in risk research. This exploratory study contributes to the risk literature by considering an established three-dimensional transparency framework (information substantiality, accountability, and participation) and discussing the opportunities for and challenges to risk communication in relation to the framework. Furthermore, we examine the strategies of Scandinavian health authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the different levels of public trust in these authorities. In general, Norwegian authorities received higher levels of trust than their Swedish and Danish counterparts. We argue that this was partly due to differences in transparency management. Our findings support the importance of the three transparency dimensions and indicate that transparency regarding uncertainties positively impacts levels of trust.

• Seiffert-Brockmann, Jens; Hackl, Laura & Ihlen, Øyvind (2022). Between progress and struggle: young PR-scholars’ contribution to theory building and progress in public relations research. Journal of Communication Management. ISSN 1363-254X. doi: 10.1108/jcom-12-2021-0150. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose The paper aims to analyze the contribution of young academics to the field of public relations (PR) and shows which authors exert most influence on them. The study thereby contributes to the assessment of the state of the art of theory building in the field. The authors analyzed the study data against the background of two approaches on progress in the field: Nothhaft et al.’s (2018) idea of strategic communication as an elusive concept and Winkler et al.’s (2021) narrative approach. Design/methodology/approach The study comprises two parts. First, the authors conducted a survey among participants of the EUPRERA PhD-workshops between 2007 and 2019, asking respondents about their perception of the state of the field. Second, the authors performed a bibliometric (co-)citation analysis of the young scholars’ most important works. Findings Results indicate that though the field has progressed in terms of quantity and diversified with regard to established paradigms, it has not matured in a sense that it has settled on a generally accepted theoretical underpinning. However, the data show how the dominant paradigms in the field map onto the co-citation networks that emerged out of the works of young scholars. The authors’ findings imply that this new generation might signal their allegiance to a paradigm by citing the works of its emblematic authors. Originality/value Unlike most bibliometric studies, this one uses an author-centered approach, thus studying works that matter most to young academics themselves. Not only do the authors thereby contribute to the analysis of the state of theory building in PR research, but also expand the scope in looking at research as a social system, in which young researchers need to position themselves.

• Catellani, Andrea & Ihlen, Øyvind (2022). CSR communication from a rhetorical and semiotic perspective. In O'connor, Amy (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility Communication. Routledge. ISSN 9781032019093. Full text in Research Archive
• Kjeldsen, Jens Elmelund; Mølster, Ragnhild & Ihlen, Øyvind (2022). Expert uncertainty: Arguments bolstering the ethos of expertise in situations of uncertainty. In Oswald, Steve; Lewinski, Marcin; Greco, Sara & Villata, Serena (Ed.), The pandemic of argumentation. Springer. ISSN 9783030910198. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Lock, Irina & Raknes, Ketil (2022). Democracy, strategic communication and lobbying. In Falkheimer, Jesper & Heide, Mats (Ed.), Research Handbook on Strategic Communication. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800379886. p. 166–177. doi: 10.4337/9781800379893.00017. Full text in Research Archive
• Kjeldsen, Jens Elmelund; Ihlen, Øyvind; Just, Sine Nørholm & Larsson, Anders Olof (2021). Expert ethos and the strength of networks: negotiations of credibility in mediated debate on COVID-19. Health Promotion International. ISSN 0957-4824. 37(2), p. 1–11. doi: 10.1093/heapro/daab095. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  For public health promotion to succeed, popular support is necessary and the chosen policies and measures have to be perceived as legitimate by the public. In other words, health authorities need to build on and sustain established trust when they recommend a certain policy. When the policy is criticized, this trust is challenged, and the authorities enter into a negotiation of credibility (ethos). In this article, we research a particular instance of such negotiation, drawing lessons for health promotion and for COVID-19 communication.We study a Norwegian television debate in which an MD presented harsh criticism of the health authorities’ chosen crisis response in the early phase of the pandemic. Unpacking the rhetorical constitution of the expert ethos of the MD and of the health authorities, respectively, we find that representatives of the authorities are more open to participation and better at connecting to everyday experiences than the MD, who primarily builds her expert ethos on mastery of scientific language and methods, combined with alarmist rhetoric. Further, we identify main tenets of the public’s reception of the debate through an analysis of 1961 tweets that commented on the program. The analysis indicates that public health authorities might maintain high levels of trust by rhetorically cultivating their positions within institutional and (social) media networks of expertise.

• Ihlen, Øyvind; Toledano, Margalit & Just, Sine Nørholm (2021). Using Rhetorical Situations to Examine and Improve Vaccination Communication. Frontiers in Communication. 6. doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2021.697383. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Opinion polls have documented a considerable public skepticism towards a COVID-19 vaccine. Seeking to address the vaccine skepticism challenge this essay surveys the research on vaccine hesitancy and trust building through the lens of the rhetorical situation and points towards five broad principles for a content strategy for public health communicators in regards to vaccination: 1) vaccine hesitancy is not irrational per se; 2) messages should be tailored to the various hesitancy drivers; 3) what is perceived as trustworthy is situational and constantly negotiated; 4) in areas of uncertainty where no exact knowledge exists, the character of the speaker becomes more important; and 5) the trustworthiness of the speaker can be strengthened through finding some common ground—such as shared feelings or accepted premises—with the audience. Such common insights are on offer in the literature on rhetoric and persuasion and linked here with the research on vaccine communication and trust focusing specifically on the latter and character.

• Offerdal, Truls Strand; Just, Sine Nørholm & Ihlen, Øyvind (2021). Public Ethos in the Pandemic Rhetorical Situation: Strategies for Building Trust in Authorities’ Risk Communication. Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research (JICRCR). ISSN 2576-0017. 4(2), p. 247–270. doi: 10.30658/jicrcr.4.2.3. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Binderkrantz, Anne & Öberg, Perola (2021). Lobbying in Scandinavia. In Skogerbø, Eli; Ihlen, Øyvind; Kristensen, Nete Nørgaard & Nord, Lars W. (Ed.), Power, communication, and politics in the Nordic countries. Nordicom. ISSN 9789188855282. p. 305-323–305-323. Full text in Research Archive
• Skogerbø, Eli; Kristensen, Nete Nørgaard; Nord, Lars & Ihlen, Øyvind (2021). A Nordic model for political communication? In Skogerbø, Eli; Ihlen, Øyvind; Kristensen, Nete Nørgaard & Nord, Lars W. (Ed.), Power, communication, and politics in the Nordic countries. Nordicom. ISSN 9789188855282. p. 13–27. doi: 10.48335/9789188855299-1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Nordic countries have been termed a supermodel for political and economic governance. This anthology explores how and why the political communication systems contribute to explaining and understanding why the Nordic countries stand out as stable, democratic welfare states. The state and nation-building processes of these small European countries were not at all identical, but the ensuing political systems show many similarities. Yet, there are also considerable differences. Part One of the anthology explores developments in the media structure and relationship between media and politics in the five Nordic countries. The chapters are co-authored by scholars from political communication, media, and journalism from each country and emphasise particular national traits. Part Two studies and compares political communication across the Nordic countries within particular domains, such as political journalism, local journalism, lobbyism, elections, and the spread of fake news, with a specific eye for similarities and differences between the Nordic countries. We conclude with the argument that Nordic political communication is and should be international and comparative. Still we want to highlight the need to also continue with in-depth national or Nordic comparative studies.

• Heath, Robert L.; Waymer, Damion & Ihlen, Øyvind (2021). Rhetorical theory of public relations. In Valentini, Chiara (Eds.), Public relations. De Gruyter Mouton. ISSN 9783110552294. p. 361–380. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind (2020). Science communication, strategic communication and rhetoric: the case of health authorities, vaccine hesitancy, trust and credibility. Journal of Communication Management. ISSN 1363-254X. 24(3), p. 163–167. doi: 10.1108/JCOM-03-2020-0017. Full text in Research Archive
• Valentini, Chiara; Ihlen, Øyvind; Somerville, Ian; Raknes, Ketil & Davidson, Scott (2020). Trade Unions and Lobbying: Fighting Private Interests While Defending the Public Interest? International Journal of Communication. 14, p. 4913–4931. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Although framing theory has been extensively studied in strategic communication comparatively, little is known about how trade unions, as a specific type of organization, use framing strategies to achieve their organizational goals. Trade unions frequently aim to present themselves as cause groups, campaigning for broader societal benefits and values. A key communicative challenge for them is to argue that the interest of their members equates to the public interest. How do trade unions communicatively construct links between union interests and the public interest? How is this strategy reconciled with the more conflict-oriented framing found in much traditional union discourse? This study reports the results of a qualitative three-case comparison of purposively selected trade union lobbying campaigns in Italy, Norway, and the United Kingdom. The analysis shows the versatility of public interest framing across different political systems and union trajectories, and illustrates how such a framing strategy is communicatively constructed and translated into specific symbolisms.

• Ihlen, Øyvind & Raknes, Ketil (2020). Appeals to ‘the public interest’: How public relations and lobbying create a social license to operate. Public Relations Review. ISSN 0363-8111. 46(5). doi: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101976. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  An organization’s social license to operate depends on how it acts according to social norms, engages with stakeholders, and meets some kind of public interest. As will be discussed, the notion of the public interest is complex. Still, our analysis focuses on the process whereby the notion is communicatively constructed through negotiations where public relations plays an important role. The paper analyzes 58 qualitative interviews with public relations practitioners and lobbyists. We unpack the rhetorical strategies they use when they talk about the public interest and its relation to their organization. The practitioners primarily refer to positive economic consequences created by their employer. Frequently, they conflate the core activity of their organization with the public interest. The theoretical contribution of the paper is in demonstrating the versatility and dynamic aspect of "the public interest" as a tool to create a social license to operate. Beyond the material topic of economy, the practitioners highlighted contributions in areas such as public health, democracy and the environment.

• Dan, Viorela; Ihlen, Øyvind & Raknes, Ketil (2019). Political Public Relations and Strategic Framing: Underlying Mechanisms, Success Factors, and Impact. In Strömbäck, Jesper & Kiousis, Spiro (Ed.), Political Public Relations. Concepts, Principles, and Applications.. Routledge. ISSN 9781351053143. p. 146–164. doi: 10.4324/9781351053143-7. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind & Lie, Einar (2019). Debatt om lederlønn i egalitære mediesamfunn: Topos for virksomhetsretorikk. Rhetorica Scandinavica. ISSN 1397-0534. 77, p. 68–89. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind & Heath, Robert L. (2019). Ethical grounds for public relations as organizational rhetoric. Public Relations Review. ISSN 0363-8111. 45(4). doi: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.101824. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Organizational rhetoric is critically questioned for ethics of its strategic processes and aspirational goal of persuasive, inescapably self-interested influence. Such critique pits strategic engagement needed for self-governance against self-interested framing (spin) and other dysfunctions. This theoretical essay takes stock of research literature to evaluate the ethics of organizational rhetoric, as rationale for public relations, and justify shifting from a strategic functional to an ontological, agonistic view of public relations. Relevant literature justifies the ethics of fairness (which features regard for others’ interests) to guide rhetorical processes and prefer outcomes as societally responsible. From classical Greece to postmodern theory of agonism, analysis of rhetoric centers on self-governance: achieved by stakeholders addressing rhetorical problems in rhetorical situations to deliberate strategic legitimatization. The discursive role of public relations intersects ethics of fairness and rhetorical citizenship, advocacy and dialogue, discourse and engagement at individual and societal levels. Public relations should be linked to an ontological ethics regarding strategic means of rhetorical influence toward ends accomplished collectively by agonistic pursuit.

• Buhmann, Alexander; Ihlen, Øyvind & Aaen-Stockdale, Craig (2019). Connecting the dots: A bibliometric review of Habermasian theory in public relations research. Journal of Communication Management. ISSN 1363-254X. 23(4), p. 444–467. doi: 10.1108/JCOM-12-2018-0127. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose: Meta reviews are central for mapping the state of the field, consolidating the heterogeneous public relations body of knowledge, and pointing to new potential research directions. Habermas is one of the most influential contemporary social theorists and his work has repeatedly been used in public relations scholarship. While some have maintained that his work has been most influential in the development of public relations theory, this stream of research has never been reviewed empirically. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, we present a bibliometric literature review of 263 research articles published between 1980 and 2016. A network analysis of these publications based on the technique of bibliographic coupling was used to identify common forms of application, research themes, as well as patterns of impact. Findings: Results show that the use of Habermas has grown significantly, specifically in the recent decade. At the same time, researchers have a narrow focus specifically on earlier developments in the theory. Finally, we discover three main topical research clusters that have been influenced by the theory: public relations and the public sphere, dialogic stakeholder relationships, as well as public relations and communication ethics. Originality/value: Our findings map out an important stream of scholarship in the field by showing were public relations scholars have been and were the research community has not ventured yet. Based on the results of this analysis we propose directions for research to advance future theory development in public relations using Habermas’ work.

• Somerville, Ian; Edwards, Lee & Ihlen, Øyvind (2019). Introduction: Public relations, society and the generative power of history. In Somerville, Ian; Edwards, Lee & Ihlen, Øyvind (Ed.), Public relations, society and the generative power of history. Routledge. ISSN 9781138317116. p. 1–12. doi: 10.4324/9780429451287-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Anne, Gregory; Luoma-aho, Vilma & Buhmann, Alexander (2019). Post-truth and public relations: Special section introduction. Public Relations Review. ISSN 0363-8111. 45(4). doi: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.101844. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  With spindoctoring, publicity seeking stunts and evidence of mal-practice, public relations is easily associated with the development of post-truth society. The elevation of bullshit as political coinage presents a challenge for the rational public debate which the public relations profession at large should have an interest in maintaining. In this introduction, we briefly highlight some of these challenges for public relations. We point to how papers in the special section tie into these challenges, by for instance, helping to understand the construction of truth, how to construct a defense for legitimate public relations and engage with publics, as well as to build a professional practice through developing and measuring communication.

• Raknes, Ketil & Ihlen, Øyvind (2019). Self-interest in New Wrapping: “Appeal to the Public Interest” as a Topos in Lobbying. Journal of Public Affairs. ISSN 1472-3891. p. 1–9. doi: 10.1002/pa.2059. Full text in Research Archive
• O'connor, Amy & Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). Corporate social responsibility and rhetoric: Conceptualization, construction, and negotiation. In Ihlen, Øyvind & L., Heath Robert (Ed.), Handbook of organizational rhetoric and communication.. Wiley-Blackwell. ISSN 9781119265771. doi: 10.1002/9781119265771.ch28. Full text in Research Archive
• Heath, Robert L. & Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). Conclusions and take away points. In Ihlen, Øyvind & L., Heath Robert (Ed.), Handbook of organizational rhetoric and communication.. Wiley-Blackwell. ISSN 9781119265771. doi: 10.1002/9781119265771.ch34. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Raknes, Ketil; Somerville, Ian; Valentini, Chiara; Stachel, Charlotte & Lock, Irina [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). Framing “the Public Interest”: Comparing Public Lobbying Campaigns in Four European States. Journal of Public Interest Communications. ISSN 2573-4342. 2(1). doi: 10.32473/jpic.v2.i1.p107. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  How do lobbyists get their way and what is the consequence for democracy of their strategies? It is frequently asserted that lobbyists appeal to the public interest to strengthen their proposals. This paper empirically corroborates this claim through four case studies cutting across different European cultural clusters and political systems. The paper unpacks how businesses communicatively construct a link between their private interest and the public interest. The findings illustrate the flexibility of the public interest argument and hence also the potential problem. If everything can be made out to be in the public interest, the concept becomes empty and easy to capture for special interests. At the same time, unpacking the communicative construction helps in critically evaluating lobbyists’ claims of working in the public interest.

• Frame, Alex & Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). Beyond the cultural turn: A critical perspective on culture-discourse within public relations. In Bowman, Sarah K; Crookes, Adrian; Ihlen, Øyvind & Rometni, Stefania (Ed.), Public relations and the power of creativity. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. ISSN 9781787692923. doi: 10.1108/s2398-391420180000003009. Full text in Research Archive
• Heath, Robert L.; Cheney, George & Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). Identification: Connection and division in organizational rhetoric and communication. In Ihlen, Øyvind & L., Heath Robert (Ed.), Handbook of organizational rhetoric and communication.. Wiley-Blackwell. ISSN 9781119265771. doi: 10.1002/9781119265771.ch8. Full text in Research Archive
• Heath, Robert L. & Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). Public relations and rhetoric: Conflict and concurrence. In Ihlen, Øyvind & L., Heath Robert (Ed.), Handbook of organizational rhetoric and communication.. Wiley-Blackwell. ISSN 9781119265771. doi: 10.1002/9781119265771.ch4. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). Atiçando as chamas do social: perspectivas em relações públicas críticas [Fanning the social flames: perspectives on critical public relations]. In Mainieri, T & Marques, Ângela (Ed.), Comunição e poder organizacional: Enfrentamentos discursivos, políticos e estratégicos. Gráfica UFG. ISSN 9788549502261. p. 49–75. Full text in Research Archive
• Lie, Einar & Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). Debatt om lederlønn i egalitære mediesamfunn Topikk for virksomhetsretorikk. Rhetorica Scandinavica. ISSN 1397-0534. 77, p. 68–89. Full text in Research Archive
• Fredriksson, Magnus & Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). Introduction: Public relations and social theory. In Ihlen, Øyvind & Fredriksson, Magnus (Ed.), Public relations and social theory: Key figures, concepts and developments. Routledge. ISSN 9781138281301. doi: 10.4324/9781315271231-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). Symbolic capital. In Heath, Robert L. & Johansen, Winni (Ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Strategic Communication. Wiley-Blackwell. ISSN 9781119010715. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). On Bourdieu: Public relations, positions and resources. In Ihlen, Øyvind & Magnus, Fredriksson (Ed.), Public Relations and Social Theory. Key Figures, Concepts and Developments. Routledge. ISSN 9781138281295. doi: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2007.05.005. Full text in Research Archive
• Olsson, Eva-Karin & Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). Strategic communication and framing. In Heath, Robert L. & Johansen, Winni (Ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Strategic Communication. Wiley-Blackwell. ISSN 9781119010715. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind & Heath, Robert L. (2018). Introduction: Organizational rhetoric. In Ihlen, Øyvind & L., Heath Robert (Ed.), Handbook of organizational rhetoric and communication.. Wiley-Blackwell. ISSN 9781119265771. doi: 10.1002/9781119265771.ch1. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Verhoeven, Piet & Fredriksson, Magnus (2018). Conclusions on the compass, context, concepts, concerns and empirical avenues for public relations. In Ihlen, Øyvind & Magnus, Fredriksson (Ed.), Public Relations and Social Theory. Key Figures, Concepts and Developments. Routledge. ISSN 9781138281295. doi: 10.4324/9781315271231-22. Full text in Research Archive
• Hurst, Bree & Ihlen, Øyvind (2018). Corporate social responsibility and engagement. In Johnston, Kim A. & Taylor, Maureen (Ed.), The Handbook of Communication Engagement. Wiley-Blackwell. ISSN 9781119167495. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind (2017). Fanning the flames of discontent: Public relations as a radical activity. In Bridgen, Elizabeth & Verčič, Dejan (Ed.), Experiencing Public Relations: International Voices. Routledge. ISSN 9781138632448. p. 165–173. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind & Levenshus, Abbey (2017). Panacea, placebo or prudence: Perspectives and constraints for corporate dialogue. Public relations inquiry. ISSN 2046-147X. 6(3), p. 219–232. doi: 10.1177/2046147X17708815. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Public relations has long been preoccupied with the notion of dialogue, and the advent of social media ushered in new enthusiasm. Still, despite the technology on offer and the fact that dialogue has become a value that ‘everyone’ embraces, most research concludes that little actual dialogue takes place between corporations and their stakeholders. Scholars have pointed to a host of different factors to explain this, ranging from practitioners’ lack of time to their lack of understanding of what dialogue is. This article discusses perspectives on corporate dialogue with a focus on the constraints identified in the literature, before presenting the main argument that not enough attention has been paid to the macro limits at the systemic level. The article issues a call to locate dialogue attempts within a system where a limited economic rationality reigns, which, in turn, constrains what individual practitioners can achieve.

• Rasmussen, Joel & Ihlen, Øyvind (2017). Risk, crisis, and social media: A systematic review of seven years? research. Nordicom Review. ISSN 1403-1108. 38(2), p. 1–17. doi: 10.1515/nor-2017-0393. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The literature on social media use in risk and crisis communication is growing fast, and it is time to take stock before looking forward. A review of 200 empirical studies in the area shows how the literature is indeed increasing and focusing on particular social media platforms, users, and phases from risk to crisis relief. However, although spanning 40 countries, a large proportion of the world’s social media users are under-represented in the research. In addition, little attention is given to the question of who is actually reached through social media, and the effects of the digital divide are rarely discussed. This article suggests that more attention is given to the questions of equal access to information and ICTs, complementary media channels, and cultural diversity.

• Ihlen, Øyvind & Levenshus, Abbey (2017). Digital dialogue: Crisis communication in social media. In Jin, Yan (Eds.), Social Media and Crisis Communication. Routledge. ISSN 9781138812000. p. 389–400. doi: 10.4324/9781315749068-28. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind (2016). Source credibility. In Carroll, Craig E. (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Corporate Reputation. Sage Publications. ISSN 9781483376516. p. 781–783. Full text in Research Archive
• Ditlev-Simonsen, Caroline Dale; Høivik, Heidi von Weltzien & Ihlen, Øyvind (2015). The historical development of corporate social responsibility in Norway. In Idowu, Samuel O.; Schmidpeter, P. & Fifka, M. (Ed.), Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe. Springer. ISSN 9783319135656. p. 177–196. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-13566-3_10. Full text in Research Archive
• Hoff-Clausen, Elisabeth & Ihlen, Øyvind (2015). The rhetorical citizenship of corporations in the digital age. In Adi, A; Crowther, David & Grigore, G. (Ed.), Corporate social responsibility in the digital age. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. ISSN 9781784415822. p. 25–45. doi: 10.1108/s2043-052320150000007003. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind (2015). “It Is Five Minutes to Midnight and All Is Quiet”: Corporate Rhetoric and Sustainability. Management Communication Quarterly. ISSN 0893-3189. 29(1), p. 145–152. doi: 10.1177/0893318914563145. Full text in Research Archive

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• Ihlen, Øyvind; Just, Sine Nørholm; Kjeldsen, Jens Elmelund; Mølster, Ragnhild; Offerdal, Truls Strand & Rasmussen, Joel [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Navigating pandemic phases: Public health authority communication during COVID-19 in Norway. Nordicom. ISBN 9789189864030. 238 p. doi: 10.48335/9789189864047. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  During a pandemic, the advice issued by public health authorities undergoes significant scrutiny, potentially affecting public adherence to recommended measures. Trust and trustworthiness become key. This book analyses the rhetorical strategies of the Norwegian public health authorities as the COVID-19 pandemic moved through phases that presented different rhetorical problems and challenges. Many consider the Norwegian response successful, making it a particularly interesting case. Adopting an organisation-focused viewpoint, the analysis examines communication strategies through a dataset collected as the pandemic evolved. This included observations within communication departments of the main public health agencies during March and April 2020. The study offers five key insights: 1) A pandemic rhetorical situation has changing constraints and opportunities that influence the agency of the rhetor and necessitates bottom-up, continuing situational analysis and attention to perceptions; 2) The notion of “the rhetorical situation” conceptualises different phases that “bleed” into each other; 3) Trust and trustworthiness are negotiated through specific rhetorical strategies; 4) Transparency is the most crucial strategy; 5) Authorities used a combination of invitational rhetoric, providing a role for the citizens to willingly contribute to curbing the virus, and imperative form through simple directives that citizens were expected to follow.  The primary audience for this book is scholars and practitioners within crisis communication. The book is written by a team from the “Pandemic Rhetoric” project, financed by the Research Council of Norway, consisting of Øyvind Ihlen (University of Oslo), Sine Nørholm Just (Roskilde University), Jens E. Kjeldsen (University of Bergen), Ragnhild Mølster (University of Bergen), Truls Strand Offerdal (University of Oslo), Joel Rasmussen (Örebro University), and Eli Skogerbø (University of Oslo). 

• Johansson, Bengt; Ihlen, Øyvind; Lindholm, Jenny & Blach-Ørsten, Mark (2023). Communicating a Pandemic: Crisis Management and Covid-19 in the Nordic Countries. Nordicom. ISBN 9789188855688. 362 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Skogerbø, Eli; Ihlen, Øyvind; Kristensen, Nete Nørgaard & Nord, Lars W. (2021). Power, communication, and politics in the Nordic countries. Nordicom. ISBN 9789188855282. 396 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Somerville, Ian; Edwards, Lee & Ihlen, Øyvind (2019). Public relations, society and the generative power of history. Routledge. ISBN 9781138317116. 208 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind & Magnus, Fredriksson (2018). Public Relations and Social Theory. Key Figures, Concepts and Developments. Routledge. ISBN 9781138281295. 454 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Bowman, Sarah K; Crookes, Adrian; Ihlen, Øyvind & Rometni, Stefania (2018). Public relations and the power of creativity. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781787692923. 232 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind & Fredriksson, Magnus (2018). Public relations and social theory: Key figures, concepts and developments. Routledge. ISBN 9781138281301. 454 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind & L., Heath Robert (2018). Handbook of organizational rhetoric and communication. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 9781119265771. 510 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Ruler, Betteke van; Smit, Iekje; Ihlen, Øyvind & Romenti, Stefania (2017). How strategic communication shapes value and innovation in society. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781787147171. 300 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Rommetvedt, Hilmar; Ihlen, Øyvind & Raknes, Ketil (2025). Strategic communication in lobbying: A framework for analyses of interest group messaging across multiple audiences. Full text in Research Archive
• Kjeldsen, Jens Elmelund; Ihlen, Øyvind & Mølster, Ragnhild (2025). Hvordan bygge og opprettholde tillit i krisetider med lærdom fra pandemihåndtering. doi: https:/w3.uib.no/nb/pandemi/175737/pandemifrokost-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Presentering av resultatene i boken Navigating pandemic phases. 'Temaene som presenteres er: Tillit og troverdighet som byggesteiner Åpenhet og uenighet: Retorikkens rolle i kriser Den norske dugnadsånden: Kollektiv handling og individuelle valg under pandemien Presentasjoner av Øyvind Ihlen, Ragnhild Mølster og Jens E. Kjeldsen

• Ihlen, Øyvind; Offerdal, Truls Strand; Kjeldsen, Jens Elmelund; Just, Sine Nørholm & Rasmussen, Joel (2025). Tillit og kommunikasjon i krisetider: Lærdom fra pandemihåndteringen. Kommunikasjonsforeningen. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I den nylig utgitte boka “Navigating Pandemic Phases” har vi analysert hvordan norske helsemyndigheter gikk fram under nettopp koronapandemien. De negative langtidseffektene og den juridiske håndteringen diskuteres fortsatt. På tillitsfronten ga likevel et flertall av nordmenn tommelen opp til myndighetene gjennom så å si hele pandemien. Måten myndighetene kommuniserte på bidro til etterlevelse av smitteråd og at spredningen ble kontrollert. I boka ser vi nærmere på hvordan troverdighet ble samskapt, når for eksempel eksperter var uenige med myndighetene.

• Robinson, Jessica Yarin & Ihlen, Øyvind (2021). "Public health authorities in a global context: A multi-lingual network approach to corona discourse on Twitter." Presented at the ECREA Political Communication Section Interim Conference, Bucharest [Virtual], March 26-27, 2021. Full text in Research Archive
• Robinson, Jessica Yarin & Ihlen, Øyvind (2021). "The Presence of National Public Health Institutes in Twitter Discussions of COVID-19." Presented at the 71st Annual ICA Conference [Virtual], May 27-31, 2021. Full text in Research Archive
• Brønn, Peggy Simcic; Ihlen, Øyvind & Buhmann, Alexander (2020). Kunstig intelligens og PR. Communication for Leaders. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Valentini, Chiara; Davidson, Scott & Shavit, Anna (2020). Lobbying, the public interest, and democracy: Communication perspectives. Journal of Public Affairs. ISSN 1472-3891. 20(2). doi: 10.1002/pa.2091. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind & Washbourne, Neil (2020). Public relations and democracy. In Tench, Ralph & Waddington, Stephen (Ed.), Exploring Public Relations and Management Communication. Pearson Education Academic Publisher. ISSN 9781292321745. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Gabrielsen, Jonas & Falkman, Lena Lid (2019). Temaintroduksjon: Virksomhetsretorikk. Rhetorica Scandinavica. ISSN 1397-0534. p. 7–21. Full text in Research Archive
• Brønn, Peggy Simcic; Buhmann, Alexander & Ihlen, Øyvind (2019). Kunstig intelligens og PR. Dagens næringsliv. ISSN 0803-9372. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Raknes, Ketil & Larsson, Anders Olof (2019). Twitter, Lobbying and Democracy. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Raknes, Ketil & Larsson, Anders Olof (2019). The Democratic Success of Twitter as a Lobbying tool. Full text in Research Archive
• Buhmann, Alexander; Ihlen, Øyvind & Aaen-Stockdale, Craig (2018). Big theory in a small field: how Habermas’ works have impacted public relations research. Full text in Research Archive
• Buhmann, Alexander & Ihlen, Øyvind (2017). The fate of Habermas’ theory in public relations. A quantitative review of three decades of public relations research. Full text in Research Archive
• Raknes, Ketil & Ihlen, Øyvind (2017). “Everyone will be better off”: Rhetorical strategies in public lobbying campaigns". Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind; Raknes, Ketil & Kjeldsen, Jens Elmelund (2016). Self-interest in new wrapping: “Appeal to community” as a topos in lobbying. Full text in Research Archive
• Raknes, Ketil & Ihlen, Øyvind (2016). Framing “the common good”: Professional lobbying in the media spotlight. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind (2016). Rhetorical theory. In Carroll, Craig E. (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Corporate Reputation. Sage Publications. ISSN 9781483376516. p. 716–718. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind & Verhoeven, Piet (2016). Organization-society relationship. In Scott, C. Ronald & Lewis, Laurie (Ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Organizational Communication. Wiley-Blackwell. ISSN 9781118955567. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind & Verhoeven, Piet (2016). Social theory. In Carroll, Craig E. (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Corporate Reputation. Sage Publications. ISSN 9781483376516. p. 778–780. Full text in Research Archive
• Ihlen, Øyvind (2016). Framing theory. In Carroll, Craig E. (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Corporate Reputation. Sage Publications. ISSN 9781483376516. p. 330–332. Full text in Research Archive

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