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Disruptive and destructive? A typology of social bots in public relations
Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing,
10
(4),
312-325
(2023)
Abstract
While social bots have the potential to become virtual influencers and shape online conversations about organisations, the public relations (PR) industry is largely not prepared for them. This paper provides a working definition of social bots in the context of strategic communication, reviews the use of social bots in PR and proposes a typology of social bots along two dimensions: intent and autonomy. The paper discusses major types of social bots in the PR industry and offers illustrative examples.
Keywords: social bots; public relations; AI; new technology; social media
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Janica Choong is a copywriter in Malaysia. She received her bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations from the College of Journalism & Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her professional expertise lies in copywriting and public relations.
Ming (Bryan) Wang is an associate professor in the College of Journalism & Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His research interests focus on the impact of new communication technologies, particularly social media and artificial intelligence innovations, on health communication, political communication and public relations. His research has been published in such leading communication journals as Com munication Research, Journal of Communication and Journal of Public Relations Education.
