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This paper brings together new and existing resource material to provide a detailed profile of the regulatory environments affecting the practice of public relations in the UK, Italy and South Africa. It is hoped that by contextualising the social, political and economic factors specific to each country, readers will be more acutely aware of similarities and differences between PR practices in each country. This approach aims to help drive PR policy development by providing a useful template for further national and continental PR regulatory environment mapping.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the emergence and development of public relations in Italy between 1945 and 1960. Its aim is to examine the main actors (corporate and political) involved in the process, how they were influenced by the USA and the emergence of professional associations devoted to expanding the field

The paper is based on research conducted in US and Italian archives and libraries. It analyzes primary sources concerning corporations, government agencies and professional associations involved in promoting public relations in post‐war Italy, such as the United States Information Service, Standard Oil (NJ), Fiat, Piaggio, Olivetti, Pirelli, Intersind.

This paper argues that the introduction of public relations in postwar Italy was strongly influenced by US companies and government agencies, which had a considerable impact on the emergence of professional associations. It also looks at the specific Italian definitions of public relations and points out that in Italy the field of public relations emphasized the importance of “style” and culture over that of marketing, and was often carried out by an array of “humanists” (poets, graphic designers, and writers).

This paper is one of the first studies about the history of public relations in Italy. It points out the peculiarity of the Italian case, by showing the intersection between the terms “propaganda” and “public relations” in a country that had experienced 20 years of Fascist rule.

This paper aims to present different types of data derived from recent surveys of the academic and professional literature. It intends to provide an overall account of the situation of PR professionals in France with insight into their views and their work.

The research question posed is: “What kinds of PR topics are being investigated and how is the professional sphere of PR regarded?”

PR studies are mostly the work of professional organizations. Although numerous studies were conducted by the university sector during the early 1990s in conjunction with the strong development of the communications professional field, there has been a decrease in university studies on PR professionals since early 2000. Generally speaking, studies conducted by professionals are more often focused on skills and activities, whereas those conducted by academics are more often focused on communications professions, people, reasoning behind actions in practice, and skills turned into action.

The various issues underlying the studies examined confirm a growing interest in the working environment, including socio‐political expectations of PR professionals. Through these studies a new perspective of PR professionals as social engineers – versus technicians – seems to appear. In addition, the consideration of societal and social issues by professionals, may suggest that the profession is working to improve its legitimacy.

This paper explores the creation of a global protocol on ethics in public relations. It begins by looking into the global ethical debate. It examines existing codes of ethics of a selection of public relations institutes and associations around the world, provides comparative analysis of these codes and discusses the pros and cons of their enforcement. It suggests that the immediate way forward in a highly litigious world is to provide some values‐based guidance to member associations together with access to an evolving database of case studies illustrating ethical problems. In the medium term more effective sanctions may be possible.

The purpose of this study is to describe the current practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in South Africa, its linkage to corporate social investment (CSI), the impact of new Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) legislation and the contribution that South African public relations practice can have on the development challenges facing the continent of Africa.

Empirical data and reports drawn from various industry and evaluative sources is interpreted in the context of key contemporary elements of practice. The last part of the article provides a theoretical discussion of the public relations role as a “change” agent in South Africa and for the continent of Africa as a whole.

The South African Government’s prescriptive stance on transformation and BEE has thrust the reconsideration of CSR onto every corporate agenda in South Africa. With set targets and expenditure requirements, CSI has become a performance-driven pursuit among businesses seeking to improve their overall BEE scores. At the Pan-African level, a generic model of African public relations with a strong developmental focus is required for the education and training of public relations professionals.

African public relations practice challenges accepted normative approaches in the conceptualisation of a sustainable new global model of the profession. More research will be needed to show how the African humanist approach might impact on the debate about the political, social and economic relevance of the profession in society and the reputation of the profession worldwide.

This study provides historical context for recent developments in public relations in South Africa, providing insights into the direction of the development of public relations practice in Africa.

The purpose of this paper is to examine aspects of corporate social investment (CSI) in the Southern African context.

The paper looks at current practice in Southern Africa against the historical development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and CSI. It looks at the impact of new legislation in South Africa.

The paper concludes by reflecting on the contribution that African public relations practice may have on the development challenges of Africa.

The paper adds insights into CSR in South Africa, focusing for energising trends.