Q-sort of Major League Baseball communication and public relations professionals

This study examines the roles and functions of public relations professionals in Major League Baseball. Grunig's four models of public relations were used to categorize the perceptions of the respondents regarding this subject.Eleven respondents took part in this study. All were given thirty-six statements that described typical public relations activities and philosophies. The statements were derived from original research conducted by Grunig. Each respondent was asked to sort the statements according to their perceptions of the organization in which they were currently employed.The results of this study were analyzed using the Qmethod program. Two distinct factors were revealed through this process. Factor I perceived their role as advocates for the organization (Grunig's press agency model). Factor II perceived their role a more neutral channel for communication (Grunig's public information model). Both factors believed it was important to relay the truth to the public.Department of JournalismThesis (M.A.