The Emulation of Conversation: The Public Relations Case against Proposition 112 as a Spectrum of Persuasion

Abstract In 2018, the fracking industry in Colorado embarked on a public relations initiative to defeat Proposition 112, a measure that the industry saw as an existential threat. This study reviewed the messaging used by the fracking industry and its supporters, examining 1,515 text articles (e.g., news accounts, op-eds, etc.) and also 38 Facebook posts from pro-fracking groups. Using Schudson’s (1997) binary framework for public talk, we found that public relations messaging often moved beyond the two realms of problem-solving and sociable messaging. In this case, pro-fracking interests emulated public talk, or conversation, by also offering a blend of problem-solving and sociable talk, what this study calls an “interface” point between Schudson’s binary. This case study found this interface point to be characterized by cohesion messages, or messages that emphasized to audiences that the well-being of fracking operations and Colorado communities were interwoven. This study’s findings point to implications regarding how public relations can attempt to emulate public talk across a spectrum so as to influence democratic deliberation on contemporary issues.