An (other) ‘story’ in history: challenging colonialist public relations in novels of resistance

Abstract

This article extends the scholarship in critical public relations by charting an alternative historiography of public relations. It opens up a radically different methodology for studying the history of PR by looking to contemporary works of historical fiction as compelling sources that speak about the interplay of dominance and resistance in the strategic communication interactions of colonial times. The nuanced critical reinterpretation of the past in novels, depicted through the eyes of fictional characters, provides a fresh perspective on the ways in which public relations was deployed by colonial political and business establishments and, more significantly, how subaltern publics used their own communication strategies to fight back. The analysis illustrates alternative ways of looking at PR that are as relevant today.