Abstract
A Web survey of 641 public relations practitioners and journalists showed that the source-reporter relationship is conflictual, involving stratagems on both sides. Coorientational analysis simultaneously showed the “mixed views” of the two professions on two dimensions of “conflict” and “strategy.” Both professions disagreed and inaccurately predicted responses of the other. Their inaccurate projection about the views of the other profession was greater than their disagreement, resulting in false dissensus. Nevertheless, the perceived conflict between the two professions appeared to be a strategic choice. Practitioners have a tendency to be accommodative or cooperative, whereas journalists are oriented to conflict as part of their strategic approach to dealing with sources.
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