Shaping Power Through Perception: The Role of Public Relations in Constructing the Image of a Cantonal Prime Minister

Damir Šehanović, Enita Čustović

Abstract


In contemporary political systems, strategic communication is a key mechanism for shaping leadership perception and public trust in government institutions. This paper explores the role of public relations in the Office of the Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton, focusing on instruments of strategic
communication and the construction of political leadership perception, while comparing these practices with those of the Istrian County in Croatia. The research pursues two main objectives: a scientific one – to contribute to the debate on the professionalization of political PR, and a social one – to provide recommendations for improving communication strategies of local and regional governments. A qualitative framework was applied, combining case study analysis, semi-structured interviews, and comparative review. The hypotheses assume that Sarajevo Canton relies predominantly on reactive communication (H1), employs fewer proactive narratives and storytelling compared to Istria (H2), that digital presence plays a crucial role in shaping leadership perception (H3), and that PR professionalization depends more on the leader’s personal capacities than on institutional strategy (H4). Findings confirm the importance of a strategic approach while highlighting institutional instability and political fragmentation as major obstacles in Sarajevo Canton.


Keywords


Istria County; leadership perception; local government; public relations; Sarajevo Canton; strategic communication

Full Text:

PDF

References


Badu, James, Bjørn Ivar Kruke, Gunhild Birgitte Saetren (2023), ˝Crisis communication and trustworthiness among crisis actors: towards a typology of crisis management difficulties ˝, Safety in Extreme Environments, 5(2), 119-130.

Bernays, Edward L. (1928), Propaganda, H. Liveright, New York, NY

Besley, John C., Anthony Dudo (2022), ˝Strategic communication as planned behavior for science and risk communication: A theory-based approach to studying communicator choice˝, Risk Analysis, 42(11), 2584–2592.

Broomfield, Heather, Lisa Reutter (2022), ˝In Search of the Citizen in the Datafication of Public Administration˝, Big Data & Society, 9(1).

Coombs, Timothy (2014), Ongoing crisis communication: Planning, managing, and responding (4th ed.), SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA

Craft, Stephanie, Seth Ashley, Adam Maksl (2017), ˝News media literacy and political engagement: What’s the connection?˝, Journal of Media Literacy Education, 9(1), 111–128.

Entman, Robert M. (1993), ˝Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm˝, Journal of Communication, 43(4), 51–58.

Fairhurst, Gail T. (2011), The power of framing: Creating the language of leadership, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA

Flick, Uwe (2014), An introduction to qualitative research (5th ed.), SAGE, London

Frau-Meigs, Divina (2012), ˝Transliteracy as the new research horizon for media and information literacy˝, Medijske studije, 3(6), 14–26.

Goffman, Erving (1959), The presentation of self in everyday life, Anchor Books, New York, NY

Grunig, James E., Todd Hunt (1984), Managing public relations, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, NY

Hackman, Michael Z., Craig E. Johnson (2013), Leadership: A communication perspective (6th ed.), Waveland Press, Long Grove, IL

Hammami, Khouloud, Senda Baghdadi (2024), ˝The importance of personal branding in an election campaign: The case of the presidential elections˝, Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 28(3), 1-17.

Hirsch, Bernhard, Fabienne-Sophie Schäfer, Aleksander Aristovnik, Polonca Kovač, Dejan Ravšelj (2022), ˝The impact of digitalized communication on the effectiveness of local administrative authorities – Findings from Central European countries in the COVID-19 crisis˝, Journal of Business Economics, 93(1–2), 173–192.

Kreiss, Daniel (2016), Prototype politics: Technology-intensive campaigning and the data of democracy, Oxford University Press, Oxford

Lilleker, Darren G. (2006),Key concepts in political communication, SAGE, London

Martinović, Drago (2023), Odnosi s javnošću u jedinicama lokalne samouprave, Hrvatska udruga za odnose s javnošću i Savez općina i gradova Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine, Zagreb/Sarajevo

Maziashvili, Maia, Agnieszka Pleśniak, Izabela Kowalik (2022), ˝The digital communication tools and citizens’ relationship with local governments: a comparison of Georgian and Polish cities˝, International Review of Administrative Sciences, 89(2); https://doi.org/10.1177/00208523221079746

McNair, Brian (2011), An introduction to political communication (5th ed.), Routledge, London

Mehrabian, Albert (1972), Nonverbal communication, Aldine-Atherton, Chicago, IL

Michels, Ank (2011), ˝Innovations in democratic governance: How does citizen participation contribute to a better democracy?˝, International Review of Administrative Sciences, 77(2), 275–293.

Nimmo, Dan D., Robert L. Savage (1976). Candidates and their images: Concepts, methods, and findings, Goodyear Publishing, Santa Monica, CA

Nye, Joseph S. (2008), ˝Public diplomacy and soft power˝, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 616(1), 94–109.

Strömbäck, Jesper (2008), ˝Four phases of mediatization: An analysis of the mediatization of politics˝, The International Journal of Press/Politics, 13(3), 228–246.

Tomić, Zoran (2016), Odnosi s javnošću: teorija i praksa (2. dopunjeno i izmijenjeno izdanje), Synopsis, Zagreb/Sarajevo

Voltmer, Katrin, Kjetil Selvik, Jacob Hoigilt (2021), ˝Hybrid Media and Hybrid Politics: Contesting Informational Uncertainty in Lebanon and Tunisia˝, The International Journal of Press/Politics, 26(4), 937–958.

Westen, Drew (2007), The political brain: The role of emotion in deciding the fate of the nation, Public Affairs, New York, NY




DOI: https://doi.org/10.51558/2490-3647.2025.10.2.1117

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


ISSN: 2490-3604 (print) ● ISSN: 2490-3647 (online)

Društvene i humanističke studije - DHS is under the Creative Commons licence.