THE PEOPLE’S PR: PUBLIC RELATIONS, OCCUPY WALL STREET, AND THE STATUS QUO By CAMILLE REYES A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Communication, Information and Library Studies Written under the direction of Dr. Todd Wolfson and approved by ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey MAY 2016 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION The People’s PR: Public Relations, Occupy Wall Street, and the Status Quo by CAMILLE REYES Dissertation Director: Dr. Todd Wolfson This dissertation presents a case study of the New York City based Press Relations Working Group (Press WG) of Occupy Wall Street (OWS), the 2011 social movement that advocated for economic justice in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The inquiry explores the group’s practices of public relations in order to understand how they and other stakeholders co-constructed meanings concerning social justice at the time. The semi-structured interviews with former group members, public relations practitioners in their own right, as well as select work product (e.g. press releases) and internal documents are analyzed through the circuit of culture (Du Gay, et al., 2013). A theory stemming from Cultural Studies, the circuit of culture framework affords sharper understandings of power relations and processes of making meaning—of which public relations is a part. The case study data reveal at least six findings related to four themes concerning governance, professional and amateur practices, social media usage, and diversity of representation. Through these lenses, the interpretive analysis advances three arguments: 1. Although social movement activists and scholars have claimed that OWS was horizontal or flat in its governance structure and decision making processes, in ii practice the picture was complicated by multiple, often hierarchical forms of decision making and governance; 2. Despite widespread evidence of social media use throughout the movement, the Press WG was largely dependent on traditional tactics of public relations; 3. Public relations as practiced in the group empowered some, but oppressed others. These arguments not only clarify the role(s) of public relations practice in the case study, but also advance critical-cultural understandings of public relations theory. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. William Shakespeare, Hamlet My father quotes Shakespeare frequently. He deploys the epigram to remind his little Horatio that wonder and ghosts are to be welcomed; learning something new is sometimes scary, but that’s when the important discoveries are often made. I can easily say that I have been terrified on many occasions throughout the process of this dissertation, but to whatever measure I overcame my fears I owe the fruits to my Heavenly Father-Mother and to my earthly advisors. I’d like to tell you briefly about them now, starting with my dissertation committee at the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University—a community that funded my work for three years through the opportunity to teach hundreds of wonderful students. Todd Wolfson, my chair, knows more about social movements and activism than I ever will. He is also exceedingly kind. I am a better researcher for working with him on multiple qualitative inquiries throughout graduate school, including the dissertation. Susan Keith is the kind of close reader and editor one only dreams of working with and I am grateful for her unflagging attention to detail. In addition, I would not be presently employed without her mentorship. Every committee needs a person to converse with about theory, and Melissa Aronczyk played that part for me with aplomb. I appreciate her ability to challenge my thinking and assumptions. Last but not least, Pat Curtin, my outside committee member from University of Oregon, destroys the idea that an outside iv member is somehow removed. Every bit the public relations insider and expert, Pat’s counsel, as well as her scholarship, ignited this inquiry. Special thanks are also due to the members of the Occupy Wall Street Press Working Group for their time and candor. I’d like to call attention to Aaron Trammell who readily debated and broke bread with me throughout graduate school, as well as Gayle Gatchalian who since our days at NYU has offered remarkable insights and editing skills to my endeavors. As with any project of this length, there are countless colleagues who help along the way. Here are some of their names: Marie Haverfield, Jessica Crowell, Emily Knox, Jack Bratich, Jennifer Gibbs, Amanda Carpenter, Marie Radford, Stephanie Mikitish, Adrienne Russell, Mark Crispin Miller, Bryce Renninger, Ziad Matni, Frank Bridges, Nadia Riley Rodriguez, Jessa Lingel, Christine Goldthwaite, Jacob Sanchez, Vanessa Kitzie, Deepa Kumar, Aram Sinnreich, Maria Dalbelo, Frank Durham, Jennifer Henderson, and Steve Miller. I owe Erica Robles-Anderson for keeping me in graduate school. Her belief in me made the difference. Turning to my family, my partner was a compass when I would forget why this project matters. Her intelligence sparkled when I needed it most. She was always there waiting with kindness when I emerged “from the zone.” I am blessed beyond measure to share this life with her. I had the opportunity to move in with my grandmother, Mary J. Pate, to devote my time to writing. She was a constant reminder of the importance of faith and gratitude in overcoming all obstacles. What a privilege to share her home; what an environment from which to write! Visits from sister Cate Howe, uncles George, Brian and Alan v “Hoghead” Pate, and aunts Lorrie and Karina Pate were also lovely. Alan, in particular, always asked thought provoking questions. Living with Granny put me in proximity to my father and stepmother, Antonio and Michel Reyes. My day off each week was spent with them playing tennis, eating pizza, and watching Game of Thrones. They fueled me with joy. My father was and is my greatest cheerleader, and I his. The entire Reyes family, a.k.a. the Cuban contingent, made me laugh throughout the process. My mother, Dr. Linda Pate Miller, inspired me to go into the family business. I thank her for reading and editing many drafts in a way that advanced clarity and helped me to sleep at night. She instilled in me a life-long love of learning and provided a strong, intelligent role model. I guess in a way, Mom gave me a yearning for philosophy and Dad gave me a wonder about ghosts. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION ................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: THE PEOPLE’S PR ........................................................... 1 Research Questions .......................................................................................................................... 5 RQ1. ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5 RQ 2. ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6 RQ 3. ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Contribution of the Dissertation ............................................................................................... 16 Chapter 2: HISTORY AND CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT ............................................. 21 PR History, The American Way .................................................................................................. 21 Resisting Corporate Takeovers ................................................................................................. 23 Alternative Histories of PR and Social Movements After 1960 ...................................... 24 Civil Rights. ...................................................................................................................................................... 25 Occupy Wall Street in Contemporary Context ...................................................................... 31 2011: The Year of the Social Movement. ............................................................................................ 31 Chapter 3: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ................. 40 Technology in Social Movements .............................................................................................. 40 The Continuum of Technology. ............................................................................................................... 42 The Egyptian Revolution and technology. ......................................................................................... 45 Technology and Liberty. ............................................................................................................................ 46 Public