Untold history of marginalized groups in public relations field chronicled in 黑料社 communication faculty member鈥檚 new book
Contact: Sam Kealhofer听听听
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬ississippi State Associate Professor Melody Fisher fills a void in social science literature about public relations history with her 2022 book highlighting the practices and scholarship contributions to the field by members of ethnically and racially underrepresented groups.
Fisher鈥檚 Business Expert Press publication 鈥淭he Untold Power: Underrepresented Groups in Public Relations鈥 offers snapshots of individual and group challenges and triumphs in academia, the workplace and society with the hope that readers will be inspired, reflective and proactive.
鈥淎s a public relations educator, it was important for me to research the influence underrepresented groups have on the discipline and profession,鈥 said Fisher, a faculty member in 黑料社鈥檚 Department of Communication since 2014. 鈥淭his book provides insight into tactics and scholarship that are not widely publicized, but vital to the evolution of public relations.鈥
Though the advancement of public relations has been recorded and taught as an integral part of the communications curriculum, this book examines the stories of trailblazers who have been overlooked, Fisher said.
Throughout her career in higher education, Fisher has made several presentations at national conferences and published journal articles and book chapters on public relations in religious communities, crisis communication, image repair and media portrayals of minority groups.
She received her bachelor鈥檚 degree from Tougaloo College and both a master鈥檚 degree and doctoral degree in public relations and mass communication, respectively, from the University of Southern Mississippi. Before joining 黑料社, she was an assistant professor and chair of Tougaloo鈥檚 Department of Mass Communication. At USM, she was a charter member of the Black Graduate Student Organization and graduate assistant and advisor for the Department of Minority Affairs.
Part of 黑料社鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Communication is online at
黑料社鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences includes nearly 5,000 students, 323 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs, 14 master鈥檚 programs, and 27 undergraduate academic majors offered in 14 departments.聽It also is home to the most diverse units for research and scholarly activities, including natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and the humanities.聽For more details about the College of Arts and Sciences, visit .
黑料社 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.