Michael L. Kent, Ph.D.

MICHAEL KENT is an Associate Professor of Public Relations at the University of Oklahoma's Gaylord College. Kent has been teaching for more than 20 years and has taught more than 35 different courses, including Introduction to Public Relations, Public Relations Writing, Cases, Campaigns, and Management, Public Speaking and Advanced Public speaking, Persuasion, Media and Mass Culture, and others. Kent conducts research on New Technology, Mediated Communication, Dialogue, International Communication, and Web Communication. Recently, Kent has been exploring the academic and professional opportunities involved in e-publishing, has written several e-books, and will run a preconference seminar at the 2011 National Communication Association convention on e-publishing. In 2010, Kent conducted an end of project evaluation for Internews’ “Local Voices” HIV/AIDS journalist training program in Ethiopia. Kent consults on research methods, message design, mediated communication, journalism, and public relations. Kent has published dozens of articles and books, including a public relations writing textbook, and two public speaking textbooks. In 2006, Kent spent the fall semester in Riga, Latvia on a Fulbright Scholarship. Kent received his Doctorate from Purdue University, his Master’s from the University of Oregon, and his Bachelor’s from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Selected Publications

Books

• Kent, M. L., (2011). Public relations writing: A rhetorical approach. Boston: Allyn and Bacon
• Kent, M. L., & Sommerfeldt, E. (2011). Instructors Manual: Public relations writing: A rhetorical approach. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Note: password required for download
• Kent, M. L., (2011). Bare Bones Public Speaking. Amazon.com/Kindle.
• Kent, M. L., (2011). Toasts, Eulogies, Introductions, and Other Special Occasion Speeches. Amazon.com/Kindle.
• Kent, M. L., (2011). Mac to Kindle: Secrets and Lies of Perfect Formatting. Amazon.com/Kindle.
• Kent, M. L., (2011). Microsoft Word (PC) to Kindle: Secrets and Lies of Perfect Formatting . Amazon.com/Kindle.
• Kent, M. L., (in press). What Every Business Professional Should Know About Social media and New Technology. Amazon.com/Kindle. Nothing here, just prepping the link for when the book is done...

Articles, Book Chapters, etc.

• Kent, M. L. (2011). Public Relations Rhetoric: Criticism, Dialogue, and the Long Now. Management Communication Quarterly, x(y), x–y
• Kent, M. L., Taylor, M., & Veil, S. R. (2011). Issues management makeover: A facelift for an aging theory. In M. Goralski, H. P. LeBlanc III, & M. L. Adams (Eds.), Business research yearbook: Balancing profitability and sustainability: Shaping the future of business, 18(2), (pp. 534–541). Beltsville, MD: International Academy of Business Disciplines.
• Kent, M. L. & Taylor, M. (2011). How intercultural communication theory informs global public relations practice. In, N. Bardhan & K. Weaver (Eds.), Public Relations in Global Public Relations Contexts: Multiparadigmatic Perspectives, (pp. 50–76). New York: Routledge.
• Kent, M. L. (in press, 2010). (Draft copy) Chapter 45: Directions in social media for professionals and scholars. In, R. Heath (Ed.) Handbook of Public Relations (2nd Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
(Draft copy)
• Kent, M. L. (2010). What is a public relations “Crisis?” Refocusing crisis research. In W. T. Coombs, & S. J. Holladay (Eds.), Handbook of crisis communication, (pp. 705–712). Oxford, England: Wiley/Blackwell.
• Taylor, M. & Kent, M. L. (2010). Anticipatory Socialization in the Use of Social Media in Public Relations: A Content Analysis of PRSA's Public Relations Tactics. Public Relations Review, 36(3), 207–214 (lead article).
• Kent, M. L., & Taylor, M. (2010). The death of Second Life: A case study of a (old) new “technology.” In R. A. Oglesby, H. P. Leblanc, III, M. G. Adams (Eds.), Business Research Yearbook: Global Business Perspectives, 17(2), (pp. 603-610). International Academy of Business Disciplines (IABD).
• Kent, M. L., & Taylor, M. (2009). (Web)Monkeying around in the classroom: Using new technology in the classroom. The Community College Journalist, 37(3), 33–35.
• McAllister, S., & Kent, M. L. (2009). Dialogic public relations and resource dependency: New Jersey community colleges as models for web site effectiveness. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 17(4), 220–239.
• Veil, S. R., & Kent, M. L. (2008). Issues Management and Inoculation: Tylenol's Responsible Dosing Advertising. Public Relations Review 34(4), 399–402.
• Kent, M. L., Taylor, M. & Stratton, M. (2008). The Flexible Syllabus. The community college journalist (GIFT 2008 Summer Edition), 36(2), 26–28.
• Kent, M. L., (2008). Critical analysis of blogging in public relations. Public Relations review 34(1), 32–40.
• Kent, M. L., Taylor, M., & McAllister-Spooner, S. M. (2008). Research in dialogic theory and public relations. In R. R. Mathur (Ed.), Public relations: An ethics engagement. New Delhi, India: Icfai University Press.
• Taylor, M., & Kent, M. L. (2007). A taxonomy of crisis response on the Internet. Public Relations Review 33(2), 140–146.
• Kent, M. L., & Taylor, M. (2007). Beyond “excellence” in international public relations research: An examination of generic theory in Bosnian public relations. Public Relations Review 33(1), 10–20.
• Taylor, M., & Kent, M. L. (2007). Issue management and policy justification in Malaysia. In J. L. Courtright & P. M. Smudde (Eds.), Power and public relations, (pp. 126–149). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
• Taylor, M., & Kent, M. L. (2006). Nation building: Public relations theory and practice. In V. Hazelton & C. Botan (Eds.), Public relations theory II, (pp. 341–359). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
• Kent, M. L., Harrison, T. R., & Taylor, M. (2006). A critique of Internet polls as symbolic representation and pseudo-events. Communication Studies 57(3), 299–315.
• Kent, M. L., Taylor, M., & Turcilo, L. (2006). Public relations by newly privatized businesses in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Public Relations Review 32(1), 10–17.
• Kent, M. L. (2005). Conducing Better Research: Google Scholar and the Future of Search Technology. Public Relations Quarterly 50(4), 35–40.
• Kent, M. L., & Taylor, M. (2005). Taking your public relations experience from the boardroom into the classroom. Public Relations Quarterly 50(1), 13–18.
• Taylor, M., & Kent, M. L. (2004). Congressional Web sites and their potential for public dialogue. Atlantic Journal of Communication 12(2), 59–76.
• Kent, M. L. & Taylor, M., (2003). The intercultural travel memo. The Communication Teacher 17(3), 13–15.
• Kent, M. L., & Taylor, M., (2003). Maximizing media relations: A Web site checklist. Public Relations Quarterly 48.(1), 14–18.
• Kent, M. L., Taylor, M., & White, W. (2003). The relationship between Web site design and organizational responsiveness to stakeholders. Public Relations Review 29(1), 66–77.
• Kent, M. L. & Taylor, M. (2002). Toward a dialogic theory of public relations. Public Relations Review 28(1), 21–37.
• Kent, M. L. (2001). Managerial rhetoric and the metaphor of the World Wide Web. Critical Studies in Media Communication 18(3), 359–375.
• Taylor, M., Kent, M. L. & White, W. (2001). How activist organizations are using the Internet to build relationships Public Relations Review 27(3), 263–284.
• Kent, M. L. (2001). Essential tips for searching the web. Public Relations Quarterly 46(1), 4–7.
• Kent, M. L. (2001). Teaching mediated public relations. Public Relations Review 27(1), 59–71.
• Kent, M. L. (2000). Getting the most from your search engine. The Communication Teacher 15(1), 4–7.
• Taylor, M., & Kent, M. L. (2000). Media transitions in Bosnia: From propagandistic past to uncertain future. Gazette 65(5), 355–371.
• Kent, M. L. (1999). How to evaluate Web site validity and reliability. The Communication Teacher 13(4), 4–7.
• Taylor, M. & Kent, M. L. (1999). Challenging assumptions of international public relations: When government is the most important public. Public Relations Review 25(2), 131–144 (lead article).
• Kent, M. L. & Taylor, M. (1999). When public relations becomes government relations. Public Relations Quarterly 44(3), 18–22.
• Kent, M. L. (1998–1999). Does your web site attract or repel customers? Three tests of web site effectiveness. Public Relations Quarterly 43(4), 31–33.
• Kent, M. L., & Taylor, M. (1998). Building dialogic relationships through the World Wide Web. Public Relations Review 24(3), 321–334.
• Kent, M. L., (1997). Dissertation: The rhetoric of eulogies: A generic critique of classic and contemporary funeral oratory. Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana. Advisor: Ralph Webb.
• Kent, M. L. (1991). The rhetoric of eulogy: Topoi of grief and consolation. Studies in Communication and Culture 1(5), 109–119.

Editorial Boards

• Atlantic Journal of Commuication

• International Journal of Strategic Communication

• Public Relations Review

How to Search the Web More Successfully

Teaching

• Journalism and Mass Communication 6091–900: Ph.D. Seminar
• Journalism and Mass Communication 4970/5970: New Technology in Public Relations
• Journalism and Mass Communication 3433: Public Relations Publications, Fall '07
• Journalism and Mass Communication 3423: Public Relations Writing Spring 08
• Journalism and Mass Communication 3433: Public Relations Publications, Spring '08
• Journalism and Mass Communication 4463: Public Relations Management Fall '08
• Journalism and Mass Communication 3433: Public Relations Publications, Fall '08
• Journalism and Mass Communication 3423: Public Relations Writing Spring 09
• Journalism and Mass Communication 3423/3433: Combined Section of Writing and Publication Fall 09
• Journalism and Mass Communication 3423: Public Relations Writing, Spring 10
• Journalism and Mass Communication 4463: Public Relations Management, Spring 10
• Journalism and Mass Communication 3433: Public Relations Publications, Fall 10
• Journalism and Mass Communication 5173: Applied Strategic Communication Theory, Fall 10
• Journalism and Mass Communication 3423/3433: Combined Public Relations Writing/Public Relations Publications (6 cr.), Spring 11
• Journalism and Mass Communication 3423: Public Relations Writing, Fall 11
• Journalism and Mass Communication 6173: Advanced Topics in Strategic Communication: Public Relations, Fall 11
• Other Courses Taught

Policies, Guidelines, Handouts

• Kent's Writing Rules (PDF) (“E-Mail Etiquette,” “APA Style Tips,” “Notes on the Scholarly Essay,” “What to know as a Communication Major”)

• How to Write Reaction & Position Papers (PDF)

• How to Write Business Letters and Memos (PDF)

• Tips For Using Microsoft Word (PDF)

• Notes on the Scholarly Essay (html)

• Classroom Policies (PDF)

Interests/Hobbies/Personal

Last Modified: Monday, August 22, 2011