Messages That Move Us

Using the context of corporate social advocacy, this chapter argues for future scholarship focused on the intersection of media psychology and public relations. Media psychologists study behavior, thoughts and feelings in relation to media use and creation, and many scholars in this area are concerned with explaining and predicting the processes, mechanisms, and effects by which individuals interact with media and how media may affect audiences. More specifically, scholarship in this domain that is focused on message design can clarify, for example, why certain corporate social advocacy messages (both in terms of format and content) resonate with some audiences and alienate others, influencing public discourse and action for better or for worse. Literature also points to ways media can be used to inspire, elevate, and stimulate curiosity—in this case, prosocial strategies that public relations practitioners may want to incorporate into their messaging toolkit. This chapter discusses these areas to encourage a new body of literature aimed at theoretical development informing the effective and ethical design of corporate social advocacy messages.