Animal Suffering and Public Relations: The Ethics of Persuasion in the Animal-Industrial Complex

Animal Suffering and Public Relations examines the ethical assessment of public relations, persuasive communication, and lobbying by businesses involved in the animal-industrial complex. It raises concerns about the impact of persuasion and lobbying on compassion towards other animals in various contexts, such as food, experimentation, entertainment, and environmental management. The book offers an interdisciplinary discussion with international case studies from experts in strategic communication, public relations, lobbying, animal ethics, philosophy of law, political philosophy, and social psychology.

Format: Hardback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 18 August 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Animal Suffering and Public Relations is a groundbreaking ethical assessment of public relations, particularly persuasive communication and lobbying, as employed by some of the key players in the animal-industrial complex. This complex involves the industries that engage in the systematic and institutionalized exploitation of animals. Society has been increasingly grappling with the ethical implications of human (ab)use of other animals, a trend that has been propelled by the emergence of animal ethics, which asserts that all sentient beings, owing to their sentience, deserve moral consideration. More recently, other approaches from the social sciences, such as critical animal studies, have also contributed to this growing concern.

In this volume, our primary objective is to initiate an entirely unaddressed discussion within the realm of public relations. Specifically, we aim to problematize the ethics of persuasion when nonhuman animal suffering is involved, particularly the impact of persuasion and lobbying on compassion towards other animals in various contexts, including food, experimentation, entertainment, and environmental management. This book offers an interdisciplinary, theoretical exploration, complemented by international case studies drawn from experts in strategic communication, public relations, lobbying, animal ethics, philosophy of law, political philosophy, and social psychology.

This unique book seamlessly blends the fields of critical public relations, animal ethics, and critical animal studies, making it of direct appeal to a wide range of researchers, academics, and doctoral students across related fields. By examining the ethical dimensions of persuasive communication and lobbying in the context of animal exploitation, Animal Suffering and Public Relations contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between human society, animals, and the moral responsibilities that arise from our interactions with them.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032348353