The role of the PR industry in the disinformation debate has been largely overlooked, while an emphasis has been put on the responsibilities of platforms, media organisations and audiences to monitor content and eliminate fake news. In contrast, this paper argues that disinformation and fake news are well-established tools in PR work and are implicated in the current crisis. Drawing on an exploratory study of UK industry publications about fake news and disinformation, the paper shows that public relations has addressed disinformation as a commercial opportunity and a platform for demonstrating professional legitimacy. Their narratives position professional practice ethical, trustworthy and true, while simultaneously ‘othering’ dubious practices and normalising ‘organised lying’. The paper concludes by arguing that the fight against disinformation must take seriously the impact of public relations, if it is to be effective.

中文翻译：

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有组织的谎言和职业合法性：虚假信息辩论中的公共关系责任

公关行业在虚假信息辩论中的作用在很大程度上被忽视，而强调平台、媒体组织和受众监督内容和消除虚假新闻的责任。相比之下，本文认为虚假信息和假新闻是公关工作中成熟的工具，并与当前的危机有关。该论文借鉴了对英国行业出版物关于假新闻和虚假信息的探索性研究，表明公共关系已将虚假信息视为商业机会和展示专业合法性的平台。他们的叙述将专业实践定位为道德、值得信赖和真实的，同时“其他”可疑实践和规范化“有组织的谎言”。