A decade of social media in public relations research: A systematic review of published articles in 2010–2020

Social media (SM) has become a key operating channel in public relations (PR) and triggered PR scholars to learn more about the value of SM. Using a systematic review, this study was designed to investigate the authorship, topics, methodologies, and theoretical frameworks featured in SM-related PR research in the period of 2010–2020. A total of 575 articles from nine PR-focused peer-reviewed journals were selected and content-analyzed. The findings provide a better understanding of SM research in the field of PR and suggest future directions for SM research, including diverse SM platforms, big data, ethical challenges, and SM usage during COVID-19.