COMMUNICATION CAPITALISM: PABLIC RELATIONS AS A CULTURAL MATRIX OF THE POST-INDUSTRIAL ERA

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to conceptualize the phenomenon of public relations (PR) as a cultural dominant of post-industrial society, identifying the transformation of its social functions in the transition from an industrial to a creative economy and the commercialization of the public sphere, as well as integrating the theoretical contributions of Ukrainian researchers into this problematic.

Methodology. The research is based on the principles of socio-cultural analysis and critical communication theory. Methods of scientific literature analysis, synthesis of theoretical concepts (including A. Cronin's theory of promotional capitalism, D. Bell's concept of post-industrial society, and J. Habermas's theory of the public sphere), as well as a case study method for analyzing the activities of modern digital communication conglomerates were employed. Additionally, a comparative analysis was used to juxtapose international and Ukrainian academic discourses.

Scientific novelty. The article substantiates the thesis that PR has transformed from a management tool into a fundamental cultural mechanism of post-industrial society, shaping a new form of social contract – «commercial democracy». For the first time in Ukrainian academic discourse, the transition from traditional PR to «hybrid digital communications» is comprehensively analyzed as an ideologically engaged phenomenon disguised as a neutral data infrastructure. The theoretical framework is expanded by incorporating the works of Ukrainian scholars (T. Korzhova, O. Kopiievska, O. Uhodnikova, and others) who study the socio-cultural determinants of PR in the context of globalization and creative industries.

Conclusions. Post-industrial society is characterized by the fusion of communication, capital, and culture, where PR acts not merely as a mediator but as an active creator of social meanings and hierarchies. PR is transforming into a «culture» in the sense of a mode of producing reputations, identities, and political legitimacy, leading to the blurring of boundaries between the public and private, the political and commercial, reality and simulacrum. Ukrainian scholarly thought offers valuable additions regarding the national specificity of PR as a socio-cultural practice, allowing for the avoidance of Western cultural imperialism.