Research
Research
Professor Tomić's research spans public relations theory and political communication, communication in medicine and sport. At the centre of his recent work is the theory of meaning management — the claim that the fundamental object of contemporary public relations is meaning, not information.
The complete list of papers, citations and h-index is available on Google Scholar.
Selected papers
Liječnički vjesnik · 2026PDF · 7 pp.SOCRATES – YES communication model in medicine: a new paradigmatic framework for improving clinical and organizational communication
Komunikacija u medicini mnogo je više od razmjene informacija. Cilj je rada prikazati i konceptualno utemeljiti integrativni komunikacijski model SOKRAT – DA temeljen na Sokratovoj metodi potvrdnih odgovora te razmotriti njegovu primjenjivost u različitim oblicima medicinske komunikacije (liječnik – pacijent, liječnik – obitelj, liječnik – student, interdisciplinarni timovi i organizacijsko upravljanje). Model se sastoji od šest koraka: početno usklađivanje, uvažavanje, sokratovsko navođenje, formuliranje informacije i preporuke, povratna sprega te zaključno „da“ i ohrabrenje.Zoran Tomić, Danijela Marojević Tomić and Ivan Eugen TomićRead →
Research paper (manuscript) · 2026PDF · 10 pp.Public Diplomacy PR: From Information Management to Meaning Management
Suvremena javna diplomacija prolazi kroz duboku transformaciju uzrokovanu digitalizacijom komunikacije, razvojem društvenih mreža, globalnih medijskih platformi i umjetne inteligencije. Cilj ovoga rada jest analizirati razvoj javne diplomacije od modela usmjerenih na prijenos informacija prema pristupu koji u središte stavlja procese interpretacije i oblikovanja značenja među međunarodnim javnostima. Rad zaključuje da budućnost javne diplomacije neće određivati količina proizvedenih informacija, nego sposobnost država da razumiju i usmjeravaju procese kroz koje međunarodne javnosti oblikuju percepcije, povjerenje, reputaciju i međunarodni utjecaj.Zoran TomićRead →Znanstveni rad (rukopis) · 2026Celebrity Public Relations u doba umjetne inteligencije: od vidljivosti do menadžmenta značenjaSažetakRad razvija konceptualni okvir za razumijevanje Celebrity Public Relations u digitalnom i umjetnom inteligencijom posredovanom komunikacijskom okruženju, integrirajući teorije odnosa s javnošću, celebrity studija, digitalne komunikacije i Teoriju menadžmenta značenja u odnosima s javnošću. Predlažu se nova definicija Celebrity Public Relations u doba umjetne inteligencije, koncept Celebrity Meaning Managera te Meaning Management Model of Celebrity Public Relations.Research paper (manuscript) · 2026DOCXCelebrity Public Relations in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: From Visibility to Meaning Management
Rad razvija konceptualni okvir za razumijevanje Celebrity Public Relations u digitalnom i umjetnom inteligencijom posredovanom komunikacijskom okruženju, integrirajući teorije odnosa s javnošću, celebrity studija, digitalne komunikacije i Teoriju menadžmenta značenja u odnosima s javnošću. Predlažu se nova definicija Celebrity Public Relations u doba umjetne inteligencije, koncept Celebrity Meaning Managera te Meaning Management Model of Celebrity Public Relations.Zoran TomićRead →
South Eastern European Journal of Communication · 2025PDF · 16 pp.The Manager of Meaning in Contemporary Public Relations
In the contemporary communication environment marked by information overproduction, audience fragmentation, and the digital circulation of interpretations, public relations is increasingly transforming from a communication support function into a strategic organisational function. This paper advances the thesis that contemporary public relations can be theoretically understood as an institutionalised practice of meaning management, whereby the public relations professional is conceptualised as a manager of meaning. The contribution of the paper lies in analytically repositioning meaning management from general management theory into the core of public relations theory: the primary objective is not information dissemination, but interpretive stability, trust, and legitimacy.Zoran TomićRead →SOCRATES – YES communication model in medicine: a new paradigmatic framework for improving clinical and organizational communication
Liječnički vjesnik, 148 (2026), 115–121 · DOI: 10.26800/LV-148-3-4-6
Abstract
Komunikacija u medicini mnogo je više od razmjene informacija. Cilj je rada prikazati i konceptualno utemeljiti integrativni komunikacijski model SOKRAT – DA temeljen na Sokratovoj metodi potvrdnih odgovora te razmotriti njegovu primjenjivost u različitim oblicima medicinske komunikacije (liječnik – pacijent, liječnik – obitelj, liječnik – student, interdisciplinarni timovi i organizacijsko upravljanje). Model se sastoji od šest koraka: početno usklađivanje, uvažavanje, sokratovsko navođenje, formuliranje informacije i preporuke, povratna sprega te zaključno „da“ i ohrabrenje.
Public Diplomacy PR: From Information Management to Meaning Management
Abstract
Suvremena javna diplomacija prolazi kroz duboku transformaciju uzrokovanu digitalizacijom komunikacije, razvojem društvenih mreža, globalnih medijskih platformi i umjetne inteligencije. Cilj ovoga rada jest analizirati razvoj javne diplomacije od modela usmjerenih na prijenos informacija prema pristupu koji u središte stavlja procese interpretacije i oblikovanja značenja među međunarodnim javnostima. Rad zaključuje da budućnost javne diplomacije neće određivati količina proizvedenih informacija, nego sposobnost država da razumiju i usmjeravaju procese kroz koje međunarodne javnosti oblikuju percepcije, povjerenje, reputaciju i međunarodni utjecaj.
- DOCX
Celebrity Public Relations in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: From Visibility to Meaning Management
Abstract
Rad razvija konceptualni okvir za razumijevanje Celebrity Public Relations u digitalnom i umjetnom inteligencijom posredovanom komunikacijskom okruženju, integrirajući teorije odnosa s javnošću, celebrity studija, digitalne komunikacije i Teoriju menadžmenta značenja u odnosima s javnošću. Predlažu se nova definicija Celebrity Public Relations u doba umjetne inteligencije, koncept Celebrity Meaning Managera te Meaning Management Model of Celebrity Public Relations.
The Manager of Meaning in Contemporary Public Relations
South Eastern European Journal of Communication, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Winter 2025), University of Mostar · DOI: 10.47960/2712-0457.2025.2.7.7
Abstract
In the contemporary communication environment marked by information overproduction, audience fragmentation, and the digital circulation of interpretations, public relations is increasingly transforming from a communication support function into a strategic organisational function. This paper advances the thesis that contemporary public relations can be theoretically understood as an institutionalised practice of meaning management, whereby the public relations professional is conceptualised as a manager of meaning. The contribution of the paper lies in analytically repositioning meaning management from general management theory into the core of public relations theory: the primary objective is not information dissemination, but interpretive stability, trust, and legitimacy.
Projects and models
Intelligent Communication
A new research project: how to understand people, build trust and manage meaning in the age of artificial intelligence. Findings are published as an essay series on the PR 4.0 portal.
Encyclopaedia of Public Relations
From the Encyclopaedic Dictionary (2023) to an open digital encyclopaedia with 190+ entries by 47 authors from the global, European and regional traditions.
The Coach Communication Model (TRENER / COACHES)
A strategic communication model for national-team coaches at press conferences; the English COACHES adaptation of the original Croatian TRENER model.
Theory
Meaning management
Meaning management shifts the centre of public relations from the management of information and relationships to the strategic and ethical management of meaning. Organisations cannot control the meaning their publics will create — but they can take part in shaping it. Professor Tomić introduced the concept in 2026 as a new developmental framework for the profession (PR 4.0).
The frameworkPRTOMIC
The international English-language portal: essays on public relations, intelligent communication, media, politics, leadership and sport.
34 essays · English ↗prtomic.comEncyclopaedia of Public Relations
Concepts, theories, models, methods and people from the global, European and regional traditions — peer-written and ready to cite.
192 entries · 37 authors · Croatian ↗