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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.

35book editions
110scientific and professional papers
120+conference presentations
250+supervised theses
28awards and honours
3translation languages (EN · ES · SK)

The complete list of papers, citations and h-index is available on Google Scholar.

Papers

Selected papers

SOCRATES – YES communication model in medicine: a new paradigmatic framework for improving clinical and organizational communication — first pageLiječnički 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 →
Public Diplomacy PR: From Information Management to Meaning Management — first pageResearch 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) · 2026ZORAN TOMIĆCelebrity 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) · 2026DOCX

Celebrity 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 →
The Manager of Meaning in Contemporary Public Relations — first pageSouth 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

    Zoran Tomić, Danijela Marojević Tomić and Ivan Eugen Tomić2026Scientific paperCroatian

    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.

    PDF
  • Public Diplomacy PR: From Information Management to Meaning Management

    Zoran Tomić2026Research paper (manuscript)Croatian
    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.

    PDF
  • Celebrity Public Relations in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: From Visibility to Meaning Management

    Zoran Tomić2026Research paper (manuscript)Croatian
    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.

    DOCX
  • The Manager of Meaning in Contemporary Public Relations

    Zoran Tomić2025Original scientific paperEnglish

    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.

    PDF

Projects and models

01 · 2026–

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.

02 · 2023–

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.

03 · 2026

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 framework