Public relations in a democratic context enables open, accessible and transparent dialogue between a diverse group of participants through relationship-building and the promoting of trustworthy and open communication, which involves a variety of media platforms. Public relations is a factor in establishing communication opportunities for voluntary participation by various publics and public relations practitioners in order for them to influence the “conditions of their existence” and contribute to the development of social capital (Sommerfeldt, 2013, p. 283). Building trusting relationships with others whose opinions differ from one’s own is an essential precondition for change and the building of social capital. The media play an important role in assisting individuals to restore trust in one another, and public relations practices are essential for establishing communities which share a common purpose and contribute to a fully functional society (Sommerfeldt, 2013).

The research reported here was conducted to investigate the principles and methods used by Primedia Broadcasting South Africa’s LeadSA initiative to start and facilitate social dialogue and contribute to social change. The LeadSA initiative is an example of an organization practicing public relations activism in South Africa and whose public relations practitioners are actively involved as change agents in societal issues. The dialogic theory of public relations (Kent & Taylor, 2002); third culture building (Bardhan, 2011; Casmir, 1999; Kent & Taylor, 2011), and agenda-setting theory were used as theoretical frameworks. Data were collected by means of interviews with key decision-makers at LeadSA. In addition, a variety of documents, such as electronic newsletters, internal documents and research reports, were analyzed. A case study approach was used to contextualize the theory and illustrate the principles and practices implemented by LeadSA.