Associate Professor, Journalism, Public Relations and New Media
Waco, TX, UNITED STATES
Professor Neill's research interests include internal communication, public relations management and ethics
Accreditation
2008 - 2010
2013 - Present
2007 - 2008
2011 Oversaw 14 PRSA chapters in 6 states
2012 Participated in meeting in Chicago to select slate of national officers for 2012
2012 - Present
Ph.D., Advertising
Dissertation: Seat at the Table(s): An Examination of Senior Public Relations Practitioners' Power and Influence Among Multiple Executive-Level Coalitions
M.A., Journalism - Strategic Communication
B.Sc., Journalism - Broadcast News
KWBU-FM online
2023-02-02
AUDIO: Marlene Neill, Ph.D., associate professor of journalism, public relations and new media at Baylor, explains how crucible experiences can test, develop and transform leaders.
view morePRSA online
2022-11-03
Marlene Neill, Ph.D., associate professor of journalism, public relations and new media and graduate program director at Baylor, received PRSA’s Outstanding Educator Award, which recognizes and celebrates those who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of public relations education through college or university teaching.
view moreEthical Voices online
2022-06-06
AUDIO: Marlene Neill, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, associate professor and graduate program director of journalism, public relations and new media and Juan Meng, Ph.D., associate professor of public relations at the University of Georgia, share insights from their recent journal article, “The Role of Ethical Leadership in Building Influence: Perspectives from Female Public Relations Professionals.”
view moreInstitute for Public Relations online
2022-06-02
Marlene S. Neill, Ph.D., an associate professor of journalism, public relations and new media at Baylor who researches ethics, internal communication and public relations leadership, co-authored a recent study on the concepts of servant leadership and ethics of care, which stress the value of interpersonal relationships, listening to others and empathy and are critical to public relations practice.
view moreKWBU online
2021-09-02
Marlene Neill, Ph.D., associate professor and graduate program director in the department of journalism, public relations and new media, shares women’s frustrations as employees in a male-dominated workplace.
view moreForbes online
2021-07-30
Marlene Neill, Ph.D., associate professor of journalism, public relations and new media, is quoted in this article about the challenges for employees and managers to continue to build and manage relationships from behind a screen.
view moreAgility/PR Solutions online
2021-01-27
Marlene S. Neill, Ph.D., associate professor of journalism, public relations and new media, discusses the challenges faced by women leaders in public relations, the topic of a new book she co-authored.
view moreExpertFile online
2020-03-16
Marlene Neill, Ph.D., APR, associate professor of journalism, public relations and new media, who is an expert on public relations ethics and management and integrated communications, shares some tips to discover which voices to trust and follow during the coronavirus crisis.
view morePR With The Pros radio
2018-03-01
During this podcast, Neill, assistant professor at Baylor University, touches on topics such as Accreditation in Public Relations, ethics and PRSA/PRSSA.
view moreLearning and Development Professional
2017-06-28
Promoting core values is a way to engage employees, increase their commitment and loyalty, and encourage ethical decision making, according to Marlene Neill, assistant professor of journalism, PR and new media in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences. Neill’s study found that building a business reputation “from the inside out” – with employees acknowledging their company as an ethical place to work – is increasingly being praised as a way to get an edge on competitors (alongside customer service and quality products)...
view moreBaylor Media Communications
2017-02-27
Millennials or Generation Y — generally identified as people born between 1981 or 1982 through 2000 — are projected to make up one third to one half of the country’s workforce by 2025. They will shift from being “doers” to being “deciders” in businesses, and their ethical compass will set the course for subsequent generations of public relations professionals, said study author Marlene Neill, Ph.D., assistant professor of journalism, public relations and new media in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. “The study findings about lack of ethical readiness are a cause for concern,” Neill said. “If Millennials don’t feel equipped, they may be misled by their superiors or used as instruments of unethical behavior.” Without mentoring or training, they must learn by trial and error...
view moreBaylor Media Communications
2015-11-30
“Educators need to address the deficiencies identified in this study and find ways to build these skills and competencies in their courses,” said Marlene S. Neill, Ph.D., assistant professor of journalism, public relations and new media in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. “In the study, we have provided some specific and practical recommendations on how to do so.”...
view moreEntrepreneur
2015-07-07
According to Dr. Marlene Neill, an assistant professor at Baylor University, companies often groom future CEOs (whether they know it or not) by placing them on special projects and committees. In that case, she advises making a name for yourself by making substantive and noticeable contributions...
view morePublic Relations Review
Marlene S. Neill, Nancy Weaver
2017-06-01
Millennial public relations practitioners do not feel prepared to offer ethics counsel and do not expect to face ethical dilemmas at work. Through survey research with more than 200 young professionals, statistically significant differences were found regarding perceptions of readiness to offer ethics counsel based on the availability of a mentor, ethics training in college, and ethics training at work. Through the lens of social identity theory, significant differences were found based on familiarity and likelihood to use ethics resources provided by professional associations. Finally, confidence in discussing ethical concerns with their mentor or direct supervisor did impact their likelihood to offer ethics counsel.
view morePublic Relations Review
Marlene S Neill, Mia Moody
2015
This study examines the strategic roles associated with social media management through the lens of role theory. By analyzing the responses from participants in two focus groups and a survey of public relations and human resources practitioners, we identified nine strategic roles and the associated responsibilities including policy maker, internal collaborator, technology tester, communications organizer, issues manager, relationship analyzer, master of metrics, policing, and employee recruiter...
Journal of Mass Media Ethics
Marlene S Neill, Minette E Drumwright
2012
Scholars have long asserted that public relations (PR) professionals should play the role of organizational conscience, but little research has focused on why and how they play this role effectively. We found that PR professionals who played the role of organizational conscience had broadened conceptions of their roles and responsibilities, including a fervent duty to the public interest. This often put them in the position of providing criticism to powerful organizational players. Rather than raising their ethical concerns as persuasive ...
Journal of Communications Management
Marlene S Neill
2015
The purpose of this paper is to examine what formal executive-level committees senior corporate communications executives are members of and what value they contribute. Design/methodology/approach–The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 30 senior executives at four US companies who discussed corporate communications' involvement in eight strategic issues. Findings–The focus on the C-Suite is too narrow as strategic issues arise at the division level and in executive-level committees.
Public Relations Review
Marlene S. Neill, Hua Jiang
Some companies and organizations are pursuing joint planning and coordination between internal and external communicators; however, functional silos still appear to be a barrier and concern. Through in-depth interviews with 28 communication executives working in the United States, this study provides evidence that dual oversight of external and internal communication by a senior executive from marketing or corporate communication appears to be a good way to reduce functional silos, but the arrangement can weaken the power and influence of internal communicators. Recommendations and implications for practice are provided.