Spiro K. Kiousis, Ph.D., APR
Executive Associate Dean
Professor - Department of Public Relations
Office: 2096 Weimer
Phone: 352-392-0466
Email: skiousis@jou.ufl.edu
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Spiro K. Kiousis, Ph.D., APR
Executive Associate Dean
Professor - Department of Public Relations
Dr. Spiro Kiousis is executive associate dean for the College of Journalism and Communications and is a professor of public relations. He also served as interim dean from January until July of 2021. Previously, he served as chair of the Department of Public Relations from 2006-2012, was director of distance education for the College from 2010-2013, and was a University of Florida Research Foundation Professor from 2009-2011. From 2013-2014, he was selected as a SEC Academic Leadership Development Program fellow from Southeastern Conference universities and in 2021, he was selected as the Florida Public Relations Association Gainesville Chapter Professional of the Year. Throughout his academic career, he has produced over 190 refereed journal articles, book chapters, books, and conference papers/presentations. He holds a B.A. in mass media from the University of San Francisco, an M.A. in media studies from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. His current research interests include political public relations, political communication, and digital communication. Specifically, this interdisciplinary research explores the interplay among political public relations efforts, news media content, and public opinion in domestic and global contexts.
Dr. Kiousis has had articles published in several leading journals, including Communication Research, Journal of Communication, the Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, Mass Communication & Society, Public Relations Review, Communication Yearbook, Communication Education, the International Journal of Public Opinion Research, the International Communication Gazette, Public Relations Journal, Journal of Public Relations Research, Journalism Studies, Journal of Media and Religion, Journal of Political Marketing, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Public Relations Journal, the Southwestern Mass Communication Journal, Journal of Communication Management, and New Media & Society. He also serves on numerous editorial boards and has presented papers to the International Communication Association, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the National Communication Association, the World Association for Public Opinion Research, the American Association for Public Opinion Research, the Southwest Education Council for Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Public Relations Society of America.
Dr. Kiousis’ teaching areas include public relations campaigns, public relations strategy, public relations writing, persuasion theory and research, public relations management, and mass communication theory. He has professional experience in public relations, marketing, online journalism, and media production. He is a member of the graduate faculty, a member of the Commission for Public Relations Education (CPRE), and has his APR credential from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
Education
Ph.D., University of Texas
M.A., Stanford University
B.A., University of San Francisco
News
- Spiro Kiousis selected for prestigious ICA Fellows Class of 2026 (June 7, 2026)
- Study: Use of AI as an integrated entity can help achieve communication goals (May 12, 2026)
- Social bots used in political campaigns can amplify messages and influence sentiment (January 6, 2026)
- New study explores annual reports vs. social media in corporate communications (December 16, 2025)
- UFCJC faculty, graduate students and alumni represented at 2025 National Communication Association Convention (November 21, 2025)
- All News About Spiro Kiousis →
Publications
Recent Refereed Journal Articles
Tarasevich, S., Albishiri, O., Kiousis, S., & Proverbs, P. (Accepted). Mediated Public Diplomacy in the Digital Age: Exploring the Saudi and the U.S. Governments’ Agenda-Building during Trump’s Visit to the Middle East.. public relations review.
Myslik, B., Tarasevich, S., Arceneaux, P., Kiousis, S., & Khalitova, L. (Accepted). Ethnic Nationalism and Agenda Setting in Europe: Linking Agenda Setting, Agenda Building, and Agenda Indexing. The Agenda Setting Journal.
Mitson, R., Dubosar, E.M., Miño, P., & Kiousis, S.K. (2025). A qualitative comparison of agenda-building efforts between an organization’s employer branding and annual reports. Journal of Communication Management, 1–18. DOI: 10.1108/JCOM-04-2025-0111
Anderson, J., Proverbs, P., Arceneaux, P., Lee, B., Khatwani, H., & Kiousis, S.K. (2025). Climate Communication as Statecraft: A Content Analysis of Climate Change Communication from Caribbean Governments and Press. Environmental Communication. DOI: 10.1080/17524032.2025.2597444
Cho-Li, Q., Jin, Y., & Kiousis, S.K. (2025). Borrowing a mouth to speak? Foreign content creators in China’s national image building. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 21(4), 412–426. DOI: 10.1057/S41254-025-00398-1
Moss, C.E., & Kiousis, S.K. (2025). The Model Family: The Effect of Multiracial Families in Advertising on Emerging Adult Consumers’ Attitudes and Intentions. Mass Communication and Society, 28(5), 879–902. DOI: 10.1080/15205436.2024.2333428
Romanova, K., Tarasevich, S., Xiao, L., Alhaddadeh, H., & Kiousis, S.K. (2025). Gender, Politics, and the Glass Ceiling: Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Politicians’ Agenda-Building Efforts in the U.S. Primaries. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 19(3), 404–418. DOI: 10.1080/1553118X.2024.2397430
Lan, X., Zhang, T., Cheng, Y., & Kiousis, S.K. (2025). Evaluating state-led social mobilization in public health crises: agenda dynamics in China’s COVID-19 response. Asian Journal of Communication, 35(1), 1–23. DOI: 10.1080/01292986.2024.2434231
Lan, X., Song, B., & Kiousis, S.K. (2024). Gamifying Public Engagement on Sustainability Issues: From Motivational Affordances to the Effectiveness of Symmetrical Public Relations. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 40(24), 8844–8857. DOI: 10.1080/10447318.2023.2291612
Kiambi, D.M., Kiousis, S.K., & Arceneaux, P. (2024). Analyzing media valence shifts: The association between a U.S. PR firm's engagement and Kenya's portrayal in U.S. media. Public Relations Review, 50(4), 102485. DOI: 10.1016/J.PUBREV.2024.102485
Books
Kiousis, S., & Stromback, J. (In Press). Political Public Relations: Concepts, Principles and Applications (Second Edition). Routledge.
White, C.L., & Kiousis, S.K. (2018). Bridging Disciplinary Perspectives of Country Image Reputation, Brand, and Identity: Routledge. ISBN: 9781138281349
Holbert, R.L., Kiousis, S.K., Holbert, R.L., & Mccombs, M. (2011). The News and Public Opinion: Media Effects on Civic Life. Polity Pr. ISBN: 9780745645186
Kiousis, S.K. (2011). Political Public Relations: Principles and Applications. Routledge. ISBN: 9780415873802
Book Chapters
Shaughnessy, B., & Kiousis, S. (2023). Strategic Political Public Relations in the “Age of Populism”. In Springer Studies in Media and Political Communication (pp. 139-158). Springer International Publishing. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-45335-9_9
Lan, X., & Kiousis, S. (2023). Media Relations. In Public Relations Theory III (pp. 432-451). Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003141396-29
Myslik, B., & Kiousis, S. (2019). Political communication in government relations. In Public Relations Theory: Application and Understanding.. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Strömbäck, J., & Kiousis, S. (2019). Defining and Mapping the Field of Theory and Research on Political Public Relations. In Political Public Relations (pp. 1-42). Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781351053143-1
Kiousis, S., Strömbäck, J., & Proverbs, P. (2019). Political Public Relations. In Political Public Relations (pp. 370-385). Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781351053143-18
Ingenhoff, D., Zhang, T., Buhmann, A., White, C., & Kiousis, S. (2018). Analyzing Value Drivers and Effects of 4D Country Images on Stakeholders’ Behavior Across Three Different Cultures. In Bridging Disciplinary Perspectives of Country Image Reputation, Brand, and Identity (pp. 281-310). Routledge.
Buhmann, A., Ingenhoff, D., White, C., & Kiousis, S. (2018). Charting the landscape in research on country image, reputation, brand, and identity: A trans-disciplinary overview. In Bridging Disciplinary Perspectives of Country Image Reputation, Brand, and Identity (pp. 15-24). Routledge.
White, C., Kiousis, S., & Buhmann, A. (2018). Epilogue: Bridging Disciplinary Perspectives about Country Image, Reputation, Brand, and Identity. In Bridging Disciplinary Perspectives of Country Image Reputation, Brand, and Identity (pp. 313-324). Routledge.
Strömbäck, J., & Kiousis, S. (2014). 6. Strategic political communication in election campaigns. In Political Communication (pp. 109-128). DE GRUYTER. DOI: 10.1515/9783110238174.109