technological advances provide new ways for people to send and receive messages. we have seen the evolution from spoken word to radio to television to online communication each new communication technology has the potential to contribute to the repertoire of a public relations practitioner by providing yet another online communication vehicle As you read this book it is likely some new technology is being employed online as a communication tool therefore we do not pretend to have the most up to date inventory of the latest communication technology in public relations instead this chapter discusses some of the more recent developments in communication technology found online and their implications for public relations and its effect on society the next section concentrates on defining some key terms and examining their application to public relations.