The central idea of this text is that PR skills will be an essential management tool in the new style of local government, in the late 1990s, for all managers. Each chapter takes the form of an analysis of theory, a consideration of this in the management context, together with several case studies and exercises. The chapters deal with: PR thinking; strategic thinking; dealing with the media; trading in the credibility marketplace; and persuasion, personal positioning and personal communication skills.