JMC 244: Publicity and Public Relations Fall 2017 – T/Th 9:30-10:50 a.m. • 209 Library • Dr. Erica Salkin
From Fortune 500 companies to the neighborhood nonprofit, all organizations seek to control and enhance their public You can contact me at: image. The art of public relations is a mix of solid writing, [email protected] creative concepts, determination, organization and a fair I will do my best to amount of fun. True public relations practitioners hold respond within 24 hours themselves to high ethical standards that set them apart from so-called “spin doctors,” and seek to serve their organizations 509/777-4704 and their audiences with honesty and respect. not ideal for late afternoons or evenings I consider this class a journey we make together – as such, do not hesitate to contact me if you do not feel like you are 113 Lower Lindaman making the progress you wish to make. We are a team, but I have office hours only you know your personal goals for this class. As adults and M/W 1-3 p.m. and scholars, I expect you to let me know if the class isn’t going W 9:00-11:00 a.m., well for you. Make that first step, and together we’ll find the or by appointment right solution for you.
Course Objectives The purpose of this course is to introduce you the role and effect of publicity and public relations in the United States. The course has the following objectives: • To introduce you the history and theory behind public relations practices • To examine public relations strategy within an organization • To familiarize you with the tools of a public relations practitioner, including those used to assess needs, develop campaigns and determine results • To explore trends in public relations and the future of the field
Throughout the course, students can expect to receive instruction and practical application on the following core topics in public relations: • PR strategic planning • Media relations • PR writing and research • Measuring effectiveness • Event/campaign promotions • Tools and trends in PR
Relationship to the University’s and the Department’s Educational Principles: Whitworth University’s Communication Studies Department provides students with the theories and skills necessary for effective communication in diverse contexts. Working within the tradition of liberal arts, the department introduces students to theoretical, historical and philosophical assumptions fundamental to communication scholarship and practice. This course will help you meet these goals by the end of the semester:
Demonstrate writing skills required to excel in an entry-level communications-related job and/or graduate school. Students will be able to gather information and present it clearly, concisely, accurately, coherently and creatively to specific audiences. Students will present information both to more formal academic and to mass audiences. Students will demonstrate careful, honest and imaginative work at each stage of the writing process: in generating ideas, gathering and organizing information, and revising their work.
Demonstrate critical thinking skills required to excel in the intellectual, professional and personal dimensions of life. Students will be able to apply higher level thinking skills to human communication situations. Higher level thinking skills include: application of communication principles in the classroom and beyond; analysis of the parts, organization, arrangement, relationships and principles of communication; synthesis of parts of communication to produce unique communication messages; and evaluation of communication by making appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative judgments of communication; practice defining, resolving and defending sound ethical decisions.
Required/Recommended Resources Patricia Swan, Cases in Public Relations Management: The Rise of Social Media and Activism / Edition 2 AP Stylebook (any recent edition will be fine) Other required readings will be posted to the course site
Assignments Law and theory assignments (2@15 points each: 30 points): The first few classes will be spent discussing the history of public relations, legal and ethical concerns and aspects of PR theory that are helpful to practitioners. You will have two assignments that ask you think critically about these elements and contribute to a larger discussion of the impact of PR on modern society. These assignments will be distributed via Blackboard with further details and grading criteria.
Case study reflection (50 points): The text we’re reading, Cases in Public Relations Management, gives you a range of examples you can explore to see PR initiatives in action (both planned and reactive). These are meant to be complementary to your class experience – please be sure to keep up with the readings. By mid-semester, you’ll select one of the case studies assigned and craft a 2-4 page response that includes the following: 1. A summary of the situation, including the key players, timing and core facts. (10 pts) 2. A description of the PR action, including main messages and items/tools used. (10 pts) 3. Your opinion on the appropriateness of the PR action. Was it the right move? Why or why not? Be descriptive and use examples. (15 pts) 4. Select one of the key players and describe how you would have responded in that person’s place. If you would do the same thing, explain why. If you would do something different, elaborate. (15 pts)
Individual strategy (170 points): In the first phase of the course, as we discuss the core elements of a strategic PR campaign, you’ll build a PR strategy proposal that includes creative, concepts, logistics and assessment.
As we’ll discuss in class, it is extremely important that you remain consistent with your message, voice and purpose when you communicate strategically. One element that I will be looking closely for is your ability to take all of these elements and craft them into one strategic and effective plan. Your final plan should be greater than the sum of its parts, and is worth 100 points. Further guidance will be distributed in class.
Crisis Communication project (200 points): In small groups, you will create a communications plan for a fictional organization that has just experienced a crisis. You will need to generate: • An overall crisis communication plan outlining the company’s response • An official statement and set of talking points for use at a press conference • A press packet for the conference, including a press release, background fact sheet, corporate bio and any other materials you believe are relevant
We will meet the evening of Wednesday, October 25 for press conferences. All students are required to attend. One member of your team will serve as the CEO, using your prepared statement and talking points to speak with the press (who will be present).
In addition to the elements listed above, you will also write an individual reaction paper detailing your role in the project as well as an assessment of your teammates. Project element samples and specific grading guidance will be provided in class.
Proactive pitch (250 points) and project (250 points): In small teams, you will pitch, complete and assess a proactive public relations project for a real-world nonprofit client with PR needs. You will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from your client and learn more about them. From that meeting, you will develop a specific project pitch that you believe will benefit your client.
You will be given a limited budget to work with, but you are encouraged to be as creative as possible with low- to no-cost initiatives. Once your client approves your idea, you will have several class periods to work as a team to make that idea a reality. At the end of this project, your client will return for a presentation on the results of your project.
Vocation paper (50 points): The concepts and techniques we’ll cover in this class have career implications, but can be used in a wide variety of ways. During the final three weeks of class, we’ll discuss how PR interacts with vocation. At the end of the semester, you’ll craft a reflective piece that asks you to think about how this course may fit into your vocational goals. A full prompt and grading criteria will be given in class.
Total: 1000 points A 94-100% A- 90-93% B+ 87-89% B 84-86% B- 80-83% C+ 77-79% C 74-76% C- 70-73% D+ 67-69% D 64-66% D- 60-63% A note about coursework Assignments generally serve one of two basic roles: to allow you to practice your skills and get meaningful feedback (formative) or to allow you to display your mastery of skills (summative). In this class, you’ll see a mix of formative and summative assignments. Generally, I allocate fewer points to formative assignments – NOT because they aren’t important, but because I want you to use these opportunities to try out new styles of writing and strategy without fear of heavy penalty. Formative assignments come with feedback that you can apply to summative assignments to improve your performance on those higher-point pieces.
Some students see low-point assignments as an opportunity to skip work with limited consequence. That is, of course, their prerogative, but in doing so, these students miss the opportunity to fearlessly try something new. These students are also often the most frustrated with the results of their summative assignments.
Think of it this way: trying something new and failing spectacularly on a five-point assignment will, at most, deduct five points (0.5%) from your overall grade. You’ll get feedback and the opportunity to meet with me to talk through what you can improve for the future. You’ll apply that feedback and succeed on the 100-point assignment. Trying and failing spectacularly on a 100-point assignment because you opted to skip the five-point formative opportunity and didn’t get that guidance and feedback is a 10% hit on your grade. That’s a full grade level.
Those small assignments aren’t busywork or a waste of your time. They’re the chance for you to learn. I urge you to take it.
Evaluation Elements involved in grading include: • Reasonable assessment of goal and audience • Fit to audience • Clear connection to goal • Specific writing mechanics for the assignment (i.e. appropriate lead for press release, meets length requirements for PSA, etc) • Overall writing quality (spelling, grammar, factual accuracy, use of AP style)
In general, I use professional usability as my guide for grading. Therefore: A/A-/B+ Writing is strong with few mechanical errors, accurate identification of audience and goal, strategy of piece appears to reflect audience and goals well, good use of language, optimization of supplemental elements when fitting (i.e. web links, visuals, etc), appropriate creativity that engages audience, consistent voice throughout, factually accurate
B/B-/C+ Writing has some mechanical errors that require fixing but is overall acceptable, audience or goal may be unclear, piece is an uncertain fit to audience or goal or is missing a clear link, language is overly wordy or simplistic, few supplemental elements, little or no creativity, inconsistent tone or voice, some factual errors or misstatements
C to D- Writing has serious issues that require significant work, no identification of audience or goal, no customization of work to audience or goal, ineffective use of language, no supplemental elements, dull writing and presentation, clear factual errors
F Assignment not turned in on time or in the required format, does not match assignment requirements, evidence of cheating/plagiarism
There will be shared and individual grade elements in each group project. I know that group work is not everyone’s favorite experience (see graphic on left), but collaboration is an essential part of modern professional PR. I expect all group members will contribute equally to projects. You may, of course, divide the work to play to your strengths, but if you are concerned about unequal workloads, please come speak with me.
Course Policies Quantity of Time for Class Preparation: The time spent in class preparation may be just as important as the time in class, and each course is a valuable part of your education. Therefore, expect to average between six and nine hours each week in class preparation time for this 3- credit course. The syllabus outlines due dates for assignments. Please schedule your preparation time anticipating that items for this class may come due at the same time as items for other classes, both in and out of your major. The quantity of time spent preparing for each class generally correlates to the final grade earned.
Academic Honesty: Please note that I take extremely seriously the university’s policy on the need for academic honesty in all your work. I refer you to the Whitworth Catalog, and the current Student Handbook, where guidelines on plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are spelled out. Any form of dishonesty in an assignment will lead to a zero on the assignment, and I reserve the right to give a grade of F for the course as well.
In addition, I expect all work turned in for this class to be original to the class – please do not repurpose assignments from other classes or internships to satisfy course requirements.
Late Work: Every assignment will have a clearly stated deadline, as well as the required format for turning in the assignment (email, hard copy, etc.). Let me know if anything is unclear. Late work is not accepted unless there are extenuating circumstances, which must be discussed with me in advance of the assignment’s deadline. Deadline extension requests may incur a 10%-per- day point deduction and are handled on a case-by-case basis.
Attendance: It’s tough to learn if you aren’t in class. Students who miss class due to unexcused absence will not be allowed to make up assignments done in class, in fairness to the students who did attend. This includes work days for your larger group projects. If you miss more than half of the class periods devoted to group work on a group assignment, I will ask you to develop your own set of materials for each component in addition to participating in the group effort.
Officially approved university functions that require you to be away from class (athletics, choir, forensics, etc) are excused absences. If you will miss class due to an approved university function, please discuss the absence with me in advance so we can make alternate plans for any missed work. I’ll handle any other absences on a case-by-case basis.
Computer policy: In order to cover our ambitious agenda, we need to focus on the work at hand. Please refrain from unrelated web surfing during class. Any student found using a lab computer in inappropriate ways during class will be asked to leave the lab immediately and will not be allowed to complete the assignment for the day. On the second violation, the student will be asked to leave and will not be allowed to return to class until the student meets with the department chair.
Cell phones: Please turn your cell phone off or set to silent during class, and refrain from texting during class time. If your phone rings during class, you are required to provide a sugar-laden treat for your classmates at the next class period. You may want to find out if there are any food allergies before you bake or purchase your treat.
Safety: Whitworth University cares about your welfare in the event of an emergency. During the first week of this course, please familiarize yourself with safety information posted in this classroom.
Accommodations (ADA/504): Whitworth University is committed to providing its students access to education. If you have a documented physical or mental/psychological impairment that impacts your ability to learn and perform to your potential in the classroom, contact the Office of Educational Support Services (ESS) in Student Life to identify accommodations that can help mitigate barriers to your success. Students must contact ESS each term in order for faculty/staff to be notified of your accommodations. Services are not retroactive. Contact Information Katie McCray, Coordinator for Educational Support Services Phone: 509.777.3380 Email: [email protected]
Title IX: Whitworth University faculty members are committed to the well-being of each student. It is common for students to discuss non-course related issues with faculty and, when possible, faculty will keep such conversations strictly confidential. However, because federal law views faculty members as mandated reporters of any incidents of sexual misconduct, if a student informs a faculty member of an issue of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or discrimination, the faculty member is required by federal law to bring it to the attention of the Title IX Coordinator, Rhosetta Rhodes. The Title IX Coordinator will make the student aware of all options and resources available to them under Whitworth University policies and under the law.
There are Whitworth University employees whom federal law does not view as mandatory reporters, to whom a student could speak without the conversation being reported to the Title IX Coordinator. These include counselors in Counseling Services, health center staff, and any of the university chaplains on the staff of Campus Ministries. Contact Information Rhosetta Rhodes, Title IX Coordinator, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Phone: 509.777.4536 Email: [email protected]
Counseling Center: 509-777-3259; Schumacher Hall
Campus Ministries: 509-777-4345; Seeley G. Mudd Chapel
Non-discrimination: Whitworth University is committed to delivering a mission-driven educational program that cultivates in students the capacity to engage effectively across myriad dimensions of diversity. Whitworth University is committed to the fair and equal treatment of all students in its educational programs and activities. The University does not discriminate against students based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, or disability and complies with all applicable federal or state non-discrimination laws in its instructional programs. Fair and equal treatment: Whitworth University professors strive to treat all students fairly and equally, applying the same rigorous standards and expectations to each of our students and working to invite students from all backgrounds into the challenges and rewards of our academic disciplines. Students who have concerns about classroom fairness should contact Associate Provost Brooke Kiener, McEachran Hall 220, 509.777.4657, [email protected].
Tentative Course Schedule (any date changes will be announced in class) Every class session will have readings either from the text (noted below), online (BB) or both. This allows us to take advantage of new ideas as they emerge and be responsive to our discussions in class. Online readings will be short, focused and an asset to the work in progress. Please keep up with the readings, as they will complement the work we do in class and provide another opportunity to learn concepts and develop skills. Let me know if you have any questions.
Date Topic Text Readings Due by start of class 9/7 Introduction to the course, what is PR? 9/12 PR History and Law pgs 1-18, BB 9/14 Theories of Persuasion pgs 559-573, BB Law/Ethics assignment 9/19 PR Strategy: Brand and Perception Ch. 6, BB Theories assignment 9/21 PR Strategy: Audiences, Goals and Ch. 9, BB Brand analysis objectives 9/26 PR Strategy: Media relations Ch. 4, BB Issue statement 9/28 PR Strategy: Ads and PSAs pgs 32-38, BB Earned media element 10/3 PR Strategy: Offline and Events Ch. 7, BB Paid media element 10/5 PR Strategy: Online and Social Ch. 10, BB Creative element 10/10 PR Strategy: Logistics Ch. 8, BB Social media plan 10/12 PR Strategy: Assessment Ch. 5, BB Timeline 10/17 Reactive/Crisis communications BB Full strategy proposal 10/19 Midterm project workday 10/24 Midterm project workday 10/25 Crisis Communication Press Conferences: 6-7 p.m., Crisis plan materials location TBD Case study reflection 10/26 No class – enjoy fall break! Response papers 10/31 Proactive communications BB 11/3 PR environments, Dornsife Center BB 11/7 Client meetings BB 11/9 Create your pitch: work day 11/14 Create your pitch: work day 11/16 Campaign pitch presentations Pitch project materials 11/21 Final project work day Vocation BB Response papers 11/23: Thanksgiving! 11/28 Final project work day Vocation BB 11/30 Final project work day Vocation BB 12/5 Final project work day Vocation BB 12/7 Final project work day Vocation BB 12/14 Final Exam: Client presentations (9 a.m.) Final project materials Vocation paper