CM701

Fall2014
ContemporaryPublicRelations
Instructor:

Dr.EdwardJ.Downes

OfficeLocation:

Room402D,704CommonwealthAve.

OfficePhone:

(617)3538065

EmailAddress:

edownes@bu.edu

Meetings:

Tuesdays/Thursdays,12:302:00,COM215

OfficeHours:

Tuesdays11:0012:15,2:003:45;Thursdays,11:0012:15,2:00
3:45;andbyappointment

RequiredTexts:

*PublicRelationsStrategiesandTacticsbyWilcox
*PublicRelationsCasesbyHendrix
*HowtoWinFriendsandInfluencePeoplebyCarnegie
*PleaseDontDoThat!bySchulz
*VariousWebsites(listedonsyllabus)

AKALEIDSCOPICVIEWOFPUBLICRELATIONS

"PRmeanstellingthetruthandworkingethicallyevenwhenallthemediawantis
headlinesandallthepublicwantsisscapegoats.Publicrelationsfailswhenthere
isnointegrity."VivSegalofSefinMarketing(SouthAfrica)
"Thepublicistheonlycriticwhoseopinionisworthanythingatall."MarkTwain
"Propagandawillneverdieout.Intelligentmen(sic)mustrealizethatpropaganda
isthemoderninstrumentbywhichtheycanfightforproductiveendsandhelpto
bringorderoutofchaos."publicrelationspioneerEdwardBernays,Propaganda
"Togetsomethinggoingfromnothing,youneedthevaliditythatonlythirdparty
endorsementscanbring"Al&LauraRies,TheFallofAdvertisingandtheRise
ofPR

"Myviewisdifferent.Publicrelationsareakeycomponentofanyoperationinthis
dayofinstantcommunicationsandrightlyinquisitivecitizens."AlvinAdams,
diplomat,(18041877)
"Someareborngreat,someachievegreatness,andsomehirepublicrelations
officers."DanielBoorstin,Americanhistorian(19142004)
"Animageisnotsimplyatrademark,adesign,asloganoraneasilyremembered
picture.Itisastudiouslycraftedpersonalityprofileofanindividual,institution,
corporation,productorservice."DanielBoorstin,Americanhistorian(1914
2004)
"ApublicrelationsfirmsaidthatrockstarDavidLeeRothowesthemover
$110,000.Thestrangethingisthatit'sthefirsttimethatDavidLeeRothhashad
anypublicityintenyears."ConanO'Brien,comedian
"Theformulationofapublicrelationsstrategyproperlybeginswithlistening,not
talking."LeonardSaffir,author,PowerPublicRelations
Quitcountingfans,followersandblogsubscriberslikebottlecaps.Think,
instead,aboutwhatyourehopingtoachievewithandthroughthecommunitythat
actuallycaresaboutwhatyouredoing.AmberNaslund,newmedialeader
Publicrelationsisaboutbuildingrelationships.LarissaGrunig,Ph.D.,public
relationsscholarandfeminist
Ithasbeen100yearssincethefirstpublicrelationsagencyopenedintheUnited
States.Duringthe20thcentury,thepracticeofpublicrelationsgrewfromavague
notiontoapowerfulforceindemocraticsocieties.Aswebeginanewcentury,the
professionhasmadeimpressivegainsinrespectandaccesstopower.Yet,ina
veryrealsense,publicrelationshasapublicrelationsproblem.Althoughitsroots
datebacktothebeginningofrecordedhistory,thefactremainsthatpublic
relationsbothasaprofessionandadisciplineremainslargelymisunderstood.
Guth&Marsh
Itshardtofindthetruthinallthat.RichOHallaran
Andthedeepestlevelofcommunicationisnotcommunication,butcommunion.It
iswordless.Itisbeyondwords,anditbeyondspeech,andisbeyondconcept.Not
thatwediscoveranewunity.Wediscoveranoldunity.Wediscoveranolder
unity.Mydearbrothersandsisters,wearealreadyone.Butweimaginethatwe

arenot.Andwhatwehavetodiscoverisouroriginalunity.Whatwehavetobe
iswhatweare.ThomasMerton,mysticandCatholicpriest

GraduateStudy

Thiscoursewillprovideyouwithasolid,maturefoundationonwhichtobuilda
masteryofthepublicrelationsfield.Classmeetingswillusepedagogicalapproaches
characteristicofgraduate(asopposedtoundergraduate)instruction.Forexample,more
sothanatypicalundergraduateclassthiscoursewill:
(1)Drawfromsocial,political,culturalandeconomicdiscussions/eventspastand
present.
(2)Referencesocialscientificdatacollectionandanalysis,bothqualitativeand
quantitative.
(3)Discusstheoreticalprinciples(albeitoftenindirectly)takenprimarilyfromthemass
communicationandpublicrelationsliterature,butalsofromothersocialsciencessuch
asanthropology,psychology,sociology,politicalscienceandeconomics.
(4)Requireyoutothinkaboutanddiscusscomplexcommunicationmanagement
systems,boththeoreticalandpractical,andthemultiplevariablesinfluencingthose
systems.
(5)Askyoutothinkaboutthewhyofwhatyourelearningandhowthatwhyfits
intoyourlargerprofessional/academicgoals.
(6)Focus,inpart,onteachingyoutothinklikeaPRmanagerratherthan
technician.
Asyouproceedthroughthecourse,remembergraduateschoolshouldnotonlyprovide
answersbutshouldalsogenerateinquiries.Whenlisteningtolecturesfeelfreetoask
clarifyingquestionsandtoofferconstructiveorillustrativecomment.When
reading/viewingrequiredchapters/onlinesourcesstopoftenandaskiftheauthorsare
accurateintheirassessments.Whenreadingaboutthefieldsspecializedareasaskif
youwouldbesatisfiedworkinginthem.Also,throughoutthesemester,talkto
individualsworkinginthePRfield.Especiallythosewiththetypeofprofessional
positionsyouthinkyouwouldenjoy.Findoutiftheirworkmatcheswhattheinstructor,
yourclassmatesandyourreadings/onlinesourcesclaim.

Inagraduatecoursesuchasthiswhichstrivebothtotrainandeducate,thingscome
upoverthecourseofasemester:questionsarise,discussionsstart,currenteventsspeak
toclasstopics,studentsbackgroundsandexperiencesgeneratecomplimentaryor
opposingviews,theinstructorlearnsoryoulearnsomethingnewtoshare,etc.With
thisinmindwewill,attimes,deviateoffcoursetoexploreortolookdeeperintoa
richarea.Thisflexibleapproachshouldbeusedincreasinglyasstudentsmovethrough
highereducation,particularlywhentheyprogressfromundergraduatetograduate
studies.
Atthecourse'sconclusionyouwillhavethedetermininginformationyouneedfora
successfulcareerinpublicrelations,andknowledgeofthewidevarietyoftopicsrelated
tothedisciplines/thecraftsstudyandpractice.Youwillalsohavenewandaccurate
insightsintothefieldslatestdevelopments.Inyourothergraduateclasses,andwhile
workingprofessionally,youwilldrawfrommanyoftheconceptsintroducedoverour
semestertogether.

ABroadandDeepSurveyoftheArt,BusinessandScienceofPublicRelations

Tobecomethebestpublicrelationspractitionersandmanagerswecanourtraining
shouldbebroadanddeep.Abroadtrainingisonethroughwhichwelearnthe
practicalskills,thetacticsandtechniques,thatillustratePRinaction.Adeeptraining,
ontheotherhand,isonethroughwhichwelearntothinkstrategically,cometo
understandthevalueoftimetestedtheoriesthatspeaktoourfield,andcapturethe
essenceofwhatitmeanstobeanethicalpublicrelationsprofessionalwithavision
towardthefuture.
Thiscoursewillprovideyouwithasurveyofseveraltopics,allrelatedtothepublic
relationsprofession.ItwillofferyouakaleidoscopicviewofPRsdaytodaypractices.
Anditwillthroughacombinationoflectures,discussions,casestudies,aclient
assignment,sixshortappliedassignments,andquizzesteachyoutheproblem
solvingandrelationshipbuildingrolescharacteristicoftodayspublicrelations
professionals.Moreover,thecoursewillconsiderthepersonal,practicalandethical
challengesfacingPRprofessionals.Also,youwilllearnwhypublicrelationsskillsare,
attheircoremanybelieve,lifeskills.
Additionally,informationthecourseprovideswillhelpyoutodifferentiatebetween
publicrelationssubspecialtiessuchasmediarelations,investorrelations,government
relationsandcrisiscommunication.Wewillalsoexploretheessentialprofessional
skills,demandsandopportunitiesassociatedwithpracticingpublicrelationsin
corporations,publicrelationsagencies,governmentalorganizationsandnonprofit
entities.

Thecoursesbroadtrainingisbuiltinlargepartonthewiderangingcollectionof
chaptersintheWilcoxbook.Eachdiscussesafundamentalpublicrelationstopic.
RelativetotheotherintroductoryPRbooks,itschapterscapturethesubstanceofthe
publicrelationsfieldsfociineasilyunderstoodlanguagewithoutoversimplifyingthem.
ThereadingsintheHendrixbook,throughtheirdiscussionofrealworldcampaigns
andthepresentationofmediarelated/promotionaltoolsusedinthosecampaigns,
illustratestodayspublicrelationspracticesinaction.Andtheassignedonline
sources/linkswillexpandyourknowledgebasewithquick,uptodatehitsonPRs
multiplemotivationsandgoals.

Thecoursesdeeptrainingisbuiltinlargepartonthemorefocused,inclass,lectures
anddiscussions.Eachtakesselecttopicsraisedprimarilyinthereadingsandcurrent
eventsand,throughwhattranspiresintheclassroom,expandson/delvesintothem.
Pleasenote:Numerousrealworldillustrations/anecdotes/storieswillbesharedduring
thecourseslectures.Pleaserememberthatthesearenotintendedtofilltime.Rather,
theyareusedtoillustratemajorPRrelatedfociandconceptsbesttaughtviathis
pedagogicalapproach.

Theinstructorisreceptive,fromthispointforward,toaddressinganypublicrelations
relatedquestionsorthoughtsyoudevelop/havedeveloped.Thesemayhavecome/may
comefromclasses(bothundergraduateandgraduate),internships,orthefulltime
workplace.Wemaymeetduringmyofficehours,overcoffeeorlunch,oratany
mutuallyavailabletime.Iwillmakeeveryefforttomakemyavailabilityfityours.

COURSEOBJECTIVES

(1)
Tounderstandthefundamentalcommunication,behavioralandorganizational
principlesthatserveasthefoundationforthepracticeofcontemporarypublicrelations.
(2)
Todevelopknowledgeofthevarietyoforganizationalproblemspublicrelations
professionalsareengagedtosolve,thechallengestheyface,andthesolutionstheycraft
toachievedesiredoutcomes.
(3)
Toexamineimportantpublicrelationsmanagementconceptssuchasthose
relatedtothedominantcoalition,twowaysymmetricalcommunication,advocacy
vs.objectivity,environmentalscanning,boundaryspanning,PRasamanagement
(vs.technician)function,etal.

(4)
Toconceptualizethefourstepresearchplanningimplementationevaluation
processusedforstrategicpublicrelationsprogramsandcampaigns.
(5)
Todistinguishbetweenpublicrelationsaspracticedintheprivate,publicand
nonprofitsectors,whilelearningaboutthechallenges,opportunitiesandpublicsunique
toeach.
(6)
Toargueagainsttheclaimpublicrelationsethicsisanoxymoron,suggesting
insteadeffectivePRisethicalPR.
(7)
Toexamineemergingtrends,suchasthoseinfluencedbyonline/Internetbased
communication,includingtheparadigmshifttowardnew/social/alternative/digital
media.
(8)
Tointroducetechniquesforcarryingouteffectivemediarelationsandcrisis
communications(twotopicsexaminedfullyinothercoursesinthePRprogram).
(9)
Tounderstandwhypublicrelationstheoryplaysanintegralroleinpublic
relationspractice,whilelearning(primarilythroughonlinearticles)abouttothefields
seminalexcellencestudy,itsfourmodelsofPR,etc.
(10) Tolearn(largelythroughHendrixsassignedcasestudies)aboutpractical
differences,similaritiesandopportunitieswhenbuildingrelationshipswithahostof
publicssuchasthemedia,governments,activists,communities,employees,
consumers/customers,etal.
(11)

Tocleanupcommonwritingerrorswhilelearningtosynthesizeinformation.

(12)

Toexploremultipleopportunitiesforbuildingacareerinpublicrelations.

OVERVIEW

NatureoftheCourse
Becauseofanambitiousagenda,thecoursemovesquicklyfromrelatedtopictorelated
topicthusgivingyouacomprehensiveviewofthepublicrelationsfield.Therefore,it
isimportantyoulistencarefullytolectures,participatewhenappropriateandreflect
criticallythroughoutthesemester.Atthecourse'sconclusionyouwillhavethe
determininginformationyouneedtobuildasuccessfulcareerinpublicrelations,and
knowledgeofthewidevarietyoftopicsrelatedtotheprofessions/craftsstudyand
practicealltowardyourgoalofbecomingamasterofthefield.Youwillalsohave
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newandaccurateinsightsintoPRslatestdevelopments.InotherCOMclasses(and
elsewhere)youwillhavetheopportunitytolearnmoreaboutthetopicsthiscourse,
becauseitisasurvey,doesnotpermitustocoverindepth.

OfficeHoursandAppointments
Iwilltrytomeetwithyouimmediatelyduringmyofficehours.Youmayalso,as
mentioned,setupanappointmentwithmeforanymorningormostafternoons.Youare
mytoppriority.

TEACHINGFOCUS
TrainingandEducating
Drawingprimarilyfromthetheoretical,conceptualandanalyticalskillsacquiredduring
doctoraltraining(aswellasthroughmastersandpostmasterscourses)theinstructor
hopesworkingwithyoutoeducateyou.Drawingprimarilyfromtheprofessional,
workplace,andpracticalskillsacquiredovertenyearsasacommunicationsprofessional
workingineachofthethreesectors,aswellasaconsultant/speakerformanyyears,the
instructoragainworkingwithyoualsohopestotrainyou.Further,theinstructor
hopesyourownexperiential/knowledgebasewillaugmentwhatyoureceivefromthe
readingsandlectures.You,afterall,knowmanythingstheinstructordoesnot.
Teachingapproaches,particularlyforappliedfields(suchaspublicrelations),must
strivecontinuouslytointegrateeducationandtraining.Withouttakingonthe
sometimestoughchallengetocombinethese,acoursesuchasthisposestworisks.
First,itrisksbeingsoesoteric,sotheoreticalitofferslittletangibleknowledge.Or
second,itrisksbeingsovocationallyfocuseditlacksintellectualrigoranddepth.
Thus,neithernebulouspronouncementshousedinjargonfilledacademicliterature
intendedforscholarsspeakingtoscholars...norneatwarstories,trendyreadings,or
andabundanceoftalesoftheinstructorsrealworldexperience...shoulddominatethe
coursecontent.Rather,astrongattemptwillbemadetolettherichnessofthepublic
relationsindustrysdaytodayoperationscombinedwithjudiciouslyprecise
informationgeneratedfromvalidandoftenpeerreviewedsocialscientificfindings
guideoursemester.

TEACHINGPHILOSOPHY

Collegeanduniversityprofessorsaregivengreatautonomywhendesigningcourses.
Theydeterminewhattopicswillbediscussedandfocusedon,manageinclass
discussions,chooserequiredreadings,selectguestspeakers,etc.Intheprocessthey
inevitably,always,andwithoutexceptionbringbiasestoinstructionalchoices.The
claimanyprofessorisobjectiveisamyth;however,theassertionheorshecanstrive
tobefairisaccurate.Areviewoftheinstructorsteachingphilosophy(below)will
informyouofsomeofthepotentialbiasesdespiteasincereefforttoprovideafairand
inclusivesetofinstructionhemightbringtothisclass.

Theadvancededucationprovidedtostudentsbyaprofessoroughtnotbeintendedfor
eithertheprofessororstudentasameanstoacquirecontroloveranother,self
promotion,prestigeinacommunity,oranexaltedsenseofimportance.Rather,the
poweritprovidesshouldempowerothers.Further,highereducationspurposeought
notbetocollectortodisseminateknowledgesimplyforknowledgesake.
Rather,myundergraduateinstitution,St.BonaventureUniversity,Ibelievehaditright.
ToparaphrasetheUniversitysphilosophy:theoutcomeofanadvancededucation,
whenbestpracticed,istoserveotherhumanbeings.Knowledgeofeconomicprinciples
eliminatespoverty,lawpromotesjustice,literatureandtheartsexaltthehumanspirit,
communicationpromotesunderstanding,businessprovideslivelihoods,medicinecures
diseases.....Andtheprofessorfacilitatestheselearningopportunities.
Teachingshouldbeanexpandingendeavor,extendingbeyondtheclassroom,beyond
requiredassignments,beyondofficehours.Theprofessorwhohastaughtastudentto
enjoyasubjectfromprogramplanningtopublicspeaking,fromstatisticsto
symmetricalcommunicationhasdoneacommendablejob.Theeducatorhasgiventhe
studentalifetimegiftofinquiry,wonderandfulfillment.Forlife.
Foremostintheprofessorsmindasheorsheteachesmustbetherealizationboththe
professorandstudentremainshockinglysimilar.Bothleadafullexistenceoutsidethe
protectionoftheclassroom.Bothhaveshortcomings.Bothhavestrengths.Bothwant
success.Bothhopetobeacknowledged.And,mostimportant,bothhaveunlimited
potentialtosucceed.Theprofessor,actingwithbothconfidenceandhumility,will
realizethis.Andsowillhisorherstudents.
Additionally,theprofessormustrecognizeeducationisaprocess.Leaningisa
continuum.Asemesterisastart.Eachclassofferstheopportunitytobeginanew.
FrancisofAssisisaid,Letusbeginnowforuptonowwevedonenothing!Asaclass
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begins,thesewordsshouldberememberedbytheprofessorandsharedwithhisorher
students.
Finally,theprofessormustthinkbeyondthestatusquoandworkhard:conducting
originalresearch,oftenforpeer/industryreview,thataddstoafieldsbodyof
knowledge;servingthegreaterstudentbody,thusenhancingthereputationofthe
institutionhis/herstudentsattend;exploringnewpedagogicalapproachestokeepclasses
freshandtimely;working(particularlywhenteachinganappliedfield)withindustry
professionals;andfollowingindustrytrends(againwhenteachingappliedfields)to
assurestudentsarereceivinguptodateinformation.
Andwhiledoingallthesethings...theprofessormustencourageeachstudenttorealize
thentoexceedhisorherpotential
READINGS
Requiredreadingsshouldbecompletedfortheclassmeetingonwhichtheyare
assigned.Whenpossible,readahead.Youwillbequizzedonthematerialfromthese
readingsevenifthismaterialisnotdiscussedinclass.Notetooreadingsareintended
primarilytoenhanceinclasslectures/presentations/discussionsi.e.,tobereadin
partnershipwith,ratherthantoregurgitate,informationsharedduringclass.
Everyeffortshouldbemadetoattendtotherequiredreadingspriortotheclassmeeting
forwhichtheyareassigned.Doingsowillhelpyoutoappreciatethesynergybetween
whathappensinthereadingsandwhathappensinclassthusenhancingyourlearning.
Thereadingsgenerallyaddressshortcomingsinlectures,andviceversa.Working
together,thereadingsandlecturesofferthewide,firmknowledgebaseyouwillacquire
throughthiscourse.
Thecoursesfoundationalreadingscomefromtwocarefullychosenbooks:Public
RelationsStrategiesandTacticsbyWilcoxandPublicRelationsCasesbyHendrix.
TheformerwillgiveyouthevariegatedoverviewoverofthePRfieldamasterof
publicrelationsshouldhave.ThelatterwillshowyouhowPRisdonehighlighting
variouspublicsandvariouscampaigns;itincludesphotosofelementsusedinactualPR
campaigns(whichyouwilllearnhowtodesign/produceinyourMediaRelationsclass).
PLAGERISMPOLICY/USEOFRECORDINGDEVICES

Plagiarismistheactofrepresentingsomeoneelsescreativeand/oracademicworkas
yourown,infullorinpart.Itcanbeanactofcommission,inwhichoneintentionally
9

appropriatesthewords,picturesorideasofanother,oritcanbeanactofomission,in
whichonefailstoacknowledge/document/givecredittothecourse,creatorand/orthe
copyrightownerofthoseworks,picturesorideas.Anyfabricationofmaterials,quotes
orsources,otherthanthatcreatedinaworkoffiction,isalsoplagiarism.Plagiarismis
themostseriousacademicoffensethatyoucancommitandcanresultinprobation,
suspensionorexpulsion.
Pleasenotethatclassroomproceedingsforthiscoursemightberecordedforpurposes
including,butnotlimitedto,studentillness,religiousholidays,disability
accommodations,orstudentcoursereview.Notealsothatrecordingdevicesare
prohibitedintheclassroomexceptwiththeinstructorspermission.
ASSESSMENTTOOLS

1.

Quizzes13

Quizzes13willfocusonclassroomlectures,assignedreadings,handoutsandanyother
materialcoveredintheclassroom.Theywillconsistofmultiplechoicequestions.They
willassessyourapplicationandproblemsolvingskills.Becauseeachwillcovera
substantialamountofmaterial,itisimportantyoubeginstudyingearlyandkeepup
withthecoursesreadings.Thequizzeswilldrawabouthalftheirquestionsfromin
classmaterialandabouthalffromassignedreadings.
InregardtotheassignedreadingsportionfromboththeWilcoxandtheHendrixbooks,
roughly85%ofthequestionswillcomefromtheareaslistedunderthesyllabusStudy
Tipssectionand15%fromotherpartsofthereadings.Formoststudents,oneortwo
carefulreadsofthevariouschaptersisallthatisrequiredalongwithcarefulpreparation
ofanswerstothespecificquestionsfromthestudytipslistedforeachchapter.
Note:tobesureyoucapturethemultiplefociofthefieldofpublicrelations,thereisa
largeamountofmaterialtoassimilate/workthroughforeachquiz.Keepingupwith
assignedreadingsandperiodicallyreviewinglecturenotesispreferabletojammingin
allthisinformationshortlybeforethecoursesthreequizzes.Ifyouhastilytryto
capture,overashortperiod,alltheinformationcoveredforaquizyoumorelikelywill:
(1)forgettheinformationmorequickly;(2)failtorecognizefullythesynergybetween
lecturesandreadings;(3)enjoytheclassless;and/or(4)receivealowergradeonthe
quiz.
2.

CLIENTPROJECT

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Workinginteamsofthree,foryourfinalprojectyouwillberesponsibleforchoosingan
organizationpreferablyinthesectorandofthetypeyou/yourpartnersanticipateyou
wouldenjoyworkingin.Youwillberesponsibleforanalyzingelementsofits
communicationmanagement/publicrelationsfunctions.Yourfinalanalysiswillcontain
smallassignmentsyoumayshowtoafutureemployer(perhapsduringaninterview)
demonstratingyouunderstandandcandopublicrelations.Forthisassignment,
pleasecompletethefollowing,writtenin12point,Timesfont,anddoublespaced.
1.Analyzetheorganizationswebsitebasedgenerallyonthecriteriaprovidedinthe
syllabus.Assumeyouwouldgivethisdocumenttotheorganizations
president/CEO/executivedirector.(Pleaseprovidethesitesaddress.)(1.5points)

2.Writeacampaign/programplanconceptualizationfortheorganizationbasedonthe
criteriaandpagelengthsprovidedinthesyllabus.Assumeyouwouldalsogivethis
documenttotheorganizationspresident/CEO/executivedirector.(`2.5points)
3.Interviewinperson(orwiththeinstructorspermission,overthephone)eitherthe
organizationspresident/CEO/executivedirectoror,ifshe/heisunavailable,theheadof
theorganizationspublicrelations/communicationmanagementfunction.Askthis
personabout:
a
b
c.
d.
g.

howtheorganizationworkswithnew/social/alternative/digitalmedia;
partnershipstheorganizationhasorhopestohavewithotherorganizations(if
applicableandifnot,whynot);
theorganizationsstrategicplan;
whytheintervieweemadethechoicetoworkinthesectorandtypeof
organizationinwhichhe/sheworks;and
afewothermeaningfulquestionsyoudeveloptoroundouttheinterview.

Provideabulletedlist(nomorethanonepage)ofanyahhhaamomentsfromthe
interview(.5points),andwriteaonehalfageoverviewofit(.5points).
4.Producesomethingtangiblefortheorganization(1.5points).
5.Bringaonepagewriteupwiththefollowing,inthefollowingorder,toour
December1stclass:
a.
b.
c.
d.

thenameandtitleofthepersonyouhaveinterviewed;
thenameoftheorganization;
whyyouchoseit;and
abriefdescriptionofthetangibleproduct/syourteamwillproduce

11

6.DuringlastclassmeetinggiveasixeightminutePowerPointpresentationtellingus
whatyoudiscoveredfromthisexercise.Whiledoingso,drawparallelsbetweenwhat
youhavelearnedthroughthecourseslectures,readings,discussionsthatspeaksto
yourstudyoftheorganization.
Thispresentationwillbegradedon:
a.
b.
c.

d.

whetheritlastedbetweensixandeightminutes(.5points);
whetheritwassuccinctlystatedandeasytofollow(.5points);
whetherthe102030rulewasfollowedthatiswhethertherewere:
c1.
10slides(.5points);
b1
nomorethan20wordsperslide,notincludingquotes(.5points);
c1.
30pointfonts,nothingsmaller(.5points);and
thedegreetowhichyouinformedtheclass,reinforcingorcontrastingwhatwe
havelearnedthissession(.5points).

Pleasehandinafolderafteryourpresentationwiththefollowing,inthefollowingorder:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Yourcritiqueoftheorganizationswebsite
Thecampaign/programplanyouconceptualized
Theahhhaamomentsfromyourinterview
Theonepageoverviewofyourinterview
Whatyouhaveproducedfortheclient
AcopyofyourdocumentgiventotheclassonDecember1st.
AhardcopyofyourPowerPointpresentation

3.

PORTFOLIO

Youwillbeaskedtodesignaportfoliotoserveasafoundationaldocumenthighlighting
yourexperiences/skills,topresenttofutureemployers,asyouproceedthroughtheinitial
yearsofyourPRcareer.

4.

PARTICIPATION

Youareencouragedtocontributetothequalityofclassdiscussion,sharingwhatyouare
learningandthinkingbydrawingfromyourreadings,otherclasses,professional
experiences,andvariousobservations.Doingsowillenhanceyourparticipationgrade.

12

Whileclassisinsession,pleasedonotuseyourlaptopcomputer/mobiledevicefor
anythingotherthantakingnotesunlessrequestedtobytheinstructor.The
instructorwillnotpolicesuchactivitybutsincerelyandrespectfullyhopesyouwill
abidebythisrequest.
5.

APPLIEDASSIGNMENTS

GeneralGuidelines
*

Allassignmentsmustbenolongerorshorterthantheirrequiredlengthsoryou
willloseonepoint.

Allassignmentsmustbehandedinatthebeginningoftheclassonwhichthey
aredueoryouwillnotreceivecreditforthem.Yourassignmentmaynotbe
emailedtoeithertheinstructororhisgraduateassistants.Ifyouchoosetoskip
classthedayanassignmentisdue,someoneelsemayhanditinforyou.

Allassignmentsmustbehandedinafolderwithyourname(andwhen
applicableyourpartnersname)writtenonitstaboryouwillloseonepoint.

Forallassignments,pointdeductionswilloccurifyoufailtofollowthecourses
twosetsofwritingguidelinesi.e.thoseinWritingattheGraduateLevel
andPleaseDontDoThat!
Assignmentpartnerswillreceiveidenticalgrades.
SpecificAssignments

Assignment1

(writingguidelinesquiz)

Thissixquestion,multiplechoice,quizwillbebasedontheWritingattheGraduate
LevelguidelinesinthesyllabusandinPleaseDontDoThat!.Itwillhavethese
directions:
Eachofthefollowingsentencesmayormaynotcontainaviolationofthe"Writingat
theGraduateLevel"orthe"PleaseDontDoThat!"guidelines.Ifthesentencecontains
suchaviolation,indicatehowyouwouldfixitaccordingtotheguidelines
recommendations.Ifnot,circleit.(Pleasedonotindicateuseof"passivevoice"asan
error.)
13

ThisassignmentwillcatchcommonPRrelatedwritingerrors(priortohandingin
thenextfive.andsoyouwontmakethemthroughoutyourcareer).

Assignment2

(featuresversusbenefits)

Writingthebenefitswillbediscussedinclass.Youmaypromoteanythinginthis
assignmentfromyourdog,toyoursorority,tohowtobrushyourteeth.
*
*
*

Length:onepage,doublespaced,Times12pointfont
Pleasedothisassignmentwithtwopartners
Thisdocumentshouldhave(roughly)anaverageof15wordspersentenceand
75%onesyllablewords

Thisassignmentwillgetyoutothinkbenefitswhenyoupromotesomethingor
someone.

Assignment3

(pitchingyourself)

Anelevator/onefootpitchwillbediscussedinclass.Youarepromotingyourself
foraninternshiporfulltimeposition,assumingyouhaveroughly45seconds,speaking
withsomeonewhomighthireyou.
*
*

Length:aboutonethirdofapage;thatis,3060secondsofclearlyspoken
wordsuseTimes,12pointfont.
Pleasedothisassignmentbyyourself.

Thisassignmentwillprepareyoutopitchyourselfsuccinctly,richly,accurately
soyouwillhavesomethingcompellingtosaywhenaskedquestionssuchas,What
canyoubeingtothisorganization?Whyshouldwehireyou?orWhathas
graduateschoolpreparedyoutodo?

Assignment4

(liberalvs.conservativebias)

Pleaseread,overoneortwodays,accountsofthesamenewsstoryalbeitinaliberal
newspaperversusaconservativenewspaper.Compareandcontrastthepolitical
slantineachpaper.Askyourselfwhatwasemphasizedineachpublication.

14

ForliberallybiasednewspapersconsulteitherTheNewYorkTimesorThe
WashingtonPost.ForconservativelybiasednewspapersconsulteitherTheNewYork
PostorTheWashingtonTimesor(foreconomicstoriesonly)TheWallStreetJournal.
Donotreferencethepaperseditorialpages.
*
*
*

Length:onepage,doublespaced,Times12pointfont
Pleasedothisassignmentwithtwopartners
Thisdocumentshouldhave(roughly)anaverageof15wordspersentenceand
75%onesyllablewords

Thisassignmentwillhelpyourecognizepoliticalbiasinmainstreammedia.

Assignment5

(observingthehuman)

ManyPRprofessionalsfailtodevelopfullytheirabilitytolearnvicariously;thatis,to
noteenvironmentalandtextualclues,pattersandobservationalthemesthatemerge,thus
givinginsightintotheiraudiences.Thisassignmentwillencourageyousimplyto
observeaphenomenon(usuallysomespotorlocation)over3060minutes,takenotes,
andreportyourobservationsontheenvironmentandtheinteractionswithinit.
*
*
*

Length:onepage,doublespaced,Times12pointfont
Pleasedothisassignmentonyourown
Thisdocumentshouldhave(roughly)anaverageof15wordspersentenceand
75%onesyllablewords

Theassignmentswillhelpyoubecomeawareofwhatitmeanstolearnvicariously
bydoingwhatfewPRprofessionalstakesufficienttimetodo:observingthehuman
condition.

Assignment6 Portfolio
Youwillberesponsiblefordesigningapublicrelationsportfolio.Thecriteriaforthe
portfoliowillbediscussedinaclasslecture.Theportfoliomust,atminimum,contain
thefollowing:resume,references,notations,writingsamples,andadditionalelements.
Thisassignmentwillhelpyouprepareaportfoliotopromoteyourselfasyoubegin
(andperhapsasyoumovethrough)yourcareer.

15

STUDYTIPS

HereareSomeStudyTipstoKeepinMindWhenReadingWilcox&Cameron:
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter1(WhatisPR?)besureyou:
*knowthegeneralconceptsreferencedwhendefiningpublicrelations
*knowfourreasonswhyPRisaglobalindustry
*knowbasicconcepts/ideasrelatedtodefiningpublicrelations
*canrecognizenegativestereotypesrelatedtopublicrelations
*understandtheconceptofRACE
*canwriteaparagraphontherewardsofacareerinPR
*canwriteaparagraphonwhyPRisvaluable
*canrecognizethemanyelementsthatmakePRdiverseintheworkplace
*canarticulatethedifferences(inasentence)betweenjournalismandPR
*canarticulatethedifferences(inasentence)betweenadvertisingandPR
*canarticulatethedifferences(inasentence)betweenmarketingandPR
*understandtheconceptofIMC
*thinkaboutthepullquotefromGrunigandHunt(p.7)
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter2(EvolutionofPR)besureyou:
*understandwhyPRhasadeephistory
*understandhowPRispracticedinamulticulturalworld
*canrecognizethehistoricalthemesofPRoverthecenturies
*cansynthesize,throughafewgeneralexamples,whyPRisamulticulturalcraft
*understandthetieinbetweenPRandsocialmovements
*canprovideasentenceonthecontribution/sofLee,Bernays,Creel,Sonenberg,Page,
Harlow,Baxter,Cowan,Lambert,DavisandKendrixtothedevelopmentofPR
*canwriteaparagraphonwhyPRcameofagebetween1950and2000
*canrecognizehevariouscurrentdevelopmentsinPR
*cancommentonhowandwhywomenareoverlyrepresentedinthefield
*thinkaboutthepullquotefromtheCenterforMediaResearch(p.61)
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter3(PREthics)besureyou:
*know,ingeneral,whatethicsis
*knowwhatPRSA,IABC,NCA,AEJMCandIPRAstandfor
*candescribe,inacouplesentences,whyissuesoffinancialinformation,videonews
releases,andInternetPR,eachhasthepotentialtogenerateethicaldilemmasforan
organizationsPRfunction

16

*canputtogetheraonesentenceargumentfor,andaonesentenceagainst,licensing
andaccreditation
*candiscuss,inafewsentences,theblurringofethicallinesinrelationtoPRandthe
media
*thinkaboutthepullquotefromNielsen(p.68)
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter4(PRFirms)besureyou:
*candescribe,inoneortwosentences,whataninhousePRdepartmentdoes
*knowthedifferencebetweenlineandstafffunctions
*candescribe,inonesentence,whythePRdepartmentcouldclashwiththelegal,HR,
advertising,andmarketingdepartments
*canrecognizetheservicesPRfirmsprovide
*knowwhattheconceptofoutsourcingmeans
*knowwhat,ingeneral,howaPRfirm/agencyoperates
*canrecognizetheservicesPRfirmsprovide
*understandwhatcommunicationconglomeratesareandwhytheyinfluencepublic
relationspractices
*canstateoneadvantageandonedisadvantageofusingaPRfirm
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter5(PRResearch)besureyou:
*canrecognizethevariouswaystousePRresearch
*candescribewhyPRresearchismorethanstrictlyquantitativemeasurement
*understandwhatsecondaryresearchis
*theroletheWorldWideWebcanplayindoingresearch
*candescribe(inasentence)thefollowing:contentanalysis,interviews,focusgroups,
copytesting,andethnographictechniques
*knowwhatrandomsamplingis
*understandtherelevanceofasamplessize
*understandthedifferenttypesofsurveys
*thinkaboutthepullquotefromPaine(p.122)
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter6(PRPlanning)besureyou:
*canexplainwhatMBOis
*arefamiliarwiththeWiiFitGetsAmericaMovingcase
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,eachoftheeightelementsinaPRplan
*arefamiliarwiththeAustraliansAdopttheFourMinuteShowersection
*thinkabouthepullquotefromStalwart(p.151)
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter7(Communication)besureyou:
*canarticulatethegoalofcommunication

17

*canrecognizewhattypeofcommunicationsfallunderpubicmedia,controlled
media,interactivemedia,eventsandoneonone
*cannamethefivestageadoptionprocess
*candescribe,inaparagraph,otherattentiongettingconcepts
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter8(Evaluation)besureyou:
*knowwhyobjectivesareaprerequisiteforevaluation
*cangiveanexampleofameasureofproductionandamessageexposure
*understandwhatmediaimpressions,systematictrackingandROIare/is
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,thevarioustypesandusesofvariousmeasurements
andgiveanexampleofeach
*understandwhatapilottestis
*understandwhatasplitmessagemeasurementis

WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter9(PublicOpinionandPersuasion)besure
you:
*candefine,inasentenceortwo,publicopinion
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,thetypesofleaders
*candescribe,intwosentences,thebasicnotionsofagendasetting,mediadependency,
framing,andconflicttheories
*recognizethefindingsfrompersuasionresearch
*candefine,inasentence,sourcecredibility
*cansummarizebrieflytheHealthcareReformcasestudy
*understandproblemswhenusingcelebritiesassourcesrecognizingtheyoftenknow
verylittleaboutthetopicsonwhichtheypontificate.
*knowwhatappealingtoselfinterestmeans
*canrecognizethelimitstopersuasion
*canrecognizepotentialethicalproblemswhenpersuadinganaudience
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter10(ConflictManagement)besureyou:
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,theroleofPRinmanagingconflict
*cansummarizetheClassicCasesofCrisisManagementcomments
*canstatethetwobasicprinciplesrelatedtoassessingthreats
*understandhowonephaseofconflictmanagementleadstothenext
*candefineissuesmanagement
*canlistsomeimpedimentstocrisismanagement
*understandtheconceptofreputationmanagement
*canlistthethreefoundationsofreputation
*candescribeinasentenceoftwotheClassicCasesofCrisisManagement(re.Pepsi)
case
*candescribehowtorestoreanimage

18

*knowthefivestepsintheissuesmanagementprocess
*thinkaboutthephotoandcaptiononp.245
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter11(DiverseAudiences)besureyou:
*understand,fromtheperspectiveofaPRprofessional,whatismeantbya
multiculturalnation
*canprovideasentenceortworelatedtoreachingHispanics,AfricanAmericansand
AsianAmericans
*canrecognizethegroupsmentionedintheReachingDiverseAgeGroupssection
*cansummarize,inasentenceortwo,theWomenasaSpecialAudiencediscussion
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter12(PRandtheLaw)besureyou:
*havereviewedthesamplingoflegalproblems
*candescribelibelanddefamation
*understandthefaircommentdefense
*canwriteaparagraphonissuesrelatedtotheinvasionofprivacy
*candescribefairuseandinfringement
*knowwhattrademarklawisandwhyunderstandingitisrelevanttoPR
*how/whygovernmentagenciesregulationauthorityinfluencesPR
*knowwhattheSEC,FDAandEEOCare
*canwriteaparagraphonemployeespeechinthedigitalage
*havereviewedthecommentsoncorporationsspendingonpoliticalcandidates
*candescribe,inoneortwosentences,issuesrelatedtoemployeespeechinthedigital
age
*knowwhatismeantbyattorney/PRrelationships
*thinkaboutthequotefromLasky(p.318)
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter13(TheInternet)besureyou:
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,howPRprofessionalsusefollowing:webcasts,
differenttypesofblogs,MySpace,Facebook,YouTube,Flickr,texting,Twitter,Wikis
andpodcasts
*candiscussthenextgenerationofmobileenabledcontent
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,thePhoenixSunscasestudy
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter14(PromotionalMaterials)besureyou:
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,howPRpeopleusethefollowing:newsreleases
(traditionalandmultimedia);mediakitsis(traditionalandekit);factsheets;printand
broadcastinterviews;newsconferences(traditionalandonline);mediatours;andpress
parties
*knowthebasicsforpitchingastory(orproductorservice)

19

WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter15(RadioandTV)besureyou:
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,howPRpeopleusethefollowing:audionews
releases;PSAs;mediatours;videonewsreleases;SMTs;BRoll
*candescribeinasentenceortwo,howtomakeguestappearancesonvarioustypesof
shows
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,issuesplacement"
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter16(SpecialEvents)besureyou:
*canwritetwoorthreeparagraphsonwhyattentiontodetailisessentialforeffective
specialeventplanning
*havereadthroughandthoughtaboutthehowtoplanameetingsequenceandtactics
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,tipsforputtingoneffectivebanquets,receptions
andcocktailparties,openhouseandplanttours,conventions
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,tradeshowsandtheirexhibitbooths
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,howtousecelebritiestoattractattention
*knowhowanexhibitbooth,ahospitalitysuite,andapressroomareused
*thinkaboutthephotoandcaptionontradeshows(p.431)
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter17(CorporatePR)besureyou:
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,theBRSpillcase
*candescribemediarelations,customerrelations,employeerelationsandinvestor
relations
understandhowvariousgroupsuseconsumeractivism
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo:productpublicity,productplacement;causerelated
marketing;corporatesponsorships,viralmarketing
*candescribe,inasentenceortwo,marketingcommunication
*knowwhycorporationspracticecorporatephilanthropy
*thinkaboutthepullquotefromBrown(p.441)
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter18(Entertainment,Sports,Tourism)besure
you:
*understandhow/whyentertainmentPR,sportsPR,andtourismPRhavebecome
pervasive,particularlyintheU.S.,andwhat,generally,eachentails
*candescribe,inoneortwosentences,thepublicsfascinationwithcelebrities
*candescribe,inoneortwosentences,thecultofcelebrity
*candescribe,inaparagraph,whatapublicistdoes
*candescribethedripdripdriptechnique
*howtheInternethaschangedthetravelbusiness

20

*candescribe,inaparagraphortwo,theCruiseShipPassengersStumbleAshorein
Haiticase
*knowhowyouwouldconductapersonalitycampaign
*canwriteaparagraphortwoonthebusinessorsports
*understandwhysportsisabusiness
*knowwhatcommunityrelationsis
*readthecasestudyonthecruiseshipinHaiti(p.491).
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter19(GovernmentalPR)besureyou:
*knowthebasicpurposesofgovernmentalPR
*understandthebasicPRcommunicationstrategiesofCongress,theWhiteHouse,state
governments,andlocalgovernmentsaswellasforfederalagencies
*areawareofdebaterelatedtocampaignfinancereform
*knowthebasicsoflobbyinganditsvariousforms
*canwriteasentenceortwoontheSocialMediaandthe2008Electionstudy
*understandtheroleofacongressionalpresssecretary
*understand,ingeneral,therolesofstateandcityinformationservices
*thinkaboutthepullquotefromtheinstructor(p.502)
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter20(InternationalPR)besureyou:
*understand,ingeneral,whatismeantbyglobalpublicrelations
*knowwhatNGOsare
*canwritetwothreeparagraphsonhowtheU.S.triestoinfluenceothercountries
*understandwhyaU.S.firmmightchoosetoworkwithaforeigngovernment
*haveexamplesofpublicrelationsdevelopmentinAfrica,Brazil,Mexico,theMiddle
EastandThailand
*knowthebasicsofAmericanpublicdiplomacy
*arefamiliarwiththeopportunitiesavailableininternationalwork
*canrecognizethetypesofworkthefirmsintheU.S.FirmsRepresentsaVarietyof
Nationssection
*thinkaboutthequotefromPinkham(p.534)
*thinkaboutthepullquotefromPelfryandMolleda(p.543)
WhenreadingWilcox&Cameron,Chapter21(NonprofitPR)besureyou:
*candescribe,inaparagraphortwo,whatthenonprofitsectordoes
*knowthedifferencebetweenatradeassociationandaprofessionalassociation
*cangiveexamplesofadvocacygroupsandwhatPRtacticstheyuse
*canrecognizethecategoriesofsocialagencies
*candescribe,inaparagraph,therolePRplaysinhealthorganizations
*knowwhatafoundationdoes
*knowthebasicsoffundraising/development

21

*cansummarize,inafewsentences,theJobinUniversityRelationssection.
*thinkaboutthepullquotefromNowak(p.560)
HereareSomeStudyTipstoKeepinMindwhenReadingHayes,Hendrix&
Kumar
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix&Kumar,chapter1(PRinaction)besureyou:
*readcarefullythefirstthreeparagraphsonp.3
*readcarefullyPRSAsofficialstatementonPR
*understandhownew/socialmediaareinfluencing/changingPR
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix&Kumar,chapter2(PRprocess)besureyou:
*readcarefullythefirstparagraphonp.12
*reviewexhibitsa,2c,2d,2e
*knowthedifferenttypesofobjectives
*reviewcarefullytheactionsandeventsonp.31
*knowthedifferencebetweencontrolledanduncontrolledmedia
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix&Kumar,chapter3(MediaRelations)besureyou;
*readcarefullythefirsttwoparagraphsonp.49andthesummaryonp.60
*readcarefullytheNORDATracksSantacase
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix&Kumar,chapter4(SocialMedia)besureyou:
*readcarefullythefirstparagraphsonp.9295
*readcarefullytheDoritosandtheMillerHighLifecases
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix&Kumar,chapter5(InternalCommunications)besure
you:
*readcarefullythefirstparagraphonp.132andthesummaryonp.136137
*readcarefullytheAllstatecase
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix&Kumar,chapter6(CommunityRelations)besureyou:
*readcarefullythefirstparagraphonp.160andthesummaryonp.165
*readcarefullytheSpike&Biscuitcase
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix&Kumar,chapter7(PublicAffairsandGovernment)be
sureyou:

22

*readcarefullythefirsttwoparagraphsonp.193andthesummaryonp.204
*reviewexhibit7a
*reviewexhibit7b
*readcarefullytheStopOilcase
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix&Kumar,chapter8(InvestorandFinancialRelations)
besureyou:
*readcarefullythefirstparagraphonp.225andthesummaryonp.229
*readcarefullytheAflaccase
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix&Kumar,chapter9(ConsumerRelations)besureyou:
*readcarefullythefirstthreeparagraphsonp.256andthesummaryonp.260
*readcarefullytheHaagenDazscase
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix&Kumar,chapter10(InternationalPR)besureyou:
*Readcarefullythefirstparagraphonp.280andthesummaryonp.285
*reviewexhibit10a
*readcarefullyAWomansStandcase
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix&Kumar,chapter11(SpecialPublics)besureyou:
*readcarefullythefirstparagraphonp.312andthesummaryonp.316317
*readcarefullytheChangingtheMeaningofOrganDonorcase
WhenreadingHayes,Hendrix,&Kumar,chapter12(Crisis)besureyou:
*readcarefullythefirstparagraphonp.345andthesummaryonp.351
*readcarefullytheTroubleBrewingcase.
HereareSomeStudyTipstoKeepinMindwhenReadingCarnegie
WhenreadingCarnegiebesureyou:
*readthoroughly,carefully,andonlyoncetheentirefirstand,after,theentiresecond,
half.
*Donotmemorizeanylists.
HereareSomeStudyTipstoKeepinMindwhenReading/ViewingtheOnLine
Sources

23

Whenreadingyouronlinesourcesbesureyou:
*carefullyread/vieweachonceandthoroughly
*unlessotherwiseindicated,readthesiteonlyasfarasyouareabletoscrolldown
ONLINEREADINGS/VIEWINGS
1.

WhatisPR?

http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/PublicRelationsDefined
2.

SpinDoctor

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/spin+doctor
3.

FlacksandHacks

http://pandodaily.com/2013/04/01/apublicistcallsouttheflacksandthehacks/
4.

PRLiars

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/mar/09/publicrelationsliarsblogethics
5.

TheDisserviceofPR

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/The_disservice_of_PR_hacks_to_our_industry_1
4954.aspx
6.

PaidLiars(YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhqiHneJ1AA
7.

PRRespect

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/How_can_PR_earn_the_respect_it_deserves__12
146.aspx
8.

ImportanceofPRResearch

http://www.prfriend.com/researchinpublicrelations/
9.

TheHumanElement

24

http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/haveyoulostthehumanelementinyour
blog/
10.

ChildrenandTechnology

http://www.thejewishnews.com/childrenandtechnologythegoodthebadandthe
dangerous
11.

TechnologyandHumanity

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gillaroya/doestechnologyreplaceh_b_424073.html\
12.

BenefitsofPlanning

http://info.sms.uni.edu/blog/bid/124539/7BenefitsofStrategicPlanning
13.

PRPlanning

http://www.nku.edu/~turney/prclass/readings/plan.html
14.

NotPlanning

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/notnecessarywritebusinessplan2739.html
15.
PRPitches(YouTube)
http://prnc.tv/2013/04/prtipsandtricksprprosrevealthesecretstodevelopingthe
perfectpitch/
16.

MediaRelationsGroundRules

http://www.mrmediatraining.com/2011/05/12/8groundruleswhenworkingwith
reporters/
17.

Lying

http://pjmedia.com/victordavishanson/lyingintheageofobama/
18.

GreedyCorporations

http://freedomthirst.com/2011/02/28/evilgreedyrichpeopleandnastybig
corporations/
19.

UnethicalCorporations

25

http://www.actionforourplanet.com/#/top10unethicalcompanies/4545796858
20.

NonprofitPR

http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/fivebestpracticesfornonprofitpr
programs_b38985

21.

NewsBias

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d7TbdT_H6Y(YouTube)
http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/archive/exampleofmediabias/(PeruseHeadlines)
22.

AgencyLife

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/The_life_of_a_PR_agency_employee__12330.as
px
23.

GoldenRulesofCrisisPR(YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM7liob6DPs
24.

CrisisCaseStudy(YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHGqqjQFAjA
25.

CelebrityQuotes(clickthrough,peruseall25)

http://www.ijreview.com/2013/01/3105125dumbestcelebrityquotesaboutpolitics/4/
26.

Publicists

http://prbreakfastclub.com/2010/08/31/realitybeingpublicist/#.Ugu1Ybx6O8o
27.

CelebrityPR

http://newsinfo.iu.edu/web/page/normal/7106.html
28.

InternationalPR(YouTube)

26

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NJgw9tOTok
29.

PlanningSpecialEvents

http://www.ourconsumerplace.com/consumer/helpsheet?id=3502
30.

PerceptionandReality

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/yourperceptionisyourreality.html
31.

PresidentsMisstatements

http://www.westernfreepress.com/2013/10/15/obamastop5healthcaredeceptions/

32.

YoungPeopleandAffordableHealthCardAct(JimmyKimmellYouTube)

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noelsheppard/2014/01/15/jimmykimmelsavages
obamacareanduninformedyoungpeoplewhosuppor
33.

SellingObmamacare

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/thehighandlowofsellingobamacare/
34.

Top10CorporateCrises

http://www.holmesreport.com/featurestoriesinfo/11376/TheTop10CrisesOf2011
Part2.aspx
35.

WhyPRisPositive

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/65672
36.

PRsEthicalDimemna

http://prethicaldilemma.blogspotm/
37

PRsBestandWorst(readentirearticle)

http://www.thejobcrowd.com/careers/advertisingmarketingandpr/publicrelations
0/bestworst
38.

ElementsofgoodPR

27

http://www.prsquared.com/index.php/2009/07/the7elementsofgoodpr
39.

ModelsofPR(chart)

http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall99/westbrook/models.htm
40.

ModelsofPR(summary)(pleasereadentirePDF)

http://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CC4QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F
%2Fpr.shisu.edu.cn%2Fpicture%2Farticle
%2F19%2F39%2F35%2F3007ad524dc4983acca35edb3d5f%2F8ae39fc92c234578
9e9d
3f6909e0a01e.pdf&ei=Ln0EVIjqHY2VgwTn4IK4BA&usg=AFQjCNFXAaf98o_GKX
4pW_0gW1rGVm48GQ&bvm=bv.74115972,d.eXY
41.

PR:AnArtorScience(pt.1)

http://www.nku.edu/~turney/prclass/sections/art_science.html
42.
PR:AnArtorScience(pt.2)
http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/2012/04/05/publicrelationsartorscience/
43.

SituationTheoryofPR

http://sites.psu.edu/haleyburnside/2014/02/11/thesituationaltheoryofpublicspaper/
44.

PublicSegmentation(pleasereadentirePDF)

http://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CFUQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F
%2Fijbssnet.com%2Fjournals
%2FVol_3_No_20_Special_Issue_October_2012%2F13.pdf&ei=lX8EVOCYGsaRgwT
7j4KYCA&usg=AFQjCNGYFCb2BlGIQcG_k2nGVjR538MrHA&bvm=bv.74115972,
d.eXY
45.

WorldClassPR

http://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDAQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F
%2Fwww.prsa.org%2Fintelligence%2Fprjournal%2Fdocuments
%2F2011wakefield.pdf&ei=h4EEVMGtNorygwSL44HYAQ&usg=AFQjCNHbUNuCV
R6lRqBQiYu0AnyCa7NTA&bvm=bv.74115972,d.eXY

28

46.

PREthicsOverview

http://www.instituteforpr.org/ethicsandpublicrelations/
47.

PRResearch

http://www.instituteforpr.org/iprmeasurementcommission/
48.

InternationalPR(Putin)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/01/business/media/prfirmforputinsrussianow
walkingafineline.html?_r=0
49.

PRinHigherEducation

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwynne/2013/07/30/lessonsinhighereducation
publicrelations/
50.

PRJournals(peruselistings)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_relations_journals

51.

JonStewartvs.ChrisWallace(YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV2MxD779c0
52.

AcademicBias?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/arts/18liberal.html
53.

NYTBias?

http://www.aim.org/donirvineblog/nytimespubliceditoradmitspaperhasapro
obamabias/

29

30

GRADING

Element

Points

Points(andPercentages)

Quiz1

27

Quiz2

18

Quiz3

25

ClientProject

10

Assignment1(writingguidelines)

Assignment2 (featuresversusbenefits)

Assignment3 (pitchingyourself)

Assignment4 (liberalversusconservativebias)

Assignment5 (observingthehuman)

Assignment6 (portfolio)

Participation

Total:

100
Grade

Points

Grade

90100

6064

8589

5559

8084

B+

5054

D+

7579

4549

D/D

7074

4044

6569

C+

31

Note:Finalgradeswillbedeterminedbyaddingthepointsfromyourquizzes,client
project,participationandportfolio.Thescale(directlyabove)willbestrictlyfollowed
whencalculatingyourfinalcoursegrade.

WEBSITEANALYSIS
Thecriteriabelow,whichweredevelopedbyProf.JoyceWalshofBostonUniversitys
CollegeofCommunication,willbereferencedwhenyoudoyourclientprojectwebsite
analysis.(Thislatestupdateaddressesthedesignissuesrelatedtosmartphonesand
tablets.)
WEBDESIGNSTRATEGIES
DESIGNEffectivevisualhierarchycommunicatesprimarycontentmaketheprimary
contentpartofthefocalpoint
MakeitacomfortablereadingexperienceEstablishvisualhierarchybymakingtitlesand
subtitleslargerandbold:Avoidcenteredalignmentforbodycopy
Paragraphswithcenteredtypearedifficulttoread.Linelengthshouldbeproportional
bodycopyabout66charactersUseawhitebackgroundforoptimallegibility.Avoidall
capitallettersinsentencesPEOPLEWILLTHINKYOUARESHOUTING.Useno
morethantwotypefacespersiteUsecolor,boldoritalicsforemphasis.
SimplifySimplifySimplify
CONTENTCommunicateyourmostimportantinfointhreesecondsPeoplespendless
thanthreesecondsonapage
KeepthecontentcurrentYouraudiencewillkeepcomingback.
UpdatecomingeventstimelyandconsistentlyThisestablishesandmaintains
reliability.
CopyshouldbeinshortconciseparagraphsUsersbrowsewebsitecontentandExpect
toseesmallchunksofinfo.
EmbracescrollingChunkinformationsopeopleknowwhentoslowthescrollUse
headings,subheadingsandliststogroupinformationImplythereisadditionalcontent
bystaggeringimages(avoidbottomrows)
NAVIGATIONAccesstheinformationwithasfewclicksofthemouseaspossible.
32

Segmenttheinformationsoitisnotoverwhelming
ThenavigationmenushouldbeatthetopSecondarymenusshouldbeattheleftorright
AvoiddeadendsEachpageonthewebsiteshouldhaveanavigationaloption,atleast
togetbacktothehomepage.
IMAGESImagescanbevisualshortcutstolinksmakethecontentmeaningful.jpg
Photosorcomplexillustrationsshouldbecompressedintojpgformat.
gifLogosandotherflatcolorimagescanbecompressedintogifformats.pngThis
compressionformatallowsfortransparentbackgrounds.

PRCAMPAIGNCONCEPTUALIZATION

Thecriteriabelow,whichweredevelopedamongvariousacademicsandpractitioners,
willbereferencedwhenyoudoyourclientprojectcampaignplan.
Beforeyoubeginyourconceptualization,pleasewriteonesentenceatthetopof
thepagedescribingwhatyourcampaignisabout.

RESEARCHThissectionshouldbethreesentences,doublespaced.Itshould
describehowyouwouldgoaboutresearchingyourcampaign.Itdoesnotrequirethat
youdoanyactualresearch(collectingdata,etc.).
Researchsavesmetime.IfIdontknowtheopinionclimateorenvironmentfora
projectorprogram,thenIdontknowfirstifIamontarget,andsecondifIam
startingsomeplacedifferentfromwheretheaudienceis.SoIfindthattheresearchstep
savesmetimeandalmostguaranteesascloseasanythingcanguaranteethatthe
programweputtogetherisgoingtoendupwiththeresultsthatwewant.
AnneH.Barkelew,VicePresidentCorporateCommunications,DaytonHudson
Corp.
SITUATION ANALYSISThis summarizes your organization's relations with its
public/s. It explains why the campaign is needed and points out problems or
opportunities related to it. It often comments on social, historical, economic, political or
cultural events that influence the campaign. A PR professional might also conduct a
S.W.O.T analysis to help himself/herself write an effective situation analysis. This

33

section of your campaign should provide a one or two sentence reference to each of the
four S.W.O.T. letters.
OBJECTIVESYour objectives, which anchor the campaign, explain what youre
trying to accomplish; they describe specific results to be achieved by a specific date, and
for specific publics. These can be thought of as solution statements. They are often
preceded by research. Often, your PR staff/boss/committee will approve a campaign
without clear objectives.
How to write objectives: Objectives should begin with the word to followed by an
action verb. They should specify an outcome; state the magnitude of change or level to
be maintained in measurable terms; and set the target date when the outcome will be
achieved.
Here is an example of a properly written objective (this one, for a nonprofit
organization): To increase donations 25% within two months after starting the
fundraising campaign.
In establishing objectives, you must state exactly what you want the audience to know to
or to believe
You cannot set valid objectives without understanding the problem. To understand
the problem: (a) discuss it with your PR staff/boss/committee, (b) do your own
research, and (c) evaluate your ideas in the broader perspective of your
organization's long-term goals.
Once you understand the situation, it should be easy to define the objectives. To
determine if your stated objective is the right one, ask yourself: (a) Does it really
address the problem (or opportunity)? (b) Is it realistic and achievable? and (c) Can the
"success of the objective" be measured in terms meaningful to the PR
staff/boss/committee.
Your campaign should have two objectives.
AUDIENCEPublic relations campaigns (in all three sectors) should be directed
toward specific and defined audiences (or publics). If you define the audience as the
general public, youre often not doing your homework; some even suggest a general
public--especially with the tools new media provide--no longer exists.
Your campaign should carefully define your audience as well as explain why youve
chosen that audience. Be sure to comment on three variables. Namely, the audiences
demographics (who they are--age, sex, income, education level, etc.); psychographics
(what they are like--what they think, how they behave, and what they think about); and
geographics (where they live or, occasionally, where they work). This section should
be one-half page and should reference each of these three variables.

34

Identify, as precisely as possible, the group of people to whom you are going to direct
your communications. Is this the right group to approach in order to solve the problem
or capture the opportunity? If there are several groups, prioritize them according to
which are most important for your particular objectives.
STRATEGYA strategy is a broad concept (or broad concepts) on which the campaign
will be based. When coming up with a strategy/ies think about each of these four
questions:
Where are we now? How did we get there? Where do we want to be? How will
we get there?
The strategy describes how, in concept, the objective is to be achieved. Strategy is a
campaign of action that provides guidelines for selecting the communications activity
you will employ. There are usually one or more strategies for each target audience.
Strategies may be broad or narrow, depending on the objective and the audience.
Write one or two one-sentence strategies or your campaign.
Below those describe in one sentence why your campaign speaks to the audiences selfinterest.
Below that provide a one-sentence slogan for your campaign.
TACTICSTactics describe the how to do it portion of the campaign. The tactics
section of your campaign should be divided into two parts, each one-quarter page. One
(which should be bulleted) will describe tactics unrelated to the media; the other (which
also should be bulleted) will describe tactics related to the media.
This is the body of the campaign, which describes, in sequence, the specific
communications activities proposed to achieve each objective. In selecting
communication tools--news releases, brochures, radio announcements, and so on--ask
yourself if the use of each will really reach your priority audience and help you to
accomplish your stated objectives.
CALENDARWhen writing up your calendar, first describe (in prose) why the
campaign will be conducted at its designated time, and second (in bullets) offer a general
outline of what will take place when. This section should be between one-quarter and
one-half of a page.
BUDGETYour budget should be divided into two categories: staff time and outof-pocket expenses. You can do a reasonable job of estimating out-of-pocket expenses
by making a few phone calls. You would call a printer, for example, to get an estimate
of how much 10,000 copies of a pamphlet would cost.

35

Each of the two categories in your budget should contain four bulleted items. Also, have
a single line below these labeled contingencies--that is, unexpected expenses. In
general, and for this campaign, allow10% of the budget for this category. Your budget
should be presented in columns (not prose).
How much will implementation of the campaign cost? Outline in sequence the exact
costs of all activities. Make sure you include things such as postage, car mileage and
labor to stuff envelopes.
EVALUATIONYour evaluation should be directly related to your stated objectives.
It describes the process by which you determine whether you have met your objectives.
Your evaluation should be one-two sentences, each relating back to a specific objective.
Below this please describe, in two sentences, at least two research techniques (examples
are provided below) you will use to evaluate your campaign.
Before you begin your campaign, both you and the PR staff/boss/committee, must agree
on the criteria you will use to evaluate your success in achieving the objective/s.
Research techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of a campaign include: the
implementation of small, statistically correct mini-surveys; an 800/888 number to
capture responses; use of a database to find/confirm media placement; tracking of hits
on a Web site; collection and analysis of emails; online surveys; development and
collection of response cards; use of students from local colleges to conduct surveys;
intercept surveys in the community; and focus groups/roundtable sessions with the
intended audience.
Note:Materialcoveredinthissynopsiswascompiledfromthecontributionsofvarious
authors(Wilcox,1997,2012;HowardandMathews,2001;Yale,2001;etal.),aswellas
fromtheindustryrelatedexperiencesoftheinstructorandhisformerstudents.

36

PRPORTFOLIODESIGN

Thecriteriabelow,whichweredevelopedbytheinstructorandhisformerstudents,will
bereferencedwhendoyourownportfolio.
A.

OverallImpression

B.

RequiredElementsforPortfolio
1.Resume(notesuggestionssharedinlecture)
2.References(useformatIwillputontheboard)
3.Binder(usesolid,conservativecolorwithnowritingonit;nottoothick)*
4.Notationsatbottomofpage,rightcorner*(todescribeandsell)
5Writingsamples
6.Additionalelements(uniqueforeachpersonintheclass)

C.

OtherElements
1.Elementsfromworkplace/industryand/orclassesareacceptable
2.Besurewrittenelementsareperfectlywritten
3.Thinkofyouruniquesellingpoint/sandhighlightit/those
4.Briefmentionofpersonali.e.,nonacademic,nonworkplacerelated
experiences/skills/accomplishments.(However,notascrapbook.)

37

38

*Forphysicalportfoliosonly CLASSBYCLASSTOPICS,READINGSAND
ASSIGNMENTS

September2,4

FoundationConcepts

September9,11

PRResearch/AppliedAssignments
Review/Portfolios
Wilcox:1,2,5
Hendrix:1
Online:18,50
ReadEntireSyllabus

September16,18

New/Social/AlternativeMedia
Planning,Implementation,Eval.
Wilcox:6,7,8,13,14,15
Hendrix:2,3,4,13
Online:917
PRPortfolios
Assignment1dueSeptember18

September23,25

Quiz1givenonSeptember25

September30,October2

CorporatePR
Wilcox:17
Hendrix:8,9
Online:1819,34
Assignment2dueonOctober2

October7,9

GovernmentalPR/NonprofitPR
Wilcox:19,21
Carnegie:firsthalf
Hendrix:6,7
39

Online:2021,3033,49,5153
October16

AgencyPR
Wilcox:4
Hendrix:N/A
Online:22
Assignment3dueonOctober16

October21,23

Quiz2givenonOctober23

October28,30

CrisisPR/PRTheory
Wilcox:10
Hendrix:12
Online:2324.34,4144

November4,6

Entertainment/InternationalPR
Wilcox:18,20
Hendrix:10
Online:2528,45,48
Assignment4dueonNovember6

November11,13

Addl.Publics/Anchoring
Adjectives/PRModels
Wilcox:N/A
Hendrix:11
Online:3940
Assignment5dueonNov.13

November18,20

SpecialEvents/Ethics
Wilcox:3,11,9,12,16
Hendrix:5
Online:29,3538,46
Carnegie:secondhalf

40

Assignment6dueonNov.27

December2,4

Open/MakeUpClass
Quiz3givenonDecember4

December9

Open/MakeUpClass
ClientProjectdueonDecember9

41

WRITINGATTHEGRADUATELEVEL

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Iwenttothedance,itwaswonderful.
Iwenttothedance;itwaswonderful.OR
Iwenttothedance,anditwaswonderful.OR
Iwenttothedance.Itwaswonderful.
Theincorrectsentenceuseda"commasplice."Thisreferstothepracticeof
separatingtwosentencesfromeachotherbyacommainsteadofbyaperiodor
semicolon.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Idranktwelveglassesofmilkthisweek.
Idrank12glassesofmilkthisweek.
Usenumeralsfornumberstenandaboveexceptwhentheybeginasentence.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

20peoplecametotheparty.
Twentypeoplecametotheparty.
Whenasentencebeginswithanumber,spelloutthatnumber.
NOTE:It'sweakwritingtobeginasentencewith"Thereare"or"Thereis."
Example:"Thereare30dogsintheneighborhood."It'sbettertobeginthe
sentencebywritingoutthenumber.Example:"Thirtydogsareinthe
neighborhood."

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Themediawasimportantduringthelastelection.
Themediawereimportantduringthelastelection.
Theword"media"isplural;theword"medium"issingular.(Avoidusing
"mediums"unlessyou'reatasance.)

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Thedatawasgiventothereporter.
Thedataweregiventothereporter.
Theword"data"isplural("datum"issingular).

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Followingisthelistofitemstobring;shoes,socks,atowelandaradio.
Followingisthelistofitemstobring:shoes,socks,atowelandaradio.
Useacolon,notasemicolon,priortoalist.

Incorrect:
Correct:

Iwantafulltimejob.
Iwantafulltimejob.

42

Comment:

Hyphenshelpustoavoidambiguity(e.g.,smallbusinessowners,recovered).
Theyalsoformcompoundmodifiersi.e.,twoormorewordsexpressingasingle
idea(e.g.,wellknown,knowitall).

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Dogsarenice,however,catsarestillmyfavorite.
Dogsarenice;however,catsarestillmyfavorite.
Makeuseoftheaboveconstruction(i.e.,useasemicolonpriortotheconjunctive
adverb"however").

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Johnsaid"Iloveyou."
Johnsaid,"Iloveyou."
Acommashouldprecedeacompletequote.

Incorrect:
Correct:

Beforeanyonespeaks,theyshouldlisten.
Beforeanyonespeaks,heorsheshouldlisten.OR
Beforepeoplespeak,theyshouldlisten.
Itisimportantyoursingular(s)andplural(s)agree.Theeasiestwaytoassure

Comment:

thisistomakeyourfirstreferenceapluralinsteadofasingular.
NOTE:Mostorganizationshaveapolicyonhowtohandlethis.Somecontinueto
use"he"torefertobothgenders/sexes;someuse"they"eventhough,technically,
thisisincorrect;oneIknowofswitches"he"and"she"throughoutitswritten
materials.Forthiscoursemakethefirstreferencepluralwheneverpossible
whenyoucan't,use"heorshe"or"himselforherself."DoNOTuse"they"ifthe
firstreferenceissingular.
Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Eachofusareanimportantpartoftheteam.
Eachofusisanimportantpartoftheteam.OR
Weareanimportantpartoftheteam.
Seepreviouscomment.(Note"each"reallymeans"eachone"and,therefore,is
singular.)

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

BurgerKinghasseveralwebpages;theydevelopedthemthisyear.
BurgerKinghasseveralwebpages;itdevelopedthemthisyear.
"BurgerKing"issingular;thereforeuse"it"(thesingularform),not"they"(the
pluralform).

43

Remember,insentenceswhereanorganization(beitIMB,BurgerKingorthe
UN)isthesubject(theoriginatoroftheactionoractivity),thesecondreferenceis
"it"(singular)and"its"(possessive).
Anotherexample:Thecompanyboastsitwasthefirstonthemarket.
Note:Experts'opinionsonwhethertocapitalizethe"w"in"web"orthe"i"in
"internet"differ.Forthiscourse,eitherwayisacceptableaslongasyou're
consistent.Forothercoursesfollowtheprofessor'spreference.
Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Whereisthemensroom?
Whereisthemen'sroom?
"Men"isalreadyplural;thus,add's.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Thechildrensprogramhasbegun.
Thechildren'sprogramhasbegun.
"Children"isalreadyplural;thus,add's.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Ilikepeoplethatsing.
Ilikepeoplewhosing.
Whenreferringtopeople(ortogroupsofpeople),usetherelativepronoun
"who."

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Ifeelit'simportanttobetruthful.
Itisimportanttobetruthful.OR
Ithinkitisimportanttobetruthful.
Youraudiencegenerallywantstoknowwhatyouthink,andislessinterestedin
whatemotionalresponseyouarehaving(i.e.,whatyou"feel").

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Itryanddomyreadingbeforetheclass.
Itrytodomyreadingbeforetheclass.
"Tryanddo"isasillyconstruction.Avoidit.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Whatisthecause?Whatistheaffect?
Whatisthecause?Whatistheeffect?
"Affect"isusuallyaverb,"effect"commonlyanoun.

Incorrect:
Correct:

Seinfeldismyfavoritetelevisionshow.
"Seinfeld"ismyfavoritetelevisionshow.
44

Comment:

Putquotationmarksaroundtitlesoftelevisionorradioprograms.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Itseemscoldoutside.
Itiscoldoutside.
Avoid"seems."(Doingsokeepsyourwritingstrong.)

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Freshmenaredifferentthanseniors.
Freshmenaredifferentfromseniors.
Use"differentfrom"not"differentthan."

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Shesaid,Hetoldme,Iloveyou.
Shesaid,"Hetoldme,'Iloveyou.'"
Remembertheperiodandcommagowithinthequotationmarks.
Also,donotputaspacebetweenthesingularandthedoublequotationmark
i.e.,donotdothis:"Hetoldme,'Iloveyou.'"

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comments:

Dogsmakenoisesi.e.theybarkandwhimper.
Dogsmakenoisesi.e.,theybarkandwhimper.
Whenusingeither"i.e."or"e.g."besuretofollowtheperiodafterthe"e,"orthe
periodafterthe"g,"withacomma.
NOTE:Donotconfuse"i.e."(whichmeans"thatis")with"e.g."(whichmeans
"forexample").

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Ilovetoplaysportse.g.basketball,baseballandhockey.
Ilovetoplaysportse.g.,basketball,baseballandhockey.
Seepreviouscomment.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Itwasaveryexquisitehome.
Itwasanexquisitehome.
Whilesometimestheword"very"addstoyoursentence,othertimesitisnot
necessary.Intheaboveexample,forinstance,"exquisite"isexquisite."Very"is
redundant,anddoesn'taddtothesentence.Sodropit.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Iwantahouselikeyours!
Iwantahousesuchasyours!
Asageneralrule,use"suchas"ratherthan"like"unlesssomethingisexactly
likesomethingelse.

Incorrect:
Correct:

AtthispointintimeIdon'tcare.
NowIdon'tcare.OR
45

Comment:

Idontcare.
Whenyoucanwriteorsaysomethingwithfewerwords,doso.Ineachofthe
following,avoidthefirstconstruction.Usethesecond.
(Pleaseseenextpage.)

Inorderto
Agreatmany
Atthispointintime
Cametoarealization
Cametoaconsensus
Despitethefactthat
Forthepurposeof
Isoftheopinionthat
Gaveapproval
Whetherornot
Duetothefactthat
Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

to
many
now
realized
agreed
although
to,or,for
thinks
approved
whetherimpliesnot
because

Concernandhumilityaremyfavoritewords.
"Concern"and"humility"aremyfavoritewords.
Whenreferringtoawordasawordputthewordindoublequotes.(Some
newsorganizationswillinsteaditalicizetheword.)

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Theword'comfortable'describesmyhome.
Theword"comfortabledescribesmyhome.
Donotuseasinglequotationmarkunlessyouarealsousingdoubleones.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Wehavelesspeoplethanlastyear.
Wehavefewerpeoplethanlastyear.
Whenyoucancountthenumber,use"fewer."Remember,"fewer"relatesto
thingscountable."Less"isusedtodescribethenonquantifiable,thequalityof
things,etc.

Incorrect:

TheRedSoxaremyfavoriteballclub.IwanttopitchfortheRedSox.TheRed

Correct:

Soxwillwinthisyear'schampionship!
TheRedSoxaremyfavoriteballclub.Iwanttopitchforthem.Thisteamwill

46

Comment:

winthisyear'schampionship!
Redundancy,unlessusedcarefullyandthoughtfully,weakensyourwritingand
resultsintiresomeprose.

Incorrect:

Firstly,brushyourteeth;secondly,washyourface;andlastly,giveyourmoma

Correct:

kissbeforeyougotobed.
First,brushyourteeth;second,washyourface;andthird,giveyourmomakiss

Comment:

beforeyougotobed.
Dropthe"ly"it'snotnecessary.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

IwanttostudyPublicRelations.
Iwanttostudypublicrelations.
Unlessyou'redescribingalanguage(e.g.,English,French),don'tcapitalizea
schoolsubjectormajor.Whileitissometimesacceptabletocapitalizeanentire
wordtoemphasizeitsmeaning(e.g.,STOP!),itisimpropertocapitalizeonlythe
firstletter.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Thethreeofussearchedbetweenourselvesforanswers.
Thethreeofussearchedamongourselvesforanswers.
Whenreferringtoaneffortbytwopeople(orthings)use"between."When
referringtothreeormore,use"among."Note,however,"between"maybeused
withmorethantwopeopleorthingswithadefiniterelation(e.g.,threebrothers).

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

ItsimportanttobeanethicalPRpractitioner.
ItsimportanttobeanethicalPRpractitioner.
Don'tconfuse"its"(possessive)and"it's"(acontractionfor"itis").

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

ThisisthehousethatIbuilt.
ThisisthehouseIbuilt.
Generallydroptheword"that"unlessdoingsochangesthemeaningofyour
sentence.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Ihavespokentoa,b,c,andd.
Ihavespokentoa,b,candd.
Commasaredesignedtohelpclarifyprose,nottoclutterit.Inashortseries,
whereeachcategory/ideaisclearlyseparate,youdonotneedalast(aserial)

47

commaalsoknownasthe"Harvardcomma."
Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

Iwenttoalotofseminars.
Iwenttoalotofseminars.
"Alot"isnotaword.

Incorrect:
Correct:
Comment:

I'mgoingtoquicklyeat.
I'mgoingtoeatquickly.
Don'tsplitinfinitives.
NOTE:Theinfinitiveisthe"to"formofaverb,e.g.,"tojump,""toeat."Ifa
wordisplacedbetweenthetwowordsintheinfinitive,itis"split."
Sources

Berry,TheMostCommonMistakesinEnglishLanguage
Kessler&McDonald,WhenWordsCollide
Schulz,"PleaseDon'tDoThat!"(writingguide)
Strunk&White,TheElementsofStyle
Wilcox,PublicRelations:WritingandMediaTechniques
TheAssociatedPressStylebookandLibelManual

48

INSTRUCTORSBACKGROIUND

49

50

Dr.EdwardJ.Downes
AssociateProfessorofPublicRelationsandMassCommunication
CollegeofCommunication,BostonUniversity
IndustryExperience
Dr.Downes,priortojoiningacademiafulltime,workedprofessionallyfortenyearsfor
communicationsprogramsthroughoutmetropolitanWashington,D.C.Heheldpositionsasa
marketingrepresentative,personnelspecialist,campaignorganizer,specialeventsproducerand
performer,resourcedevelopmentmanager,researchassociate,andpublicrelationsdirector.
HehasworkedforCapitalCare(asubsidiaryofBlueCross/Shield),theUnitedFreshFruitand
VegetableOrganization(aninternationaltradeassociation),theWonderCompany(aspecial
eventsfirm),theChildWelfareLeagueorAmerica(anationaladvocacyorganization),D&S
Whyte(amarketingfirm),andtheUnitedStatesCongress(intheofficesofCongressman
GeorgeWortleyandtheClerkoftheHouseofRepresentatives).
Education
Dr.DownesreceivedhisBachelorofArtsinEnglish,withapsychologyconcentration,fromSt.
BonaventureUniversity;hisMasterofPublicAdministrationdegreefromGeorgeMason
University;anddidpostmasters/predoctoralstudiesattheCollegeofJournalismatthe
UniversityofMaryland.HereceivedhisdoctoratefromSyracuseUniversitysS.I.Newhouse
SchoolofPublicCommunications,wherehereceivedafullacademicscholarship.
HisPh.D.courseworkanddissertationfocusedoncommunicationmanagementanditsrelation
to:programplanning,implementationandevaluation;campaignstrategiesandtactics;social,
economic,political,andculturaleffectsofmedia;quantitativeandqualitativeresearchdesign
andmethods;interculturalcommunication;politicalcommunication;integratedmarketing
communication;andcommunicationtheory.Hisdissertationwastitled,Messagesfromthe
Hill:AConceptualFrameworkforUnderstandingtheCongressionalPressSecretary.
Hismasterscoursesfocusedonthebusinessofgovernment,examiningprinciplesof
management,economics,finance,publicpolicyformation,administrativelaw,
intergovernmentalrelations,databasedesignandmanagement,andactivism/advocacy.
ProfessionalSeminars/Panels/Lectures
Sincejoiningacademiafulltime,Dr.Downeshasbeenafeaturedspeakeratseveralprofessional
conferencessponsoredbytrade,professional,andeducationalorganizations,amongthem:the
Atlantic&PacificExchangeProgram,thePublicRelationsSocietyofAmerica,ThePublicity
ClubofNewEnglandMastersInstitute,theRhodeIslandServiceAlliance,theMassachusetts
LungAssociation,theUnitedWay,BostonWomenCommunicators,theNationalService
Corporation,theBostonUniversityWashington,D.C.program,theNationalAssociationof
GovernorsCouncilsonPhysicalFitnessandSports,andothers.

51

Hehasalsoguestlecturedatvariouscollegesanduniversities,amongthem:RogerWilliams
University,St.BonaventureUniversity,SyracuseUniversity,HarvardUniversity,Lasell
College,NortheasternUniversity,andEmersonCollege.
Advising
Dr.Downesservedontwodoctoraldissertationcommitteesandseveralmastersthesis
committees.Hehasoverseenindependentstudiesformorethan40students;theseexploreda
rangeoftopicsrelatedtocommunicationmanagement,amongthem:corporatesocial
responsibility,politicalcommunication,investorrelations,internationalpublicrelations,media
literacy,thesocialconstructionofreality,newandsocialmedia,hiringtrendsinthe
communicationsdisciplines,nonprofit/corporatepartnerships,sourcecredibilityandmessage
recall,andwebsitedesign.For14yearshewasmemberofBostonUniversitysFacultyin
Residenceprogram.HeisapastrecipientoftheCollegeofCommunicationsLyndonBaines
JohnsonAdvisoroftheYearaward.
RecentAcademicResearch
In2014Dr.Downespresentedapaper,The(VeryDeep)EvolutionoftheCongressionalPress
SecretaryandtheImportance(orLackThereof)ofanInformedDemocracyattheInternational
HistoryofPublicRelationsConferenceinBournemouthEngland.InMarch2014hepresenteda
paperattheInternationalPublicRelationsResearchConferenceinMiami,FLtitled,The
EvolutionoftheCongressionalPressSecretaryAsPublicRelationsPractitioner?
In2012hepresentedtwopapersattheInternationalConferenceonCommunication,Media,
TechnologyandDesigninIstanbulTurkey:AFrameworkforUnderstandingthe
CongressionalPressSecretarysMotivations,PracticesandInfluencesandPower,NewMedia
andTodaysCorporatePublicRelationsProfessionals.Thatyearhealsopresentedanessay,
TheEarlySpinDoctorsTheTroubadours:ToutingLove,LamentingLoss,and"Spinning"
Songs,attheAssociationforCoreTextsandCoursesConference.

In2011hepresentedanotheressay,Lincoln,theOldOligarch...andtheCongressionalPress
Secretary,alsoastheAssociationforCoreTextsandCoursesConference,heldatYale
UniversityinNewHaven,CT.
In20092010hepresentedfourpeerreviewedstudies:OnLinePowerShiftsIllustrated
ThroughNonprofitPublicRelationsPracticesattheWesternStatesCommunication
AssociationConventioninAnchorage,Alaska;ReflectionsonthePowerPoint:WhereNew
Media,ComputerApplicationsandCommunicationManagementIntersectatthe
CommunicationandTechnologiesConferenceinRiyadh,SaudiArabia;Messagesfromthe
State:theRoleandInfluenceoftheLegislativeAideatthe31stAnnualCommunication
ResearchConferenceattheUniversityofTennessee;andMovingTowardDtente:Educating
andTrainingStudentsStudyingAppliedFieldsattheannualmeetingoftheAssociationof
AmericanUniversityProfessorsinWashington,D.C.

Hisstudieshavealsobeenpublishedinseveralscholarlyjournals,amongthem:theJournalof
HumanSubjectivity,TelematicsandInformatics,Journalism&MassCommunicationEducator,
NewMediaandSociety,TheJournalofMentalHealthCounseling,andtheJournalofPublic

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RelationsResearch.Additionally,hehaspublishedchaptersinGovernmentPublicRelations:A
ReaderandinCorporateCommunication:ACrossCulturalApproach.Additionallyhehas
participatedonacademicpanelsatconferencessponsoredbytheBroadcastEducation
Association,theNationalCommunicationAssociation,theNationalMediaEducation
Conference,theNationalAssociationofStudentPersonnelAdministrators,andtheInternational
CommunicationAssociation.
SabbaticalLeave/FirstBook
Dr.Downeswasonpaidsabbaticalleave,in2012,fromBostonUniversity.Duringthistime
wrotea370pagebook,PressSecretary:TheStoryofCapitolHill'sImageMakers,whichhe
anticipateswillbepublishedthisyear,andforwhichhereceivedaresearchgrantawardedby
theDirksenCongressionalResearchCenter.Duringthesabbaticalhespenttwomonthsina
remotevillageintheNewMexicodesert.AfterthathetraveledthroughIndia,Thailandand
Laos.WhileinIndiahedeliveredthekeynoteaddressataninternationalconference,
"EmpoweringWomenThroughHigherEducation,"sponsoredbyKanyaMahaVidyalaya
Women'sCollegeinJalandhar,Punjab,India.

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