Mayborn School of Journalism Fall 2017
Fall 2017
Class: JOUR 4460
Topic: PR Communication (Senior Capstone Course)
Final RNP:08/28/2017
Course Description and Prerequisites:
The senior Public Relations capstone course focuses on expanding writing ability, increased editing responsibility and developing evaluation skill. Coursework includes preparation of advanced tactical and strategic PR work products; applying PR best practices and theories; and conducting comprehensive research and planning. The class promotes presentation skills, working with a client and requires students to self manage a demanding workload and multiple deadlines, replicating a PR agency or department.
Students are held to a professional standard for the quality of documents (useable/publishable by the client) and production of a major strategic PR campaign.
Students experience first hand the responsibility the PR professional has in the workplace to produce compelling documents on deadlines to meet the objectives of the client.
· Prerequisites: JOUR major status; JOUR 3420
Instructor and Office Hours:
Rebecca Noah Poynter, M.J.
Office: SYCAMORE 248
Office hours: Tuesdays 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
E-mail :
Blackboard message is the best way to reach me for class questions. I can be reached through Blackboard M-F from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. I typically respond within 24 – 36 hours, except on weekends or if I have noted an extended period of unavailability.
Learning Objectives:
· Learn the elements of strategic communications planning and apply them to assignments for actual clients.
· Write measurable objectives which can be evaluated for effectiveness.
· Develop and utilize strategic planning skills in an ethical manner.
· Apply professional writing and visual communications techniques to PR work products.
· Learn to manage time independently and in teams to meet deadlines.
· Engage with a client in analytical and creative problem solving to prepare a PR campaign.
· As a team, create a professional strategic public relations campaign for a client.
· Prepare and show a professional portfolio (hard copy and online) suitable for job interviews and networking.
· Think critically, creatively and independently.
· Write correctly and clearly in work product formats and styles ( persuasive and informative); using AP style.
· Prepare publishable/useable tactical work products.
· Prepare blogs and assignments that show comprehension of PR best practices and theories.
Required Texts and resources:
1. Strategic Planning for Public Relations, 4th Edition. Ronald D. Smith. New York: Routledge. 2013.
2. The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law. The Associated Press. New York: Basic
Books, 2017 version. (The online version is even better.)
3. Study Guide for the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations Examination. Free
download from http://www.praccreditation.org/resources/documents/Certificate-Principles-PR-StudyGuide.pdf
Universal Accreditation Board. 2015.
4. Supplemental readings as assigned.
Additional Requirements:
1. UNT class Blackboard LEARN
2. UNT email
3. LinkedIn profile
4. Personal Blog or blogs posted to WIX
5. Online Portfolio
6. Hard Copy Portfolio
7. Regular reading of The Dallas Morning News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and listening to NPR Morning Edition
8. A wifi-enabled laptop to be brought to class
Blackboard:
Class information is communicated using Blackboard, please check regularly.
Unless otherwise noted, assignments are to be submitted through Blackboard by the assignment deadline. Details on each assignment are located in Blackboard. Instruction and guidance for assignments will be made available in class and in Blackboard.
Class Participation Policy - Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to attend every class. In-class assignments can include the week’s readings, class discussions and current events and usually occur at the beginning of class. Students are expected to arrive to class on time. If the students arrives late and misses some or all of an in-class assignment, the assignment cannot be made up.
Excused Absence: Contact me by Blackboard or email before or immediately after a missed class if you are not able to attend due to an excused absence event. It is your responsibility to provide me with a written form of proof from a third party by the next class period. Any missed assignment is due typically within 48 hours. There is no make-up or modified due date for any assignment without an excused absence.
Unexcused Absence: Missing a class without a written form of proof from a third party, arriving more than 10 minutes late, leaving early, leaving during class for more than 5 minutes is considered an unexcused absence.
Professional Conduct Policy:
Professional workplace standards, respect and courtesy are expected in the classroom. Students are expected to be self managing; meeting multiple deadlines with professional work products Professional (positive, prepared and proactive) interactions with both each other and the client are required.
There may be additional or modified requirements announced to maintain classroom etiquette, academic standards and/or class progress.
Citations Criteria:
All sources must be cited within the text and/or at the end of the assignment. Sources must be cited in their entirety, whether a website, blog, book, magazine or journal article, or any other scholarly source, including the date of publication, or interview. Citation of online sources must follow the format from the Purdue Online Writing Lab, http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/ and must be complete.
Assignment Submission and Writing Requirements:
All assignments and blogs are to be submitted via Blackboard (as well as Turnitin if noted) and in hard copy.
Work products must “look” finished, be ready for actual use (without mistakes or errors) and demonstrate critical thinking and knowledge of best practices.
The AP Stylebook is the grammar, punctuation, spelling and usage guide for this class. Hidden hyperlinks are required in assignments. Citations ( recommended style is APA) can occur at the end of the document.
Work products must “look” finished, be ready for actual use (without mistakes or errors).
Grading:
· A – All elements required are included. Neat appearance. Correct document format. AP style, no typos misspelling, careless errors, quotes correct. College level writing with clear and concise writing. Demonstrate understanding of best practices. Document is ready to be published or released.
· B – Writing is not concise or clear and contains multiple errors and/or lacks understanding of best practices or concepts Document requires correction ( more than two errors or improvements) and it not ready for release.
· C – Document does not meet PR standards for a finished product - missing elements, format, appearance, contains AP style, errors, immature writing and does not indicate understanding of related PR concepts. Document is careless, missing elements or unfinished and requires editing.
· D –Document is unacceptable as a professional communication work product. Document is a first draft effort in writing without required format or information and does not demonstrate PR best practices.
Assignment require a title, short paragraphs ( one point per paragraph) and hidden hyperlinks as well as end-note citations.
90 percent or higher of total possible points: A
80 percent - lower than 90 percent: B
70 percent - lower than 80 percent: C
60 percent - lower than 70 percent: D
Lower than 59.99%: F
In addition assignments will be graded according to content/key messages, style and grammar, design and format and following instructions:
· Content and message development : Student writing will be evaluated for factual accuracy, organization of thought, strength of message, critical thinking, persuasiveness and application of best practices and concepts.
· Format and citations: Citations are required in the specified format and hidden hyperlinks are required in several assignments.
· Grammar, style and punctuation: The Associated Press Stylebook and The Purdue Online Writing Lab ( http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/) are resources.
· Research Skill: Cited research which demonstrates multiple sources to develop original ideas and concepts.
· Appearance: Neat and meets all specified assignment format requirements. Document sh
Deadlines:
Deadlines are a key component of PR professional development. Unless otherwise noted, assignments are due in Blackboard by the start of class on the day noted. Assignments must also be brought to class in hard copy. The number of copies needed will be noted on the assignment requirements. Late assignments are not accepted.
Assignments turned in Blackboard must be readable and formatted for instructor access or the assignment is graded as a zero.
After assignments are edited and graded, a final version must be submitted to Blackboard. Failure to submit a final work product will result in a reduction by half of the original grade.
Assignments*:
*Points and assignment can be changed or altered based on class progress.
In Class Assignments -10
Initial Press Release/ Twitter Campaign/Email -2
Campaign Case study – 2
Evaluation Assignment- 2
Crisis Communication Drill – 2
Other assignment TBD - 2
Major Assignments – 32
Individual Nonprofit Publics Assessments/ Audience Development– 4
Individual Nonprofit SWOT/Competitive Analysis - 4
Individual Nonprofit Communications Audit/Communications Plan - 4
Group Chapter Presentation and 10 answer review and examples – 4
Individual Position Paper (narrative) and short version -4
Position Paper Fact Sheet w/ two visual persuasion elements -4
Individual OpEd w Media List - 4
Individual Cover Letter with updated PR resume and business card/hard copy and online portfolio portfolio with presentation - 4
Self -Managed Assignments -20
Blogs (prescribed topic) – 14 (7 total)
Best practices interview w/ PR professional - 4 (2 each)
Online, Hardcopy Portfolio, business card, PR resume with presentation – 2
Major Exam based on chapter presentations and blog research - 8
Master Assignment – 30
Communications Audit, Plan and prescribed work products for Client
Final Grades:
Final Grade—Based on a percentage of 100 possible points
Students are held to a higher standard because this is a capstone class.
92% and above = A (92 points and higher)
82% -- 91.9% = B (82—91.99 points)
72% -- 81.9% = C (72—81.99 points)
62% -- 71.9% = D (62—71.99 points)
Academic Integrity:
Class Policy: Any incidence of academic dishonesty including plagiarism and cheating by any means will result in a zero for the assignment or test. If cheating involves more than one student, there will be additional penalties. Work that has been previously written for personal blogs or other classes (past or present), including blog posts, articles or publications cannot be submitted as an assignment for this class.
MSOJ Syllabus Statements
JOURNALISM REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES
JOURNALISM COURSE REGISTRATION
1. Registration will begin on the dates noted in the schedule of classes each semester. The system is a live, first come/first serve program.
2. By registering for this course, you are stating that you have taken the required prerequisites according to your catalog year and major/minor status. If the instructor later determines that you haven’t taken and passed these requirements, then you may be dropped at any point in the semester. If you have questions about your prerequisites, please see an advisor.
3. A journalism major enrolled in any restricted 3000 and 4000 level classes must have taken and passed the GSP test, all foundational courses, and Math 1680/1681. Students must earn and maintain a 2.5 UNT and/or overall GPA (depending upon catalog year) to be eligible for major-level courses.
RE-TAKING FAILED JOURNALISM CLASSES
Students will not be allowed to automatically take a failed journalism course more than two times. Once you have failed a journalism course twice, you will not be allowed to enroll in that course for one calendar year after the date you received the second failing grade. Once a student has waited one calendar year after failing a course twice, the student may submit a written appeal to the director to be approved to enroll a third time. Students will not be allowed to re-take a failed journalism course more than three times.
TEXTBOOK POLICY
The Mayborn School of Journalism doesn’t require students to purchase textbooks from the University Bookstore. Many are available through other bookstores or online.
FIRST CLASS DAY ATTENDANCE
Journalism instructors reserve the right to drop any student who does not attend the first class day of the semester.
OFFICE HOURS
See statement above.
ATTENDANCE
See statement above.
FINAL EXAM
There is no final exam in this class.
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Undergraduates
A student must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to continue to receive financial aid. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in addition to successfully completing a required number of credit hours based on total registered hours per semester. Students cannot exceed attempted credit hours above 150% of their required degree plan. If a student does not maintain the required standards, the student may lose financial aid eligibility.
If at any point you consider dropping this or any other course, please be advised that the decision to do so has the potential to affect your current and future financial aid eligibility. Please visit http://financial aid.unt.edu/satisfactory-academic progress-requirements for more information about financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress. It may be wise for you to schedule a meeting with your MSOJ academic advisor or visit the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships office to discuss dropping a course before doing so.
ACADEMIC ADVISING
All first-time-in-college students at UNT are required to schedule an appointment with their Academic Advisor and receive an advising code to register for classes both fall and spring semesters of the first year in college. ALL students should meet with their Academic Advisor at least one time per long semester (Fall & Spring). It is important to update your degree plan on a regular basis to ensure that you are on track for a timely graduation.
§ It is imperative that students have paid for all enrolled classes. Please check your online schedule daily through late registration to ensure you have not been dropped for non-payment of any amount. Students unknowingly have been dropped from classes for various reasons such as financial aid, schedule change fees, parking fees, etc. MSOJ will not be able to reinstate students for any reason after late registration, regardless of situation. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure all payments have been made.
Fall Important Dates
Deadline / Regular Academic Session / 8W1 / 8W2Classes Begin. / Aug 28 / Aug 28 / Oct 23
Labor Day (no classes; university closed). / Sept 4 / Sept 4 / Sept 4
Census. / Sept 11 / Sept 5 / Oct 30
Beginning this date a student who wishes to drop a course must first receive written consent of the instructor. / Sept 12 / Sept 6 / Oct 31
Last day for student to receive automatic grade of W for nonattendance.
Last day for change in pass/no pass status.
Last day to drop a course or withdraw from the semester with a grade of W for courses that the student is not passing. After this date, a grade of WF may be recorded. / Oct 6 / Sept 15 / Nov 10
Beginning this date instructors may drop students with a grade of WF for nonattendance. / Oct 7 / Sept 16 / Nov 11
Last day to drop with either W or WF.
Last day for a student to drop a course with consent of the instructor. / Nov 6 / Oct 2 / Nov 27
Beginning this date, a student who qualifies may request an Incomplete, with a grade of I. / Nov 13 / Oct 2 / Nov 27
Last day for an instructor to drop a student with a grade of WF for nonattendance.
Last day to withdraw (drop all classes). / Nov 22 / Oct 6 / Dec 1
Thanksgiving Break (no classes, university closed). / Nov 23-26 / Nov 23-26 / Nov 23-26
Last Regular Class Meeting. / Dec 7 / Oct 19 / Dec 14
Reading Day (no classes). / Dec 8 / N/A / Dec 8
Final Exams. / Dec 9-15 / Oct 20 / Dec 15
End of term. / Dec 15 / Dec 15 / Dec 15
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