12221 Comn 200 01 Theory and Practice of Public Relations Fall 2004
M-W-F 12:30-1:20 p.m. South 340
Instructor: Dr. Mary L. Mohan, Department of Communication-- Office: Blake B 115
Office Hours:
Tuesday: 11:00 - Noon
Wednesday: 2 - 3 p.m.
Friday: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
and also by appointment
If you need to reach me, please leave a message at:
Voice Mail - 245-5233
E-Mail -
Texts:
Matera, F. R. & Artigue, R. J. 2000. Public Relations Campaigns and Techniques: Building Bridges into the 21st Century. Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 0-205-15815-3
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Website: - links to PRSSA site
Learning Outcomes: Students will achieve proficiency in each of the major phases involved in the creation of a public relations campaign:
#1: Researching public opinion (designing/conducting surveys & focus groups to measure public opinion)
#2: Setting strategic objectives for a public information campaign
#3: Designing appropriate communications for target publics:
(including creative tactics involving writing/media production/graphic design skills)
#4: Pre-testing the communications tactics you have planned to assess the effects on a target audience
#5: Campaign Analysis and Measurement - Evaluation
Note: Campaign materials that you and your team create throughout the course can be used to build a professional portfolio of your work.
Course Policies:
-Any assignments not turned in on the due date will be reduced one grade level for each day of lateness.
Chapter readings should be completed by the date indicated on course outline.
-Active participation and regular attendance are expected of all class members – please be there on time each session, as we will start promptly. Your active participation in team campaign meetings both in and out of class will be recorded and counts heavily toward your individual project grade (see detailed description of course assignments).
-SUNY Geneseo will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented physical, emotional or learning disabilities. Students shouldconsult with the Director in the Office of Disability Services (Tabitha Buggie-Hunt, 105D Erwin, <mailto:>) and their individual facultyregarding any needed accommodations as early as possible in the semester.
Course Outline: *schedule may be adjusted to meet needs of students or to accommodate professional guest speakers
August
M30Intro to Course/Description of Campaign Projects
September
W1What is the Past – Present - Future of Public Relations? (Ch. 1)
F3“ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “
M6Labor Day Holiday -- No Classes
W8What are Public Information Campaigns? (Ch. 11)
F10Client Guest Speaker/s & Campaign Project Brainstorming/Tentative Team Formation
M13“ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “
W 15Campaign Components – First Step: Research (Chs. 4, 5)
F 17Campaign Teams Draft/Launch Research Plans
M20Campaign Teams Draft/Launch Research Plans
W 22Campaign Components – Second Step: Strategic Planning/Objectives (Chs. 6, 7)
F 24“ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “
M27Research Presentations
W29cont…
October
F1Research presentations conclude
M4Campaign Components – Third Step: From Strategy to Communications Tactics
W6Tactics: The Product Campaign (Ch. 9)
F8Team Conferences on Initial Plans for Communication Tactics
M11Fall Break – No Classes
W13Tactics: Basics of PR Writing – Press Releases (class handouts)
F15“ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “
M18Tactics: The Special Event Campaign (Ch. 12)
W20Tactics: The Issues Campaign (Ch. 10)
F 22“ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “
M25Tactics: Internal vs. External Campaigns (Ch. 8)
W27Campaign Components – Fourth Step: Pre-testing Core Campaign Messages/Images
F29Team Conferences to discuss revised campaign plans & pretests
November
M1 Ethical/Crisis Issues/Planning (Chs. 3, 13)
W 3“ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “
F5Crisis Simulations
M8Cultural/Diversity Global Issues in Campaigns (Ch. 14)
W10Campaign Components – Fifth Step: Evaluation
How can we measure the effectiveness of our campaign?
F12Campaign Team Conferences
M 15 – M 22 - Week of Campaign Team Work Sessions & Conferences
W 24 & F 26Thanksgiving Break – No Classes
M 29 Final Campaign Team Work Session/Conferences
December
W 1 through F 10 - Final Professional Team Campaign Client Presentations
M13*Completed Project Portfolios Due for each Team
Final Exam Period: Friday 12/17 - Noon - 3 p.m. The final exam will consist of a debriefing session to critique and provide in-depth feedback on your teams’ project by professional clients from the Rochester Eye and Human Tissue Bank and NYAD (New York Alliance for Donation) Executive Director and Project Coordinator.
Comn 200 01 - Course Assignments/Grade Weighting:
Research Components of Campaign: Initial Presentation & Follow-up Pre-test – 15%
The basis of any PR campaign is solid opinion research, so early in the semester, you and your team will gather and analyze opinion data in order to set strategic objectives and plan creative campaign tactics. Teams will present their findings to the class in a formal presentation, and then follow up with a pre-test of target publics, to assess where the plan my need to be revised.
Individual & Group Creative Assignments (based on text reading & class lecture/discussion) –25%
Throughout the semester, you will be doing assignments that will help you learn the necessary skills to build the contents of a campaign media kit (ie. press releases, backgrounders, radio/TV writing, advertising etc…) Since writing is the most important skill for a public relations practitioner, heavy emphasis will be placed on improving your skills in writing for a variety of media. Some projects will consist of class exercises where you will be expected to collaborate with team members to create strategy and tactics in response to a particular case or problem.
Team/Individual Conferences & Group Meetings – 10%:
As you follow through all the steps of the campaign, your team will meet with me to report on your progress and share samples of materials you are developing. Each team will record a log of participation both at
in-class and outside class meetings.
Public Relations Campaign Team Project - 50% (25% weighting of Individual grade; 25% weighting of Group grade.)
You will have the opportunity this semester to gain real life experience in public relations, as you work with a team to design a public information campaign for the campus community, on a relevant health issue. Health communication is a growing area in the field; several of our Communication majors and PR Minors have gone on for graduate degrees, and they now hold administrative positions in the field of Health Communication. The materials that you and your team members produce will become valuable resources for your personal portfolio and your future employment search, or for evidence of your research/analytical abilities for admission to graduate school.
The class will be working as public relations consultants for our clients from Rochester’s Eye and Human Tissue Bank and the New York Alliance for Donation in Albany; the mission of both of these organizations is to promote awareness and eliminate misconceptions among college students regarding organ donation. Because of the Comn 200 class’ efforts in the past, the Communication Department has been awarded a grant for $2500.00 to fund promotional materials for our public information campaigns. Each 2-4 person team in the class will have an actual budget to work from in designing and implementing their campaigns.
Since the purpose of a public information campaign is to educate, change opinion or alter behaviors of your target public, you and your team members will set goals for your campaign, create appropriate promotional materials, and pre-test the potential effectiveness of your campaign. This semester project provides the opportunity to learn the steps of a public relations campaign, while making a positive contribution to the Geneseo campus community.
The overall group graded effort is based on how well the team members work together on all five campaign phases. At the end of the semester, teams present the final results of their efforts in a professional oral presentation for our clients from Rochester and Albany. In order to simulate a true client/consultant setting, administrative officials will be invited to review the class materials, and provide feedback on the teams' efforts during the final exam period. Each team will display the materials for their campaign in a portfolio explaining each step of the campaign and each group member’s contribution of sample tactics in the form of written pieces, ad designs, special event plans, brochures etc… As a follow-up to the class, students will have the opportunity to participate in follow-up Directed Studies and Internships in future semesters, in order to implement selected campaign strategies designed by the teams.