MM 140: Mass Media and Society

Chapter 12 – Public Relations

Participation Points

Use Chapter 12 to answer the following public relations questions in these hypothetical case studies. The goal here is to think as a public relations practitioner and answer the questions as best as it would suit the organization with which you work.

Remember – the loyalty of a public relations practitioner is the organization that pays the salary. While there is not just one answer to these questions, there is a right and wrong way to answer them. Your answers should reflect that you have read Chapter 12 and applied it.

Scenario #1

A reporter in Topeka, KS heard a rumor that the University of Eastern Kansas budget is so bad that it will be laying off nearly 600 employees (mainly secretaries, janitors, food service workers and other lower-paid workers) in about six months.

You are the head of PR at EKU. Several reporters have sought interviews, but your president has told you only that the layoffs are likely but not inevitable.

  1. What information do you release to media?
  2. Use the textbook for guidance.
  3. How do you make decisions on what is acceptable to release and what is not?
  4. Pull suggestions from the textbook.
  5. What other steps will you take?
  6. You should outline 3-4 additional steps in detail.

Scenario #2

You are the PR director at Eastern Kansas University. One of the university’s researchers, Dr. Mellow, has possibly discovered a cure for Alzheimer’s. It truly could be one of the greatest discoveries of the 21st Century. Some media representatives have already come to campus to request interviews with Dr. Mellow. However, he is extremely shy, stutters when nervous, is not particularly attractive, and has no desire to be interviewed.

Nevertheless, the EKU president sees this as a great opportunity to attract attention to the university and suggests that you work with him over the next 24 hours to prepare him for an onslaught of interviews ranging fromTimemagazine to CNN and Fox News.

  1. What is your plan?
  2. What main points would you focus on?
  3. Your plan should include at least 3-4 steps.
  4. How would you prep him to be comfortable speaking with the media?
  5. Include 3-4 things you would do to prep him for the interview.
  6. Remember – you only have 24 hours, but this interview must be as perfect as possible. You have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time!