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BUSM2422

Public Relations Practice

Module Outline
Semester 2 2010/11
Module Tutors: / Christian Schnee, Jane Britton
Contact details: /

Time: / Lecture – Monday 18.15
Seminar 1 – Monday 19.15
Seminar 2 – Monday 20.15
Venue: / TBA
Verified by: / Jane Britton
Electronic copy available: / Blackboard Learning System

Introduction

The aim of this module is to develop your understanding of public relations as a distinct discipline, and introduce the techniques and skills essential to successful PR practice. You will explore the distinctive role of public relations as a discipline and develop a portfolio of skills, techniques and tools essential to the practice of public relations. This module therefore provides a useful practical preparation for BUSM3422 ‘Public Relations Strategy’.

Intended learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

  1. Define PR and differentiate it from marketing and journalism,
  2. With tutor support, critically explain and illustrate the differing contributions of PR to an organisation,
  3. Explain and apply basic communication theory and models
  4. Use a range of public relations techniques.
  5. Express yourself in writing appropriate for a range of stakeholders, including referencing all sources consistently and accurately using the Harvard system.

Learning and Teaching

Most class sessions will consist of a range of tutor and student inputs and demonstrations, followed by a seminar. These may include: group discussions, presentations, practical activities, reflective summaries, peer and tutor feedback. In addition, use of the Blackboard Learning System will enable discussion outside the formal class hours and also form a repository for all module materials. Students will be expected to practice the skills learned and participate in private research between the formal sessions. There will be tutorial sessions where guidance can be sought.

Equal Opportunities Policy

If you have any particular or additional learning needs, please feel free to speak with the module tutors, who will be pleased to help you. University of Worcester is committed to ensuring that disabled people, including those with learning difficulties, are treated fairly. If you are a disabled person, please ensure that we know what you need so that we can make the necessary reasonable adjustments to help you succeed.

Should you have any disability or condition that the tutor should know about, tutors will make every effort to accommodate any particular needs, so long as they are made aware of them.

Assessment Details

The assessment for this module is based on a portfolio and an examination, as below. Further details of the assessment items and submission requirements will be notified during the module sessions.

Summative Assessment Items / Indicative Word Limit or Equivalent
(e.g. time) / Learning outcomes assessed / Weighting / Anonymous
Marking
Preparation of an individual portfolio of PR artefacts / 2000 (equivalent) / 3,4,5 / 50 % / YES
Examination / 2 Hour / 1,2,3 / 50 % / YES

Attendance

The BusinessSchool tutors feel strongly that attendance and participation are essential elements of ‘being a student’. We also know that there is a very high correlation between high levels of participation and achievement, consequently, the following requirements operate.

  • You are expected to attend and participate in every session.
  • An attendance register will be taken at each session
  • If you cannot attend for any genuine reason (e.g. illness) you are expected to e-mail the module tutor
  • Persistent non-attendance will require an explanation, in person, initially with the module tutor.

Student Work/Input

In addition to the formal contact hours you will be expected to engage in approximately sevenhours of independent study each week for this module. This is an essential part of your degree. The following requirements are in place concerning study in your own time

  • In this module this will typically involve: reading for seminars, case study work, reading for lectures, or other activities set by the tutors
  • You must do any pre-set work for seminars – if you do not do this you may be excluded from the seminar which will then count as a non-attendance
  • You should include time to produce your assignments including - planning, drafting, consulting with your tutors or other students, writing-up/production, confirming sources and references (to avoid any possibility of plagiarism), checking and finalising your work for submission.
  • It is essential, therefore, that you plan time in your weekly schedule for independent academic study and assignment preparation.

Academic Writing

You will be graded on the quality of your writing as well as the content, i.e. how you write as well as what you write. This will include

  • The ability to present your material in an appropriate format (report, essay etc)
  • The ability to present your work in grammatically correct English (sentences, paragraphs, apostrophes etc)
  • The correct use of references based on the Harvard system.

Poor English and referencing can lose you up to two grade points per assignment (this will not apply to students having support from the Disability and Dyslexia Service).

Help with academic writing is available from:

  • Study Skills workshops and advice sheets, details of which are available on SOLE (Learning Support section and then the link to Study Skills) or directly from
  • Writer in Residence: available on campus. See or Blackboard for details
  • The university guide to the Harvard referencing system referencing available at

Please note that you must clearly identify all sources, including the internet, and that you should communicate your thoughts in your own words/diagrams/images rather than reproducing the material of others. Failure to do so may lead to an allegation of cheating. The use of online collaborative encyclopædias such as Wikipedia is not acceptable.

Indicative Schedule

Session / Week
commencing / Lecture / Seminar / Reading /
Preparation
1 / 31/01 / Introduction to the Module
Linking PR to other aspects of
the Marketing Communications Mix
CS / Tench & Yeomans Ch 25
Ries
Jefkins (1994), Ch 28
2 / 7/02 / Planning and evaluating a PR campaign
Assignment 1 Support
CS / Tench & Yeomans, Ch 9
Hansen-Horn, Ch 3
Johnston, Chs 6,7,8
Thomson, Ch 16
Newsom, Ch 9
3 / 14/02 / Writing for PR and
Maximising coverage
Publicity
Managing Community Involvement
JB / Baines Part 3
Tench & Yeomans, Ch 15
Thaeler
Theaker Ch 12
Litwin, Ch 5
Zappala
Center, Ch 4
4 / 21/02 / Tech Tools and Trends I
Designing newsletters
Brochures, Direct Mail and Fact Sheets
JB / Baines Part 4
Cameron Ch 9
LItwin Ch 5
5 / 28/02 / Tech Tools and Trends II
Websites
Using Online media
JB / Brown
Cameron Ch 10
Hansen-Horn Ch 4
Phillips
Breakenridge
Kelleher
Solis
6 / 7/03 / Event management
Sponsorships
Photo shoots
JB / Baines part 5
Tench & Yeomans Chs 26
Theaker Ch 8
7 / 14/03 / Issues Management and
Crisis Public Relations
JB / Hansen-Horn Ch 15,16
Tench & Yeomans, Ch 19, 31
Treadwell, Ch 6
Center, Ch 9
8 / 21/03 / Visiting Speaker
9 / 28/03 / Arts, leisure and
Entertainment PR
CS / Tench & Yeomans Chs 22, 29, 30
Theaker Ch 16
10 / 04/04 / Personality PR
Examination support 1
CS / Baines part 5
Tench & Yeomans, Ch 17, 2
Davis Ch 10
Gregory ch 4, 8
11 / 11/04 / Business to business PR
PR and the Consumer
Employee Relations
Assignment 1: To be handed in by Monday, April 11th
Examination support 2
CS / Tench & Yeomans Chs 16, 20, 21
Center Ch 6
Gregory Ch 5
Seitel Ch 14
Center Ch 6
Harrison Ch 7
- / 18/04 / Easter Break
- / 25/04 / Easter Break
12 / 02/05 / Bank Holiday – no lectures
13 / 09/05 / Assessment & Examination Week
14 / 16/05 / Assessment & Examination Week

Resources

The following resources will be used to support this module:

  • The Blackboard Learning System– this should be checked regularly to access module materials and view any announcements from module tutors. All module materials will be made available and it will be possible to share useful information with other students in the group. The BusinessSchool folder on Blackboard contains additional learning resources.
  • Library Resources (Reading Strategies) - The University of Worcester spends thousands of pounds every year on providing a wide range of print and electronic resources. These Library resources are a major asset for all students of the University. They provide access to unique, full text, quality content - this is content that you will not find through a freely available search engine, such as Google. It is important that you access these resources and read them critically, so that you are informed about, and can debate, key academic arguments. Used wisely and appropriately, Library resources, both print and electronic, will enhance your learning and help you improve your results. Make sure you use them!
  • For this module there is not a key text book, but a range of relevant articles and book chapters you should read in preparation for lectures and seminars. The following list contains just some we recommend. However, in the library and online you find many other relevant sources it is worth having a look at:

Indicative Bibliography

Baines P (2004)
Breakenridge, D. (2008)
Brown, R. (2009)
Center, A (2008) / PR: Contemporary Issues and Techniques
RR 2.0
Public Relations and the social web
Public Relations Practices. Managerial Case Studies and Problems / New Jersey, Prentice Hall
New Jersey, Prentice Hall
London, Kogan Page
London. Pearson
Cameron G. (2008) / Public Relations Today / London, Pearson
Johnston, J (2009) / Public Relations. Theory and Practice / Crows Nest. Allen
Unwind
Davis A (2004) / Mastering Public Relations / London, Palgrave
Macmillan
Foster J (2005), / Effective Writing Skills for Public Relations / London, Kogan Page
Green A (2005), / Effective Personal Communication Skills for Public Relations / London, Kogan Page
Green A (2007), / Creativity in Public Relations (Public Relations in Practice) (Public Relations in Practice) / London, Kogan Page
Gregory A. (2003)
Grunig, J. (1984) / Public Relations in Practice
Managing Public Relations / London, Kogan Page
Belmont, CA. Wadsworth
Hansen-Horn T (2007) / Public Relations: From Theory to Practice / Allyn & Bacon
Harrison S (2000)
Haywood, R (1998) / Public Relations an Introduction (2nd Ed)
Public Relations for marketing professionals / London, Thomson Learning
Basingstoke, Palgrave
Heath R (ed.) (2001)
Heath R (2006)
Hendrix, J. A. (2007)
Howard W (1988) / Handbook of Public Relations
Today’s PR
Public Relations Cases
The practice of PR / London, Sage
Ca, Thousand Oaks
Wadsworth, Cengage
Learning
Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann
Jefkins, F and Yadim D, (1998)
Jefkins, F (1994) / Public Relations
PR techniques / London, Financial Times Pitman.
Butterworth-Heinemann
Kelleher, T. (2007)
Litwin, L (2009)
Marconi, J (2004) / Public Relations online
The Public Relations
Practitioner’s Playbook
Public Relations. The Complete Guide / London, Sage
Author House
London, Thomson
Miller D and Dinan W
(2008) / A century of Spin / London, Pluto Press
Newsom (2010) / This is PR. The realities of Public Relations / Wadsworth, Cengage Learning
Morris T and Goldsworthy S (2008) / PR – A persuasive industry? / London, Palgrave Macmillan
Parsons, P
(2008) / Ethics in PR – A guide to best practice / London, Kogan Press
David, P (2001) / Online PR / London, Kogan
Pitcher G (2003) / The Death of Spin / Chichester, John Wiley & Sons
Ries, A (2004) / The Fall of Advertising & the rise of PR / New York, Harper
Seitel F (2006), / The Practice of Public Relations / Harlow,
Prentice Hall
Silver R (1985) / Health Service PR / London, King Edward’s Hospital Fund
Sriramesh K (2008)
Solis B (2009)
Thaeler J M (2009) / The global PR handbook
Putting the public back into PR
I need a killer press release – now what? / New York, Routledge
UpperSaddleRiver. NJ. FT Press
Cupertino, Ca. Happy About
Tench, R & Yeomans, L (2009) / Exploring Public Relations / Harlow, Prentice Hall
Theaker A (ed.) (2008)
Also available as
e-book / The Public Relations Handbook / London, Routledge
Theaker A , Wragg D. W. Bland M. (2005)
Treadwell, D. (2005)
Zappala, J. M. ( 2004) / Effective Media Relations: How to get results
Public Relations Writing. Principles and Practice
Public Relations Writing Worktext / London, Kogan Press
London, Sage
London, Routledge

Journals:

Public Relations Tactics

Public Relations Quarterly

Journal of Public Relations Research

Websites:

Assignment Support and Contacting Your Tutor

As your module tutor I am more than happy to answer questions about learning and assignments. The most appropriate method to contact me is by email:

Provided you have emailed from your university address you should expect to receive a reply within 3 working days.

Specific support for your assignments is also provided in the seminars on February, 8th and April 26th.

Staff Student Consultative Committee Meetings (SSCC)

Each semester every subject area holds a Staff Student Consultative Committee meeting where representatives from the student body, teaching staff, and Information and Learning Services (ILS) meet. The purpose of the meeting is to communicate events and receive feedback and minutes are posted on Blackboard. Each Level (year group) is represented by a Student Representative whose role is to communicate feedback from students and communicate back to students any important points from the meeting. Student Representatives are offered training by the Student Union and are a valuable link. Should you wish to find out more about becoming a representative, then in the first stance speak to the Student Union VP for Student Welfare. A list of current curse representatives is published on Blackboard. This academic year SSCC meetings have been arranged as follows:

Semester 2 / Business Management / TBA

Student Feedback

During each module students are asked to give their opinion on how the module is going. They are also asked to complete a survey at the end of each module. The results of these will influence how the module is run and suggestions, as well as praise, are always welcomed. Previous feedback from this module indicated keen interest to involve PR professionals as visiting speakers. This suggestion is reflected in this year’s module plan (see above).

Tutor Feedback

Feedback on submitted coursework assignments is normally provided within four working weeks of hand-in date. You will receive an email advising you when your work is available for collection. It is vitally important that you collect this feedback in order to optimise your learning. Generic feedback on the examination will be made available to students via blackboard.

Carbon Footprint

The University of Worcester is committed to following a complete carbon management programme and reducing its carbon footprint. You are asked to respect this and are encouraged to recycle and minimise the use of disposable items. We aim to reduce paper output and therefore module resources will, where possible, be available in electronic format only.

Student Handbooks

The most useful handbook is your Course Handbook to which you can link directly from your SOLE page. Other handbooks which you may find useful include:

  • The University Student Handbook (via SOLE)
  • The Overseas Exchange Handbook (via SOLE)
  • The International Student Handbook (via SOLE)

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