Principles of Public Relations
Uptown Campus
/ Fall 2002 - Tuesday, 6:00 PM – 8:40
PM
Mr. Kelly
Fogarty, Instructor
Voice Mail:
533-3585 - Email:
kfogarty@tulane.edu
Welcome to Principles of
Public Relations. This class is
designed to introduce you to PR by providing a general overview of the many
issues facing the public relations practitioner. We will examine the development and
trends of the industry as well as the planning and programming that goes into PR
communications. Additionally, we
will discuss some of the controversies within public relations.
Students are encouraged to
bring current examples of public relations practices observed within the mass
media to share with the class.
The text for this course is
The Practice of Public Relations by
Fraser P. Seitel, 8th Edition (Prentice Hall Publishing). This class requires a significant amount of
reading. Keeping up with
assigned chapters—especially the assigned case studies—will enable you to more
thoroughly participate in class discussions.
There is a great deal of information to cover during the semester with a variety of assignments that reflect the principles discussed in this class. This course focuses on developing an understanding of the fundamentals of public relations as well as PR-related writing and communication skills. Exercises include projects and examinations intended to recognize and analyze public relations programs.
Case Studies/In Class
Assignments (10) Individual Projects
(2) Midterm
Exam Final
Exam |
100 points (10 points
each) 200 points (100 points
each) 100
points 100
points |
To earn the grade below, the
following points are needed:
A- to A
90% and above B- to B+
80-89%
C- to C+
70-79%
D- to D+
60-69%
F
59% and below |
450-500
points 400-449
points 350-399
points 300-349
points 0-299
points |
September 3 – Defining
PR / Evolution of PR |
Chapters 1,
2 |
September 10 –
Publics |
Chapter
16, 17, 18, 19 |
September 17 – Public
Opinion |
Chapter
3 Case Study 1: Pepsi
Syringe Scare |
September 24 – Ethics
/ The Law |
Chapter
4, 6
Case Study 2: The
President and the Intern |
October 1 –
Research |
Chapter
5 Case Study 3:
|
October 8 –
Communication / Management |
Chapter
7, 8 Case Study 4: Dow
Corning |
October 15 – Crisis
Communication |
Chapter
9 Case Study 5: ValuJet
and TWA |
October
22 |
Mid
Term Exam |
October 29 –
Integrated Marketing Communications |
Chapter
10 Case Study 6:
Promoting George Washington |
November 5 – PR
Writing |
Chapter
11, 12
Case Study 7: Raina
News Release |
November 12 – PR for
Print |
Chapter
14 Case Study 8: World
Wrestling Federation |
November 19 – PR for
Broadcast |
Chapter
15 Case Study 9: Tobacco
Wars |
November 26 – PR for
Internet |
Chapter
13 Case Study 10: The
Blair Witch Project |
December 3 – Future of
PR |
Chapter
20 |
December
10 |
Final
Exam |
INDIVIDUAL
PROJECTS
The following assignments
are to better understand the role of a public relations practitioner and the
strategies and tactics involved in promoting a company to its various publics.
You are required to prepare two (2) PR examinations; each should include a cover
page and be no more than 2 pages in length.
PR Article
Analysis
Due Date:
October 15th
Find an
article (from newspaper, magazine, Internet, etc.) that covers a public
relations activity, problem or crisis and provide a brief analysis of it in
your own words by answering the following questions:
·
What is the
situation requiring PR?
·
Who are the
audiences affected?
·
Where is this
occurring?
·
When did this
become a PR issue?
·
Why is this
newsworthy?
·
How does this
impact the publics of the organization?
A copy of the
article is due September 17th.
You must provide an answer
to each question to successfully complete this assignment. Be sure to attach a copy of the article
when you submit your examination.
PR News
Release
Due
Date: November 26th
Select
a local company or organization of interest to you and develop a 2-page news
release based on a new product or institutional announcement, management changes
or company celebration. Information
may be obtained by speaking with a representative of the company, the
organization’s Web site or brochure.
Follow the inverted pyramid structure and include these elements in your
paper:
·
Contact
identification information
·
Release
date
·
Headline
·
Relevant
facts
·
Quote from
company representative
·
Slug
lines
·
Boiler
plate
A brief
“proposal” on the scope of your news release is due October 29th. It should
include your reason for choosing the company or organization, the objective of
the news release and why it is newsworthy.
PLEASE NOTE: Your grade for each
assignment will be based on understanding of the subject matter as well as
overall organization and clarity of writing. Be thorough yet concise. Do not submit either paper in a
presentation folder or binder.
PR Assignments are due on dates outlined above—no
exceptions.