NEW MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS. Prerequisites PR Writing, Public Relations Principles and Practices, and Online Journalism

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1 Instructor: Dr. Francine Edwards Office: ETV 118 Office Hours: TBA Phone: NEW MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS NEW MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Prerequisites PR Writing, Public Relations Principles and Practices, and Online Journalism Course Description This course analyzes the state of contemporary media online and off and its impact on public relations examining key factors influencing reportorial and editorial coverage of entertainment, business, government and not-for-profit interests. Special emphasis is on the advent of the Internet, the rise of citizen journalism, and the impact of blogs and other social media. Students will utilize a free online website development tool to develop a strategic media relations campaign aimed at publicizing a product, service, idea or issue of their employers or other organizations, and that uses a variety of traditional and nontraditional publicity tools and techniques guided by sound messages and directed to sensible outcomes. Course Overview The course will focus on three principal aspects of an effective, strategic media relations strategy: 1) developing a sophisticated and newsworthy story idea; 2) contacting key journalists in order to secure meaningful coverage. 3) complementing traditional media relations with new media and on-line strategies The course goal is to provide students with the strategies, tools and techniques for successful higher-level media relations in the new media world. The course will also explore media relations as a key tactic in an overall strategic communications program, covering both traditional and online media. Course Objectives After completing this course, students should be able to develop and pitch a news story to both the traditional and new media with confidence and a greater chance of success. Students will also understand the role of strategic media relations in an overall communications plan and have a more sophisticated understanding of how to approach and leverage media outlets, both online and offline, and navigate the complex media landscape. As of October 2,

2 Course Work All work for this class will be posted on the student s website or submit via Blackboard (assignment manager) Appropriate Associated Press and APA writing style must be used. Late assignments will be marked down one full grade. If you have extenuating circumstances or need special accommodations, please see the instructor before the due date. Work is due at the beginning of class on the assigned date. Neatness, punctuation, and grammar count as part of your grade. Class Attendance Policy Although this is an online course, participation in virtual classroom sessions and chat rooms is mandatory. Assignments missed must be submitted 24 hours after class with valid excuse documentation (legal, medical documentation, etc.). Course Texts and Readings Duhe, S.C. (2007). New Media and Public Relations. Peter Lang Publishing. ISBN-10: Course Assignments In this course students will be given: 1) individual assignments; 2) media enterprise assignment; 3) PR website project. These assignments are designed to sharpen your research, writing, and media relations skills, and to enable you to identify public policy or business trends in order to produce more effective media plans for your company, organization or clients. In addition, you will be given short quizzes based on the readings and classroom activities. Individual Assignments 1. Each student must prepare a written summary (3-5 pages) of techniques and tactics demonstrated in a media relations case history distributed by the instructor. Must be written in APA format. (10 points) 2. Prepare a written analysis (2-3 pages) of a recent news story you have selected from a business, lifestyle or daily publication, website or broadcast. You will identify the media relations technique and story angle likely used to get coverage As of October 2,

3 and determine who the client/company is behind the story. You will illustrate the key point, assess the outcome and determine if other stories have run elsewhere that demonstrate an organized pattern or strategy at work. Must be written in APA format. (10 points) 3. Prepare and deliver a pitch to a working journalist for a news story on a topic of your choice. In addition you will submit a short paper detailing the pitch and citing the techniques used, including references to the texts and classroom discussion. Your grade will be based on the use of media relation techniques as covered in the class, the response from the expert, and references to the text. (10 points) Media Enterprise Assignment Students will work together with the goal of tracking and evaluating recent media coverage (e.g., over the last 6 months) for an assigned company or organization. You will assess the coverage s impact (positive, negative or neutral) and make recommendations on how to sustain or improve those results utilizing media relations techniques and strategies discussed in class and the readings. The grade will be based on the completeness of your analysis of the coverage, identification of trends and outcomes of the coverage, and the quality of the recommendations made to improve or sustain the coverage. (50 points) PR Web Project Utilizing the freewebs.com site, you will launch a mock PR site and research, develop and design a comprehensive website for a fictitious non-profit organization. The site will include a homepage with an overview of the course, a clear disclaimer that the site is for academic purposes only, a weekly blog, a discussion forum, press releases, photos and posting of the individual written assignments. Other elements such as videos, current trends, etc. can be added. Students will be required to provide feedback on the various websites. The feedback and comments will be factored into the project grade. Other key elements in determining the grade will be how material in the text is utilized and incorporated in the website, the sophistication of the techniques used, layout and design, and a clearly articulated business objective for the mock client. Quizzes Students will be tested on course material via 5 semester quizzes. Make up quizzes will be administered with proper excuse (legal, medical documentation, etc.). Class Participation Again, although this is an online course, participation in virtual classroom sessions and chat rooms is mandatory. As of October 2,

4 Points Summary Individual assignments 15 points Media Enterprise Assignment 25 points PR Web Project 100 points Quizzes (5) 50 points Class participation 10 points TOTAL POINTS AVAILABLE 200 points Letter Grades A B C COURSE SCHEDULE WEEK READING FOR CLASS ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE 1 Chapter 1: Dimensions of Public Relations: Moving beyond Traditional Public Relations 2 A Structurationist Approach to the Life Cycle of Internet QUIZ 1 Publics and Public Perception 3 Minority Opinions Go Public: Implications for Online Issues Individual Assignment #1 Management and the Spiral of Silence 4 New Technologies in the Formation of Personal and Public Begin Media Enterprise Relations: Social Capital and Social Media Assignment 5 The Untamed Blog: Public Relations Asset or Liability? QUIZ 2 6 The Wiki Factor: A Study of Reputation Management Individual Assignment #2 7 Digital Public Relations: Online Reputation Management 8 Relationship Building in an Internet Age: How Organizations Use Web Site to Communicate Ethics, Image, and Social Responsibility 9 The Public Relations Web Site Experience: Online Relationship Management 10 Consumer Empowerment through the Web: How Internet Contagions Can Increase Stakeholder Power 11 Saving Disney: Activating Publics through the Internet 12 Internet-Mediated Public Relations and the New Media: The Importance of the Internet in Danish Public Relations Practice 13 Web Sights: Images of Diversity on College and University Home Pages 14 Hazards, Outrage, and Affected Publics: Crisis Communication in the Internet Age 15 Balancing Traditional Channels of Public Relations with New Media Technologies in Crisis Communication: The Case of Catholic College 16 Individual Assignment #3 QUIZ 3 Media Enterprise Assignment Due QUIZ 4 QUIZ 5 As of October 2,

5 Utilizing the freewebs.com site, you will launch a mock PR site and research, develop and design a comprehensive website for a fictitious client or organization. The site will include a homepage with an overview of the course, a clear disclaimer that the site is for academic purposes only, a weekly blog, a discussion forum, press releases, monthly newsletter and photos and posting of the individual written assignments. Other elements such as videos, current trends, etc. can be added. Students will be required to provide feedback on the various websites. The feedback and comments will be factored into the project grade. Other key elements in determining the grade will be how material in the text is utilized and incorporated in the website, the sophistication of the techniques used, layout and design, and a clearly articulated business objective for the mock client. PR WEB PROJECT WEEK READING FOR CLASS ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE 1 Register at freewebs.com and forward your website address to the instructor. Think of a fictitious non-profit organization you want to represent and begin outlining the semester campaign and thinking about the website design 2 Design the homepage of the site. This should include the course overview and disclaimer about the site, your personal profile, information about the fictitious organization, and a contact us page' 3 Post a press release about the organization Individual Assignment #1 4 Engage in the Social Media environment by starting your blog. The first blog posting should focus on a current issue or trend in public relations for the non-profit sector 5 Post a second press release about the organizations fundraising efforts 6 Conduct an interview with a PR professional that does work in the non-profit industry and upload the profile and a photo to your website 7 Create a photo gallery link. Upload and caption photos that pertain to your non-profit 8 Post an informational blog about how the non-profit engages in socially responsible endeavors and why this is important to the organization. 9 Create a page entitled Non-Profit PR Partnerships. Write a short blurb about the other student websites in the class and what those non-profits do. Include the website link on the page. Limit 3 links. Begin Media Enterprise Assignment QUIZ 2 10 Post a blog related to the class discussion for the week: QUIZ 3 Individual Assignment #2 Begin Final Project Individual Assignment #3 As of October 2,

6 Saving Disney: Activating Publics through the Internet 11 Post a blog related to the class discussion for the week: Saving Disney: Activating Publics through the Internet 12 Media Enterprise Assignment Due 13 Post a blog related to the class discussion for the week: QUIZ 4 Web Sights: Images of Diversity on College and University Home Pages 14 Record a video message. The message should focus on what you ve learned as a result of completing this course. You can upload the video, create a short movie using media maker or any editing program that is compatible with the site. 15 Create a video link on your webpage and upload the video from week 14 to your site. QUIZ 5 16 As of October 2,