Com 380A Public Relations Writing Syllabus

1 Com 380A Public Relations Writing Syllabus Instructor: Samantha Nazione, PhD Class: COM 380A Email: snazione@berry.edu Classroom: Cook 107 Phone: 706 368-2939 Time: TuTh 12:30 to 1:45pm Instructor Office number: 108 Laughlin Office hours: Monday: 1-4pm; Tuesday: 10am-12pm; Wednesday: 1-4pm; Friday: 1-3pm; and by appointment Please note this syllabus is subject to change by announcement COURSE DESCRIPTION Strategies and techniques of public relations writing, with emphasis given to preparation and dissemination of a variety of formats and media. (3 credit hours) The Berry College Course Catalog PURPOSE OF COURSE This course is an undergraduate seminar in the basic skills needed to master public relations writing and dissemination of that writing for traditional and new media formats. Additionally, students will learn to brand themselves as public relations professionals through their writing. Topics to be covered include AP style, branding, targeting, social media (blogging, micro-blogging [Twitter], Facebook, and LinkedIn primarily), media kits (fact sheets, news releases, TV/Radio news releases, feature articles, product/issue placement, and brochures), persuasive message design, and crisis communication. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of this class, students should: Be proficient in AP style. Be aware of legal issues that play a role in public relations media skills. Have created a professional brand for themselves through blogging and twitter. Feel confident in their ability to disseminate press information appropriately in a targeted means. Have created a media kit for their chosen organization (2 fact sheets, and at least one photograph, news release, TV/Radio news release script, feature release or issue placement, and brochure). Feel confident in replicating media kit materials for future clients. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: This class will transfer knowledge through lecture, but more often through student discussion and activities, such as presentations and outside work with a partnering organization. This class will require students to partner will an outside non-profit

organization of their choice in order to create legitimate media materials that can be disseminated (and hopefully published to add to the student s portfolio). As noted through the schedule for this class, students are given class time to meet with this partner. However, additional time may be required to complete assignments depending on the student and chosen organization. ATTENDANCE POLICY Students are expected to attend class. Student assignments will not be accepted outside of class and missed in class assignments cannot be made up. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Plagiarism and/or cheating of any kind on any assignment will result in failure of the entire course. If you are at all confused about what plagiarism or cheating is please refer to Berry College s policies (http://www.berry.edu/templates/general.aspx?id=51539611468), or talk to the instructor. Not understanding, is not an excuse for practicing plagiarism or cheating in a college level course. If you have any questions or concerns regarding academic integrity, do not hesitate to ask your instructor. ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodation in this course are encouraged to contact the Academic Support Center (ext. 4080, mvancise@berry.edu) as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. 2 REQUIRED TEXTS Wilcox, D. L., & Reber, B. H. (2013). Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques. (7 th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson. Associated Press Style Book Online readings will be provided via Viking Web COURSE GRADING Point Allocation: AP Quizzes (20 X 5) 100 LinkedIn Account 15 Blogging (3 X 15) 45 Twitter (3 X 5) 15 Branding Presentation 20 Media Kit Presentation 20 Social Media Presentation 40 Crisis Presentation 20 Challenge Day (20 pts) 20

3 News Release 60 News Feature/Issue Placement 50 Fact sheets (2 X 10) 20 TV/Radio News Release 30 Brochure 30 Persuasive Message Design 30 Final Media Kit 50 Exams (2 X 50) 100 TOTAL POINTS 665 Grading Scale: Percentage Grade 93-100% _A 90 92.99% A- 86 89.99% B+ 83 85.99% _B 80 82.99% B- 76 79.99% C+ 73 75.99% _C 70-72.99% C- 66 69.99% D+ 63 65.99% _D 0 62.99% F COURSE REQUIRMENTS Community Partner For the duration of this class, students will be expected to secure a relationship with a non-profit organization in the area for whom you can write a media kit. Students securing this relationship with real clients allows them the chance to actually disseminate materials in hopes of getting published (and thereby having material to use in his or her senior portfolio). Community partners should know they will be able to see and approve all communication prior to dissemination. If they have questions, students should give the community partner the instructor s contact information. AP Quizzes (20 X 5 pts) Public relations professionals must abide by AP style in their media writing. Students will complete 22 short, take-home AP quizzes. Quizzes are due at the beginning of class. The two lowest quiz scores of each student will be dropped. Note that although these quizzes are take-home assignments, they are not group work. Students should complete the quizzes independently.

4 Branding Assignments LinkedIn Account (15pt). Students are required to have a Linked-In account. Student accounts will be graded on quantity of content, quality of content, and professionalism. Blog posts (3 X 15pt). Students will be required to create a professional public relations blog and post 3 times throughout the semester. These blog posts must be relevant for the public relations community and demonstrate the student s knowledge of public relations. Students are free to choose any blogging software to accomplish this assignment. The instructor recommends Wordpress. Twitter posts (3 X 5pts). Students will be required to create a professional public relations twitter account and post three times throughout the semester. These posts must be written in a human voice, demonstrate the student s public relations knowledge, and be relevant for the public relations community. Presentations Branding presentation (20 pts). Students will be required to present on a public relations professional that has branded themselves well through social media. The student should demonstrate knowledge of the professional s image in the community, analyze that image, and report on techniques the class could learn from. For inspiration on what public relations professional to select see the top 50 PR blogs (http://www.cision.com/us/2013/06/top-50-public-relations-blogs/) as well as these other links: http://www.meltwater.com/public-relations-blog/top-15-pr-blogs/; http://www.inkybee.com/top-60-pr-blogs/; http://service.prweb.com/learning/article/public-relations-blogs-25-essential-prbloggers-you-should-be-reading/). The evaluation should include concepts discussed in class. Media Kit presentation (20pts). Students should select a company with an online media kit to evaluate. Students should present this media kit, their evaluation, and report on techniques the class could learn from. The evaluation should include concepts discussed in class. Social media presentation (40 pts). Students will analyze the social media (Facebook & Twitter) habits of a non-profit organization similar to your organization but on a more national scale. Analyze this organization s social media habits and report on how your organization could benefit from following these techniques. Examples should be included. In addition to presenting this information in class, students should also write up a 3-5 page report for their organization to benefit from. Again, be sure to include your examples. The evaluation should include concepts discussed in class. Crises communication presentation (20 pts). Students will select a crisis to analyze and describe to the class in terms of their media response. To perform this, students should read and report on a case-study that examined crises communication specifically media responses of a certain organization. Not sure where to start? Try the

5 following: Case Studies in Strategic Communication (http://cssc.uscannenberg.org/), Institute for Public Relations (http://www.instituteforpr.org/category/research/crisismanagement/), Public Relations Journal (http://www.prsa.org/intelligence/prjournal/#.vi8reagxdco). We also have plenty via library journals (scholar google crisis communication case studies ). Note this article does need to come from a peer-reviewed journal and should be approved by the instructor. The evaluation should include concepts discussed in class. Challenge Day (20 pts) During challenge day, a Berry College individual in need of a press release will join the class. The press release is due at the end of the class and the best release will be sent to the Berry College public relations department. Media Kit Students will create a media kit for their community partner that includes the below media pieces. Prior to turning in any assignment, students are encouraged to have fellow students read their work for errors (including AP errors). Media kit pieces will be graded based on following of directions discussed in class, mainly that the piece practices clean writing, is newsworthy, and is targeted. News Release (60 pts) Students will design a news release for their organization that will be disseminated to the appropriate media outlet. Because these news releases will actually be submitted for publication, students are responsible for not only turning in their press release, but his or her research on the chosen distribution center, his or her pitch letter to that distribution center, and the press release. Note we will work with students from the Mr. Kline s journalism class to also collect photos for these press releases in order to improve the chances that these news releases are published. News Feature/Issue Placement (50 pts) Students will design either a feature or an issue placement piece for their organization that will be disseminated to an appropriate media outlet. Because these features/issue placements will actually be submitted for publication, students are responsible for not only turning in their press release, but his or her research on the chosen distribution center, his or her pitch letter to that distribution center, and the feature/issue placement. This assignment must include storytelling. Fact sheets (2 X 10 pts) Students will be responsible for creating two fact sheets, 1) for a key figure, 2) for the organization. TV/Radio News Release Script (30 pts) Students will complete a TV or Radio News release script that could be used by their organization. Brochure (30 pts) Students will complete a brochure that could be used by their organization.

6 Persuasive message design (30 pts) Students will complete a persuasive message for their organization. This persuasive message could take the form of a news release, feature release, or TV/Radio News release script. Final Media Kit (50 pts) Students are to make all of the suggested edits on their assignments and compile all of their media kit assignments into a final portfolio. In addition to final corrected versions of the assignment, the student should turn in the original graded assignments with instructor comments, and any published pieces. Exams (2 X 50) Students will sit through two exams. The format for these exams will be additional writing assignments. COURSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Turning in assignments: All assignments are due in class on their due date in hard-copy format Email or other electronic forms will not be accepted. Late work policy: Late homework assignments will be accepted at a 20% reduction each day. For example, if you turn in an assignment a day late the highest percentage of points you can receive is 80%, two days late would by 60% and so on. Make up policy: Make ups are at the discretion of the instructor. You must provide written documentation for why you feel you deserve a make up. This could include a doctor s note, funeral notice, etc. In the event of a planned missed class day (such as for a conference), assignments/exams due on the day to be missed are to be turned in/completed (in hard copy) prior to the student leaving the campus and will otherwise be late. Students must inform the instructor of such scheduling conflicts at the beginning of the semester. Make ups must take place within SEVEN DAYS of the student s return to campus. Otherwise, the instructor will assume the student did not want to make up the assignment. Grade Disputes: If a student disagrees with the grade they received on an assignment they are welcome to discuss it with the instructor. However, grade disputes will not be had once seven days has passed from when the grade was returned. In other words, students need to notify the instructor of grade disputes as soon as possible.

7 Date Topic Readings Assignments Week 1 13-Jan 15-Jan Week 2 20-Jan 22-Jan Week 3 27-Jan Syllabus Branding Time with your organization Branding presentation Five steps to developing POP (online reading), 25 Facebook posts that have gotten people fired (online reading), Number of employers passing on employees because of social media (online reading), The PR pro (online reading) Getting organized, Finding and Making News Chapter 1 & Chapter 3 AP Quiz, A&B AP Quiz, C&D; Name of PR professional for branding presentation AP Quiz, E&F; Branding presentation; Name of community partner AP Quiz, G&H; LinkedIn profile, Twitter handle and Blog address due via email 29-Jan Legal Issues Chapter 11 AP Quiz, I&J Week 4 3-Feb Distributing Chapter 10 AP Quiz, K/Q&L 5-Feb Pitching Chapter 4, 7 PR pitches (online reading), I read and replied to every PR pitch for a week (online reading), Pitching via Twitter (online reading), 17 PR professional share their best pitching tips (online reading), How to pitch to the press (online reading); At a loss for words (online reading); A bad LinkedIn Pitch (online reading), You need to time your pitch (Online reading) AP Quiz, M&N Week 5 10-Feb 12-Feb Week 6 News Release Time with your organization Chapter 5, Infographics (online reading) AP Quiz, O&P AP Quiz, R&S 17-Feb Guest Lecture AP Quiz, T&U 19-Feb Week 7 24-Feb Fact-sheets, advisories, and media kits Chapter 6 News Release Challenge Day AP Quiz, V/W/X/Y/Z & Punctuation; Fact-sheets

8 26-Feb Media kit presentation Media kit presentation Week 8 3-Mar 5-Mar Week 9 10-Mar 12-Mar Week 10 Mid-term Time with your organization Spring break Spring break 17-Mar Radio & TV Chapter 8 19-Mar Week 11 24-Mar 26-Mar Week 12 31-Mar 2-Apr Week 13 7-Apr 9-Apr Week 14 Guest Lecture News Features & Product/Issue Placement Time with your organization New Technology Chapter 7, Fashion product placement (online reading), Storytelling (online reading), The art of storytelling (online reading), 10 storytelling tips (online reading), 7 PR storytelling sins (online reading) script Chapter 12, Facebook to reduce promotional posts (Online reading), Newsletters, Brochures & Intranets Chapter 13 Radio/TV news release News Feature/Issue Placement Social Media Social Media Presentation Presentation& Paper Persuasive message design Chapter 2 Brochure 14-Apr 16-Apr Week 15 21-Apr 23-Apr Week 16 No class (Student Scholarship Symposium) Crisis writing Crisis communication presentations Edit day for final media kit 28-Apr Final Exam: May 5, 11-1pm Review Chapter 5, How social media impacts crisis communication strategies (online reading) Persuasive message design Crisis presentation Final media kit; all Blog entries; all Twitter entries