CA363:
Prerequisites
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
This course explores strategic communication processes intended to build relationships between organizations and their public. Students will learn about the theoretical underpinnings of public and media relations, in addition to the principles, strategies, and best practices common within the field. Skills taught include active listening, relationship building, interviewing, negotiating, making public presentations, and event planning. Prerequisite: CA233.
Contact Information
Textbook: A Modern Guide to Public Relations: Unveiling the Mystery of PR: Including: Content Marketing, SEO, Social Media & PR Best Practices
ISBN: 1736514008
Author: Amy Rosenberg
Publisher: Veracity Marketing
1) Explore theories, models, methods, and best practices in copywriting for public media
2) Understand the principles of comm theory and design theory
3) Develop skills in a variety of media & technologies appropriate to an audience &
standard within the field
Tentative Course Schedule: Modules will contain weekly reading/annotation assignments in Blackboard as well as any major projects or papers. All module assignments are due the following Sunday at 5 pm unless otherwise noted. Assignments must be submitted via Blackboard link. Do not email assignments.
| Week of 8/18 | MODULE 1: Blackboard Readings & Intro and CH 1 PR 101 Week of 8/25 |
Week of 8/25 | MODULE 2: Blackboard Readings & CH 2 Forget Your Story Project #1: Media Relations Campaign Review Assigned (due 9/7 by 5pm) |
Week of 9/1 | MODULE 3: Blackboard Readings & CH 3 Your PR Toolbox |
Week of 9/8 | MODULE 4: Blackboard Readings & CH 4 Understanding the Media Project #2: Electronic Media Kit Assigned (due 9/28 by 5pm) |
Week of 9/15 | MODULE 5: Blackboard Readings & CH 5 Working with Print and Online |
Week of 9/22 | MODULE 6: Blackboard Readings & CH 6 Working with Television |
Week of 9/29 | MODULE 7: Blackboard Readings & CH 7 Working with Radio and Podcasts |
Week of 10/6 | MODULE 8: Blackboard Readings & CH 8 Operating like a Newsroom Project #3: Promotional Rack Card Assigned (due 10/19 by 5pm) |
Week of 10/13 | MODULE 9: Blackboard Readings & CH 9 PR Cheats 6 |
Week of 10/20 | MODULE 10: Blackboard Readings & CH 10 Infusing Other Disciplines |
Week of 10/27 | MODULE 11: Blackboard Readings & CH 11 Tying it All Together |
Week of 11/3 | MODULE 12: Blackboard Readings & CH 12 Living the PR Lifestyle Project #4: Toastmasters’ Speech Assigned (due 11/16 by 5pm) |
Week of 11/10 | MODULE 13: Blackboard Readings & Toastmasters/Self Eval |
Week of 11/17 | MODULE 14: Blackboard Readings & Interviews from “The New New Journalism” |
Week of 11/24 | MODULE 15: These last two weeks we will focus on careers in journalism and public relations, leaning heavily on the latter. Your assignment is to interview a journalist, a public relations professional, or someone who works in media relations. |
Week of 12/1 | MODULE 16: These last two weeks we will focus on careers in journalism and public relations, leaning heavily on the latter. Your assignment is to interview a journalist, a public relations professional, or someone who works in media relations. THE FINAL EXAM/INTERVIEW RESPONSE IS DUE 11/30 BY 5 PM. |
Major Assignment Descriptions:
Project #1: Find a Media Relations campaign you would like to review. No student can do the
same campaign as someone else. So, I will ask you to share the campaign on Blackboard in a designated
Discussion Board. Once you have your campaign chosen, you need to find the following elements:
● Some sort of live interview--Either with a specific outlet or at a press conference
● The Media Kit (or at least a press release)
● Some of the media coverage that this campaign generated
Evaluate the campaign in essay format based on the following areas:
● The speaking quality to the press
● The tone of the coverage and its ability to carry the theme most likely desired by the PR person
● What do you believe went well?
● What could have been improved?
Be thorough and include specific examples from the campaign to illustrate the points you are trying to
make.
You will have three weeks to work on this assignment. Due Date: 9/7
---
Project #2 Media Kit: While there are print and electronic media kits, this project will be an
electronic media kit.
Select a client with something that could use an electronic media kit (either an upcoming event, a product
or project launch, a major announcement, etc.). There cannot be an existing media kit for the selected
event/individual/organization.
Each Media Kit is unique to its purpose, but at the very least your kit needs to
include:
● A press release
● A FAQ
● A Backgrounder
● Photos
The above items are the “least” that you need. It would not be an A project to just do the very least. Other
items to consider: illustrations, a brochure, samples, etc. You also need to consider formatting—use
effective layout and design and have a visual theme or brand identity across each piece of your Media Kit.
You will have 3 weeks to complete this project. Be sure your kit is saved in PDF format. Due date: 9/28
---
Project #3 Rack Card: Design a promotional rack card to use in advertising/marketing one of Wilmington
College's academic programs.
First, select an academic major from the college website--it is helpful if you select a major that already
includes a link to an “8-semester plan.” Then, use background information about the major, its faculty, its
curriculum, its academic plan, and its career outcomes to design a rack card (sized either 3.5″ x 8.5″ or 4″ x
9″).
You will be able to use either InDesign (if experienced) or Canva to design your rack card. Once
complete, you will present it via Discussion Board upload to the class for review/discussion. In
addition, you will need to develop a 5-slide deck (saved in a single PDF) that conveys your concept,
branding (must use WC-brand colors), layout, and final design. Upload the PDF to Blackboard.
For inspiration, consider: https://brandpacks.com/rack-card-templates-design-ideas/
You will have 3 weeks to complete this project. Due date: 10/19
---
Project #4 Toastmasters Speech: The purpose of this project is to introduce yourself to the class and learn the
basic structure of a public speech. Your speech may be humorous, informational, or any other style
that appeals to you.
Your Toastmasters' speech can cover any part of your life. What you speak about is completely at your
discretion. Your speech will need an opening, a body, and a conclusion. As you consider what to include,
keep in mind that the length of the speech is four to six minutes. Be sure to practice your speech in front
of a mirror, and present it to a family member or friend to get their feedback. Be aware that these speeches
will be LIVE- so make sure your background is appropriate. These speeches will be conducted via Zoom. A sign-up genius link will be added to Blackboard where you can select the time you would like to present along with an area to upload your transcribed speech. Once everyone in the class has selected times, each student will be asked to attend at least one other speech as part of their own grade.
Be prepared to provide feedback after the speech has concluded (there is a
project in Blackboard to provide your feedback). I will provide a tips sheet for giving feedback on
Blackboard as well. Links to the meeting will be sent out via email 11/9 and the speeches will be on
Tuesday and Thursday throughout the day.
Your uploaded transcript is due in 3 weeks. Due date: 11/16
---
Final Project #5: You will interview someone who works in journalism, public relations,
and/or media relations and record their responses to the following interview questions:
● Why do you love PR/journalism/media relations?
● What is your ideal work environment?
● When responding to media and public inquiries, what question do you find most difficult to
answer?
● What does “public relations” mean to you?
● What sources of media do you follow regularly, and why those ones?
● Describe a media crisis you had. How did you handle it?
● What's the difference between public relations and advertising?
● Why do companies need public relations?
● In what direction do you see the public relations industry and/or journalism heading?
● What personality characteristics are most important to be successful in PR/journalism/media
relations?
● Do you believe there is a communications crisis right now?
● +Make sure to add at least 5 of your own questions to make the interview your own
Be sure to take detailed notes and thoroughly record your interviewee's responses. You may not use
anyone from the Wilmington College PR team for this assignment. Save your interview notes in PDF
format and upload them to Blackboard. You have 2 weeks to complete this assignment. Due date: 11/30
Students will be evaluated via performance indicators applied to a variety of assignments, quizzes, and tests designed to evaluate students’ mastery of course concepts.
A = above 89%
B = 80 – 89%
C = 70 – 79%
D = 60 – 69%
F = below 60%
All late work will be returned to students with no grade (zero) for that assignment. Students are instructed to request an extension for any assignment that cannot be completed by the deadline. Requests must come in at least 48 hours prior to the start of the class during which the assignment is due.
Instructor Course Policies
As is consistent in the field of journalism and public relations, punctuality and the ability to meet deadlines
are critical attributes for any individual working to achieve success in the field. Therefore, in this classroom,
we practice those attributes. It is expected that all assignments meet the deadlines specified in the syllabus.
See the current Student Handbook for the College’s Academic Integrity Policies as they pertain to
examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: SP26 Final Exam Schedule
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery Definition of Courses |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. Academic Integrity Policy |
Academic Misconduct - Examples [10/24]
ACADEMIC CODE OF CONDUCT
This policy is directly related to the first Testimony, which is part of the Student Code of Conduct. “I will practice personal and academic integrity.” The initial responsibility for dealing with academic misconduct lies with the individual faculty member in whose classroom or course of study the offense occurs. The responsibility includes determination of the consequences for the offense. The goal is for faculty to confront cheating and plagiarism, to teach ethical behavior, and to provide an appropriate consequence based on the nature of the incident. Faculty are encouraged to explicitly address academic misconduct and its consequences in the course syllabus.
EXAMPLES OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
A. Examination offenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
1.Taking unauthorized materials into or out of the examination room.
2.Leaving the examination room without authorization before completing an examination.
3.Talking in the examination room without authorization.
4.Discussing the examination outside the examination room during the course of the examination.
5.Attempting to observe the work of another student.
6.Taking an examination for another person or permitting someone else to do so.
7.Collaborating improperly by discussion, joint research, or joint effort in any way expressly prohibited by the instructor. This includes using a cell phone or other device to access information from another source or another student.
8.Improper knowledge of contents of an examination - No student shall knowingly acquire unauthorized knowledge of an examination or any part of an examination, or solicit, offer, or give information about any part of an examination.
B. Student work offenses include, but are not limited to, the following, which are expressly prohibited in the absence of prior written approval of the instructor or instructors involved:
1.Resubmission of work - Submitting work which has been previously submitted for credit.
2. Plagiarism - Submitting work done wholly or partly by another, including the unattributed copying of all or parts of a published work or internet document. Using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) sources to produce work (when not expressly permitted) is also a form of plagiarism. Some instances of plagiarism are the result of ignorance rather than dishonesty. When plagiarism is encountered, the instructor should be sure that the student knows proper procedures for attributing content.
3.Prohibited sources - Consulting material or persons contrary to the directions of the instructor.
4.Improper collaboration - Engaging in any discussion, joint research, or joint effort of any kind expressly prohibited by the instructor.
5.Deception - Misrepresenting the authenticity of sources, citations, or principles in any written work.
6. Sharing work – Students who share their work with others are responsible for how that work is used. For example, if a student shares a paper with another student to help him or her understand an assignment, and that student submits the work as their own, the author of the paper shares responsibility for the plagiarism committed by the other student.
D. Other misconduct - Engaging in any other improper conduct as specified by the instructor.
E. Lying – deliberately providing false information relevant to academic matters, such as misrepresenting the inability to take an examination because of illness.
F. Disruptive or disrespectful classroom behavior – causing a disturbance in the classroom, interrupting instruction, speaking rudely or threatening students or faculty.
Class Attendance Policy Institutional Class Attendance Policy |
ADA and Students with Disabilities
Wilmington College and the Office of Compliance and Integrity are committed to ensuring equal access to students with disabilities, including physical, medical, and psychiatric disabilities. If you are a student with a disability and feel you may need a reasonable accommodation to fulfill the essential functions of this course, you are encouraged to connect with Nathan Flack, Academic Resource Center Manager/ADA Coordinator by visiting the Academic Resource Center located in Robinson Communication Center, Room 103 or connecting via email/phone at nathan.flack@wilmington.edu or 937-481-2208 (TTY: Ohio Relay 711 for deaf/hard of hearing). Please understand that formal eligibility communication from the Office of Compliance and Integrity must be presented prior to the coordination of accommodations for this course.