The textbooks for this class are Public Relations Strategies and Tactics 10e by
Dennis L. Wilcox, et al. (It is also helpful if you have a copy of the AP Stylebook, ...
“Those who can communicate and can help conflicting forces find common ground will play an important role in the future of our planet. Public relations is well suited to that role.” David W. Guth • Charles Marsh, “Public Relations A Values-Driven Approach,” 2nd ed., 2003
PUBLIC RELATIONS PRINCIPLES – JRNL3425 This class is designed to introduce students to the public relations profession. We will focus on public relations tactics, history, theory and ethics. Goals 1. To gain a basic understanding of public relations tasks, skills, and responsibilities. 2. To understand how public relations programs influence individuals, society and the economy. 3. To gain a basic understanding of PR history 4. To improve writing skills. 5. To gain an understanding of ethical and legal issues and responsibilities. 6. To learn how to think critically, to strategize and brainstorm. 7. To learn how to work on a team project. 8. To learn the difference between ethical and unethical practice 9. To know how to prepare for a crisis and respond during one. 10. To understand how the web and social media has impacted public relations. Requirements There are no prerequisites for this class. It is helpful if you have had Journalism 1 and 2, but not necessary. Read the newspaper every day. Assignments might change based on current events. Also, bring a pocket folder for assignments and additional reading. It is to your benefit to keep all graded assignments. The textbooks for this class are Public Relations Strategies and Tactics 10e by Dennis L. Wilcox, et al. (It is also helpful if you have a copy of the AP Stylebook, but don’t buy one. Work that involves writing for the news media will be based on AP Style and we will discuss this in class. I’ve also included some examples of AP Style at the end of the syllabus.)
Class Meetings/Attendance It is important that you attend all classes. If you are ill or are experiencing some other emergency, please call, or email me before class. You can leave a message on my voice mail. If you do not call prior to missing a class, it will affect your class participation grade. If you miss more than six classes you will fail the course. If you miss class, please make arrangements to get assignments, class notes, etc. You will be responsible for all deadlines whether you’re in class or not unless you have made other arrangements with me.
Late Arrival Coming to class more than five minutes late disrupts the class. Chronic tardiness will affect your grade. See me if you have a problem coming to class on time.
Grades Your final grade will be based on several factors: your class participation (10%), your final paper/presentation (30%), and individual assignments and quizzes (60%).
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Grades will be based on the following scale. The evaluations are based on NU’s system with my own explanations added.
A = 4.0 A- =
3.667
Outstanding Achievement (Uses critical thinking, visually appealing, meets all assignment requirements, outstanding writing no typos.) Almost outstanding, but one or two issues mar an otherwise outstanding piece.
B+ = 3.333 B = 3.0 B- = 2.667
Good Achievement and/or neatness)
C+ = 2.333 C = 2.0 C- = 1.667
Satisfactory Achievement (Shows understanding of the assignment, but might lack organization, has too many grammar or spelling issues, visually unappealing)
D+= 1.333 D = 1.0 D- = .667
Poor Achievement (Missing major issues, many grammar or spelling issues and/or visually unattractive)
F = 0.0
Work is unacceptable and/or extremely late.
(Issues with content, organization, grammar and typos, spelling’
All assignments are expected to be picked up from my office (145 Holmes) by the end of the semester. Assignments that haven’t been picked up will be thrown away.
Assignments You can find the current week’s assignments on Blackboard. For example, select Week One for that week’s readings, assignments and additional reading material or Web links, if any. Hard copies of assignments should be handed in during class. Email: If you miss class you can email your assignment. Please use my Gmail account for assignments:
[email protected] . Please use Microsoft Word for all assignments. Do not use Word Perfect. There’s a lot of work in this class, especially reading. But, most of the written assignments are short, such as news releases, brochures and ads. Allow yourself enough time to be creative. You can’t be creative if you are doing the assignment a day before it’s due! You also need some time to proof read it before you hand it in. You’ll notice that there’s no midterm or final test, only the papers and presentations. So, I hope that helps you balance the work in this class with your other assignments. Setting up assignments: All assignments, except news releases, must include the assignment name, your name and the date. For news releases, you are the contact person. Rewrites: There are some, “skills” assignments that you will be allowed to rewrite. These assignments are news releases, brochures, advertisements and a program plan (ROPE). When allowed to rewrite an assignment, the original must be attached to the revised copy. Rewrites are accepted a week after the graded assignment is handed back. No exceptions. Writing: Writing is important in public relations as it is in whatever profession you decide to pursue. You are expected to present professional work. Every assignment should be well written and visually appealing. Grammar, spelling and neatness will affect your grade. All work must be typed and, when appropriate, double spaced. You will be given time to review your work before you hand it in. You can also give your assignment to a classmate to edit. Edit marks are acceptable provided they are neat and easy to understand. AP Style is used for some assignments involving public relations writing, such as news releases. You can use a more “liberal” style for other assignments such as opinion pieces and analytical pieces. However, for the latter assignments, you must be consistent. For example, don’t use 1 p.m. in one place and 1:00 pm in another.
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Extra Help If at any time you need extra help with an assignment or topic, please don’t wait until the project or assignment is due. When dealing with a specific issue it’s better to make an appointment. I can also be reached at home at 781488-3178.
Class Participation Your class participation grade is based on attendance, your participation in discussions during class and how well you meet deadlines. You should always feel free to discuss a current event (on the current topic or not) in class. In this class there is no wrong point of view and disagreement is allowed! Opinions of fellow students, guest speakers and your teacher should be respected.
Blackboard Discussion Groups I will be introducing discussion threads each week. You can also post threads. They must be related to the class or to current PR topics. Participation in discussion groups will contribute to your class participation grade. You can also feel free to post a topic.
Teams You will be assigned to a group of three to four students. (Three is a perfect size group.) This group will work on the final project. You can think of your group as a creative team similar to the ones you will find in a PR firm or advertising agency. Working in groups can be difficult unless all team members are willing to work together. I will give you ample time to meet in class. Don’t let your classmates down!
Deadlines Late work is unacceptable. If, because of illness or an emergency, you can’t get an assignment in on time contact me immediately. Assignments turned in late will be reduced one letter grade and must be turned in the following week, unless other arrangements have been made. Late assignments cannot be redone.
Plagiarism (from Jbook 2001, page 13) “Plagiarism is passing off someone else’s work—whether published or unpublished, in print, video, or from the Internet—as your own. Students who plagiarize or fabricate stories will be severely penalized and subject to appropriate disciplinary action.” In this class you will receive an F for the course for plagiarism. (NOTE: This warning includes the use of Internet material.)
Disability Resource Center The Disability Resource Center offers a variety of services to students with learning, physical and psychological disabilities. I find this office extremely helpful. Students with a diagnosed disability need to visit the center if special accommodations are needed, preferably before class starts. The center is located at 20 Dodge Hall and staff can be reached at 617.373.2675.
Office Hours Office hours for the fall semester will be Monday, 8:30 to 9 a.m.; Tuesday, 10 to 11 a.m.; Wednesday, 11:30 to 12:30 p.m.; and Thursday 8:30 to 9 a.m. If you need more than 15 minutes, please make an appointment. If I’m in my office, you are always welcome to drop in and I will see you unless I’m with an appointment. My office is 137 Holmes Hall (near the Journalism conference room).
Telephone Numbers Office number: 617.373.4054 Home number: 781.488.3178 (until 9:30 p.m.) E-mail:
[email protected] (Dedicated to classes only.)
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TRACE CAMD considers student feedback essential and requires all students to complete TRACE evaluations at the end of the semester. You will be asked to provide a screen shot to your instructor that reflects your participation. Note that you can, anonymously, opt out of completing the survey and still receive the screen shot that satisfies the TRACE requirement.
Most Frequently Used AP Style Items and Other Things to Watch See AP Stylebook for additional information Numbers: Spell out one through nine. Avoid starting a sentence with a number. If you do, spell it out. Titles: Capitalize titles before a name. Lowercase titles after a name. President Richard Freeland…. or Richard Freeland, president Use “more than” instead of “over.” The computer was more than $3,000. Time: Use “noon” and “midnight” not 12:00 a.m. or p.m. It is a.m. or p.m., not am or pm. Datelines: Datelines are used in the lead paragraph of a news story or news release only when a story is about another city or state. They are always capitalized. Some cities stand alone without a state, such as BOSTON or ATLANTA. (See AP Stylebook) If you’re writing a news release for an event in Boston and it’s going to the Boston Globe, there is no need for a dateline. City and state: Use Boston, Mass. not Boston, MA.; Chicago, Ill. not Chicago, IL. Academic Degrees: bachelor’s degree or master’s degree. Affect: verb meaning to influence Effect: a verb meaning to cause Watch: It’s, versus its. There’s no such thing as its’ even when used as a possessive. In news releases, avoid unnecessary words such as “that.” If you find you’re using semicolons, it might be better to use two sentences. Watch: There versus they’re and their. Don’t use “also” excessively, especially in the same paragraph. In news writing, aim for short sentences and short paragraphs. Avoid using passive voice. Use active voice. Here’s an example from When Words Collide, (Kessler & McDonald) The legislature vetoed the bill. (active) The bill was vetoed by the legislature. (passive) Use the pronouns who and whom when referring to people or animals with names and that and which when referring to inanimate objects and animals without names. Make sure you don’t shift person and number. Quotes: Always use .” (period.”) ” Not”. However, it’s okay to write: “Why?”
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Website: web is no longer capitalized. Internet: Capitalized
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