- Code
- COM 503
- Name
- Writing Techniques for Public Relations
- Semester
- 0
- Lecture hours
- 3.00
- Seminar hours
- 0.00
- Laborator hours
- 0.00
- Credits
- 3.00
- ECTS
- 6.00
- Description
-
Public relations is part of the communication sciences. The main definitions present it as an important management function in the organization, to build sustainable relationships with actors and groups of interest on which is depended the success of the organization. This course will reflect this important part of personal, official, political or corporate communication in our society. Public Relations (PR) is one of the most important sectors of the economic and political world in informing, influencing and creating the general public opinion. This course summarizes the main approaches in the field of public relations, as well as analyzes the definitions, functions and stages of development of this field. This course will provide students with basic knowledge of public relations related to purpose, tools and tactics how to communicate and write. Students will also gain knowledge on the role of public relations in integrated communication, public relations applications in various fields such as corporate communication, marketing, political communication and social responsibility.
- Objectives
-
1.Providing basic knowledge of public relations (PR) 2-Elaboration of concepts and key approaches in the field of PR and equipping with skills to apply these concepts in practice 3-Training students in building the strategy and the plan of public relations. 4-Equipping with knowledge on the role of public relations in integrated communication, public relations applications in various fields, such as corporate communication, marketing, political communication and social responsibility.
- Java
- Tema
- 1
- What is Public Relations Writing? This lesson introduces students to public relations writing. At the end students should be able to: define public relations and distinguish it from advertising, marketing, and publicity, identify the five types of public relations writing and give examples of each, list the four goals of mass communication, explain the traditional, Jackson, and diffusion models of communication and how they apply to public relations, explain the role of persuasion in public relations writing, explain the difference between persuasion and propaganda and list five skills needed by a public relations practitioner. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 1, pp 1-12
- 2
- Basics of Public Relations Writing This lesson focuses on the fundamental principles of good public relations writing, including the rules of grammar, style guidelines, and legal and ethical considerations. At the end students should be able to: pass a grammar, punctuation and spelling test, explain why public relations writers must write simply, identify ways in which the style of public relations writing is influenced, provide examples of how to appropriately write for diverse audiences and people with varied lifestyles, explain the difference between corporate and commercial speech, recognize violations of copyright, trademark, and privacy laws, explain the criteria required for proving defamation, recognize potentially unethical situations and respond appropriately, according to the PRSA Code of Ethics, identify four tips for proofreading. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 2, pp 12-20
- 3
- The Public Relations Process This lesson provides a detailed look at the four-step public relations process. At the end of this lesson, students should be able to: identify the four steps of the public relations process, list the four pieces of information covered in a situation analysis, explain the concept of target publics, identify target publics as they relate to various organizations, distinguish between a goal and an objective, and explain the three types of goals, distinguish between a strategy and tactic, and explain the three types of strategies, develop a budget and develop a timetable. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 3, pp 21-32
- 4
- Research This lesson focuses on how to conduct the most common research methods. Students should be able to: distinguish between primary and secondary research and give two examples of each, describe six steps involved in preparing for and conducting an interview, identify three characteristics each of surveys and focus groups, list three things to avoid when constructing a survey questionnaire, list two advantages and two disadvantages of conducting surveys via e-mail, identify the four steps in preparing a content analysis, assess which research methods are the most appropriate for a given scenario. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 4, pp 33-45
- 5
- Planning and Message Design This chapter looks at how to create appropriate public relations messages and introduces students to a planning outline. Key Learning Points? Explain the four questions writers should ask before writing a piece, identify the nine types of media and give explain how they can be used by public relations practitioners, explain the nine components of the planning outline, explain the meaning of WIN, illustrate Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, explain the difference among ethos, logos and pathos. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 5, pp 46-70
- 6
- News Releases The lesson introduces the purpose and various formats of the well-written news release and provides detailed instructions on how to properly write one. At the end of this chapter, students should be able to: identify the five components included in the heading of a news release, explain the inverted pyramid style of writing, discuss one difference between the news leads written by journalists and those written by public relations practitioners, distinguish among news, feature, soft and localized leads, and explain the importance of the lead in news releases, explain the importance of localizing releases, list six guidelines for writing the body of a news release, explain five differences between writing for broadcast and writing for print, list three differences between a traditional news release and a social media release etc. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 6, pp 71-84
- 7
- Other Media Formats This chapter provides information on the proper use of media alerts and pitch letters, how to write media alerts and pitch letters to get a positive response, and what to think about when creating publicity photos and writing photo captions. Key Learning Points? Students should be able to: distinguish between a news release and media alert, determine when a media alert or pitch letter is appropriate to use, explain six key characteristics of a successful news story pitch, identify the three types of public relations photos, explain six guidelines for producing photos for publicity purposes etc. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 7, pp 85-101
- 8
- Mid-term exam
- 9
- Backgrounders and Features This chapter introduces the types of backgrounders and feature articles written by public relations practitioners, discusses how and why these tools are used in practice, and provides guidelines for properly structuring and writing these pieces. Students should be able to: identify three types of backgrounders and the purposes for each, write a fact sheet, organizational history, and biographical sketch, identify three types of feature articles ets. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 8, pp 101-122
- 10
- Web Sites and Social Media This chapter provides guidelines for the two most common types of Internet writing – Web sites and blogs – and offers techniques for establishing an effective outline presence. At the end of this chapter, students should be able to: identify four guidelines for writing for the Web, identify nine critical factors for designing a Web site, explain the difference between a podcast and vodcast, identify nine ways to promote a Web site, discuss five ethical guidelines for writing blogs, explain three strategies for dealing with a cybercrisis etc. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 9, pp 123-140
- 11
- Business Correspondence This chapter provides an overview of the most common formats in business writing and provides detailed instructions on how to write memos, letters and e-mail. At the end of this chapter, students should be able to: select the most appropriate business writing format when given a specific situation, identify three guidelines for writing a memo, write a memo, explain the format of a standard business letter, write a standard business letter, identify the six types of direct mail letters, identify 11 guidelines for writing a sales letter, write a sales letter, identify nine guidelines for writing a fund-raising letter, write a fund-raising letter etj. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 11, pp 141-150
- 12
- Reports and Proposals This chapter provides detailed instructions on the components of reports and proposals and how to write them so people will read them. Students should be able to: identify nine components of a research report, identify five components of an annual report, explain four guidelines for writing an annual report, explain six guidelines for writing persuasive proposals, identify three of the most important sections of a new business proposal etc. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 12, pp 151-160
- 13
- Advocacy Writing This chapter looks at writing materials that influence and persuade, specifically letters to the editor, op-ed articles, position statements, talking points and speeches, public service announcements and public relations advertising. At the end of this chapter, students should be able to: identify five purposes of a letter to the editor, identify eight guidelines for writing letters to the editor, write a letter to the editor, explain the difference between a letter to the editor and an op-ed article, identify four guidelines for public relations advertising etc. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 13, pp 162-170
- 14
- Promotional Publications This chapter provides an overview of the many types of promotional publications organizations can use to communicate with internal and external publics. It covers newsletter goals, publics and strategies; offers writing and design guidelines; and provides an introduction to electronic newsletters. The chapter also reviews the fundamentals of brochure development, including guidelines for designing and formatting brochures, planning content, writing cover headlines and as well as writing and producing fliers and posters. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 14, pp 171-175
- 15
- Evaluation This lesson stresses the importance of evaluation in the public relations process, explains the components of public relations measurement, and introduces measurement tools used in evaluating public relations programs. At the end of this chapter, students should be able to: explain the importance of evaluation in the public relations process, identify and explain the four components of public relations measurement, explain the difference between exposure and awareness, list ways of evaluating awareness etc. 4th Edition Public Relations Writing Worktext A Practical Guide for the Profession By Joseph M. Zappala, Anthony W. D’Angelo, 2024, Chapter 14, pp 176-180
- 16
- Final Exam
- 1
- This course will provide students with basic knowledge of public relations.
- 2
- Students will acquire knowledge on the role of public relations in integrated communication
- 3
- Students will be able to build and design a Public Relations plan
- 4
- At the end of the course students will be able to understand the application of key concepts of public relations in different sectors of society
- 5
- Students will be able to understand the importance of corporate social responsibility for the image of the organization
- Quantity Percentage Total percent
- Midterms
- 1 30% 30%
- Quizzes
- 0 0% 0%
- Projects
- 0 0% 0%
- Term projects
- 0 0% 0%
- Laboratories
- 0 0% 0%
- Class participation
- 1 10% 10%
- Total term evaluation percent
- 40%
- Final exam percent
- 60%
- Total percent
- 100%
- Quantity Duration (hours) Total (hours)
- Course duration (including exam weeks)
- 16 3 48
- Off class study hours
- 14 4 56
- Duties
- 0 0 0
- Midterms
- 1 16 16
- Final exam
- 1 30 30
- Other
- 0 0 0
- Total workLoad
- 150
- Total workload / 25 (hours)
- 6.00
- ECTS
- 6.00