Aims

• To develop in students specialist knowledge, analytical skills and critical understanding of the values and culture of public relations and its variations in commercial, public, private and voluntary sectors
• To enable students to develop and deploy established techniques of writing and campaign planning in public relations
• To develop a critical awareness of the role of crisis management in a PR context
• To develop advanced communications skills in the production of creative ideas and proposals necessary in crisis management

This module will build on the key concepts and skills acquired in semester one in MCH8065 and enables students to develop and experiment with a wide range of professional skills. Through a series of supervised exercises and discussion, you will plan and produce a PR campaign for a private, public or voluntary sector organisation. You will also be introduced to the theories of crisis management and will assess modern crisis response strategies for an organisation of your own choice. At the end of the course, using the skills you have gained, you will produce a debate report evaluating a plan of your choice.

Outline Of Syllabus

•       Review of the purpose and nature of public relations
•       How to write effective press releases both for traditional and digital media
•       How to manage relationships with print and broadcast journalists, bloggers and online influencers
•       Owned & Shared Digital media
•       How to plan and deliver events and PR campaigns
•       The stages of a crisis
•       How to use PR effectively in a crisis situation
•       How to construct a crisis management plan
•       How to protect a company’s brand and identity
•       Reputation and trust in PR context

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The lectures will introduce and develop through discussion, investigation and analysis of case studies the concepts, theories, issues and skills involved in public relations and crisis management in the private, public and voluntary sectors. The seminar sessions will allow the students to practice the skills necessary to apply these theories in real life situations. The module aims to help students enhance their employability, develop their career or continue into advanced professional study.
The assessment strategy will be presented to the students as an opportunity for them to demonstrate their knowledge of and skills in PR through a set of two project based assignments – planning a creative PR campaign and assessing a crisis management strategy. This will enhance their analysis and communication skills.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The assessment methods relate closely to key elements in the module’s outline of work and intended learning outcomes (above). The assessments are designed to allow students to demonstrate their specialist knowledge, analytical skills and critical understanding of the values and culture of public relations and its variations in commercial, public, private and voluntary sectors and to develop and deploy established techniques of writing and campaign planning in public relations.