JMS 585 (Spring 2014)
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
Instructor:
Hongmei Shen, Ph.D., APR
Class Time & Place: 16:00 – 18:40 Tuesday, HH 150
Office:
PSFA 340 (619-594-5120)
E-mail:
hshen@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: 14:30 – 16:00 (Tuesdays) and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION: JMS 585 is an advanced senior- and graduate-level course in public
relations management. The goal of JMS 585 is to increase your ability to apply theory,
principles, and professional judgment to public relations practice. Emphasis will be on the issues
management portion of public relations practice, and integration of the public relations function
in strategic management in a variety of corporate, governmental, nonprofit, social, and cultural
organizations.
To achieve the goal, we will first employ the case study method to analyze real-life public
relations situations provided in the textbook. Working in a pair, you will play managerial,
strategic-planning roles counseling management on how to anticipate or solve public relations
problems and crises. You should know how to develop and apply what you have learned in
previous courses in ethical and socially responsible ways while accomplishing organizational
outcomes using legal, practical, and effective strategies and tactics. Second, we will invite guest
speakers to discuss issues related to cases in the text with which they have first-hand experience.
Finally, you will form a small public relations team to work on a major case of current interest to
the public relations community. You will present the case to an organization’s management team
— your classmates, and complete a case report suitable for submission to a professional
publication.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the semester, each student should demonstrate the
following:
 Assess and distinguish different functions of public relations practice
 Apply theories and principles to the analysis of real-life public relations problems
 Ability to present analysis results to and counsel a management team
 Ability to work with a mock public relations team effectively
 Ability to produce a case study report
PREREQUISITES: This class is limited to public relations majors and minors only.
Completion of JMS 481, 581 with grades of C (2.0) or better in each course is required. Proof of
prerequisite is required.
TEXT:
Center, A. H., Jackson, P., Smith, S., & Stansberry, F. R. (2013). Public relations
practices: Managerial case studies and problems (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
GRADING:
Textbook Case Study Presentation
Exam
Final Team Case Report Presentation
Final Team Case Report
Participation
Points
15
80
15
80
10
Percent of Final Grade
7.5%
40%
7.5%
40%
5%
JMS 585—Professional Practices in Public Relations
GRADING SCALE:
A
AB+
B
BC+
93-100%
90-92%
88-89%
83-87%
80-82%
78-79%
2
C
CD+
D
DF
73-77%
70-72%
68-69%
63-67%
60-62%
LESS THAN 60%
CLASS POLICIES
General:
 Classes should not be recorded unless special arrangements are made with the instructor’s
approval.
 Cell phones should NOT be used in class, unless approved by instructor.
 Laptops can only be used for note-taking purposes. Students engaging in activities not
related to note-taking, such as texting, IM, Facebooking, Twittering, and emailing, will be
denied further use of laptops.
 Professional behavior is expected in the classroom. Students should not engage in
distractive behaviors, such as sleeping, reading newspapers, moving about the classroom,
obstructing class with irrelevant questions, and disregarding class activities.
Class Participation:
Regular attendance and participation are vital to your success in JMS 585. It is not possible to
learn everything there is to know simply through reading. You are responsible for all materials
covered in class, even content covered on days when you are not present. Students are expected
to complete the readings in advance of class. Students should take notes on lectures, multimedia,
Power Point slides, and classroom discussion.
Your participation is evaluated by the instructor each week, based on the following: 1) active
participation in class discussions, 2) answering questions posed by the instructor or classmates,
3) raising questions about the readings. If you do not attend class or do not talk at all, 50% of
your weekly participation grade will be deducted.
When a student does not attend class, the absence is excused ONLY IF it was caused by (1)
religious observance, (2) participation in University activities at the request of University
authorities, (3) debilitating illness, or (4) compelling circumstances beyond the student’s control.
Unacceptable excuses include crashed computers, traffic, alarm clock not going off, or other
technical difficulties, such as malfunctioning printers. All legitimate notes must include phone
numbers for verification.
Students claiming excused absences are responsible for demonstrating to the instructor that their
failure to attend was on account of one of these four causes. Such demonstration shall take the
form of a letter signed by a person in a position to make an authoritative determination as to the
validity of the cause of absence claimed by the student. Letters related to any planned absences
must be presented to the instructor by the end of the second week of classes; letters related to any
unplanned absences must be presented to the instructor within one calendar week of the date of
absence, regardless of any holidays during that one-week period. The instructor reserves the right
to verify the content and authority of such letters.
General Guidelines for Assignments:
JMS 585—Professional Practices in Public Relations
3
 Assignments must use Times New Roman, 12-point font, and double-spaced. APA
Style should be followed. Five percent of assignment grade will be deducted if
standards are not met.
 Assignments are due at the exact time and on the dates specified in the syllabus.
The first day any assignment is late, 20% is taken off of your earned total. On
day 2, 50% is taken off your earned total. On day 3, the assignment will receive
a score of zero.
EXAM
There will be a mid-semester exam. It will be based upon all course materials, including lectures,
articles, and audio/visual materials that have been covered up to the time of the test. It is the
responsibility of the student to be informed of the date and time of the exam. The exam
CANNOT BE MADE UP unless the absence is a fully documented University-excused absence.
In general, make-up exams will be given ONLY in documented cases of (1) religious
observance, (2) participation in University activities at the request of University authorities, (3)
debilitating illness, or (4) compelling circumstances beyond the student’s control (reasons such
as forgetting exam time and exam room will not be accepted). It is the responsibility of the
student to provide documentation for missed tests within one calendar week of the date of
absence, regardless of any holidays during that one-week period. All legitimate notes must
include phone numbers for verification. The instructor reserves the right to verify the content and
authority of such notes. If you anticipate missing an exam, it is your responsibility to notify me
two weeks before the exam date to make alternate arrangements. Students who miss tests
failing to provide a sufficient reason or failing to follow the above procedure will receive a
zero in grade for the missed test.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Textbook Case Study Presentation: During our second week of class, you will self select
yourself into a pair. The two of you will provide a no longer than 15-minute presentation of a
public relations case that you select from the textbook. You may embed discussion questions
throughout the presentation. You should provide a one-page handout (hard copies) that
provides an overview, main points, discussion questions, and tables (optional) for each
classmate and your instructor. Specific instructions and grading rubrics for the Case Study
Presentation are posted on Blackboard (“Course Documents”). You should also submit the
handout to Blackboard (“Discussion Board”) by Monday at noon of the week you are
assigned to. One point will be deducted from your final assignment grade if students fail
to submit handout on time. See above general guidelines for late assignments.
2. Final Team Case Report (Submit electronically to Blackboard Assignment by noon on
May 13). Students are expected to self select into a small team (no more than five team
members). Each team will research, analyze, and report a major case of current interest to the
public relations community. The case should have taken place after (excluding) the year
2010. Detailed instructions and grading rubrics for the Final Team Case Report are posted on
Blackboard (“Course Documents”). In a nutshell, the 12-page report should 1) summarize
the case; 2) specify the criteria by which you are evaluating the case, and then provide your
JMS 585—Professional Practices in Public Relations
4
evaluation and critique; 3) conclude whether this is a good case to use as a benchmark for
excellent public relations.
Team Management: Students will elect a team leader, propose a team name, and develop
your own team contract. Your team contract should include the following components: 1)
Team name, 2) Names, phone numbers, and email addresses of each member, 3)
Identification of a team leader who will serve as the liaison between the instructor and the
team, 4) An overview of what team members expect to gain from the project, 5) Regular
group meeting times outside of class, absence policy, and provisions for enforcement of
absence policy, 6) An explanation for how the group will divide the work, 7) An explicit and
concrete explanation of how group members who fail to meet the standards set forth above
will be dealt with by his/her fellow group members; 8) A firing mechanism: Should your
group choose to fire a team member who fails to meet specified group expectation, specifics
must be written out in the contract. All firings are subject to approval by the instructor in her
capacity as the team supervisor. Fired team member(s) will be expected to complete the
whole project on their own and be judged against the same criteria as a team. ALL
PROBLEMS SHOULD BE RESOLVED PRIOR TO THE PROJECT COMPLETION
DATE. TEAM MEMBERS CANNOT BE FIRED RETROSPECTIVELY.
Team leaders must check in with Instructor twice (Re: Semester Schedule for Due
Dates), debriefing Instructor on project progress and team management issues (if any).
Peer Evaluation: Peer evaluations will count 10% of the total group project grade. Please
see the Peer Evaluation Form addendum (Posted on Blackboard) for specifics. The form will
be completed in class. Instructor will provide hard copies.
Good examples of such case studies can be found at
http://www.awpagesociety.com/site/resources/case_studies/
Students are also strongly encouraged to enter their report to the Arthur W. Page Society
Case Study Competition.
3. Final Team Case Report Presentation: Students will discuss their research findings with
the class in a 20-minute presentation followed by an optional 5-minute question-and-answer
time. Using standard public speaking techniques, students will guide the audience through
their theses, support, and conclusions. Students will be evaluated on the quality of their
research, the sophistication of their analyses, and use of theory, principles and professional
judgment to support their arguments.
Attendance on Presentation Days: Students arriving late on presentation days, whether or
not you are presenting, will not be able to join class. Entering class during a presentation is
completely unacceptable and will greatly deplete your participation points. If you are on time
to a presentation date, and experience technical difficulties, you should be prepared to give
your presentation regardless (make back-ups of Power Point presentations and other visual
aids!).
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
JMS 585—Professional Practices in Public Relations
5
Students are expected to behave honorably in an academic environment. Academic dishonesty,
including cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and plagiarism, will not be
tolerated. Confirmation of such incidents can result in suspension or expulsion from the
University. Students who are uncertain as to what constitutes academic dishonesty should consult
the University’s Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities (www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr) or check
with the instructor. Specific definitions for terms pertaining to academic dishonesty, as well as
procedures for handling such cases, are defined in the SDSU Senate Policy file, available from
the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities. You are responsible for reading,
understanding, and abiding by this policy.
Basically, plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional presentation of another person’s idea or
product as one’s own. Students can avoid unintentional plagiarism by following carefully
accepted scholarly practices. Notes taken for papers and research projects should accurately
record sources of material to be cited, quoted, paraphrased, or summarized, and papers should
acknowledge these sources. The penalties for plagiarism include a zero or a grade of “F” on the
work in question, a grade of “F” in the course, suspension, or expulsion.
POLICY ON INCOMPLETES
The grade of “incomplete” is given only to a student whose work in a course has been
qualitatively satisfactory when, because of illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s
control, he/she has been unable to complete some small portion of course work. In no case will
an incomplete (I) be recorded for students who have not completed major course assignments.
DOCUMENTED DISABILITIES
Students who need accommodation of their disabilities should contact me privately by the second
class period to discuss specific accommodations for which they have received authorization. If
you have a disability, but have not yet contacted Student Disability Services, please do so before
coming to see me during my office hours or by appointment. Student Disability Services is
located in Suite 3101 of the Calpulli Center on Hardy Ave. (near Cox Arena), and their phone
number is 619-594-6473. More information is available at http://go.sdsu.edu/student_affairs/sds/.
AMENDMENTS AND ADDENDA
The instructor reserves the right to amend the course syllabus at any time during the semester;
students will be informed of the changes either in class or via email. For example, topics listed in
the syllabus may be covered on different days to accommodate guest speakers, natural disasters,
or class needs. Students who choose to remain enrolled in this course after the regular schedule
adjustment period indicate by their continued enrollment that they have read and understood the
syllabus for this course, and that they accept and agree to abide by its procedures and policies.
Semester Schedule
Week 1 (Jan. 28): Introduction to Course
JMS 585—Professional Practices in Public Relations
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Week 2 (Feb. 4): Review of Public Relations Process and Management
Text: Preface, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2
Due: Students Textbook Case Study Presentation Groups Finalized
Week 3 (Feb. 11): Internal: Employee Relations
Effective employer-employee relations can make the difference in organizational success or
failure. Relationships with an organization’s most important public — employees — are
subject to many change pressures — downsizing, outsourcing, automation, globalization,
rising healthcare costs, etc. Unlike other key publics, employees are the organization. Chapter
3 and the cases illustrate how public relations plays a strategic role in nurturing employee
relations.
Text: Chapter 3
Case Presentations: Cases 3-1, 3-2 (Groups 1, 2)
Week 4 (Feb. 18): Internal – External: Community Relations
Community relations is a strategic attempt to make the local environment a better setting for
both the organization and the community. The larger public relations function provides
leadership and sets the tone for building and maintaining relationships with employee
families, retirees, neighbors, local government, community groups and other organizations.
Text: Chapter 4
Case Presentations: Cases 4-1, 4-2 (Groups 3, 4)
Due: Final Team Case Report Groups Finalized
Week 5 (Feb. 25): Internal – External: Investor Relations
Investor relations in publicly owned corporations is the most highly regulated part of public
relations practice. Recent scandals and trials involving high profile corporate executives and
celebrities have given public attention to this often behind-scenes practice.
Text: Chapter 5
Week 6 (Mar. 4): No Class. Instructor Presenting at International Public Relations
Research Conference.
Week 7 (Mar. 11): External: Consumer Relations
Consumer relations forces clarification of the public relations – marketing relationship within
organizations. Sometimes referred to as “marketing public relations”— further confusing all
concerned—many public relations practitioners spend much of their time working in the
marketing function. Often their focus is on enhancing organizational reputation.
Text: Chapter 6
Case Presentations: Cases 6-1, 6-2 (Groups 5, 6)
JMS 585—Professional Practices in Public Relations
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Week 8 (Mar. 18): External: Media Relations (Review for Exam)
Media are the intermediaries to key publics, therefore journalists, reporters, editors,
assignment editors, station managers, publishers, etc., become important “publics” in their
own right. These often adversarial relationships are nevertheless critical gatekeepers in the
public information system. Media relations is a major part of public relations practice.
Text: Chapter 7
Due: Final Team Case Report Topic Submitted to Blackboard Assignment Folder (1
page, not graded) for instructor approval. It should include: One-paragraph case summary,
Functional area the case fits in, Theory/theoretical frameworks to be used to analyze the case,
Additional questions for instructor.
Week 9 (Mar. 25): In-CLASS EXAM
Week 10 (Apr. 1): No class. Spring Recess.
Week 11 (Apr. 8): Public Issue Campaigns and Debates
Knowing your publics and issues is vital in public issue campaigns.
Text: Chapter 8
Due: Team leader early-warning check-in with Instructor
Week 12 (Apr. 15): Internal – External: Crisis Management
Public relations managers have to deal with crises quite often, sometimes on a daily basis.
Good practitioners can transform a crisis in to an opportunity.
Text: Chapter 9
Case Presentations: Cases 9-1, 9-2 (Groups 7, 8)
Week 13 (Apr. 22): Ethics & Global PR
Text: Chapter 10
Due: Q&A time for Final Team Project; Team leader final check-in with Instructor
Week 14 (Apr. 29): Case Study Presentations
Due: Group member evaluations forms will be completed in class. Failure to turn in
evaluation forms will result in a 5% reduction of your individual final paper grade.
Week 15 (May 6): Library work on team project
Week 16 (May 13): Final Case Study Report submitted to Blackboard Assignment by noon.