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Com 380A Public Relations Writing
Syllabus
Instructor: Samantha Nazione, PhD
Email: snazione@berry.edu
Phone: 706 368-2939
Instructor Office number: 108 Laughlin
Office hours: Monday: 1-4pm; Tuesday: 10am-12pm;
3pm; and by appointment
Class: COM 380A
Classroom: Cook 107
Time: TuTh 12:30 to 1:45pm
Wednesday: 1-4pm; Friday: 1-
Please note this syllabus is subject to change by announcement
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Strategies and techniques of public relations writing, with emphasis given to
preparation and dissemination of a variety of formats and media. (3 credit hours) – The
Berry College Course Catalog
PURPOSE OF COURSE
This course is an undergraduate seminar in the basic skills needed to master public
relations writing and dissemination of that writing for traditional and new media
formats. Additionally, students will learn to brand themselves as public relations
professionals through their writing. Topics to be covered include AP style, branding,
targeting, social media (blogging, micro-blogging [Twitter], Facebook, and LinkedIn
primarily), media kits (fact sheets, news releases, TV/Radio news releases, feature
articles, product/issue placement, and brochures), persuasive message design, and
crisis communication.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this class, students should:
• Be proficient in AP style.
• Be aware of legal issues that play a role in public relations media skills.
• Have created a professional brand for themselves through blogging and
twitter.
• Feel confident in their ability to disseminate press information appropriately
in a targeted means.
• Have created a media kit for their chosen organization (2 fact sheets, and at
least one photograph, news release, TV/Radio news release script, feature
release or issue placement, and brochure).
• Feel confident in replicating media kit materials for future clients.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:
This class will transfer knowledge through lecture, but more often through student
discussion and activities, such as presentations and outside work with a partnering
organization. This class will require students to partner will an outside non-profit
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organization of their choice in order to create legitimate media materials that can be
disseminated (and hopefully published to add to the student’s portfolio). As noted
through the schedule for this class, students are given class time to meet with this
partner. However, additional time may be required to complete assignments depending
on the student and chosen organization.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Students are expected to attend class. Student assignments will not be accepted
outside of class and missed in class assignments cannot be made up.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Plagiarism and/or cheating of any kind on any assignment will result in failure of the
entire course. If you are at all confused about what plagiarism or cheating is please
refer to Berry College’s policies
(http://www.berry.edu/Templates/general.aspx?id=51539611468), or talk to the
instructor. Not understanding, is not an excuse for practicing plagiarism or cheating in
a college level course. If you have any questions or concerns regarding academic
integrity, do not hesitate to ask your instructor.
ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodation in this
course are encouraged to contact the Academic Support Center (ext. 4080,
mvancise@berry.edu) as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are
implemented in a timely fashion.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Wilcox, D. L., & Reber, B. H. (2013). Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques. (7th
ed). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Associated Press Style Book
Online readings will be provided via Viking Web
COURSE GRADING
Point Allocation:
__________
AP Quizzes (20 X 5)____________
LinkedIn Account
Blogging (3 X 15)___
Twitter (3 X 5)
Branding Presentation
Media Kit Presentation
Social Media Presentation
Crisis Presentation
Challenge Day (20 pts)
100
15
45
15
20
20
40
20
20
3
News Release
News Feature/Issue Placement
Fact sheets (2 X 10)
TV/Radio News Release
Brochure
Persuasive Message Design
Final Media Kit
Exams (2 X 50)
TOTAL POINTS
60
50
20
30
30
30
50
100
665
Grading Scale:
Percentage
Grade
93 - 100%
_A
90 – 92.99%
A86 – 89.99%
B+
83 – 85.99%
_B
80 – 82.99%
B76 – 79.99%
C+
73 – 75.99%
_C
70 - 72.99%
C66 – 69.99%
D+
63 – 65.99%
_D
0 – 62.99% ___ __ F
COURSE REQUIRMENTS
Community Partner
For the duration of this class, students will be expected to secure a relationship with a
non-profit organization in the area for whom you can write a media kit. Students
securing this relationship with real clients allows them the chance to actually
disseminate materials in hopes of getting published (and thereby having material to
use in his or her senior portfolio). Community partners should know they will be able
to see and approve all communication prior to dissemination. If they have questions,
students should give the community partner the instructor’s contact information.
AP Quizzes (20 X 5 pts)
Public relations professionals must abide by AP style in their media writing. Students
will complete 22 short, take-home AP quizzes. Quizzes are due at the beginning of
class. The two lowest quiz scores of each student will be dropped. Note that although
these quizzes are take-home assignments, they are not group work. Students should
complete the quizzes independently.
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Branding Assignments
LinkedIn Account (15pt). Students are required to have a Linked-In account. Student
accounts will be graded on quantity of content, quality of content, and professionalism.
Blog posts (3 X 15pt). Students will be required to create a professional public relations
blog and post 3 times throughout the semester. These blog posts must be relevant for
the public relations community and demonstrate the student’s knowledge of public
relations. Students are free to choose any blogging software to accomplish this
assignment. The instructor recommends Wordpress.
Twitter posts (3 X 5pts). Students will be required to create a professional public
relations twitter account and post three times throughout the semester. These posts
must be written in a human voice, demonstrate the student’s public relations
knowledge, and be relevant for the public relations community.
Presentations
Branding presentation (20 pts). Students will be required to present on a public
relations professional that has branded themselves well through social media. The
student should demonstrate knowledge of the professional’s image in the community,
analyze that image, and report on techniques the class could learn from. For
inspiration on what public relations professional to select see the top 50 PR blogs
(http://www.cision.com/us/2013/06/top-50-public-relations-blogs/) as well as these
other links: http://www.meltwater.com/public-relations-blog/top-15-pr-blogs/;
http://www.inkybee.com/top-60-pr-blogs/;
http://service.prweb.com/learning/article/public-relations-blogs-25-essential-prbloggers-you-should-be-reading/). The evaluation should include concepts discussed
in class.
Media Kit presentation (20pts). Students should select a company with an online media
kit to evaluate. Students should present this media kit, their evaluation, and report on
techniques the class could learn from. The evaluation should include concepts
discussed in class.
Social media presentation (40 pts). Students will analyze the social media (Facebook &
Twitter) habits of a non-profit organization similar to your organization but on a more
national scale. Analyze this organization’s social media habits and report on how your
organization could benefit from following these techniques. Examples should be
included. In addition to presenting this information in class, students should also write
up a 3-5 page report for their organization to benefit from. Again, be sure to include
your examples. The evaluation should include concepts discussed in class.
Crises communication presentation (20 pts). Students will select a crisis to analyze and
describe to the class in terms of their media response. To perform this, students
should read and report on a case-study that examined crises communication –
specifically media responses of a certain organization. Not sure where to start? Try the
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following: Case Studies in Strategic Communication (http://cssc.uscannenberg.org/),
Institute for Public Relations (http://www.instituteforpr.org/category/research/crisismanagement/), Public Relations Journal
(http://www.prsa.org/Intelligence/PRJournal/#.VI8rEagxdco). We also have plenty via
library journals (scholar google “crisis communication case studies”). Note this article
does need to come from a peer-reviewed journal and should be approved by the
instructor. The evaluation should include concepts discussed in class.
Challenge Day (20 pts)
During challenge day, a Berry College individual in need of a press release will join the
class. The press release is due at the end of the class and the best release will be sent
to the Berry College public relations department.
Media Kit
Students will create a media kit for their community partner that includes the below
media pieces. Prior to turning in any assignment, students are encouraged to have
fellow students read their work for errors (including AP errors). Media kit pieces will be
graded based on following of directions discussed in class, mainly that the piece
practices clean writing, is newsworthy, and is targeted.
News Release (60 pts)
Students will design a news release for their organization that will be disseminated to
the appropriate media outlet. Because these news releases will actually be submitted
for publication, students are responsible for not only turning in their press release, but
his or her research on the chosen distribution center, his or her pitch letter to that
distribution center, and the press release. Note we will work with students from the Mr.
Kline’s journalism class to also collect photos for these press releases in order to
improve the chances that these news releases are published.
News Feature/Issue Placement (50 pts)
Students will design either a feature or an issue placement piece for their organization
that will be disseminated to an appropriate media outlet. Because these features/issue
placements will actually be submitted for publication, students are responsible for not
only turning in their press release, but his or her research on the chosen distribution
center, his or her pitch letter to that distribution center, and the feature/issue
placement. This assignment must include storytelling.
Fact sheets (2 X 10 pts)
Students will be responsible for creating two fact sheets, 1) for a key figure, 2) for the
organization.
TV/Radio News Release Script (30 pts)
Students will complete a TV or Radio News release script that could be used by their
organization.
Brochure (30 pts)
Students will complete a brochure that could be used by their organization.
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Persuasive message design (30 pts)
Students will complete a persuasive message for their organization. This persuasive
message could take the form of a news release, feature release, or TV/Radio News
release script.
Final Media Kit (50 pts)
Students are to make all of the suggested edits on their assignments and compile all of
their media kit assignments into a final portfolio. In addition to final corrected versions
of the assignment, the student should turn in the original graded assignments with
instructor comments, and any published pieces.
Exams (2 X 50)
Students will sit through two exams. The format for these exams will be additional
writing assignments.
COURSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Turning in assignments:
• All assignments are due in class on their due date in hard-copy format
• Email or other electronic forms will not be accepted.
Late work policy:
• Late homework assignments will be accepted at a 20% reduction each day. For
example, if you turn in an assignment a day late the highest percentage of
points you can receive is 80%, two days late would by 60% and so on.
Make up policy:
• Make ups are at the discretion of the instructor. You must provide written
documentation for why you feel you deserve a make up. This could include a
doctor’s note, funeral notice, etc.
• In the event of a planned missed class day (such as for a conference),
assignments/exams due on the day to be missed are to be turned
in/completed (in hard copy) prior to the student leaving the campus and will
otherwise be late. Students must inform the instructor of such scheduling
conflicts at the beginning of the semester.
• Make ups must take place within SEVEN DAYS of the student’s return to
campus. Otherwise, the instructor will assume the student did not want to
make up the assignment.
Grade Disputes:
• If a student disagrees with the grade they received on an assignment they are
welcome to discuss it with the instructor. However, grade disputes will not be
had once seven days has passed from when the grade was returned. In other
words, students need to notify the instructor of grade disputes as soon as
possible.
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Date
Week 1
13-Jan
15-Jan
Week 2
20-Jan
22-Jan
Week 3
27-Jan
29-Jan
Week 4
3-Feb
Topic
Branding
AP Quiz, A&B
Branding presentation
AP Quiz, C&D; Name of
PR professional for
branding presentation
AP Quiz, E&F; Branding
presentation; Name of
community partner
Getting organized,
Finding and Making News
Legal Issues
AP Quiz, G&H; LinkedIn
profile, Twitter handle
and Blog address due via
email
AP Quiz, I&J
Distributing
10-Feb
News Release
Time with your
organization
24-Feb
Five steps to developing POP
(online reading), 25
Facebook posts that have
gotten people fired (online
reading), Number of
employers passing on
employees because of social
media (online reading), The
PR pro (online reading)
Time with your
organization
Pitching
19-Feb
Week 7
Assignments
Syllabus
5-Feb
Week 5
12-Feb
Week 6
17-Feb
Readings
Chapter 1 & Chapter 3
Chapter 11
Chapter 10
Chapter 4, 7 PR pitches
(online reading), I read and
replied to every PR pitch for a
week (online reading),
Pitching via Twitter (online
reading), 17 PR professional
share their best pitching tips
(online reading), How to
pitch to the press (online
reading); At a loss for words
(online reading); A bad
LinkedIn Pitch (online
reading), You need to time
your pitch (Online reading)
Chapter 5, Infographics
(online reading)
Challenge Day
AP Quiz, M&N
AP Quiz, O&P
AP Quiz, R&S
Guest Lecture
Fact-sheets, advisories,
and media kits
AP Quiz, K/Q&L
AP Quiz, T&U
Chapter 6
News Release
AP Quiz, V/W/X/Y/Z &
Punctuation; Fact-sheets
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26-Feb
Week 8
3-Mar
5-Mar
Week 9
10-Mar
12-Mar
Week 10
17-Mar
19-Mar
Week 11
24-Mar
26-Mar
Week 12
31-Mar
2-Apr
Week 13
7-Apr
9-Apr
Week 14
14-Apr
16-Apr
Week 15
21-Apr
23-Apr
Week 16
Media kit presentation
Media kit presentation
Mid-term
Time with your
organization
Spring break
Spring break
Radio & TV
Guest Lecture
News Features &
Product/Issue Placement
Time with your
organization
Chapter 8
Chapter 7, Fashion product
placement (online reading),
Storytelling (online reading),
The art of storytelling (online
reading), 10 storytelling tips
(online reading), 7 PR
storytelling sins (online
reading) script
New Technology
Chapter 12, Facebook to
reduce promotional posts
(Online reading),
Newsletters, Brochures &
Intranets
Chapter 13
Social Media Presentation
Persuasive message
design
Radio/TV news release
News Feature/Issue
Placement
Social Media
Presentation& Paper
Chapter 2
Brochure
Chapter 5, How social media
impacts crisis
communication strategies
(online reading)
Persuasive message
design
No class (Student
Scholarship Symposium)
Crisis writing
Crisis communication
presentations
Edit day for final media
kit
28-Apr
Final Exam: May 5, 11-1pm
Review
Crisis presentation
Final media kit; all Blog
entries; all Twitter
entries