AMB263 Intro to Public Relations
Week 7
Assignment 2: Essay
• Due date: Must be uploaded to Blackboard by 11.59pm
Sunday 22 September 2013 (end of Week 9)
• Length: 1500 words
• Weighting: 30%
Assignment 2: Essay
• What you have to do:
• Write an essay in which you discuss the Grunig and Hunt model of
four types of public relations practice. For each type, identify a ‘realworld’ example of contemporary public relations practice. Across
your examples you should include discussion of the use of
traditional media, social media and stakeholder engagement. Your
discussion should also consider the ethical elements in practice.
Assignment 2: Essay
Describe the four types of public relations in the
model:
▫ Find an example of a real world application of
each type in contemporary public relations
practice.
▫ You must find a different example for each type.
▫ Identify how traditional and social media, and
engaging with stakeholders are used in these types
of public relations
Assignment 2: Essay
For each of the types:

Reflect on any ethical considerations (challenges or
benefits) related to using each in practice.
(FYI We covered ethics in Week 6 and Chapter 9 of the
text)
Present your ideas in a formal essay.
Assignment 2: Essay
Knowledge of theories (out of 40 marks):
 You describe/analyse each type/model of public relations (Grunig & Hunt).
 You overview and identify the key elements of each type.
 You draw conclusions about the implications of the combination of all the
concepts for public relations practice.
 You support your discussion by references from the text and other sources.
Application of theories (out of 40 marks):
 You identify appropriate examples of each of the models in practice.
 You state how media and engagement is being demonstrated in each real-world
example/situation.
 You clearly identify and discuss the links between the key elements of each type,
media/engagement and your practical examples.
 You provide justification for your decisions.
Done?
Assignment 2: Essay
Social and ethical understanding (out of 10 marks):
 You identify and discuss ethical issues in your practical examples.
 You apply ethical framework/s to your organisation’s behaviour.
Technical elements (punctuation, grammar, referencing, structure) (out of 10 marks):
 Your assignment follows the essay format requirements.
 Your assignment avoids technical and referencing errors.
 Your assignment demonstrates academic integrity (including adhering to the word
limit).
General order of content for an analytical academic essay - see
your tutorial guide for some more insights
Intro - 200 words
Theory 1 – 300 words
Theory 2 – 300 words
Theory 3 – 300 words
Theory 4 – 300 words
Conc - 100 words
Source: Queensland University of Technology’s Cite/Write
website http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/essayorg.jsp
How to write an essay
• Remember, this is an essay, so you don’t include headings, but this
will give you an idea of how it should be structured….
• Introduction:
▫ Appropriate definitions
▫ Provide background info about your topic
▫ Outlines the ideas and concepts to be discussed in your essay
▫ Define the scope or limits of what will be discussed in your essay
▫ Indicate you argument (point of view on the topic)
 For AMB 263, you will need to outline the contents of your
essay in approximately 200 words
How to write an essay
• Body paragraphs
▫
▫
▫
Paragraph 1:
 Topic sentence
 Additional information sentences
 Supporting evidence
 A concluding sentence
Paragraph 2:
 Topic sentence
 Additional information sentences
 Supporting evidence
 A concluding sentence
And so on…
▫ For AMB263, you should write as many paragraphs as necessary –
within the word limit! – to present your information. For more detail,
see your assignment guide. This section is the major part of this
assignment and should be about 1200 words (guideline only).
How to write an essay
• Conclusion:
▫ Restate the purpose for comparison and/or contrast
▫ Summarise the main similarities and differences
▫ Draw a conclusion
 For AMB 263, you will need to provide a conclusion that
summarises your discussions – remember, no new
information here. About 100 words here should be enough.
How to write an essay
• Reference list:
▫ This must contain all of the material cited in the essay
 For AMB 263, you need to follow APA. Keep in mind that you
will have a heading called “Reference List”
• Appendixes
▫ This contains extra support information that is put at the end of
the essay so as not to distract the reader from the main issues.
They contain detailed information, such as questionnaires, tables,
graphs, and diagrams. Appendixes should be clearly set out and
numbered in the order they are mentioned in the text.
 For AMB 263, you may not have an appendix, but you are
welcome to include one.
Format
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
(without the headings of course!)
Introduction
▫
Road map – what the essay will say
Type#1
a. Overview the type of public relations in the G & H model and
explain significance for contemporary PR
b. Identify relevant real world examples. Discuss use of media and
engagement
c. Outline and link recent example
d. Ethical considerations relevant to example, using ethical
frameworks outlined in Week 6
Type #2 (repeat a-d)
Type#3 (repeat a-d)
Type#3 (repeat a-d)
Conclusion
Reference list
Appendices (optional)
A step-by-step guide
1. Start researching each type. Begin with the text
book.
▫ Describe each one and note where these types are
most commonly used.
A step-by-step guide
2. By the time you have completed this you will have a good
understanding of the four types. Now you need to start
looking for situations in which you can demonstrate what
they look like in practice. You can look for potentially
relevant media stories in the Factiva database, available
through QUT’s library website. Once you’ve found a
couple of likely scenarios for each theory, see what else
you can find out about the situations. Try looking on
organisational websites and similar sources for this type
of detail. Make notes about what you find. You should
now be in a position to decide on examples to illustrate
each different type.
A step-by-step guide
3. Following the guidelines provided in the CRA sheet for this assignment, start writing
your essay. I would suggest using the following template to make sure you are on
track:
▫ Introduction – about 200 words.
▫ Body
 Type 1 – describe, discuss, apply (about 300 words)
 Type 2 – describe, discuss, apply (about 300 words)
 Type 3 – describe, discuss, apply (about 300 words)
 Type 4 – describe, discuss, apply (about 300 words)
▫ Conclusion – about 100 words.
 More detail about the content of each section can be found on the template in
this tutorial guide. You should also refer to the CRA sheet, and talk to your
tutor well in advance of submission if you are unsure of what is required.
4. Aim to finish the first draft of your essay no later than the Wednesday before it is
due – this gives you ample time to proof read it, and check for any grammatical or
referencing mistakes.
A step-by-step guide
5. Make sure you save your draft – and subsequent
versions of your essay – in multiple locations.
▫ We won’t accept technical problems or the loss of a
single file as an excuse for late submission.
6. Make sure you attend the Week 9 tutorial and take
advantage of your tutor’s availability to answer short
last minute questions.
A step-by-step guide
7. Plan time to refine, edit, and proof read your essay.
Make sure your references are correct. Allow plenty of
time for this. Maybe see if you can get someone else to
help you, as you will probably not be able to get an
objective perspective on your essay at this stage.
8. Don’t leave it to the last minute to submit it
▫
Remember, it is due via online submission
Final assessment : CRA
Knowledge and skills (KS)
Grade
Range of marks
allocated to each
criterion
7
35 – 40
6
30 – 34.5
Discussion of
theories
You use and provide an in-depth
review of each model, overviewing
their key elements. You provide a
wide range of detailed, accurate
insights into the implications of these
models for public relations in
contemporary practice with a diverse
range of sources to support these.
You use and provide an accurate
description of each model. You
overview most key elements of each
theory. You provide some detailed
and accurate insights into the
implications of these models for
public relations in contemporary
practice with a diverse range of
sources to support these.
Grade
Marks
Application of
theories
(building on
the previous
section)
7
35 – 40
You source four ‘real world’, relevant
examples which reflect the models
overviewed. You provide a
comprehensive and sophisticated
analysis of the links between all
elements of the models and your
practical examples, and provide
strong justification for your decisions.
5
26 – 29.5
You use and provide an
accurate description of each
model. You overview some key
elements of each theory. You
include mostly-correct insights
into how these models relate to
public relations contemporary
practice. You include some
additional sources to support
these.
Critical thinking and application (CTA)
6
5
30 – 34.5
26 – 29.5
You source ‘real world’, relevant
You source ‘real world’, relevant
examples which reflect the three
examples which reflect the three
models overviewed. You discuss the models overviewed. You
links between most of the key
describe the links between some
elements of each model and your
of the key elements of each
practical examples with clear
model and your practical
justification for your decisions.
examples with some justification
for your decisions.
4
20 – 25.5
3-1
0 – 19.5
You use the models and
provide a mostly-accurate
description of each concept
with key elements
acknowledged. You attempt
to identify links between the
public relations theories and
practice. You include few
additional sources to support
these beyond the readings.
You do not make an
appropriate selection of
models;
AND/OR
You do not provide an
accurate description of each
model or their key elements;
AND/OR
You do not include
references to sources
beyond readings.
4
20 – 25.5
Your ‘real world’ examples
are not all relevant to the
three models overviewed.
You state which model is
being demonstrated in each
situation, but with limited
justification for your
decisions or inaccurate
assumptions.
3-1
0 – 19.5
You do not clearly identify
three different examples of
your models in practice;
AND/OR
You do not offer justification
for your choices.
Final assessment : CRA
Grade
Marks
Understanding of
ethical issues
7
8.5 – 10
You provide a comprehensive
discussion of ethical issues in all of
your practical examples and provide
a sophisticated application of one or
more of the ethical framework/s
covered in this unit to the
organisation’s behaviour in each
situation.
Grade
7
8.5 – 10
Assignment follows the essay format
requirements for this unit with no
more than two errors (including
referencing errors) on any one page.
Social and ethical understanding (SEU)
6
5
7.5 – 8
6.5 – 7
You clearly identify ethical issues in
You identify ethical issues in all of your
all of your practical examples and
practical examples and show to a
closely apply one or more of the
limited extent how one or more of the
ethical framework/s covered in this
ethical framework/s covered in this unit
unit to the organisation’s behaviour in could be applied to the organisation’s
each situation.
behaviour in each situation.
4
5–6
You identify ethical issues in all of
your practical examples and link
one or more relevant ethical
framework from those covered in
this unit to the organisation’s
behaviour in each situation.
2-1
0-4.5
You do not identify ethical
issues in some of your
practical examples.
4
5–6
Assignment follows some of the
essay format requirements for
this unit and contains more than
four technical errors (including
referencing errors) on any one
page.
2-1
0-4.5

Assignment does
not follow essay
format
requirements for
this unit
(including word
limit).
AND/OR

APA referencing
is not used, or is
used incorrectly.
AND/OR

Assignment does
not demonstrate
academic
integrity.
Professional communication in an intercultural context (PC)
Marks
Technical elements
(punctuation,
grammar,
referencing,
structure)
6
7.5 – 8
Assignment follows the essay format
requirements for this unit and
contains no more than three
technical errors (including
referencing errors) on any one page.
5
6.5 – 7
Assignment follows most of the essay
format requirements for this unit and
contains no more than four technical
errors (including referencing errors) on
any one page.
Next week
• We will be looking at the CRA for the essay in more
detail!!