POLM 5004
Strategic Communications II
Course Outline - Winter 2013
Lectures: Thursdays 8:30 AM – 11:25 AM
Location: River Building 2420R
Instructors:
Richard Anderson – email: rick@asci.ca
Michael Robinson – email: michael@earnscliffe.ca
Robin Sears – email: robin@earnscliffe.ca
Office Hours: by appointment
Course Description
The two courses POLM 5003 and 5004 (“Strategic Communications I and II”) together explore
the range of issues involved in formulating and implementing successful political strategic
communications. Topics include how to: develop messages and a communications approach
around a policy or legislative measure or campaign; use consultation and public opinion
research in developing and testing the success of that approach; use both traditional and new
digital and social media in strategic political communications; deal with interest groups and other
stakeholders; address the crises and other unanticipated events that often emerge in such
processes.
This course - POLM 5004 (“Strategic Communications II’) – is the second course in the pair.
Statement of Objectives
By the end of the course, students will learn how to: manage issues strategically; employ best
practices in political communications to build credibility, trust and constructive relationships with
stakeholders; communicate sensitive ‘risk’ issues; anticipate and communicate in a crisis;
communicate effectively in high anxiety/low trust issues and environments with stakeholders,
media and the general public.
Throughout, the focus is on communicating in a political environment and context.
Assignments and marks
The approach to evaluating the courses is to test for analytical understanding and for the ability
to think strategically.
We will be undertaking two major case studies, working in teams, and culminating in oral
presentations with PowerPoint and video support.
The primary objective underlying the two assignments is to develop and demonstrate analytic
and strategic capabilities - and the confidence to deploy these skills in the real world.
Each of the two case assignments will be worth 35% of the course’s final mark. Attendance and
participation will provide the other 30%.
Students will be evaluated based on the following:
Assignment
Project 1 – Northern Gateway Project
Project 2 – Federal Liberal Leadership
Class Participation (based upon attendance and
substantive contribution to class discussion)
Date Due
% Final Grade
Feb 14
Mar 28
35%
35%
Cumulative
30%
Time permitting, the last 15-30 minutes of most classes will be set aside for students to bring up
contemporary news items involving political topics that have a strategic communications
dimension, for an open class discussion of their communications qualities. The purpose in this is
not to debate the underlying political issue, but to analyze the strategic and tactical
communications strengths and weaknesses of those involved in the particular news item. The
introduction of topics, and participation in these discussions, will count towards the class
participation part of the course mark.
Lecture Schedule
WK
1
Date
Jan 10
Instructor(s)
Anderson
2
Jan 17
Anderson
3
Jan 24
Robinson/Sears
4
Jan 31
5
Feb 7
Robinson & guest Bill Fox
Sears & guest Susan
Delacourt
6
Feb 14
Anderson/Sears/Robinson
7
8
Feb 21
Feb 28
Anderson/Sears/Robinson
9
Mar 7
Anderson
Mar 8-9
10
Mar 14
Topic
Introduction
Pack Journalism vs.
Lone Wolves
(Assignment 1 Groupings)
Assignment 1:
Northern Gateway Pipeline
Spinning & Punditry
Political Marketing
Mar 21
Sears
12
Mar 28
Anderson/Sears/Robinson
13
Apr 4
Anderson/Sears/Robinson
Boys on the Bus
Guest
Spin Wars
Delacourt Book
Assignment 1 Presentations:
Gateway Project
Reading Week
Infotainment
Attend Manning Centre Conference (optional)
Assignment 2:
Anderson/Sears/Robinson
Liberal Party Leadership
11
Reading
Course Outline
Amusing Ourselves
to Death
Guest
Trust/Fukuyama
Bargain/Savoie
Parliament/Russell
Party Politics/Carty
Assignment 2 Presentations:
Liberal Leadership Project
Wrap up
None of the Above: The
Collapse of Trust and Voter
Disengagement
Reading
The Boys on the Bus, by Timothy Crouse
Random House, updated 2003
Note: Part One; chapters 1-7; pp 3-178)
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/The-Boys-on-the-Bus-Timothy-Crouse-Hunter-S-Thompson/9780812968200item.html
The Canadian Federal Election of 2011, by Jon H. Pammett, Christopher Dornan
Dundurn, 2011
(Note:Introduction, Turcotte chapter on polling, Conclusion)
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Canadian-Federal-Election-2011-Jon-H-Pammett-ChristopherDornan/9781459701809-item.html
Spinwars, by Bill Fox
Key Porter Books, updated 2010
(pp 13-58, 85-104, 113-140)
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Spinwars-Politics-And-New-Media-Bill-Fox/9781552630372-item.html
Trust: Human Nature and the Reconstitutuion of Social Order, by Francis Fukuyama
Free Press, 1996
(Note: Chapters 27-30; pp 327-354)
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Trust-Human-Nature-Reconstitution-Social-FrancisFukuyama/9780684825250-item.html
Breaking the Bargain: Public Servants, Ministers and Parliament, by Donald J. Savoie
University of Toronto Press, 2003
(Note: pp. 255-283)
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Breaking-Bargain-Public-Servants-Ministers-Donald-JSavoie/9780802085917-item.html
Parliamentary Democracy in Crisis, by Peter H. Russell and Lorne Sossin
University of Toronto Press, 2003
(Note: Chapters 10-11; pp. 136-160)
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Parliamentary-Democracy-Crisis-Dilemmas-Choices-Peter-HRussell-Lorne-Sossin/9781442610149-item.html
Rebuilding Canadian Party Politics, by R. Kenneth Carty, William Cross, Lisa Young
UBC Press, 2000
(Note: Chapter 6; pp 107-129)
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca./books/Rebuilding-Canadian-Party-Politics-Carty-CrossYoung/9780774807784-item.html
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
by Neil Postman
Penguin, updated 2005
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Amusing-Ourselves-Death-Public-Discourse-Neil-Postman-AndrewPostman/9780143036531-item.html
Optional Suggested Reading (reading list from other courses in POLM program)
Harper’s Team: Behind the Scenes in the Conservative Rise to Power, by Tom Flanagan
McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2009
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Harpers-Team-Behind-Scenes-Conservative-Tom-Flanagan/9780773535459item.html
The Way It Works: Inside Ottawa, by Eddie Goldenberg
McClelland & Stewart, 2007
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Way-It-Works-Inside-Ottawa-Eddie-Goldenberg/9780771035623-item.html
Right Side Up, by Paul Wells
McClelland & Stewart, 2007
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Right-Side-Up-Fall-Paul-Paul-Wells/9780771088551-item.html
Project 1: Northern Gateway Pipeline
You and other students will be assigned a team role as the Communications Director for one or
another of four key stakeholder groups involved the public debate over the proposed Northern
Gateway Pipeline project.
The four teams for the case study will assume the roles of communications director for these
four stakeholder interests:
-
the project proponent (Enbridge)
Environmental NGOs opposing the project
Government of British Columbia
Government of Canada
It is Winter 2013, and the proposal to build the Northern Gateway pipeline has been in the public
arena since 2006. On May 27 2010, Enbridge Northern Gateway filed a formal application with
the National Energy Board. The NEB’s Joint Review Panel has been conducting public hearings
for a year now, and will continue to do so until April of this year. The Environmental Assessment
is expected to be completed by this fall, and a final NEB decision by the end of 2013.
As Communications Director, it has been your responsibility to oversee your organization’s
Gateway-related communications since the filing of the NEB application in 2010.
Your communications responsibilities include strategic communications planning and key
message development, plus the full range of communications tools: planning and preparing
speeches; public events; media relations including news releases and interviews; public
meetings; internal and external talking points; website(s) and social media activities; advertising;
etc.
With the project’s regulatory process entering its final year, your organization has asked you to
provide the organization’s innermost team with a briefing on two main topics:
(1) The effectiveness of your organization’s communications efforts. What were the
communications strategies and tactics that have been effective for your organization so
far? Which would we do differently knowing what we know now? What has worked for
the other organizations active on the issue, and what has not? Bottom line, have our
communications strategies been effective so far, or not?
(2) And finally, in terms of communications strategy, what must we accomplish in this final
year of the NEB review process - and how must we accomplish that?
You have been asked to summarize this in a twenty-minute PowerPoint presentation, from you
(and your team) as Communications Director to your organization’s senior leadership. The
presentation should include specific examples of effective, and ineffective, communications
initiatives and materials by your organization and others.
You will have no more than twenty minutes to present your briefing. This will be followed by ten
minutes of Q&A. Time limits will be strictly enforced.
You will be evaluated on the factual, analytical and strategic content
Presentations are due to be given at class on Thursday, Feb 14.
Project 2: Federal Liberal Leadership Campaign
You and other students will be assigned a team role as the Communications Director for one or
another of the leading candidates for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.
The four or five teams for the case study will assume the roles of communications director for
these leadership candidates (one of these may be dropped before the assignment planning is
finalized):
-
Deborah Coyne
Martha Hall Findlay
Marc Garneau
Joyce Murray
Justin Trudeau
The date is March 28, and the leadership election culminates just over two weeks from now, on
April 14, 2013.
As Communications Director, it has been your responsibility to oversee your candidate’s and
your campaign’s communications from the launch of the leadership campaign until now.
Your communications responsibilities include strategic communications planning and key
message development, plus the full range of communications tools: planning and preparing
candidate speeches; campaign events; media relations including news releases, scrums and
interviews; leadership candidate debates and debate prep; internal and external campaign
talking points; campaign website(s); social media activities; advertising (limited budgets); signs,
buttons, brochures, etc.
With the campaign entering its final lap - the final push includes a convention-type “national
showcase” and a week of voting - your candidate has asked you to provide the innermost
campaign team with a briefing on two main topics:
(3) The effectiveness of your campaign’s communications efforts. What were the
communications strategies and tactics that have been effective for your campaign so
far? Which would we do differently knowing what we know now? What has worked tor
the other candidates, and what has not? Bottom line, have our communications
strategies been effective so far, or not?
(4) And finally, in terms of communications strategy, what must we accomplish in the final
two weeks - and how must we accomplish that?
You have been asked to summarize this in a twenty-minute PowerPoint presentation, from you
(and your team) as Communications Director to your candidate and senior campaign
leadership. The presentation should include specific examples of effective, and ineffective,
communications initiatives and materials by your campaign and others.
You will have no more than twenty minutes to present your briefing. This will be followed by ten
minutes of Q&A. Time limits will be strictly enforced.
You will be evaluated on the factual, analytical and strategic content of your presentation, as
well as on the presentation’s form, style and effectiveness.
Presentations are due to be given at class on Thursday, March 28.
Academic Accommodations
For Students with Disabilities: Students with documented disabilities requiring academic
accommodations in this course must register with the Paul Menton Centre for Students with
Disabilities (PMC) for a formal evaluation of disability-related needs. Documented disabilities
include physical, mental, and learning disabilities, mental disorders, hearing or vision
disabilities, epilepsy, drug and alcohol dependencies, environmental sensitivities, as well as
other conditions. Registered PMC students are required to contact the PMC, 613-520-6608,
early each term to ensure that your Instructor receives your Letter of Accommodation no later
than two weeks before the first assignment is due or the first in-class test/midterm requiring
accommodations.
For Religious Observance: Students requesting accommodation for religious observances
should apply in writing to their instructor for alternate dates and/or means of satisfying academic
requirements. Such requests should be made during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as
possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist, but no later than two weeks before
the compulsory academic event. Accommodation is to be worked out directly and on an
individual basis between the student and the instructor(s) involved. Instructors will make
accommodations in a way that avoids academic disadvantage to the student. Instructors and
students may contact an Equity Services Advisor for assistance (www.carleton.ca/equity).
For Pregnancy: Pregnant students requiring academic accommodations are encouraged to
contact an Equity Advisor in Equity Services to complete a letter of accommodation. Then,
make an appointment to discuss your needs with the instructor at least two weeks prior to the
first academic event in which it is anticipated the accommodation will be required.
Plagiarism: The Undergraduate Calendar defines plagiarism as: "to use and pass off as one's
own idea or product, work of another without expressly giving credit to another." The Graduate
Calendar states that plagiarism has occurred when a student either: (a) directly copies
another's work without acknowledgment; or (b) closely paraphrases the equivalent of a short
paragraph or more without acknowledgment; or (c) borrows, without acknowledgment, any
ideas in a clear and recognizable form in such a way as to present them as the student's own
thought, where such ideas, if they were the student's own would contribute to the merit of his or
her own work. Instructors who suspect plagiarism are required to submit the paper and
supporting documentation to the Departmental Chair who will refer the case to the Dean. It is
not permitted to hand in the same assignment to two or more courses.
Oral Examination: At the discretion of the instructor, students may be required to pass a brief
oral examination on research papers and essays.
Connect Email Accounts: The School of Journalism and Communication strongly encourages
students to sign up for a campus email account. Important course and University information will
be distributed via the Connect email system. See http://connect.carleton.ca for instructions on
how to set up your account.