Introduction to Public Relations
Fall 2015 Semester
Mrs. Lauren Kaszonyi
E-mail: lkaszonyi@wjhsd.net
Phone: 412-655-8610 x 6255
Website: http://kaszonyi.wikispaces.com
I.
COURSE OVERVIEW
This course is based on the Introduction to Public Relations course offered at The Pennsylvania State University. A vast
majority of information is taken from the textbook entitled Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics, 7th edition and from
the teacher’s real-world work experience. It is designed as an introductory course that provides a foundation for
understanding the role and function of public relations and public opinion in American society, business and industry, and
in the international community. Students will be exposed to various modes of written and verbal communication and will
work on fine-tuning their presentational skills. We will begin the course by defining public relations and work toward
applying the knowledge gained in an agency setting. Once the agency has been established, we will take on three clients –
TJ’s Theater Group, the Prom Committee, and Student Council. Students will learn how to plan and execute an event,
handle publicity and media relations, and write for professional publications. This class will serve as a real-world
exposure to the world of PR, similar to an internship experience. This is a fun, interactive, hands-on class! You will learn
through application, and all of your work directly benefits our school organizations. Your experience will be unlike any
traditional course you’ve taken at TJ thus far.
II.
CLASSROOM RULES AND EXPECTATIONS
1. Demonstrate respect for your teacher, your classmates, and yourself at all times. You will often work with adults
(teachers, administration, reporters, local business owners, etc.). Conduct yourself accordingly.
2. Arrive on time to class. During PR campaigns, every minute of class time matters. Please be prompt.
3. Put forth your best effort. This class requires you to practice time management, work effectively in small
groups, and maintain a sense of professionalism and commitment to projects.
4. Take initiative. During campaigns, you will be responsible for taking initiative within your given team. Do not
let your team members down.
III.
ASSESSMENTS
 Formative quizzes (after each unit of notes)
 Written assignments (*see types of writing on reverse side)
 PR publicity campaigns (our class will determine the publicity tactics for each campaign including
but not limited to: flyers, posters, videos, social media outreach, assemblies, etc.)
 Participation (gained from weekly time sheets) – you must be willing to work in small teams and
serve as the leader, when necessary
 Final project (event planning)
IV.
GRADING POLICY
Grades are determined using a total points system. You will earn points throughout the grading period which will then
be converted to a percentage grade at the end of each nine weeks. The grading scale is as follows:
A: 90-100%
B: 80-89%
C: 70-79%
D: 60-69%
Publicity Projects will likely include:
Color Run (Client: Mr. Greg Erdely)
Pie the Teacher/Breast Cancer Awareness (Client: TJHS Marching Band)
Fall Play (Client: Mrs. Julie Tipton, TJHS Drama Club)
“Mini-THON” (Client: Student Council)
Possible Projects: Lip Dub and Dancing with the Athletes
Types of Writing Include: fact sheet, press release, pitch e-mail/professional e-mails, feature story, social media posts,
program planning, final reflection and analysis of work, public service announcement (optional)
V.
CURRICULUM MAP
August/Sept.
Oct./Nov.
Dec./Jan.
Unit 4: Basic PR Tactics:
 Public Opinion and
Persuasion
 The Audience and How
to Reach It: Tactics Written, Visual, Spoken
 Media Relations
Possible promotion of “Dancing
with the Athletes”
Course orientation
Unit 1: Defining Public Relations:
 What is PR?
 What is publicity?
 Who are the practitioners?
 What is their role?
PR Case Study Discussion /
Mock Press Conference
Quiz #1 (Defining PR)
Introduce Fact Sheet
Unit 2: Foundations of PR:
 Historical origins of PR
 Influential PR Firms
Quiz #4 (Public Opinion and
Persuasion)
Introduce how to write a feature
story
Unit 5:Event Planning
 Full-scale individual
event planning project
Quiz #2 (Foundations of PR)
Introduce Press Release and Pitch
E-mail / Professional E-mails
Quiz #5 (The Audience and
How to Reach It)
Unit #3: Program Planning:
 Understanding how to
develop a PR plan
Full Scale Publicity Project:
Promotion of the TJ Fall Play
(client of our PR firm)
Introduce PSA (public service
announcement) format
Special Projects:
 Presentation Skills and
Tools
 Event Planning Project
Final Project: Written reflection and
analysis on PR campaigns of the
semester. Presentation of event
project (100 points total)
Quiz #3 (Program Planning)
Introduce Event Coordination
Promotion of Student Council’s
Mini-THON and Marching Band’s
Pie the Teacher
Required Writing and Projects:
Fact Sheet, Press Release, Program
Plan, Pitch E-mail
Required Writing: Feature
Story, Professional Writing
Required Writing: Public Service
Announcement,
Presentation/Speech Outline, Final
Project
Examples of former campaign projects: Mini-THON informational assembly concluding with “flashmob,” organization
of pep assembly, TJTV commercials, “Lunch with the Characters” event at the elementary schools, social media outreach
(Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc.), large posters, professional flyers, road signs, media coverage in the South Hills
Record, fashion show, brochures, teacher “mug shots” for the Dodgeball tournament, and school-wide game of “Clue” to
promote fall play (“Murder in the Knife Room”). Creativity and initiative is highly valued in this class!
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