Have a nice weekend ...

If you're behind on your posts, now is the time to catch up. If you have at least three messages, then you're in good shape and don't need to make any new posts this week.

Review for test #1

You’ll have a T/F portion and multiple guess, each worth two or three points. Also, five or six short-answer questions will be included. To best prepare, use the quizzes included on the web site from our textbook (see link in prior posting).

Broad areas to study include definitions of public relations, marketing, advertising, propaganda and spin.

Chapter 4: Public in public relations—learn about many types of publics and what needs to be known about them. What’s different about the employee as a public? Consider the chart we discussed in class, from page 96. Should news media be considered a special public and why?

Chapter 3: History—know about careers of Bernays and Lee; read torches of freedom (p. 62); think about development of PR profession over time—what did it look like?; what general historical developments affected the profession?

Chapter 2: Jobs in PR—think about the scope of PR and the jobs in the profession; how do professionals spend their time?; where do PR professionals work?; what’s the difference between a technician and a manager?; how should a PR manager be integrated into an organization?

Chapter 1: What is PR?—think about spin and PR and be able to explain the difference; if you could draw a picture of a dynamic PR process, what would it look like?; refer to Dilenschneider’s spin article from the Wall Street Journal for his suggestions on improving the profession.

Other questions will concern: The Red Cross Case Study from chapter 3; and the need for routine in crisis, from our 9/11 discussion of American Airlines and others.

Week 4 blogging

We'll be having a test next Wednesday, Sept. 27, over chapters 1-4. A review will be posted here later this week, but in the meantime, if you're not caught up on your reading, now is a good time to do that. Also, use the interactive quizzes available through the textbook publisher at this link:

http://www.ablongman.com/guthmarsh3e

Week 3 blogging

As we discussed in class today, you'll need a blog entry about chapter 3 for this week--whatever you find most interesting in the history of this fairly new and uniquely American profession. Be sure to spend some time with the case study in that chapter about the Red Cross and blood drives following September 11, 2001.

Week 2: Jobs in PR

For this week, please find two job ads for PR jobs and bring them to class with you for next Wednesday, Sept. 13. For your blog entry, interview three acquaintences with these questions:

What is public relations?

Name someone in a high-profile PR job.

Now, explain your definition for PR, derived from the textbook and class discussion. Ask their impression of this definition.

Summarize their answers to your questions and reflect on their initial definitions in your entry.

Blogging for week 1

You'll need to create a blog and post to your own blog this week, based on instructions that I posted Monday, two messages before (or below) this posting. Those instructions include your investigation of a good definition of PR, based on links, class discussion, and your textbook.

I'll ask for your blog's URL next week in class, so not to worry about that. Have a good Labor Day weekend, and I'll see you Wednesday.