COM 266 - Fundamentals of Public Relations
Description
Fundamentals of Public Relations (PR) offers an examination of the role of public relations in society, business, and government. The course provides a historical perspective on the development of the PR practice, examines career options in the field, and explores the planning and implementation of public relations campaigns through readings, lectures, group discussions, case studies, hands-on exercises, and presentations. This course was formerly offered as JR 266.
Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours: 3
Prerequisites/Other Requirements: None
English Prerequisite(s): None
Math Prerequisite(s): None
Course Corequisite(s): None
Academic Program Prerequisite: None
Consent to Enroll in Course: No Department Consent Required
Dual Enrollment Allowed?: Yes
Number of Times Course can be taken for credit: 1
Programs Where This Course is a Requirement:
None
General Education Requirement:
None
General Education Learner Outcomes (GELO):
NA
Course Learning Outcomes:
1. Identify the role public relations plays in society, business, and government.
2. Demonstrate the ability to write a news release that meets industry standards.
3. Examine and apply the steps involved in researching, planning, and executing public relations campaigns.
4. Assess the ethical challenges that impact public relations practitioners.
5. Make effective presentation, formatting, and stylistic choices when developing a communication.
6. Develop a plan to implement a solution to a problem or issue.
7. Complete work accurately, with attention to detail.
Course Outline:
I. What is Public Relation?
A. Why a Public Relations Career?
B. The Public Relations Process
C. The Role of Values in Public Relations
II. Jobs in Public Relations
A. Where the Jobs Are
B. Public Relations and Activities
C. Working Conditions and Salaries
III. A Brief History of Public Relations
A. Premodern Public Relation
B. Impact of the War Years on the Field
C. Current Trends in Public Relations
IV. The Publics in Public Relations
A. What is a Public?
B. The Publics in Public Relations
C. What we need to know about the publics
D. The Traditional Publics in Public Relations
V. Communication Theory and Public Opinion
A. Mass Communication Theories
B. Motivation Research
C. Persuasion and Public Opinion
VI. Ethics and Social Responsibility in Public Relations
A. What are Ethics?
B. Objectivity vs. Advocacy
C. Challenges to Ethical Behavior
D. The Rewards of Ethical Behavior
VII. Research and Evaluation
A. The Value of Research and Evaluation
B. Developing a Research Strategy
C. Survey Research
D. Analyzing the Survey Results
VIII. Planning: The Strategies of Public Relation
A. Different Kinds of Public Relations Plans
B. Why Do We Plan?
C. How Do We Plan?
IX. Communication: The Tactics of Public Relations
A. Tactics as Messages and Channels
B. Tactics and Traditional Publics
C. Accomplishing the Tactics
X. Writing and Presentation Skills
A. The Importance of Writing and Presentation Skills
B. The Writing Process
C. Writing for the Ear
D. The Process of Successful Presentations
XI. Public Relations in the Digital Age
A. The Impact of the Digital Revolution
B. Computers and the Internet
C. Wireless Communication Technology
D. Why News Isn’t Always Better
XII. Crisis Communication
A. The Anatomy of a Crisis
B. Crisis Communication Planning
C. Crisis Planning Ethics
XIII. Public Relations and Marketing
A. The Impact of Consumer-Focused Marketing on Public Relation
B. Integrated Marketing Communication
C. Problems with 21st Century Marketing
XIV. Cross-Cultural Communication
A. Cultural Attributes
B. Cross-Cultural Communication: Definitions and Dangers
C. Achieving Successful Cross-Cultural Public Relation: A Process
XV. Public Relations and the Law
A. Public Relations and the First Amendment
B. Federal Agencies that Regulate Speech
C. Libel
D. Privacy
E. Copyright
F. Litigation and Public Relations
XVI. Your Future in Public Relations
A. Social Forces and Public Relations
B. Where Public Relations Is Headed
Approved for Online and Hybrid Delivery?:
No
Instructional Strategies:
Lecture: 25-30%
Mediated Instruction: 10-20%
Case Studies: 5-10%
Facilitated Discussions and Exercises: 25-30%
Group Presentation: 10-15%
Mandatory Course Components:
None
Equivalent Courses:
None
Name of Industry Recognize Credentials: None
Course-Specific Placement Test: None
Course Aligned with ARW/IRW Pairing: IRW 99
Mandatory Department Assessment Measures:
None
Course Type:
Elective- Offering designed to expand learning opportunities for degree seeking students. May or may not be required for students in a specific GRCC program.
Course Format:
Lecture - 1:1
Total Lecture Hours Per Week: 3
People Soft Course ID Number: 103839
Course CIP Code: 09.01
Maximum Course Enrollment: 25
General Room Request: Standard lecture classroom
School: School of Liberal Arts
Department: Language & Thought
Discipline: COM
Faculty Credential Requirements:
18 graduate credit hours in discipline being taught (HLC Requirement), Master’s Degree (GRCC general requirement), Other (list below)
Faculty Credential Requirement Details:
Preferred MA degree in Communication Studies, Journalism, or Public Relations. In addition to academic background and degree, equivalent experience (e.g., work experience, relevant certifications) may be considered as well.
Major Course Revisions: N/A
Last Revision Date Effective: 20230223T14:27:26
Course Review & Revision Year: 2027-2028
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