JOMC 431 Home Page

Contemporary organizations—business, government and nonprofit—are constantly challenged to manage increasingly complex networks of stakeholder relationships. Given these demands, effective public relations management requires critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills. This course is designed to develop a more advanced understanding of the latest techniques in public relations management.*

We will use case studies to examine important topics including: research, planning, measurement and evaluation within the context of a number of practice areas, such as employee relations, community relations, media relations, crisis communication management, issues anticipation and public issues management. All course work is designed to help you develop one of the most valued professional skills—critical thinking.

The analysis of the public relations case study is the major learning tool applied in this course. Each week you will be asked to read and discuss some conceptual material and case examples relating to an assigned topic or theme. You also will be required to lead and to engage in discussions about selected cases.

*If you are a student in the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication, you must have completed JOMC 130 (also numbered 130 under the old numbering system) before taking JOMC 431 (formerly called 131 under the old system). There is no prerequisite if you are not an undergraduate major in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Course Objectives

Course Organization

This class is organized into weekly topics. In the first stage of the semester, we review some of the contemporary perspectives, important theories and major themes of public relations. I also provide you with some very important guidelines for case study analysis that will be required for your effective participation in this class and, more specifically, for the preparation of your case analysis papers and major case paper. We then select, de-construct and critique many case studies. We will use these case studies as a "lens" through which to develop a better understanding of the elements of the public relations process—research, objectives, strategy, implementation and evaluation—and the theories of public relations. Furthermore, we will explore some of the primary publics of public relations and consider the special challenges of effective issues anticipation and management, as well as crisis communication management.

Required Textbooks and Software

The textbooks can be purchased through the Higher Grounds bookstore at the Friday Center in person, online, or by printing out a book order form. Refer to the online ordering site for current book prices.

Software
Students are required to have access to PowerPoint for creating a presentation.

Online resources
Encyclopedia of Public Relations, edited by Robert Heath, Thousand Oaks: Sage Reference, 2005, 2 vols. This is an important resource for this course, and it is available free online through UNC Libraries (via Gale Virtual Reference Library). Links to the assigned readings appear on your weekly lesson pages.

You will also be required to read several other articles that are available at no cost on the Web.

Internet Resources

You may find these Web sites useful in conducting research for this course and for keeping up with current topics in public relations. I encourage you to let me know if you find any additional Web sites that you would like to see included in this list. Alternatively, if you find any of these resources confusing or inadequate, I welcome your feedback.

Course Requirements

Ten Discussion Forum Assignments (4 percent each; 40 percent total)

Most weeks you will be given an assignment in which you respond to the questions posed using the asynchronous discussion forum environment. To answer these questions you must do the following:

You are required to participate by regularly contributing your thoughts and independent findings to each discussion forum. The frequency and consistency of your participation as well as the application of key concepts and demonstration of independent research (that is, the quantity AND quality of your participation) will be graded.

To effectively participate in the discussions you will be required to do the following:

For information on how to access the discussion forum, see Course Mechanics.

Two Case Analysis Papers (20 percent total)

Using cases drawn from the text, each student must write and submit two case analysis papers. These papers should be no more than four typed, double-spaced pages excluding the title page and reference list. The guidelines for preparing the case analysis papers are provided in the Week 3 Lecture. Please note the due dates in the course schedule.

You must choose a case from one of your two textbooks (Lamb and McKee or Guth and Marsh) for each case paper. To compare and contrast the selected case, you must also find two (2) cases from sources other than your textbook. I require that you use current cases drawn from sources such as Bulldogreporter.com or PRWeek online for comparison. Do not choose cases for comparison/contrast that pre-date January 2006. Also note the importance of adding references to principles, concepts, key terms and theories to support and substantiate your analysis. You should not submit a paper that contains no references to such concepts, theories and terms. As a general rule, you should have at least four to five sources in your reference list in addition to the textbooks. In other words, you should aim for a reference list with at least seven sources. I would expect to see citations to your sources appearing at least once in every paragraph of your paper.

Essential elements of the case analysis papers are (1) a quality analysis including references to at least four to five nontextbook sources, (2) comparison and contrast with other at least two other cases (not from your textbooks), (3) critical analysis and not merely a descriptive summary that simply summarizes the text book, and (3) presentation—effective writing and organization.

Major Project: Corporate Communications Case Study

The requirements for this project are to research and write a submission for the Arthur W. Page Corporate Communications Case Study Competition. This annual competition provides an excellent framework and accepts entries every January. You must complete and submit this case study to me by the end of the semester for grading. While I enthusiastically encourage everyone to consider entering the competition, I do not require you to do so. The Arthur W. Page Web site contains detailed guidelines and information about the competition.

Rationale
Before embarking on this project, you must submit a detailed outline (three to four pages) of your project, including the organization, a synopsis of the issue demonstrating preliminary research, an explanation of the significance of this project given the requirements of this course, and a description of the research strategies and tools to be applied.

Final Exam

The final exam will include short-answer and essay questions. The exams will be open-book and open-note, but you may not receive help from another person. You should spend no longer than three hours working through the questions. Remember that the UNC Honor Code is in effect.

A link to your exams will be available in the Announcements section of Blackboard at the times designated in the course schedule below. You will e-mail your answers to me.

Course Policies and Grading

Assignment deadlines

All assignment deadlines are provided well in advance. Extensions can be negotiated only if they are requested at least two days in advance and are substantiated with appropriate medical or other documentation.

Rewrites

You may rewrite any assignment that receives a grade of D or below (69 or less). The rewrite is due no later than one week after you received the assignment back. The rewrite grade and the original grade will be averaged to determine your final grade for that assignment.

You must make sure to attach the original work with your rewrite. If no original is attached, the rewrite will not be graded. I must be able to see what improvements you have made.

Rewrites will also be subject to greater scrutiny—mistakes I missed the first time around I may catch on the second shot. Proofread your rewrites carefully. You will never be penalized for a rewrite; should it receive a lower grade than the original, it will not be counted.

Special circumstances

If you have a condition or circumstance requiring special assistance or consideration from me, please let me know immediately so I may be of help.

My grading scale

Please note: UNC-Chapel Hill Journalism and Mass Communication students who earn less than a C-minus in the course will have to retake it. This requirement does not apply to off-campus or non-JOMC students.

"A" students do not miss class discussions during the semester. They read and critically engage all the assigned textbook chapters and any optional readings on reserve before the material is covered in class. Assignments and exams are not only complete but cover more than just the minimum requirements. The assignments are well organized, integrate strategic planning and targeting and are written precisely and concisely using the required style and format. All materials are submitted on time or early.

"B" students miss one or two class discussions during the semester, but these are excused absences. They usually read the assigned textbook chapters and some of the optional readings on reserve in the library before the material is covered in class. Written assignments and exams usually integrate strategic planning and targeting, are mostly well organized and are written precisely and concisely using the required style and format. All materials are turned in on time.

"C" students miss one or two class discussions during the semester, usually excused. They read the assigned textbook chapters and some of the optional readings on reserve in the library just before the material is covered on the exam. Written assignments and exams usually exhibit proper style and formatting, but they do not always integrate strategic planning and targeting and are not always well organized or written precisely and concisely. All materials are turned in on time.

"D" students miss three or more class discussions during the semester and skim assigned readings. Written assignments and exams may exhibit proper style and formatting, but they often lack integrated strategic planning and targeting and are often not well organized or written precisely and concisely. Materials are not always turned in on time.

"F" students fail to participate in class discussions on a regular basis. They miss exams and written assignments.

Honor Code

Full compliance with the UNC-Chapel Hill Honor Code is required on all assignments, discussion forum postings, papers and exams.

Plagiarism is a serious violation of the Honor Code. Contact me if you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism.

How to Begin

After you have read the information on this home page, click on Week 1 in the course schedule below. Then follow this guide:

Pep Talk

My objective for this course is to make it a positive learning experience, admittedly through your hard work. I am a resource available for your help, not an obstacle in your path. This class will at times be consuming and difficult. Your first few assignments may receive low grades, which can be discouraging. Realize that if you put forth the effort, your work should improve throughout the semester, and this improvement will be reflected in your grades. Never hesitate to contact me at any time if you have questions or concerns about the course. I want to provide help and support, but I can only do so if you communicate your questions, problems or concerns to me.

Course Mechanics

Blackboard

Some of your class components (announcements, discussion forums, exams and gradebook) are accessed through a software package called Blackboard, and you will need to login to Blackboard using a unique identifier known as your UNC Onyen ("Only Name You'll Ever Need") and Onyen password.

There is a link to the Blackboard site in the gray navigation bar at the top of every page in this course. Click on that link, and then use your Onyen to log in to Blackboard. Click on the "JOMC 431" link, and you will see navigation buttons on the left side of the screen labeled Announcements, Discussion Forum, and so on.

If you experience problems accessing Blackboard, this is what you should do:

Library Services and E-reserves

Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online can access online library resources from the UNC Library System by linking to Library Services for Distance Education Students. This site includes information on using general online reference works as well as accessing e-reserves.

If you are using an off-campus computer, you will need to enter your UNC Onyen to access the library's online articles and e-reserve readings. The UNC library staff is available to assist any students who have difficulties accessing online library resources. If you encounter difficulties, please visit this Web page for reporting a problem.

Using E-mail

You will receive e-mail messages regarding the course at your UNC e-mail address. Off-campus users can access their UNC e-mail account using Webmail. You can have your UNC e-mail forwarded to a different e-mail address by clicking "Forward e-mail" at the Onyen Web site.

If you use a filter on your e-mail account, you are responsible for ensuring that it does not prevent you from receiving messages from me, the course listserv, or Friday Center staff. Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within Blackboard because Blackboard uses "blind carbon copy" to protect privacy. We recommend that you use your UNC Onyen e-mail account rather than Hotmail for this course.

Submitting Assignments

It is extremely important for you to save copies of any work you send to me via e-mail. If I don't receive your work, you must have a duplicate copy, indicating the date sent, to prove that you submitted the assignment on time. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent e-mails, as there is no way to guarantee that any e-mail message will be delivered.

Please check your e-mail software to see how it manages sent and saved messages. Some software automatically deletes messages one month after they have been sent; others only save messages if they are filed in folders; others save messages received but not those sent. You may need to send yourself a copy of your e-mailed assignment at the same time you send it to me, or you may need to print a copy of the e-mail message and any attachments to keep in your paper files. No matter how your system works, make sure you know how to save a copy of all work that you submit to me and that you save the copy for several months beyond the end of the course.

JOMC 431: Case Studies in Public Relations

Course Overview