2008 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America

From Britney Spears to Burger King: Incorporating the
Public Relations RACE Process into Current Event Discussions
Teresa Mastin
DePaul University
tmastin@depaul.edu
Kelly B. Everling
Michigan State University
everling@msu.edu
Abstract
In response to the vast number of varied outlets students use to stay connected to world
news and popular culture, we offer an assignment designed to incorporate analysis of current
events—regardless of genre—into daily classroom discussions. Recognizing that students need
to become consumers of news to be successful in public relations, we illustrate how public
relations topical discussions can be generated from all news items. For example, one day’s topics
may include the launch of a Burger King promotion, the antics of Britney Spears, and the
introduction of an innovative technological device. By introducing and illustrating the use of the
public relations research, action, communication, and evaluation (RACE) process through its
application to a range of daily news events, students develop a thirst for current information
while learning to think critically about key components of the strategic management planning
process.
Introduction
In response to the vast number of varied outlets students use to stay connected to world
news and popular culture, we have created an assignment designed to incorporate analysis of
current events—regardless of genre—into daily classroom discussions. While recognizing that
students need to become (or remain) consumers of news to be successful in public relations, we
also seek to illustrate that discussions of public relations topics can be generated from all news
items. For example, one day’s topics may include the launch of a new Burger King promotional
campaign, the antics of Britney Spears, and the introduction of an innovative technological
device. By introducing and illustrating the use of the public relations research, action,
communication (RACE) process through its application to daily news of all types, students
develop a thirst for current information while learning to think critically about key components
of the strategic management planning process.
Literature Review
Professional and academic publications often stress the importance of using varied
techniques in the classroom in order to effectively prepare future business professionals. Recent
public relations publications have featured articles outlining innovative classroom techniques and
assignments, designed to improve students’ quality of writing, customer service and critical
thinking skills (Johnson & Sallot, 2006; Misra & Ballard, 2003; Berger 2002).
In particular, Berger (2002) created a real-time merger project with students in his
integrated communications course that enabled students to conduct on-site research, data
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