2008 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America

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2. What online tools are frequently being used? What online tools are emerging? 3. Explain your role and the role of the public relations staff in developing and implementing the following: - blogs - e-newsletters - online media room - podcasts - Search Engine Optimization - Webcasts - wikis - Web site design and content development 4. What topics do you think should be included in an online PR course? 5. For college interns, ideally, in what type of online work would they be involved? 6. For public relations students, what type of Web-based skills would be ideal? Detailed notes were taken. A systematic analysis of the notes was then conducted to determine KEY themes and how the interview findings compared to literature. Findings The interview participants were extremely positive about development of a course about online public relations. In fact, many of the executives expressed interest in the course for themselves or staff members. Many of the interview participants noted that they were training staff about online tools. Companies are investing resources in hosting in-house educational programs and supporting staff to attend professional development programs focused on online tools and resources. Andrew Nibley, chairman and CEO of Marsteller, noted: Companies are struggling with how they can keep up with the new-media technologies. All facets of a company need to be involved rather than just counting on the interactive part of the company to house this knowledge. The interviews revealed the following key findings that were used to shape the new course. ‣ Stay rooted in core competencies. Public relations professionals should use core skills (such as writing, research and strategic-thinking skills) to guide online tools in a proven and intelligent way. It is important that public relations professionals understand how to strategically implement these tools in communications programs. ‣ Be familiar with the online toolbox. An understanding of online tools and resources will make college graduates more attractive to employers. Some of the key tools mentioned: Intranets, RSS feeds, search engine optimization, blogs, podcasts, online media rooms, Webcasts, e-newsletters and Web sites. For example, the internal marketing and communications manager at Intel Digital Enterprise Group, Donna Loveland, shared how the company routinely communicates with its 13,000 employees via an Intranet, Webcasts, e- newsletters and blogs to “give people the information they need so they’ll be happy and productive.” ‣ Develop technology skills. Public relations professionals don’t have to learn how to write HTML code, but they need to understand how to write for the Web and how to develop manage and post content for the Web. ‣ Understand how to write for the Web and re-purpose a client’s or company’s investment. All of the interview participants emphasized the need for public relations professionals to know how to effectively develop and manage Web content and address the diverse needs of online 28
audiences. Further, it is critical to be knowledgeable about how to integrate traditional communications tools with online tools. ‣ Recognize that online communications management is critical. Companies need to have a clear, common online voice – and it must be consistent with the offline voice. ‣ Capitalize on how online resources can efficiently and automatically gather intelligence. An understanding of the tracking and measurement tools is highly beneficial. Public relations professionals must be the eyes and ears of the organization’s presence online and use the information for business and communications decisions. Rick Murray, president of the Me2revolution, Edelman Public Relations, noted: Anybody, anywhere can say anything that can impact your brand. It’s a 24 and 360 brand experience. Realize that public relations is still all about relationships. The Web has provided a range of new communications tools to help build and enhance relationships with key publics. Julie Keyser-Squires, vice president, Softscribe, Inc. said: Our business (public relations) is about relationships and trust. The Web provides tools. These are just tools. We still need to build relationships. The interviews also helped to identify real-world public relations programs that successfully implemented online strategies and tactics in public relations programs. Permission was obtained to conduct follow-up interviews and produce video segments focused on the case studies. Overall, the data collected from the interviews was used to support secondary research findings and shape the content of the new course. Discussion and Ramifications Development of course content and learning objects Ideally, it was determined that the course should use best practices in online communications to convey course content and engage students in the technologies. Educational resources to teach the course were limited because only a few undergraduate programs featured a course focused on online public relations. The only information referenced from an existing course was a syllabus, which was developed by J. Horton for an online public relations course at Seton Hall University. This syllabus was compared to findings of the review of trade publications and interviews with public relations professionals. The instructor then outlined the course content and shared it with colleagues in the public relations sequence as well as some public relations professionals. To effectively convey both the technical and strategic components of the course, supplemental audio, video and Web-based instructional materials were needed. A summer project grant was obtained to develop learning objects such as supplemental audio, video and Web-based instructional resources. Class exercises, project assignments and e-templates were developed to help students learn about writing and designing Web sites, an online media room, e-newsletters, blogs and other online tools. The exercises and assignments were designed to facilitate collaboration in both the classroom and online. For the audio and video segments, the process involved researching, interviewing, audiovideo recording, writing scripts, audio and video editing and posting the segments to the course Web site. The multimedia components for the course focused on best practices in online public relations based on primary and secondary research findings. The interviews with professionals identified several public relations campaigns that successfully implement online public relations strategies. For example, one case study used in the class focused on attracting a young audience to the Cleveland CMJ Rock Hall Music Fest, 29
Page 1 and 2: 2008 PROCEEDINGS DETROIT, MICHIGAN
Page 3 and 4: Page Pedagogy Posters _____________
Page 5 and 6: RESEARCH PAPERS 5
Page 7 and 8: many researchers and professionals
Page 9 and 10: evenue, or activists provide suppor
Page 11 and 12: Results PR Effectiveness In respond
Page 13 and 14: Applied Context In answering RQ 5,
Page 15 and 16: Figure 8. Distribution of PR effect
Page 17 and 18: fifteen years, and it is now a grow
Page 19 and 20: Ni, L. (2006). Relationships as org
Page 21 and 22: Based on a review of public relatio
Page 23 and 24: Barriers to Online Course Delivery
Page 25 and 26: and “Learners are able to track a
Page 27: an excellent tool for collaboration
Page 31 and 32: course site. Develop projects so th
Page 33 and 34: Examples of student blogs can be fo
Page 35 and 36: Technorati. Retrieved on May 15, 20
Page 37 and 38: Characteristics of Organizational o
Page 39 and 40: Table 1. Summary Definitions of Cri
Page 41 and 42: Table 3. Organizational Image Resto
Page 43 and 44: Table 5. Hierarchical Rankings of E
Page 45 and 46: strategies public relations profess
Page 47 and 48: Stephens, K. K., Malone, P. C., & B
Page 49 and 50: Testing Crisis Response Strategies:
Page 51 and 52: example Coombs & Schmidt (2000) emp
Page 53 and 54: Table 1.0 Tactics And Examples As O
Page 55 and 56: Discussion The purpose of this rese
Page 57 and 58: Benoit, W.L. (1995b). Sears repair
Page 59 and 60: IMC and its Integration into Progra
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Page 65 and 66: academic units. Responses were code
Page 67 and 68: RQ3A: How do institutional factors
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Page 71 and 72: In this study, respondents’ perce
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Page 75 and 76: education. Journalism & Mass Commun
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Core Determinants UTAUT contains fo
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H5a: Computer self-efficacy will NO
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Table 2 Descriptive Statistics for
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Although hierarchical multiple regr
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Table 8 HMR Results for Facilitatin
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use blogs. In fact, nearly 86% of r
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Venkatesh, V. (1999). Creation of f
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What’s Guiding the Profession? An
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process. Arnett, Arneson, and Bell
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The interview process was guided by
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chef’s feelings or the server’s
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If you’re going to work with [com
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Professionals, however, offered sev
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Hemingway, C. A. (2005). Personal v
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Causing Our Own Problems? Women as
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What’s Critical About PR and New
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• PR strategy is still developed
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Discussion in Terms of Strategy, Et
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How the PRSA’s Certification in E
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1) How did the PRSA certification e
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Frances Lilly in a similar white pa
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Concerned that its sexual harassmen
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All respondents agreed that e-learn
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DL 3.0 were simple text and graphic
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technology that we lose sight of th
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Lowery, S. A., & DeFleur, M. L. (19
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and student groups in research clas
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Adoption of Participatory Adult Lea
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all had the same instructor, the sa
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Table 1: Thematic Analysis Results
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Improving Feedback, Interaction and
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will realize they all are expected
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How to Win Friends and Impact Stude
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6. After reviewing assignments to m
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The pre-assessment survey results s
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messages and she never even called
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Who Should Teach Investor Relations
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Relations Society of America (PRSA)
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From Britney Spears to Burger King:
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governmental entities. The professo
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Show Me! Portfolios as Instruments
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The Student. In a real sense, what
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Gill, K. (ed.). (1993). Process and
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Courses of Study The courses in the
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Table 1. Cluster Comparison of Grad
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Appendix Name________________ Semes
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Outcome Clusters (italicized are ne
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innovation; (2) Successful collabor
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Breaking Ground In A Public Communi
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O A Video Documentary O A mini-vide
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Reflection as an Assessment Tool in
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Creating a Multi-Layered Case Study
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Finally in phase three of the case
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Example 2 Online Assignment: Studen
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New Methods of Student-to-Student a
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2008 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America

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