2010 - Public Relations Society of America

college’s connection to the community and to provide civic engagement opportunities for
students through its Volunteer Services Program. The program’s principal focus is to
meet pressing community needs within the Appalachian region in which the college is
located. Students benefit by having an opportunity to explore social issues, work for
positive change, look for professional experiences, and add experience to their resume.
The on-campus AmeriCorps VISTA representative maintains regular ongoing contact
with about a dozen community organizations where she attempts to link student interests
and skills to the organizations’ needs. A common service requested by these
organizations is public relations in terms of press releases and general promotion pieces
to publicize their services and events.
Course Overview
The public relations writing course teaches students how to plan, research and
write effective public relations pieces for mass media and other public audiences,
including news releases, executive bios, fact sheets, brochures, press statements, public
service announcements, and online blogs. It is one of four core public relations courses
required for majors. The course objectives include: 1) learn how to write as a process that
leads to a finished product; 2) demonstrate the ability to write clear, effective messages
designed to reach a variety of audiences; 3) demonstrate the ability to write for multiple
media formats; and 4) demonstrate the ability to write effective public relations pieces
that address real-life public relations challenges. Students write in more than half of all
class periods and the remaining time is used for instruction and feedback. On average,
there are 12-14 students enrolled in the class, and the course is open to all students with
the majority being public relations, journalism and graphic design majors. The course is
designed for students to learn and practice their writing skills in class before applying
them to the larger project.
Student Projects
Early in the semester the on-campus AmeriCorps VISTA representative was
invited to speak to the class and present a list of organizations seeking help with public
relations. The students then assembled into groups and selected organizations based on
their interest. Once paired with these organizations, students researched and produced
various public relations pieces based on their organization’s needs. The project deadline
was scheduled toward the end of the course giving them a chance to learn and practice
their skills in class before producing them for their client. Organizational leaders were
under no obligation to use the students’ work, but did, in some cases, publish their work.
In addition to producing the public relations pieces, students also were required to present
their projects to the class and to their client.
The organizations helped by this course included the Boys & Girls Club of
Washington County, Marietta Community Food Pantry, Kris Mar Woods, Skaters United
of Marietta, Marietta YMCA, Washington County Community Action, and the Humane
Society of the Mid-Ohio Valley. The following is a brief description of the pieces written
and produced by the public relations writing classes:
o Boys & Girls Club of Washington County: Prepared a brochure, news releases,
public service announcements, and flyers to promote after school programs and
member achievements.
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