2010 - Public Relations Society of America
2010 - Public Relations Society of America
2010 - Public Relations Society of America
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college’s connection to the community and to provide civic engagement opportunities for<br />
students through its Volunteer Services Program. The program’s principal focus is to<br />
meet pressing community needs within the Appalachian region in which the college is<br />
located. Students benefit by having an opportunity to explore social issues, work for<br />
positive change, look for pr<strong>of</strong>essional experiences, and add experience to their resume.<br />
The on-campus AmeriCorps VISTA representative maintains regular ongoing contact<br />
with about a dozen community organizations where she attempts to link student interests<br />
and skills to the organizations’ needs. A common service requested by these<br />
organizations is public relations in terms <strong>of</strong> press releases and general promotion pieces<br />
to publicize their services and events.<br />
Course Overview<br />
The public relations writing course teaches students how to plan, research and<br />
write effective public relations pieces for mass media and other public audiences,<br />
including news releases, executive bios, fact sheets, brochures, press statements, public<br />
service announcements, and online blogs. It is one <strong>of</strong> four core public relations courses<br />
required for majors. The course objectives include: 1) learn how to write as a process that<br />
leads to a finished product; 2) demonstrate the ability to write clear, effective messages<br />
designed to reach a variety <strong>of</strong> audiences; 3) demonstrate the ability to write for multiple<br />
media formats; and 4) demonstrate the ability to write effective public relations pieces<br />
that address real-life public relations challenges. Students write in more than half <strong>of</strong> all<br />
class periods and the remaining time is used for instruction and feedback. On average,<br />
there are 12-14 students enrolled in the class, and the course is open to all students with<br />
the majority being public relations, journalism and graphic design majors. The course is<br />
designed for students to learn and practice their writing skills in class before applying<br />
them to the larger project.<br />
Student Projects<br />
Early in the semester the on-campus AmeriCorps VISTA representative was<br />
invited to speak to the class and present a list <strong>of</strong> organizations seeking help with public<br />
relations. The students then assembled into groups and selected organizations based on<br />
their interest. Once paired with these organizations, students researched and produced<br />
various public relations pieces based on their organization’s needs. The project deadline<br />
was scheduled toward the end <strong>of</strong> the course giving them a chance to learn and practice<br />
their skills in class before producing them for their client. Organizational leaders were<br />
under no obligation to use the students’ work, but did, in some cases, publish their work.<br />
In addition to producing the public relations pieces, students also were required to present<br />
their projects to the class and to their client.<br />
The organizations helped by this course included the Boys & Girls Club <strong>of</strong><br />
Washington County, Marietta Community Food Pantry, Kris Mar Woods, Skaters United<br />
<strong>of</strong> Marietta, Marietta YMCA, Washington County Community Action, and the Humane<br />
<strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Mid-Ohio Valley. The following is a brief description <strong>of</strong> the pieces written<br />
and produced by the public relations writing classes:<br />
o Boys & Girls Club <strong>of</strong> Washington County: Prepared a brochure, news releases,<br />
public service announcements, and flyers to promote after school programs and<br />
member achievements.<br />
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