ADPR 777 - PUBLIC RELATIONS Spring 2019

FRANK P. IRIZARRY
73 Tremont, Room 1047
Phone: (617) 573-8057 – Office; (386) 216-3193 - Cell
E-mail: firizarry@suffolk.edu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/firizarry
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday; 11:00-12:00, Monday; 2:00-3:00 additional
hours by appointment

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Frank Irizarry is ABD and is finishing his Ph.D. in Public Relations with an emphasis in
Health Communication from the University of Florida. Frank received his MA in
Communication from Northern Illinois University in 1995. Frank served for eight years
as an Instructor and Debate Coach at the University of Florida. Professionally, Frank has
most recently served as the Director of Public Relations for the Daytona Beach
ThunderBirds af2 Arena Football team and he was the Director of Community Relations
at Stetson University. Frank works extensively in the field of legal communication as a
consultant to the National Forensic Science Training Center. Frank has also written for
the Orlando Sentinel and the Daytona Beach News Journal.

TEXT:

Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics (11th Edition) 11th Edition

Dennis L. Wilcox, Glen T. Cameron, Bryan H. Reber
Pearson
ISBN-13: 978-0205960644

COURSE INFORMATION:
Class Location – Sawyer 908

Class Meeting Time – 6:00-8:30, Thursday until 4/25/19

Course Description - Examination of theories, case studies and campaigns in public

relations. Areas of concentration include research development, design and
implementation; agenda setting; professional writing; presentational skills/ techniques
and crisis management. Practical application of theoretical concepts is stressed.
COURSE PURPOSE:
This course integrates communications strategy in the context of public relations theory
and research. The overarching paradigm for the course is that public relations is a
managerial level activity that involves relationship management with key stakeholders.
Public relations cases are examined to learn effective strategic and tactical answers to
stakeholder problems and opportunities. This course is designed for graduate students
interested in the managerial aspects of public relations and graduate students
interested in the academic exploration of public relations issues and debates.

COURSE GOALS AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

GOALS OBJECTIVES ASSESSMENTS

Upon successful Upon successful completion How the student will be

completion of this course, of this course, students assessed on these
students should be able to should be able to: learning objectives:
know/understand:

introduce students to the Understand the role of Final Examination

practical elements of research in the public
marketing/public relations relations process
research and tactics

Introduce the concept of Understand the incorporation Public Relations

public relations as a of strategic objectives into Communication plan
managerial profession and any PR projects assignment
not just a managed
profession

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY:

There is a wonderful Buddhist proverb that states, "Once the student is ready, the
teacher will appear". While most professors ideally want each student to excel, your
ability to perform at maximal level is ultimately determined by you, not me.
GRADING POLICY:

Students who excel should receive grades that reflect excellent performance and
production. A student who does no more than the minimum and performs at an
average level is a C student. People who perform beyond this level will earn better
grades.

Consider the course a marathon and not a sprint. If you have sprint orientation (pay
attention to assignments and work hard in short bursts usually close to the due
deadline), you will not perform well in this course.

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND CONCERN:

COURSE POLICIES:
This course abides by university policies that can be found here:
www.suffolk.edu/syllabus.

COMMON UNIVERSITY SYLLABUS POLICIES:

In addition to those described on this syllabus, this course adheres to policies and
procedures that apply to all Suffolk courses regarding disability accommodation,
academic misconduct, academic grievance, attendance, and credit hour compliance. A
description of these policies can be found at the link
www.suffolk.edu/syllabus.

STUDENT RESOURCES:
The university provides a range of academic, counseling, medical and administrative
student support services. To learn more, explore this webpage:
www.suffolk.edu/syllabus

CONTRACT: By staying in this course you agree to abide by all the policies set forth in
this document.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Since this is a graduate level course attendance is a high

priority. A maximum of two unexcused absences will be allowed. Excused absences
must be cleared by me BEFORE the absence occurs. Reasons for excused absences may
include necessary attendance at a University sanctioned activity, severe illness, or a job
interview. To have the absence excused, proof of the reason for the absence must be
brought to me at the next class meeting for which you will be in attendance. For every
unexcused absence beyond two, you will receive a one-letter reduction in your grade
for the course. Absences may not be used as an excuse for either late or inadequate
work, EVEN EXCUSED ABSENCES. If you have an assignment due and you are ill, e-mail
or fax is appropriate. Please just do your best to make sure your work is submitted to
me when it's due. The practice of public relations hinges on adherence to deadlines.
Missing deadlines not only can damage a PR person’s credibility, it can lead to dismissal.
Thus, deadlines are treated seriously in this class. Late assignments without prior
clearance will not be accepted. If for some reason you miss an in-class assignment like
an Exam than I will decide where and when you can make up the work. My decisions
are final and binding. As far as lateness goes, coming to class five minutes after the
start time is considered late and two latencies count as an unexcused absence. Lastly,
being here in body is not a substitute for being here in body and mind. Please don't
come to my class just to camp out. You must be prepared to engage in class discussion
in a positive and meaningful way or your grade will be negatively affected. Although
you cannot receive points for participating, you may lose points for not participating.
To read more about Suffolk’s policies on attendance and absence, check out:
http://www.suffolk.edu/studenthandbook/19864.php

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY: The projects prepared for class are expected to
be your own original work. Assignments may not be duplicated from work performed in
another class. Plagiarism, misrepresentation of supporting materials, cheating on
exams, etc. are serious offenses. Any undocumented or unacknowledged borrowing or
theft of other person(s) or groups ideas, words or entire speeches will result in a failing
grade (zero points) for that assignment. YOU MUST cite sources for all borrowed
material. Additional examples of such misconduct include but are not limited to cutting
and pasting material from Web sites without proper attribution and claiming authorship
on any work produced for you by someone else. This will be enforced rather vigorously.
A further explanation of all policies governing student and faculty issues can be found in
the Suffolk University Student Handbook which can be found at:
http://www.suffolk.edu/studenthandbook/19863.php

PLAGIARISM
Your writing must be an original product. Perhaps one of the worst sins in PR is stealing
the wording and ideas of others. Plagiarized work will receive a failing grade. Chronic
plagiarism (noted more than once) will be treated according to university policy.
http://www.suffolk.edu/studenthandbook/19863.php

LATE WORK:
Work is considered late if I don’t receive it when it is asked for on the due date. ALL
WORK MUST BE HAND DELIVERED TO ME DURING THE COURSE MEETING TIME ON
THE DAY IT IS DUE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHALL YOU LEAVE AN ASSIGNMENT
IN THE COMMUNICATION OFFICE OR UNDER MY DOOR WITHOUR PRIOR CONSENT.
ALL WORK THAT IS GIVEN TO ME ON THE DAY IT IS DUE BUT NOT READY DURING
THE CLASS PERIOD WILL BE REDUCED BY ONE LETTER GRADE.
SEEKING HELP: I want you to get the most out of this course and I want to equip
you with the tools necessary to perform at your highest level. If you need additional or
individual assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at the earliest sign of a
problem or conflict.

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:

Final Examination – 50 points
Final paper – 50 points

SCALE FOR FINAL GRADES:

A 93-100%
A- 90-92%
B+ 88-89%
B 82-87%
B- 80-81%
C+ 78-79%
C 72-77%

WRITTEN WORK POLICY AND COURSE STANDARDS:

I have expectations for graduate students. First and foremost, I expect graduate
students to read and critically reflect on readings that are assigned. Second, I expect
graduate students to engage one another in course discussions. There will be times
when the conversation is between the instructor and student (lecture) but during the
discussion portion of the class you should engage each other in course relevant
conversation as well. I also expect graduate students to excel in critical thinking and
writing skills. If you feel that you’re writing is not as strong as you desire, please see
me for suggestions and guidance. Finally, I expect graduate students to be well
informed consumers of academic and professional information. What does this mean?
If you have never taken a public relations course and wish to know basic principles,
obtain an introductory PR text from the library. If you have little knowledge of public
relations issues in the business world, read industry trade journals such as PRWeek. If
there are theoretical issues in the assigned readings that are difficult to grasp, search
and read other material written by the author. I know many of you are working full-
time jobs. Therefore, I will provide summary lectures of readings materials (but not
before I ask you what you think of the readings first).
WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
1/17 – Introduction to the course
1/24 – What is Public Relations; The Evolution of Public Relations,
Read: Wilcox Ch. 1-2
1/31 – Ethics and Professionalism; Public Relations Departments & Firms
Read: Wilcox Ch. 3-4
2/7 – PR Research; PR Program Planning
Read: Wilcox Ch. 5-6
2/14 – PR Communication and Implementation; Campaign Evaluation
Read: Wilcox Ch. 7-8
2/21 – Public Opinion & Persuasion; Conflict Management
Read: Wilcox Ch. 9-10
2/28 – Reaching Diverse Audiences; Global PR
Read: Wilcox Ch. 11 & 20
3/7 – The Internet and Social media; Mass Media
Read: Wilcox Ch. 13-14
3/21 – Radio & Television; Meetings & Events
Read: Wilcox Ch. 15 & 16
3/28 – Corporate PR; Nonprofit, Health PR
Read: Wilcox Ch. 17 & 21
4/4 – Entertainment & Sports; Politics & Government
Read: Wilcox Ch. 18 - 19
4/11 – Discuss Communication Plan
4/18 – Communication Plan Due
Student summary presentation of communication plans; Review for Final Exam; Course
evaluations
4/25 – Communication Plans returned; Final Exam
Communication Plan Assignment
The major research and critical writing assignment for this course is the strategic
communication plan. This plan will require much research that may be derived from
the company itself (company publications, executive speeches, and personal
interviews), industry and trade publication, press coverage searches, database searches
and even Google searches. The point of the assignment is that to plan public relations
strategies and tactics, you must have managerial level knowledge of an organization
and its issues, stakeholders and communication objectives.

You must decide early on which organization you wish to research and what situation
(code for corporate image or relationship problem) you wish to address through
communication efforts. Think about your selection and be prepared to discuss
your selection by February 7th.

The outline below presents the major section headings that should appear in your
paper. The questions I have posed will hopefully allow you to focus your research
efforts.

ANALYZE THE SITUATION

Background to the situation

What is the history of the situation?

Is this situation unique or reoccurring for the organization?

What causes have led to the situation?

What are the facts associated with the situation?

Consequences to the situation

How important is the situation to the organization’s mission and vision?

How does the situation impact the organization’s bottom line?

What predictions of trends are associated with the situation and the organization
and the industry in which it is situated?

Is the situation and opportunity or an obstacle that must be overcome? If an

obstacle how might it be turned into opportunity?

Situation resolution
Might information (quality, quantity) affect how the situation is resolved?

How might the situation be resolved to the mutual benefit of all parties involved?

What priority do you feel management gives this situation?

ANALYZE THE ORGANIZATION

Internal environment
1. What is the nature of the product or services provided by the organization?

2. Over the last three years has the product or service improved or diminished?

3. How does the product or service compare with competitors?

4. How satisfied are organizational leaders with organizational performance?

5. What is the strategic business plan for the organization?

6. What communication resources are available for public relations activities

(budgets, employees, time, equipment)?

7. How supportive is management toward PR activities? How is PR

conceptualized (pure marketing, advertising, media relations…etc)?

External environment
1. Is the environment in which you are operating currently growing, stable,
declining or unpredictable?

2. What groups exist with a mission to resist or hinder your organization?

3. What is their reputation?

4. What are their resources?

5. How effective have these groups been in the past?

6. How have these groups changed over the last three years? Have they grown?
Have they partnered with other resisting groups? Have their tactics changed?

7. What impediments have economic origins, political origins or social origins?

ANALYZE STAKEHOLDERS

1. Identify the organizations stakeholders. How are stakeholders prioritized by the

organization? Which stakeholders exert the most power in this situation?

2. What opinions have stake holders formed about the organization/situation? For
example (please note this is not an exhaustive list of stakeholders):

a. How have the media reported on the organization in the past 1-3 years?

b. What are invested consumers saying about the organization? What is their
loyalty and commitment to the services, products or mission of the
organization?

c. What government agencies or political bodies have investigated or

regulated the organization in the past three years?

d. What do employees think of the mission, values and activities of the

organization?

e. How does the community regard the organization and its mission, values
and activities? (You may define community geographically or
sociographically).

3. Who are the formal and informal opinion leaders among your stakeholders? How
likely is it that they would support your organization?

4. What tactics are currently used by the organization to communicate with key
stakeholders?

STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS (May be proactive or reactive

strategies)

1. What actions should the organization take regarding the situation?

a. What performance changes need to be made?

b. How may stakeholders be involved in addressing the situation?

c. What strategic alliances or partnerships should be considered?

2. What strategic message(s) should the organization adopt (content)?

a. Should the organization say nothing at all?

b. If the organization should communicate, how will the message be framed?

What logical or emotional appeals should be used?

3. What message tactics should be used?

 a. Should the organization use interpersonal communication, organizational
media, traditional news media, new media or advertising and promotion
media?

Evaluation

1. How should you measure your communication efforts? (e.g. outputs, outtakes,
outcomes)

2. Which measure is most appropriate for your strategic objectives?

3. What are some problems posed with evaluation for your plan? How can they be
overcome?