Understanding Public Relations (8677.1)

Availability

Availability

This unit is no longer offered. Information may be available for Units in the following years:

• Version 1 - Start Date: 01/01/2011 End Date: 31/12/2012

Syllabus

This unit focuses on contemporary professional public relations practice through an examination of the history of public relations in Australia, practice contexts, ethical issues, and cross-cultural communication, to ground students in the discipline. The unit introduces professional terminology and basic practice skills such as writing, workplace environments and tasks.Grunig and Hunt's four models of public relations practice are used to examine the application of public relations in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. It examines the use of social media in public relations and interactions between the profession and the mass news media. The unit outlines public relations specialisations: corporate communication, public affairs (government communication; lobbying), financial public relations, media relations, and internal communications in the private, not-for-profit and public sectors to set the contexts of the professional discipline.

Learning Outcomes

1. demonstrate an understanding of the historical context of modern ethical public relations practice
2. demonstrate an understanding of the basic theoretical paradigm that governs modern practice
3. demonstrate familiarity with basic public relations skills, tools and professional relationships with the mass news media
4. demonstrate familiarity with basic public relations skills, tools and professional relationships with the mass news media
5. demonstrate familiarity with the diversity of public relations specialisations in sectors of the economy, and internationally
6. demonstrate an understanding of the importance of ethical practice

Contact Hours

Two hours face-to-face (lecture and one tutorial).

Prerequisites

Introduction to Professional Communication