Book Review Assignment (due Friday, Aug. 6, 2010 at 5 p.m.)

Book Review

You were assigned a book earlier this semester. You are responsible for reading the book. Then what?

You are going to write a review of the book. A review is a critical evaluation of a text, event, object, or phenomenon. You will NOT write a report that tells me what the book is about.

The goals of this assignment are to give you an understanding of key strategies and thinkers and to connect the topics and theories learned in your PR classes to the book.

To understand writing a review, go here: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/review.html (There are also examples on this page.)

Before you write, you need to focus your thinking. Here are some questions to consider (taken from the UNC Writing Center):
• What is the thesis—or main argument—of the book? If the author wanted you to get one idea from the book, what would it be? How does it compare or contrast to the world you know? What has the book accomplished?
• What exactly is the subject or topic of the book? Does the author cover the subject adequately? Does the author cover all aspects of the subject in a balanced fashion? What is the approach to the subject (topical, analytical, chronological, descriptive)?
• How does the author support her argument? What evidence does she use to prove her point? Do you find that evidence convincing? Why or why not? Does any of the author's information (or conclusions) conflict with other books you've read, courses you've taken or just previous assumptions you had of the subject?
• How does the author structure her argument? What are the parts that make up the whole? Does the argument make sense? Does it persuade you? Why or why not?
• How has this book helped you understand the subject? Would you recommend the book to your reader?
Beyond the internal workings of the book, you may also consider some information about the author and the circumstances of the text's production:
• Who is the author? Nationality, political persuasion, training, intellectual interests, personal history, and historical context may provide crucial details about how a work takes shape. Does it matter, for example, that the biographer was the subject's best friend? What difference would it make if the author participated in the events she writes about?
• What is the book's genre? Out of what field does it emerge? Does it conform to or depart from the conventions of its genre? These questions can provide a historical or literary standard on which to base your evaluations. If you are reviewing the first book ever written on the subject, it will be important for your readers to know. Keep in mind, though, that naming "firsts"—alongside naming "bests" and "onlys"—can be a risky business unless you're absolutely certain
Your review must have 3 key elements:
1. an introduction
2. summary of content
3. analysis and evaluation of the book
4. conclusion

Your book review is due Friday, August 6 at 5:00 p.m.

Questions to Ask on Your Interview

So the semester just started, and I'm throwing you to the wolves with this assignment to interview someone in the PR industry.

Cheer up. At least you do not have to come up with a question list or guide. Here is one for you.

Company Background and Job Responsibilities
1. Please tell me a little bit about yourself.
• What is your academic background?
• What previous work and/or networking experiences lead you to your current position?
• PROBE: How true is the idea that “it’s all about who you know” for public relations practitioners into sports?
• [Added if deemed relevant] What are the major differences working in-house versus working for an agency?
2. Please tell me about the history of the company you currently work for.
3. How long have you worked for this company?
4. What is your job title?
5. What are your daily responsibilities?
6. What do you enjoy the most about your current job?
7. What do you enjoy the least?
Outside Perceptions
1. What words do you use when explaining to someone outside the industry about your job?
2. What are some of the stereotypes, if any, that people outside the industry might have about your job?
a. What are the most overlooked aspect of (insert industry/area) public relations?
3. Is it important to you that people have a correct understanding of what your job entails? 

4. Do you agree that the outside perception is often that public relations is a glamorous profession?
5. Do you consider public relations a glamour profession?
a. Why or why not?
6. How do you think your job experiences differ from those of public relations practitioners who do not work in this industry?
7. In your opinion, what is the difference, if any, between public relations and publicity?
a. FOLLOW-UP: How would you classify what it is that you do?
8. What do you think are the biggest challenges or concerns facing you as a public relations practitioner in sports?
9.
Symmetrical Communication
1. If your client audience reacts negatively to a campaign, how do you handle the problem?
a. Can you give a specific example when this occurred and explain how it was handled and with what effect?
2. What media channels do you use most often? [dropped]
3. How are decisions made in your company? Do you feel that all public relations practitioners have an equal opportunity to share in your company’s decision-making process? Can you give an example?
4.
Strategic Planning
1. How do you define public relations? Do you see public relations as a part of the marketing function?
2. Do you read industry trade publications? If so, which ones? How do these publications inform the decisions that you make?
3. What do you think is involved with "working strategically" in your field? Do you work strategically?
4. How large of a role does Integrated Communications play in the campaigns you work on? Do you work with advertising, marketing, and other departments when developing your campaigns?
5. When you get a new client, what steps do you take to inform yourself and ultimately decide the format of the campaign?
6. Would you take me through the process of developing the campaign you are most proud of?
7. How do you work to cultivate and maintain relationships with the media?

Other
What are some words of advice for those who are entering the field?
Is there anything else about your job or sports public relations that you would like me to know about?
May I contact you later to clarify points of our discussion today or to ask additional questions?

JOB DESCRIPTION: Communications Coordinator Global Campaign for Climate Action/TckTckTck Coalition (www.tcktcktck.org)

JOB DESCRIPTION: Communications Coordinator

RESPONSIBLE TO: Executive Director

Note: The post is line managed by the Executive Director, in cooperation with a Communications Strategist/Advisor working as a consultant to the campaign.

OVERALL PURPOSE: To work with the GCCA core team and partners to implement the communications strategy and provide high quality advice and services.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Communications Coordination

• Coordinate communications functions within the GCCA Secretariat (digital strategy, media plans, celebrity engagement, campaign events etc).
• Facilitate and support the GCCA communications working group (Secretariat plus partner organizations) including coordinating calls and meetings.
• Ensure effective communications flow and consultation.
• Participate in the meetings of the Secretariat and relevant working groups and provide ongoing advice about communication and media aspects of the campaign.

(Availability outside normal business hours and international travel will be required from time to time).

2. Media Coordination

• Provide media advice and coordination to the GCCA Secretariat and partners.
• Monitor key media outlets in order to advise on appropriate approaches and opportunities.
• Liaise with key media outlets on behalf of the campaign when appropriate and in cooperation with partners.
• Develop media tools for use by the partners.
• Provide or arrange for media monitoring services across key countries and outlets where possible.
• Provide support to individual organisations when needed to ensure maximum international exposure of stories that contribute to the aims of the campaign.
• Contribute to the partners’ rapid response to news events, and develop and pitch longer-term feature stories for print, television, web and radio on behalf of the campaign where appropriate.

3. Communication and Media Strategies

Contribute to and develop communications and related strategies and workplans, including the development of key messages and pathways and where necessary, supervise the work of consultants.

4. Production of Communications Materials

• Produce or oversee production of written, visual and audiovisual materials, for on-line and off-line use. Develop and manage a photo, av and open source library.
• Undertake the development and maintenance of policies to ensure best practice and legal compliance.

Skills and Qualifications Required:

• At least 3 years experience as a communications specialist or journalist
• Proven experience in coordination of teams and working groups, preferably in coalitions
• Proven experience in creative writing and editing;
• Fluency in written and spoken English, and another language desirable (especially French or Spanish);
• Ability to write quickly, succinctly, and cleanly, and to respond quickly to breaking news;
• Ability to handle numerous tasks at one time, and to calmly handle stressful situations;
• Ability to work productively without supervision;
• Ability to think creatively and independently;
• Ability to synthesize input from various sources;
• Understanding/experience of non-governmental organisations and campaigning;
• Ability to travel;
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to the requirements of different organisations represented in the coalition;
• Relevant experience in NGO campaigning and/or climate issues desirable.

This is a full-time assignment in principle. The campaign is anticipated to run for five years. Funding is re-approved annually. Location and remuneration negotiable.

Please send application letter and CV to manish.joshi@tcktcktck.org. Your application letter should specify your skills and experience in relation to each of the activities listed above.

Day 1 of PR Campaigns: Syllabus Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to Public Relations Campaigns!

Directions: Divide into groups. Each group should have one recorder who will submit your group's answers in the comments section of this blog. (I would suggest that you write/type in Microsoft Word or TextEditor.)

Working collaboratively, discover the answers to the following questions about the syllabus for this course.

Please submit your answers in the comments. 

1. What is your professor’s name?
2. Where is your professor’s office located?
   
3. List two ways you can get in touch with your professor.
4. What materials will you need for this course?
5. When is your first assignment due?
6. How will quizzes be conducted?
7. When is the final exam?
8. How will your grade be determined in this course? (How many points is each assignment worth?)
9. What is your professor’s opinion on cell phones and other electronic devices in class?
10. What items are necessary to doing well in this course?
11. List two questions that you have about this course that are not answered on the syllabus.
    

Arketi Group Seeking Aggressive Account Executive (Atlanta)

Arketi Group Seeking Aggressive Account Executive
Arketi Group, a high-tech business-to-business public relations and marketing firm in Atlanta, is seeking a new team member to join us. Recognized three years in a row by BtoB magazine as one of the nation's “Top BtoB Agencies,” Arketi has a proven agency track record and blue chip technology clients.

As we continue to expand, we’re looking for motivated, results-oriented, agency professionals. The ideal candidate for the position should possess 2 - 4 years experience within an agency or corporate environment and needs to be strong in PR, media relations and writing. A strong plus is someone familiar with marketing tactics (both digital and traditional) and with social media experience.

The successful candidate will be involved in a wide range of activities, including media and analyst relations, thought leadership campaigns, social media efforts, branding, lead nurturing and sales preparedness. Accurate and timely client relations and team management experience required.

How to Apply
For consideration, please submit resume along with a brief e-mail summary of qualifications to mneumeier@arketi.com.

For more information on Arketi, visit www.arketi.com


www.www.arketi.com

Old Spice Searching for Two Adventurous Interns for Chance of a Lifetime

Old Spice Searching for Two Adventurous Interns for Chance of a Lifetime

NEW YORK, March 30 -- To promote the debut of Old Spice's new Fresh Collection antiperspirant/deodorant--inspired by four well-known lands from across the globe, Fiji, Matterhorn, Denali and Cyprus--Old Spice is seeking two qualified candidates for internship positions to explore where freshness smells from.

We've all heard stories about internships from hell. Being at a desk all day, answering phones and learning the finer points of coffee brewing can be a nightmare and downright boring. Now imagine an internship where you can embark on unique excursions in Fiji or Matterhorn, participate in adventurous challenges while being mentored by professional snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler & professional surfer Anastasia Ashley. For a couple lucky young men, this will be their reality.

Old Spice has just launched its search to find and hire two candidates to participate in the Old Spice Fresh Adventure Internship. As part of their job requirement, the interns will be reporting on their adventures via social media channels and a special blog on www.OldSpice.com. Prior to traveling, they will be outfitted with $5,000 and an itinerary of "jobs" to complete and document while on location such as: participate in an annual Swiss sawmill wrestling event, swim with sharks, build a party raft, snowboard from Switzerland to Italy in the same day while rocking a tuxedo, hire a sail ship, find a crew and explore a mysteriously haunted island.

To help better prepare the interns, Old Spice is teaming up with two world-class athletes: professional snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler and professional surfer Anastasia Ashley, who are coming on-board as mentors to give the guys tips along the way.

"I am excited to be working with Old Spice on the Fresh Collection Internship Search," said Gretchen Bleiler. "It's not often that someone gets a chance to go to Matterhorn or Fiji as part of an internship, let alone get paid to snowboard all day and rock some lederhosen!"

Applicants can enter by April 15th, find complete rules and learn more about the unique activities by visiting www.OldSpiceAdventure.com. Winners will be announced in May 2010, and the internships will take place in June 2010.

BEHIND-THE-SCENE'S VIDEO, PHOTO SHOOT IMAGES & ADVENTURE INTERN VIDEO AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD, POST & SHARE AT: www.magicbulletmedia.com/MNR/OldSpiceAdventure

For more information, contact:

Elana Gichon; MagicBullet Media; 818.636.7500; elana@magicbulletmedia.co

REVISED In-Class Assignment Directions: Running Your Quantitative Data

This is your in-class assignment for Wednesday, March 31. Access the SPSS file on ULearn. You will complete to the best of your ability and turn in

How to Run Your Quantitative Data

1. Open up the data file. It is located on the main/front page of ULearn.

2. Save the SAV data file as YOURNAMEGOESHERE_CLASS_TINDALL.sav

3. Run frequencies with means and standard deviations on all of your data.*

4. Save your output file (GROUPNAME_CLASS_TINDALL, FREQUENCIES.spv).

5. Save the SPV output file. Print the output file.

6. Run crosstabs on the appropriate variables within your data. **

8. Save the SPV output file.

9. If there is time, run correlations on the appropriate variables.***

10. Save the SPV output file.

11. Open Microsoft Word to create a table -- you are going to take your SPSS output to create a nice looking table in MS Word.

12. Use the output from step 3, 8, and 10 to populate tables. Describe the sample where you write a sentence telling the number and percent of one gender. Make sure you bold the numbers you talk about in the table. For example you might say "A majority of the respondents were female (60%; n = 6). DO THIS FOR ALL OF YOUR OUTPUT VARIABLES. Give the table a descriptive name that explains what the data in the table talks about.

13. Send your documents to me via e-mail.

* How to Run Frequencies
To view a frequency distribution, go to the top of the screen and click on the Analyze tab.

Analyze > Descriptive Statistics > Frequencies

This will open up a window. In the window, select the variables you want to use for the distribution by double clicking them.
Then hit OK and SPSS will start running a frequency table.

** How to Run Crosstabs


RUN: CLICK ON ANALYZE>DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS>CROSSTABS
MOVE ONE VARIABLE TO THE ROWS AREA AND ONE VARIABLE TO THE COLUMN VARIABLE (DOES NOT MATTER WHICH IS WHICH)
CLICK ON STATISTICS ON THE BOTTOM AND MAKE SURE THE CHI-SQUARE BOX IS CHECKED THEN CLICK CONTINUE
CLICK ON CELLS ON THE BOTTOM AND MAKE SURE THE ALL THE COUNT BOXES ARE CHECKED AND ALL THE PERCENTAGE BOXES ARE CHECKED THEN CLICK CONTINUE.
CLICK ON OK TO RUN THE CROSSTAB ANALYSIS.

CROSSTABS ARE FOR NOMINALLY SCALED VARIABLES, I.E. CATEGORICAL. NUMBER OF CATEGORIES IN THE TWO VARIABLES BEING TABBED SHOULD NOT HAVE A PRODUCT GREATER THAN 16, I.E. VARIBLE ONE HAS 4 CATEGORIES, VARIABLE TWO HAS 4 CATEGORIES: 4x4 = 16. (ok).
MEASURES ASSOCIATIONS, NULL HYPOTHESIS: NO RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE TWO VARIABLES BEING TABBED


***CORRELATIONS:
YOU CAN ONLY RUN CORRELATIONS ON INTERVAL OR RATIO DATA
NULL HYPOTHESIS: NO RELATIONSHIPS
ONLY CORRELATIONS WITH P-VALUES LESS THAN .10 ARE CONSIDERED SIGNIFICANT, I.E. REJECT THE NULL HYPOTHESIS.
CLICK ON ANALYZE>CORRELATE>BIVARIATE
MOVE ALL VARIBLES YOU WANT TO CORRELATE INTO THE VARIABLES BOX
CLICK OK

Paper Format for the Final Client Paper

Use this outline when you are constructing the compiled, final document for your client. Bring any questions about this to class next week.

The paper itself should be 20-30 pages double-spaced (1.25” margins, Times style font size 12). You may exceed the page length to provide references separately, e.g. you might have 28 pages of text followed by 3 pages of references. In any case you should not have more than 40 pages.

I. Executive Summary and Situation Analysis -- What is the issue facing the client? This is where you succinctly provide an overview of your document. It is an abstract on steroids (2 page maximum).

III. Statement of the Problem--Describe what precisely you intend to show/argue and why (i.e., address the ever-lurking "So What?" question).

IV. Methods--Describe the sample employed and the variables used to test your hypothesis. One should give just enough information here so that others can replicate your procedures (and hopefully come up with the same findings and conclusions as you did).

V. Results/Findings--In this section you present those results that specifically address your hypotheses. First present and discuss the descriptives, that is, the percentages of respondents falling into each response category of all of your categorical variables. Then discuss the relationships.

VI. Conclusions and Recommendations--Summarize your major findings. Make certain that you directly connect this section to the introduction you wrote and to what you said you were going to do in this research. Look at the introduction and make sure that you have clearly stated in that section what you intend to do in this work.

VII. References--At the end of your paper include (alphabetically by first authors' last names) all materials cited in your paper. Recommended format: APA.

You will have several appendices. Your appendices will include all of your client media monitoring memos, your focus group protocol, your interview protocol, your surveys and your raw data.

Outline for Your Quantitative Research (Survey) Data Analysis

You just turned in your qualitative data analysis, and your groups will start forwarding surveys out.

You thought you had a break. But don't get too comfortable. You have a few other projects on the horizon.

One of those assignments is the quantitative research data analysis.

This assignment is a continuation of your research project for your client. Please refer to your previous data as you write this section so you can provide a complete picture and an informed, professional research report to your client.

Please make sure to incorporate your previous qualitative data, your previous discussions, your client’s suggestions, and your class materials on quantitative methods of data gathering to complete this assignment.

You will follow the same format as you used in the qualitative data analysis. Refer to the blog post on the sections I require.

For the quantitative data analysis assignment, you need to explain the sampling procedure for the survey research, how your group constructed a questionnaire for a particular public (e.g., undergraduate students, staff, volunteers) using the guidelines for writing questions and demonstrate an understanding of questionnaire organization and distribution as well as strengths and weaknesses of surveying as a method of gathering data.


You need to answer the following questions in your group paper.
Method Section
1. Discuss what is quantitative research. What quantitative method did you select to use? Discuss the benefits and disadvantages of this method in comparison to qualitative methods and other quantitative methods (e.g., content analysis, experiments).
2. Sample: Identify study population and a sampling frame. Explain your choices.
3. Sampling Strategy: List one nonprobability and one probability sampling strategy that can be used in this study. Explain your choices. How would you proceed in implementing these samplings? Choose one to focus on for your next answer and explain why you chose that one method of sampling.
4. Procedure: Describe specific steps one should take to proceed with implementing your survey: how to contact potential respondents, who should be in charge of implementing the survey. Who will need to analyze results? Briefly explain each of your choices. Discuss how you distributed the questionnaire. Why did you choose this mode of distribution?

Findings/Results
Evaluate your collected data. Using SPSS, run descriptive statistics. In your paper, discuss the demographics of those who responded and discuss any statistically relevant correlations.

Recommendations
Discuss your results and analysis. In light of what you found, what would you recommend to your client? GIve global yet robust recommendations.

Appendix
Attach your complete questionnaire to the end of your paper.

Explanation of the Content of the Qualitative Data Analysis Paper

This is a group assignment. You will need to write a professional research report (10-15 pages) that provides situational analysis and initial findings and recommendations to move forward with planning of a public relations campaign.

To create this research report you will use secondary research and initial findings based on the interviews and participant observation your group members have gathered. Follow the format rules provided in the syllabus. Your report will have to answers the following questions:

1. Title Page: Include your group's name, names of team members, class, assignment title, date and instructor. (1 page)

2. Abstract: Briefly discuss the goal of your research project and identify initial questions of interest from the assigned research purpose and main results (write this part at last, 1 page).

3a. Methodology: In your methodology, include what is your methodology (qualitative). Explain your method and why it is appropriate. Include what are your methods (interviews, focus groups). Explain what those are and include why those are appropriate. (2-3 pages)

3b. Sample: Who is your population? How did you sample from your population? What are the characteristics of the population, and what are the characteristics of your sample?

3c. Data Analysis: Provide specific examples from your data analysis. Identify each types of analysis and briefly explain it. For your data analysis, you will discuss THEMATIC ANALYSIS and how your group created your themes.

4. Findings: Discuss initial findings and themes found in your analysis. Identify major themes, discuss them, and support each of them with citations from your participant observations and interviews. How do these themes can help you to start thinking about PR campaign strategies to change perceptions and activate the relationship between your clients and its publics? (3-6 pages)

5. Recommendations: DO NOT PROVIDE ANY SPECIFIC TACTICS FOR PR CAMPAIGNS. Instead, give recommendations which themes for persuasive messages PR professionals need to concentrate when they plan the PR campaign. Talk about problems and issues that your organization faces based on your situation and data analysis. (3-6 pages). What strategic recommendations can you provide based on your research?

Tools and Blogs that you should know and read

Students, this is the start of a list of the social media tools, tricks and blogs that you should know and should be reading.

Reads:
50 not-very-technical things that every PR person should know

Mashable is an Internet news blog. With a reported 7+ million monthly pageviewsSelf-reported from the and an Alexa ranking around 750, it ranks as one of the largest blogs on the Internet.

Tools:
Doodle is online scheduling tool, Doodle takes the pain out of finding the right date and time for a group of people to meet and makes scheduling virtually effortless.

Zotero is a free, open source add-on for the Firefox browser, that enables users to collect, manage, and cite research from all types of sources

Google Sites is a free and easy way to create and share webpages.

Help-A-Reporter Out is a free tool that connects journalists and bloggers to experts.

PitchEngine is social platform that enables public relations practitioners to build social media news releases.

Posterous is a web publishing agent that allows you to publish from e-mail.

Centrl is a location-based social network that helps you connect with your friends, share your favorite locations, discover new places and meet new people.

Google Wave is a a personal communication and collaboration tool.

Understanding Metrics

Picture this: You're at a job interview, and you think (no, know) that this job is yours. You've nailed the questions and knocked out an almost perfect writing test.

Then the director of research asks you about metrics.

You're stumped. You think she's talking about the metric system.

You lose the job.  

Metrics are what you have been doing all semester long. Metrics are set of measurements that specify results.

What are metrics?
Here is a quality blog post and another blog postthat explains how metrics (the data gathered through qualitative and quantitative research about your brand or organization) is collected and analyzed in corporations.

What do you need to know about metrics?
One keen person to talk about metrics is KD Paine. It's her job. Metrics is how she earns a living. And she is a leading expert on social media metrics and public relations performance.

Dr. Kaye Sweetser, an associate professor at the University of Georgia. Dr. Sweetser is one of the leading researchers who studies PR and social media. She shares her knowledge of metrics on YouTube. Watch her YouTube channel. She regularly posts 1-minute videos on metrics.

Here is a list of Web site and social media metrics that you can share with your client. I would also recommend that you become familiar with these sites as well:
compete.com
alexa.com
www.socialmention.com
www.trackur.com
www.filtrbox.com

Now when you're at the interview and get asked a question about metrics, you can talk about metrics. 

Talking about Focus Groups

What is a Focus Group?
A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging.

For more information on the how focus groups are beneficial, look at this site.

This video from the University of Florida explains the value of focus groups.

In this videoDavid Morgan talks about how to do focus groups and how to moderate focus groups.

Here are some examples of students and professionals doing focus groups. Take a look and take notes:
Salad Dressing Focus Group
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuiI7BFhQl4

Student Focus Group
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg4RYqL7Sxc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUU69-qbFZw

Writing Research Questions

On the course schedule, I am scheduled to discuss research questions. Due to the length of the lecture, we may not get to research questions, so here are some key points and some good references.

Your research question sets up expectations in the client or the reader.

Your research question will address two key facets or what Andrea A. Lunsford refers to as the "topic" and the "comment."

The "topic" is the subject. So, for example, as a topic for your client project, you might select:
Social media use and publics
Publics' level of involvement with organization
Media coverage of the organization

The "comment" is the point. In the research question, the comment is the aspect of the topic you are trying to explore and answer. So based on the topics we have listed, your research questions might be:
a. How do publics understand or make meaning of nonprofits' usage of social media to reach them?
b. What are the factors that determine publics' interaction with organization online and in social media?
c. What are the components that make up a relationship with a nonprofit?
d. What are the information-seeking behaviors of Atlantas who are interested in volunteering/finding new things to do?
e. How and to what level are public informed and involved with the client's volunteer activities?
f. What media are covering our clients? How significant is the coverage?
g. Are donations related to media coverage?

Check out the following resources on research questions:
http://www.esc.edu/esconline/across_esc/writerscomplex.nsf/0/f87fd7182f0ff21c852569c2005a47b7
http://blip.tv/file/977586

Based on your research question, you can determine the appropriate methods.

Your Annotated Bibliography Assignment

For your annotated bibliography, you will extensively search library-owned and electronically available sources on a particular topic. 



The goal is to create a bibliography which you will use in the future to write up a situational analysis for your client as an organization and your client's priority public.

You will need to summarize the most current (no later than ten years old) journal articles, periodical publications (maximum of 4), and electronically available research reports that directly deal with the chosen topic. I wrote a blog post about finding sources for your annotated bibliography. You should review that ASAP. Also, I have a Google document that lists key resources and references that you should consider for the theories you have to discuss. 

Thus, you will need to create a bibliography of 40+ sources. These sources include scholarly journal articles, electronically available research reports, and books. Make sure that your bibliography addresses the following: research on the industry as a whole, research on the organization; research of the priority publics, any previous publications/media hits about the organization and/or its issues/activities.



The assignment will produce the most current peer-reviewed research and periodical sources in your area of interest.



Your abstracts should be in bibliographical format, each with an APA style citation followed by a summary of the selected article. Specifically, each summary has to be two (2) paragraphs long. Group articles with same commonalities together in one subtitled section (e.g., all references related to nonprofit public relations belong in one section).



In order to write a good summary, you HAVE TO get familiar with the entire article, not just the abstract or index. Your summary has to be written in your own words. NO plagiarism allowed. You cannot use exact sentences from articles for your summary. You will lose points if you only paraphrase abstracts.


To find an electronic source, use the Research link on the Institute for Public Relations website. If there are no research reports on your topic available, go to other reliable electronic resources to access research articles. You need to find electronic-only research journals in mass communication or communication. NO electronic version or printed journals, private, commercial, and unidentifiable sites are allowed! Check with any librarian or Dr. Tindall if you are not sure whether this electronic research is truly scholarly. 



You will be evaluated on the relevance and quality of the sources and summaries and on the APA style.

Selected Topics from PRSA Trends for Jan. 25 & Jan. 26

Apple Creates Buzz Without Saying a Word
The New York Times

PR Newswire and Hispanic PR Wire Launch Spanish-Language ProfNet
Daily Dog

Marketing to Muslims Poses a Challenge for Retailers
The Los Angeles Times

PRSAY: Is Supreme Court's Decision a PR Boon?

Three New Apps for 2010
ReadWriteWeb

Trolling for Social Media Strategy
ComPRehension

Check out PR@GeorgiaState

Last semester, I started PR @ Georgia State, a blog for GSU students. I thought this would be an easy way for students to get up-to-date information on the local and national job and internship market.

I post job and internship announcement on this site, and I also post networking opportunities. I will send you some job postings via e-mail, but please check the PR @ Georgia State as we go through the semester.

Client Assignments

Based on your client preferences I have assigned you to the following groups:
1:30 p.m.

Group 1 (Smith, Perez,Nguyen,Lowe): First Book

Group 2 (Nxumalo, Pardner, Corlette, Green): Enchanted Closet

Group 3 (Rispin, Dubois, Northen, Valentine): Center for Puppetry Arts

3:00 p.m.

Group One: First Book

Group Two: Center for Puppetry Arts

Group Four: Enchanted Closet

Group Five: Department of Communication

The full client briefs for the Spring 2010 PR Research clients is available for your viewing.

Finding Resources for Your Annotated Bibliography

Your annotated bibliography is the building block for your primary research. It seems daunting and overwhelming, but I am available to assist and review the documents you procure.

To build your annotated bibliography, here are some sites with explanations of what to include and how to build it:
Cornell University Library: How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography
Purdue University Online Writing Lab: Annotated Bibliographies
University of North Carolina: Annotated Bibliographies

As you start collecting resources, one site that will be helpful is Dr. Kirk Hallahan's PR Bibliography. The site has not been updated since 2006, but the listed books and articles are good jumping off points for your research. (I would strongly suggest chasing the bibliography of your documents to located more materials.) Within the bibliography, I would suggest looking in the following sections: Publics, Public Opinion, Activism (section 1), Communication Theories, Nonprofit/Fundraising.

When doing your online search for documents, develop a list of pertinent search terms. Use the client document as a guide. Pull key words and phrases from that document. For example, your clients have asked you to look at their social media presence. When searching you should look for social networks, social media, social networking, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and online technologies.

(An excellent resource for social media trends is the Pew Internet Research Center. Use this as a jumping off point. I would also suggest Charlene Li's Groundswell, a book on social media trends, and suggest reviewing Danah Boyd's research.)

All of your clients are nonprofits. I would suggest that you look for materials using the term "nonprofit public relations" as well as "nonprofit PR", "nonprofit marketing," "nonprofit fundraising" (or development).

To better understand your public (the group/collection of people you hope to understand) and who it is , I would suggest looking at Census data and looking for psychographic information. I would also recommend that you look to this site for book chapters that may be relevant to your search and understanding of publics.

To understand how to differentiate your publics, I would also recommend that you review the public relations research on publics. This will help you understand the type of public you are reaching (active, latent or aware) and how to communicate to those groups. To start, look at this article on inactive publics, this article on idenjavascript:void(0)tifying key publics using a case study with Louisiana wildlife, this article on segmenting publics.

If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me or see me during office hours.

Sites that Jason Puckett Mentioned in His Talk

I hope everyone learned something in the library presentation.

The librarian who spoke to our classes, Jason Puckett, mentioned a few sites:

http://research.library.gsu.edu/pr1209: This site was built for your class and contains links to databases and resources that will help with your client research.

GIL Find: This site will take you directly to the university's catalog.

Zotero: This is the online bibliographic tool you can use.

A Tale of Two Styles: Associated Press and American Psychological Association

In PR Research, you will use two styles for your class projects.

You will use AP style for the narrative writing you will do. The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, usually called the AP Stylebook, is a style and usage guide used by newspapers and in the news industry in the United States. The book is updated annually by Associated Press editors, usually in June.

Some references for AP style are:
AP Stylebook
Media Writing Tips

You will use APA style for your references. American Psychological Association (APA) style is a widely accepted style of documentation, particularly in the social sciences. APA style specifies the names and order of headings, formatting, and organization of citations and references, and the arrangement of tables, figures, footnotes, and appendices, as well as other manuscript and documentation features. APA style uses the author-date style of parenthetical referencing, with such source citations keyed to a subsequent list of "References." The APA Publication Manual provides basic guidelines for documenting both print and electronic resources. The section on electronic resources is updated and supplementd by the APA Style Guide to Electronic References (APA, 2007).

Some references for APA style are:
Long Island University Library Workshop
APA Formatting and Style Guide - The OWL at Purdue

Syllabus Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to PR Research.

To be successful in this course, you need to be familiar with the course administration resources (syllabus and course schedule) that I have given you.

Working collaboratively in small groups, you will discover the answers to the following questions about the syllabus for the course.

What is your professor’s name?


List two ways you can get in touch with your professor.


In your own words, state the learning objectives for this course.


What is academic honesty?




Are handwritten assignments accepted? Are there any exceptions?




Of the listed goals and objectives for this course, which one do you consider to be the most important? Why?


In your own words, describe the purpose and requirements of the final project.


What materials will you need for this course?


When is your first assignment due?


When is the final exam?


How many exams are there in this course? How many points is each one worth?


What is the minimum number of points required to pass this class?


Is late work accepted? What is the policy on turning things in late?


What is Blackboard/ULearn? How will it be used in this class?


For what reason(s) would a student be granted an incomplete in the course?


How will your grade be determined in this course? (How many points is each assignment worth?)


What is your professor’s opinion on cell phones and other electronic devices in class?


Check any of the following items which are true regarding doing well in this class.

• Attend class regularly
• Read the material
• Complete assignments
• Study
• Prepare to adequately discuss information and issues
• Spend half of each class text messaging your friends and the other half dozing
• Devote as much time to developing “creative” excuses why your work isn’t done as actually doing the work

Also, list two questions that you have about this course that are not answered on the syllabus.

What Color is Your Bra?

If you didn't get a Facebook message last week that asked you the color of your bra or undies, you were in the minority.

I got one:

We are playing a game...... silly, but fun! Write the colour of your bra as your status, just the colour, nothing else!! Copy this and pass it on to all girls/Females on your chat ...... NO MEN!! This will be fun to see how it spreads, and we are leaving the men wondering why all females just have a colour as their status!! Let's have fun!! And - as you do this - keep all the women who have breast cancer in your prayer 

A lot of people participated.

A lot of people were not too happy at the range of colors on display.

Review these documents and we will discuss in class.
Facebook Bra Color Campaign Goes Viral But Nobody Knows the Source

What Color Is Your Bra? Facebook's Pointless Underwear Protest

Facebook bra color question: Real breast cancer awareness effort, or slacktivism at its finest?

What are your thoughts?

How do you think this relates to Public Relations Research?