Topic outline

  • General

  • Introduction to the Course Public Relations(PR)

    Welcome to the Course Public Relations (PR)


    Course Description

    The course is designed to facilitate the interested students intending to develop their careers in modern public relations. The topics include techniques of growing communication skills, understanding the nature of the communication media, understanding dynamics of organizational communication, small group communication, negotiation and conflict transformation, etc. The principles of media relations and use of social media to the media mix, ethical issues of public relations, theories on public relations and persuasion, developing of appropriate PR toolkit, strategic PR plan etc. will be covered in the course.

    Course Objectives

    After completing this course, the students will be able to: 

    -          develop an understanding of the public relations profession, its history, and its legal and ethical underpinnings;

    -          practice writing for the media and practice;

    -          practice applying a four-step process to a public relations problem

    -          learn the role of values in PR and work to incorporate them into the public relations process

    Topics to be covered

    • Definition and Scope of Public Relations (PR)
    • Nature and types of PR
    • Differences between PR, advertising, publicity and advocacy
    • Propaganda and PR
    • Understanding modern PR
    • Research, Action, Communication and Evaluation in PR
    • Techniques and Tools of PR
    • Public relations materials /toolkits: press release, handouts, brochure, leaflet, poster, video documentary, YouTube content, social media content, online media content, website.

     Scope of work in Public Relations ( PR)

    This course facilitates the students to develop their career as a Public Relations Officer/Media Relations Officer/Clients Relations Officer; Brand/Communication Officer/Liaison Officer; Promotion/Campaign Officer etc. at the following organizations/institutions: 

    *  Government departments and organizations like Ministries

    *  Non-government organizations like Bank, Insurance,

    *  Business agencies or corporate houses

    *  Donor agencies, national and local NGOs

    *  UN system agencies, World Bank, Asian Development Bank

    *  Ad agencies, event management and PR firms

    *  Any manufacturing companies

    *  Supplying companies/chains

    *  Any service and product oriented companies


    Assessment Methods

    Test Items

    Marks

    Attendance

    07

    Quiz

    15

    Assignment

    05

    Presentation

    08

    Midterm

    25

    Final

    40

    Full marks

    100


    Recommended Books:

    - Associated Press Stylebook, 2011, Associated Press.  

    - Cutlip, S.M. (2005). Effective Public Relations. New Jersey: Prentice Hall  

    -Guth, D. W., & Marsh, C. (2012).  Public Relations: A Value-Driven Approach. Boston: Allyn and Bacon 

    -Theaker, A. (2012). The Public Relations Handbook. New York: Routledge  

    -Whitaker, W, R. (2004). Media Writing: Print, Broadcast and Public Relations. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates



  • Lesson : Definition, Functions and Approaches of PR

    Lecture: Definition of Public Relations(PR)



    Lecture objective

    The objective of the lecture is to:

    - Impart the students definition of Public Relations

    -Grow a concept of public relations

    -Facilitate understanding of PR process, profession, activities and goal

    Lecture Outcome

    At the end of the session, the students will be able to:

    * Define PR

    * Understand the nature of PR profession

    * Understand the PR process, profession, activities and goal


  • Lecture 02 : Differences between PR & Advertising

    Lecture Objective

    -To make the students understand the differences between the two important tools of mass communication-PR & Advertising

    Lecture Output

    -The students, after the completion of the session, would be able to grow a complete sense of understanding what is PR and What is advertising.

    -The students will be able to design specific content and planning for the both depending on their distinct features. 

  • Lecture 3 : PR Models

    Lecture Objective

    - To impart the students the theoretical aspects of PR practices

    - To facilitate the students in selecting the right model for PR practices

    Lecture Output

    After the session, the students would be able to know the diversified styles of PR practices and they can choose their own as per their targets and goal.


  • Lecture 04 : PR Products and Activities

    A PR Campaign  for  Safe Migration

    A PR Campaign to Stop Illegal Migration

    Lecture Objective

    -To orient the students with diversified content of PR

    -To impart knowledge about the nature of PR products

    -To make the students understand to know about different types of PR  activities 

    Lecture Outcome

    At the end of this session, the students will be able to know about:

    -various types of PR products

    -nature of their make-up and production 

    -diversified PR activities

    -students will be able to think of innovative PR material and activities  



  • Lecture Five- Writing of an Effective Press Release

    Lecture Objective

    The objectives of this lecture are to :

    • Provide the students with a theoretical understanding of a press release
    • Impart students how to write effective press release 

    • Orient with different structures of press release

    Lecture outcome

    The outcome of the lecture are as follows: 

    • The students will be oriented with the styles and structure of an effective press release
    • The students will be able to write effective press releases 

  • Lecture six-Propaganda Techniques

    Objective of the lecture

    The objectives of the lecture are to:

    •  provide the students with an understanding of the propaganda techniques
    • facilitate their understanding of the techniques that are used widely in Bangladesh 
    • compare what is PR and what is propaganda

    Outcome of the lecture

    The students, at the end of the lecture, will be able to compare between the propaganda techniques and the PR approaches. 



    •                    Propaganda Techniques




    • Discussion Forum on Propaganda

      Dear Students,

      You have to find out what types of propaganda techniques are generally used in our society. Please write your evaluation and submit your opinion accordingly. 

    • Quiz on PR activities and Propaganda Techniques

      Questions for Quiz

      01. What are the common PR activities practiced in our country? Give examples. What unique activities can you suggest for branding of a hotel or a hospital?

      02. What are the propaganda techniques? Discuss with examples. 

  • Lecture Seven-Public Service Advertising(PSA)

    Lecture objective

    The objective of the lecture is to :

    • Provide students with an understanding of public service advertisement (PSAs)
    • Facilitate the students to prepare PSAs on different socio-economic issues

     Outcome of the session

    After the session, the students will be able to develop ideas and gain skills on how to produce an effective PSA


  • Lesson on PR Tools an Techniques

    An awareness campaign is an important PR technique 




    Objective of the Lecture

     The objectives of the lecture are to:

     ·         Provide the students with a thorough understanding on PR tools and techniques including modern

               ones

     ·         Develop skills to design and implement the PR tools and techniques

     ·         Explore the innovative(out of box) PR techniques

    Outcome of the Lecture

     ·         The students will grow a thorough understanding on PR tools and techniques including modern 

                ones i.e. the digital platforms

     ·         The students will develop skills to design and implement the PR tools and techniques

     ·         The students will be able to explore the innovative(out of box) PR techniques


  • Lesson -Crisis Communication

    Thinking out of Box



    Objective of the Lecture

    The objectives of the lecture are to:

    ·         Provide the students with an in-depth understanding of the nature of crisis that an organization 

              generally falls in/faces

    ·         Capacitate the students to understand the causes and prevention techniques of a crisis

    ·         Facilitate the students to find out an out-of-box idea to manage crisis without losing credibility of 

              people’s support

    Outcome of the Lecture

    The outcomes of the lecture are that:

    ·   The students have developed an in-depth understanding of the nature of crisis that an organization 

         generally falls in/faces

    ·    The students capacity to understand the causes and prevention techniques of a crisis has been 

          developed

    ·      The students could find out  an out-of-box idea to manage crisis without losing credibility of 

            people’s support


  • The PR process-RACE

    Research starts with questions


    Objective of the Lecture

    The objectives of the lecture are to:

    ·         Provide the students with an in-depth understanding of the Research, Action, Communication and 

             Evaluation process of PR

    ·         Capacitate the students to understand the techniques of Research, Action, Communication and

              Evaluation that help to build image of an organization

    ·         Facilitate the students to design action plan for an organization based on research and evaluation

     

    Outcome of the Lecture

    The outcomes of the lecture are that:

    ·         The students got an in-depth understanding of the Research, Action, Communication and Evaluation 

              process of PR

    ·         Capacity of the students to understand the techniques of Research, Action, Communication and 

              Evaluation has developed that help to design pragmatic plan to promote an organization

    ·         Facilitate the students to evaluate the situation of an organization


    • Instruction for Final Examination

      Syllabus for Final Exam

      -Propaganda and its techniques

      -Developing a PR plan

      -PSA

      -PR tools and techniques

      -Crisis Management

      -RACE model 

      -A PR firm

      Nature of Questions

      -Both the theoretical and practical

      -Short and broad

      -Project and assignment