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Wag the Dog :: A Critical Analysis (for PRCA 2330)

On Monday, February 16, before class,  your critical analysis of the movie Wag the Dog is due. You will need to answer the following questions as fully as possible. Questions can also be referenced in your book in Chapter 3.

Questions:

  • Of the three basic value orientations (discussed in Chapter 3 of your textbook), what basic value orientation does the PR practitioner embody? Provide at least one example.
  • According to the PRSA Code of Ethics, how is the PR practitioner unethical?
  • What is the logic behind the phrase Wag the Dog, and how is it relevant to the situation involved?
  • In your opinion, what positive or negative stereotypes has the PR practitioner confirmed in his role in this movie?

Additional Information:

  • If you paraphrase or quote another source, give credit to the original writer. (Not doing so is plagiarism, just like it would be in a traditional paper.)
  • Use hyperlinks in your blog post, where applicable.
  • Assign the category of Assignments to this post.
  • This assignment is worth 30 of the “Instructor Discretion” points in this class.
  • If you haven’t already done so, look at the Blogging Feedback: Take One that was posted on February 9 for more tips.
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PRCA 2330 :: Blogging Feedback, Take One

I feel good! by Pulpolux !!!.In my PRCA 2330 class, students have created their blogs and have started blogging. Here are some tips for them based on  me reading their One Week of Twitter posts.

Things Done Well

  • You wrote conversationally.
  • You spoke your minds.
  • You backed up your assertions with examples.

Things to Watch Out For

  • Typos: Avoid at all costs. 
  • Avoid LOL and other acronyms. (That’s fine for text messages and Twitter, but not for blog posts.)
  • Long paragraphs: Especially when writing for the web, it’s important to keep your paragraphs short. Long paragraphs are hard on the eye and make things much more challenging to read.
  • Create new Posts, not new Pages, for your assignments. (And if you already have your assignments on Pages, simply copy the text from the page, and add a new Post.)

Things to Try Next Time

  • When you mention a website, provide a hyperlink to the site.
  • Consider adding a complementary image to your posts. I tend to find the images I use at Flickr, using the CompFight service to find ones that are licensed for use through Creative Commons.

As always, if you have questions  . . .

barbara_is_listening

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Blog Checklist for PRCA 2330 :: Week of 2 February

checking them off the list by numstead.There have been several questions about what’s expected with the blogs for our PRCA 2330 class up to this point (4 February). Here’s a checklist for you:

  • Create blog at WordPress.com
  • Let me know your blog URL. (Note: Most of you have already done this.)  
  • Visit my PRCA 2330 Blogroll to ensure I have noted your name.
  • Replace the blog title of your blog with something else. (For example, if your blog’s address is bnixon13.wordpress.com, the default blog title would be “bnixon13’s Weblog.) 
  • Replace the default tagline “Just another WordPress blog” with something else.
  • Create or edit the About page to have a brief bio of you.
  • Post your “One Week of Twitter” assignment; this should have been at least 250 words. Remember to use the category of Assignment. (Due 2 February)
  • Post your PR History recap. Use the category Reading Notes. (Due 4 February)
  • Check your Dashboard and check for comments you wish to approve.

Questions? Check this blog first, then if you’re still unsure, ask. Please.

barbara_is_listening

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The Ethical Public Relations Professional

This week, I had the opportunity to share some of my thoughts on ethics in the field of public relations with classes from Georgia Southern. I promised the students that I would post my slides here, and since the presentation was on ethics, it made lots of sense to follow through on my promise — so here are the slides.

The Ethical Public Relations Professional (Slides / Notes)

(Note: Information in this class presentation was gleaned from various sources, primarily the textbook for the Introduction to Public Relations course, Public Relations: Strategies & Tactics.)

Something that intrigued the students was this image. What do you see here?

What do you see in this image?

Now tilt your head to the right . . . do you see anything different?

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Ethics & Professionalism in PR

In the Wednesday, February 4, PRCA 2330 class, we’ll be discussing ethics and professionalism in public relations. 

The Ethical Public Relations Practitioner  

(Note: Information in this class presentation was gleaned from various sources, primarily the textbook for the Introduction to Public Relations course, Public Relations: Strategies & Tactics.)

Something that has intrigued the students in the past was this image. What do you see here?

What do you see in this image?

Now tilt your head to the right . . . do you see anything different?

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How Twitter Changed My Life :: Thoughts by MinXuan Lee

As many of this blog’s readers already know, I am a huge fan and heavy user of Twitter. It’s challenging for me to explain to others what impact Twitter has made on me. Then, I discovered this blog post and presentation by MinXuan Lee: How Twitter Changed My Life. 

 

As MinXuan Lee says,
My intent was not so much to convince, but to share how creativity and imagination has injected so much life and variety into a technology I once thought frivolous. It took me nearly two months to figure the real value in twitter and how to use it effectively, and my aim was to bridge that gap for others, under an hour. As we all know, converts are the greatest evangelists.
Two slides in this presentation are especially wonderful. Be sure to see slide #4 (“The Five Stages of Twitter Acceptance”) and #5 (“What has your attention?”).

View more presentations from Minxuan Lee. (tags: live casting)
You can connect with me on Twitter by going to http://twitter.com/BarbaraNixon or with MinXuan Lee at http://twitter.com/minxuan

 

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The Evolution of Public Relations :: A Discussion Exercise

Tony Michetti at Watson Cafe by eqqman.Before our class discussion on the Evolution of Public Relations

In class on Monday

In Era Groups

  • Break up into groups based on your chosen (or assigned) era.
  • Each person states one important thing to know about the era, one person speaking at a time. Continue round-robin style until you no one has something unique to bring up.
  • As a group, come to a consensus on five or six important things from the era.
  • Each group member should write down the group’s consensus. You’ll need this for the next part of the activity.

In Mixed Groups

  • Break up into groups so that there’s one era representative for each era. We may end up with as many as 15 groups in our class.
  • Each era rep should hold a brief discussion on the 5 most important things/people from their eras.
  • Remember to take some brief notes on what your classmates mention from their eras.

After class, create a blog entry of about 250 words regarding the evolution of public relations, using these three questions to guide you:

  • What did you learn?
  • What surprised you?
  • What do you want to know more about?

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/91273409@N00/260394731/

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Blogging Guidelines :: PRCA 2330

This post explains the types of content I expect you to write about in your blog for PRCA 2330. Please add a category for each type (listed below), and make sure each post is categorized appropriately.

1. Reading notes – brief notes or key ideas from the reading assigned for that week’s class. Jot down 3-5 ideas that you believe are the most important & wish to remember. Be very brief, but write enough so someone who can’t read your mind understands what you mean and I am convinced that you actually did the readings. Remember to cite your source(s) when you paraphrase or quote materials from the readings.

2. Responses – commentary, reflections and thoughts about class material, whether it is class discussion, reading, case studies, etc. These should be your own thoughts and opinions.

3. Assignments – I’ll post specific blog post assignment instructions  here and if necessary I’ll suggest sub-categories and tags.

4. PR Connections – commentary, reflections and opinions about PR issues/examples that were not addressed in class. These can be responses to other PR blogs you read, links to interesting posts or articles, etc. The main difference between this category and “Responses” is that here YOU identify the material to respond to, whereas in “Responses” you write about class material.

5. Blog comments – whenever you comment on someone’s PR blog (whether it’s a PR professional or a PR student), create a brief post with a link to your comment so I can assess your online participation. Do this only for PR-related blogs.

6. Personal – optional category. Use it for any posts not related to public relations.

You may add other categories and sub-categories of your choice. Please keep in mind that when I evaluate your blog I will pay special attention to these categories, but I will not ignore other posts. I will perform a wholistic evaluation of your blog, looking for:

  • professionalism: Clear, correct, thoughtful writing
  • frequency: Sufficient posts in categories 1, 2, and 4 (Assignments will be graded separately). I expect you to jot down reading notes for every class reading and to post at least once a week in category 6, as well as comment on others’ blogs (category 5).
  • linking: Identify other PR blogs (use PR Open Mic or my blogroll in my Delicious bookmarks as starting points) and link to them. Respond to others’ posts. Become a part of the blogosphere. Blogging should not be lonely.
  • readability: brief & concise writing style, use of white space, bold characters, images, bullet points

Questions? Just let me know. 

barbara_is_listening

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE: Many thanks to Dr. V at Clemson University, who allowed me to use her blogging guidelines from her PRinciples class. They were so well-written that I made just a few tweaks for my own class. Dr. V knows that Blogs Matter.

Photo Credit: http://www.aoddesign.com/blog/resources/xmas-wordpress-logo-icons/

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So I Signed Up for WordPress. Now What Do I Do?

So, you signed up for an account at WordPress, and you added an About page. Now what’s next?

FIRST: Let me know your blog address by commenting on PRCA 2330 :: Spring 2009 Student Blogs.

NEXT: How do you go about learning more to create a blog that reflects your personality and style?

Fortunately, WordPress offers many FAQ screencasts to help you with the step-by-step instructions. Here are a few of the best ones to help you get started on the right foot:

And though you may have a good handle on the technical aspects of blogging, remember that the technical side is only part of the blogging equation. Corinne Weisgerber, a professor at St. Edward’s University and fellow PROpenMic member, created this presentation for her Social Media for PR class. The emphasis? How blogging can help you create your personal brand online. Take a look. It’s worth the time.

 

Blogging & Managing your Personal Brand     

View more presentations or upload your own. (tags: commenting identity)

 

Photo Credit: “1/365” uploaded to Flickr by PhotoJonny