Course Title: Public Relations Writing for the Media

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Public Relations Writing for the Media

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

COMM2360

City Campus

Undergraduate

335H Applied Communication

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2008,
Sem 2 2008,
Sem 1 2009

COMM2360

City Campus

Undergraduate

345H Media and Communication

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2014

COMM2364

Hong Kong Management Associatn

Undergraduate

335H Applied Communication

Face-to-Face

Offsh 1 09

COMM2375

RMIT University Vietnam

Undergraduate

335H Applied Communication

Face-to-Face

Viet1 2009,
Viet2 2009,
Viet3 2009

COMM2375

RMIT University Vietnam

Undergraduate

345H Media and Communication

Face-to-Face

Viet1 2010,
Viet2 2010,
Viet3 2010,
Viet1 2011,
Viet2 2011,
Viet3 2011,
Viet1 2012,
Viet2 2012,
Viet3 2012,
Viet1 2013,
Viet2 2013,
Viet3 2013,
Viet1 2014,
Viet2 2014,
Viet3 2014,
Viet1 2015,
Viet2 2015,
Viet3 2015

Course Coordinator: Caroline van de Pol

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3552

Course Coordinator Email: caroline.vandepol@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 9, level 5, City Campus

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Pre/co-requisite is COMM1161 Introduction to Public Relations


Course Description

This course is an introduction to public relations writing, with an emphasis on the reasons for, and approaches to, preparing written PR materials for print, electronic and online media, including social media. You will learn about the basics of professional writing, including technical issues such as punctuation, grammar and editing. You will analyse common PR writing styles and types of media relations “documents”. The course will focus on the importance of accuracy, style/presentation, content/relevance and timeliness; and ways in which practice is evolving in line with technological and social change.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes

You will develop the following program learning outcome:

  • Critically analyse, synthesize and reflect on professional communication in both local and international contexts
  • Communicate using diverse formats and strategies to audiences within and external to your discipline
     


Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to: 

  • apply audience-specific PR writing skills within prescribed deadlines; adopting appropriate style, accuracy, relevance and timeliness 
  • analyse written PR materials in a range of media 
  • discuss the process for completing PR document for the media 
  • critically discuss of current affairs and the news media landscape 
  • reflect on ways in which contemporary and emerging technologies and social influences inform PR writing for the media


Overview of Learning Activities

A weekly lecture will introduce you to the PR writing for the media; writing tools in PR practice; as well as the context for use of writing tools. Tutorials will build on concepts covered in lectures and give you an opportunity to practise writing, familiarise yourself with formats and discuss the media relations situations in which you would use them.

Exercises and assessments will be based on realistic scenarios you could expect to find in practice. There will be both group and individual exercises to further develop ideas based in classes.


Overview of Learning Resources

All communication students are expected to be keen consumers of media. You will be expected to read daily and weekly newspapers and watch and listen to a selection of programs, and be familiar with relevant online resources – all of which will be discussed in class. The majority of reading for the course is from the prescribed texts. Additional reading will be made available via the online learning hub (DLS), which will also be used for selected assessments and class exercises.


Overview of Assessment


You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. Assessment may include written and oral reports, reflective papers, creative projects and presentations, individually and in groups.

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions which are available for review online: http://www.rmit.edu.au/policies/academic#assessment