OVERVIEW

The course of Public Relations will acquaint students with basic concepts associated with the field of public relations from its goals to the tactics utilized to accomplish the objectives. Along with the historical perspective, this course is designed to introduce students to the latest principles and techniques of public relations in the digitally connected and socially responsible world. The students will be able to understand different channels of communication used and the various publics in public relations. Emphasis will be on the public relations process and such activities that bring out students creative problem-solving talents and help them. The course intends to inculcate the skills of persuasive communication with ethical consideration.

Through mini public relations campaign, the students will get an opportunity to practice some of the strategies and tactics that public relations practitioners have actually used in their campaigns.

The course is designed for the specialization class of BS program (Regular, SSI and Ex-Lhr) enrolled in the seventh semester. 

PRE-REQUISITE

There is no pre-requisite for this course.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Following are the objectives of the course:

1. To apprise the students about the fundamental concepts of Public Relations related to its goals, and scope.  
2. To develop an understanding of the difference of Public relations with other fields of journalism associated with persuasive communication.
3. To acquaint students with the latest strategies and tactics used in public relations for target publics in the digitally connected world.
4. To inculcate the ethical and legal responsibilities of public relations practitioners in the students.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Recognize the importance of Public Relations in the globalized world.
2. Appreciate the urgency of utilizing Public Relations tools and tactics for developing sustained relations with the targeted public.
3. Know the difference between public relations, journalism, marketing and advertising.
4. Become familiar with the process of Public Relations for designing campaigns.
5. Understand the significance of ethics while designing persuasive communication strategy for public relations. the different audiences to which PR writing is addressed.

READINGS

1. Wilcox, D. L., Cameron, G. T., & Reber, B. H. (2016). Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics. Updated eleventh edition. ed.
2. Newsom, D., & Haynes, J. (2008). Public Relations Writing: Form & Style (Eighth ed.). Belmont, CA, United States of America: Thomson Wadsworth.
3. Smith, R. D. (2003). Becoming A Public Relations Writer: A Writing Process Workbook for the Profession (Second ed.). London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers
4. Hendrix, J. A., Hayes, D. C., & Kumar, P. D. (2012). Public Relations Cases. Cengage Learning.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction to Public Relations, definitions and its scope
2. Functions of Public Relations
3. A Historical Perspective: A brief history of PR in general with special reference to Pakistan.
4. Difference between PR, Advertising, and Propaganda
5. Persuasion and Propaganda  
6. Techniques of Propaganda
7. Ethics of Public Relations
8. Publics of Public Relations
9. Tools of Public Relations
10. Process and Models of Public Relations
11. Digital Public Relations

PRESENTATIONS

Students would be assigned a topic for presentations in which they would be required to design a mini public relations campaign according to the topic assigned.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

• Mid-Term- 30
• Final-Term- 50
• Sessional: 20 Marks
  • Presentation: 15 Marks
  • Assignments and Quizzes: 5 Marks

RULES AND REGULATIONS

• All students MUST maintain an attendance of 75% in the course
• Students would not be allowed to sit in the class after ten minutes of class starting time.
• Keep your cell phones and laptops turned off during class. Be courteous to others and avoid unnecessary disruptions.  
• Students are expected to participate actively in class discussions.
• Submit your assignments on time. Late submissions will not be accepted.  
• All assignments must be typed (1.5 spacing; 12 font size) and proofread. Use standard formatting guidelines (choose any standard and stay consistent).  
•  Use emails for quick administrative communication only. For content and other course related issues, please see me after class or during office hours. 
• The exams and quizzes cover everything from class lectures to assigned readings. They will have MCQs, short answer questions, and essay-based questions.
• All grades are final. Please do not expect any grace points or extra credit options.

COURSE ETHICS

Students are expected to abide by the rules of academic and personal honesty. Serious ethical violations include cheating, plagiarism, reuse of essays, improper use of the Internet and electronic services, alteration of graded essays, forgery, lying, and unfair competition.

IMPORTANT DATES

COURSE COMMENCED ON 12-10-2020

COURSE ENDED ON 08-02-2021

TIME TABLE

BS VIII REGULAR                        WED-THU                         11:00-12:30 PM

BS VIII SELF SUPPORT              WED-THU                           2:00-3:30 PM

BS VIII EX-LHR                            WED-THU                            3:30-5:00 PM