Examines public relations from a critical perspective, as well as covering best practices for carrying out the PR function, whether inside a company or as a consultant.

1. SCHOOLS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, THE NEW SCHOOL
Syllabus
Public Relations Practice & Critique
Fall 2019
NMGT 2120A, CRN 4019 Instructor: Bonnie McEwan
Thursdays, 6:00 - 7:50 pm McEwanb@newschool.edu
Room 518, 66 West 12th St. Office Hours by
Appointment
917-693-0940
Course Description
Students learn practical skills for conducting public relations campaigns through
traditional and online outlets. They also explore theories of human behavior that help PR
specialists develop campaigns and understand a campaign's effectiveness. Other
readings compare public relations to propaganda campaigns and ethical issues of using
information to manipulate behavior.
Course assignments will focus in two main areas: 1) critical analysis of news stories,
media coverage and popular public relations initiatives, and 2) development of individual
skills, such as writing for multiple formats, crafting strategies and message platforms,
pitching story ideas to journalists and assessing the ROI of PR efforts.
Required Text
Page, J.L. & Parnell, L.J. (2019). Introduction to strategic public relations. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.
Course Outline
Week Date Class Theme and Activities Assignments + Reading Due
Week 1
Aug 29 PR: The Good, The Bad & The
Ugly — Special Unicorn Edition Read Ch 1 & 2 in Page/Parnell
Week 2
Sept 5 PR Ethics — Is the phrase
“Corporate Social Responsibility”
an Oxymoron?
Assignmt Due: Define PR —
hand in during class
Read Chapter 3 & McEwan,
PETA v. SeaWorld, in Canvas.
Week 3
Sept 12 Learning the ROPES, Part 1 —
Research & Planning or “It’s all in
your head.”
Read Chapter 4*

2. Week 4
Sept 19 Learning the ROPES, Part 2 —
Execution & Assessment or “Take
the Narwhal by Its Horn”
Assignmt Due: Issue Tracking
— hand in during class or
email by 6:00 p.m.
Read Chapter 5* & McEwan,
“Working Press: An Analysis of
Media Coverage on Low Wage
Work.” in Canvas
Week 5
Sept 26 Propaganda — What It Is & How to
Spot It or “The Invasion of the Body
Snatchers”
Read Stauber & Rampton, “The
Art of the Hustle and the Science
of Propaganda” in Canvas
Week 6
Oct 3 PR Writing or “What’s in it for me?”
Take-home Midterm Posted in
Canvas; due Oct 17
Read Chapter 6
Week 7
Oct 10 The Media and the Message or “If it
bleeds, it leads.” Read Chapters 7* & 8
Week 8
Oct 17 The New PR Frontier: Sustainability
or “There are no human rights on a
dead planet.”
Distribution of Final Project
Guidelines + Pitching Assign
Instructions
Email your Midterm by 6:00 pm
Read McKenzie, Mohr, et. al.,
“Fostering Sustainable Behavior”
in Canvas*
Week 9
Oct 24 Community Relations & Genuine
Inclusion or “No business is small
when you’re the owner.”
Email your pitch by 6:00 p.m.
Read Chapter 9, pp. 231—241*
and Chapter 11, pp. 275—288
Week 10
Oct 31 Issues Management Unplugged —
Special Trick or Treat Edition
Email your final project topics
by 6:00 p.m. — for approval
Read Chapter 12*
Week 11
Nov 7 PR Skills Inventory & Personal
Branding No reading & nothing due! �
Week 12
Nov 14 Special PR Practice Areas: Arts
Promotion & Social Advocacy,
Sports & Entertainment
Read Chapters 13 & 14*
Week 13
Nov 21
Special PR Practice Areas: Politics
& Public Affairs
Read Chapter 15

3. Week 14
Dec 5 Special Practice Areas: Global PR
& Public Diplomacy
Soundbite Assignment for last class
End-of-Semester Course
Evaluation
Read Chapter 16
Week 15
Dec 12 Soundbite Sharing -- in Class
(Please be sure to show up!)
Email or hand in your final
project �
Learning Outcomes:
1) Students will be able to distinguish between objective news coverage, ethical opinion or
commentary and propaganda. (Weeks 2, 3, 4, 5)
2) Students will be able to identify the four main parts of a public relations campaign and
recognize the components of each. (Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9)
3) Students will be able to identify the core skills required for successful public relations practice
and will have attempted each through course assignments and discussions. (Weeks 2, 4, 8, 10,
11, 12, 13, 14)
4) Students will recognize the relationship between management and public relations, as well as
the ways that relationship changes in relation to time, current events and technological
advancements. (Weeks 2, 3, 7, 9, 14)
5) Students will be able to critically assess media content, taking into account the political,
economic and social influences upon that content and forming their own, more enlightened point
of view. (Weeks 1 through 15)
Assessable Tasks:
1) Class Participation: Students are expected to complete assigned readings prior to each class
session, attend all classes and participate fully in class discussions. This counts as 20% of the
final course grade.
2) Short Assignment 1: Write a succinct, one-paragraph definition of public relations. Due at the
beginning of class on September 5. This counts as 10% of the final course grade.
3) Short Assignment 2: Identify an issue that has been in the news in the past year. Track the
"news arc" (the way that the issue has been reported) of the story over a period of at least four
weeks. Describe in a one-page paper the trajectory of the story during the period covered. (From
whose point of view was the story first presented? Was there an opposing point of view? Did
coverage change over time? How did it change? Why do you think it changed?) Due at the
beginning of class on September 19. This counts as 10% of the final course grade.
4) Short Assignment 3: Imagine that I am a reporter for The New School Free Press. Identify
any newsworthy event, performance, incident or issue that is taking place on campus now or
within the next month. Prepare a “pitch” email telling me why I should write about your topic and

4. suggest possible story angles applicable to my audience. This is due at the beginning of class on
October 24 and will be 10% of the final course grade.
5) MidtermTake-home Exam: Answer three questions of your choice from among six
possibilities. Completed exam should be approximately five pages in length, will be posted in
Canvas on October 3 and is due at the beginning of class on October 17. The midterm is 20% of
the final course grade.
6) Final Project: The final project may be in any area of public relations that is selected by the
student and approved by the instructor. It may take the form of a classic research paper, a video
or audio production, a media analysis, graphics and images, social media initiative, opinion piece,
speech or unusual creative format. Ideas and guidelines for projects will be discussed in class; a
list of project ideas appears at the end of this syllabus. Topics for final projects must be approved
by the instructor no later than October 31. Projects are due at the beginning of the last class on
December 12. The final project counts as 20% of the final course grade.
7) Soundbite Assignment: Called "The Two Sentence Takeaway." Each student will prepare a
soundbite no longer than two sentences (approximately 10 seconds) highlighting the most
valuable thing(s) they will be taking away from this course. Students will share their takeaways
with one another during the last class session on December 12 and hand in written copies to the
instructor. The takeaway counts as 10% of the final course grade.
Final Grade Calculation
Short Assignments 1, 2, 3: 10% each
Midterm: 20%
Final Project: 20%
Class Participation: 20%
Two-Sentence Takeaway: 10%
Course Policies
Participation Policy
Class participation is an essential part of class and includes: keeping up with reading, coming to
class regularly and on time, contributing meaningfully to class discussions, and active
participation in group work.
Late Work and Makeup Policy
Papers and projects that are turned in after the due date will be penalized one-half grade.
Assignments turned in more than one week after the due date will be penalized a whole grade.
The instructor will not accept assignments more than two weeks after the initial due date.
Extra Credit Policy
The course format offers ample and varied opportunities for students to demonstrate their mastery
of the course content (see Assessable Tasks above). Therefore the instructor will not accept
additional, student-proposed assignments for extra credit.
Required Reading

5. Page, J.T. & Parnell, L.J. (2019). Introduction to public relations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Available at Barnes & Noble on Union Square or online, to buy or rent, in paperback or as an
ebook.
Several supplemental readings will be placed in Canvas e-Reserves or handed out in class.
These are noted in the Course Outline above. Details on accessing these readings will be
provided in class.
Materials and Supplies
Students should be prepared to take notes during class, either manually or on a laptop or other
device. Students should have access to a computer with internet capability to complete some
assignments. Computers are available in the various computer labs on the campus.
Resources
The course will feature at least one guest speaker who may provide handouts and materials
related to the discussion topic. Students will also have the opportunity to interact with speakers
following their presentations.
UniversityPolicies
● RESPONSIBILITY
Students are responsible for all assignments, even if they are absent from class. Late papers,
failure to complete the readings assigned for class discussion, and lack of preparedness for in-
class discussions and presentations will jeopardize your successful completion of this course.
● PARTICIPATION
Class participation is an essential part of class and includes: keeping up with reading, coming to
class regularly and on time, contributing meaningfully to class discussions, and active
participation in group work.
● ATTENDANCE
The New School adheres to a Zero Tolerance Policy regarding absences and requires all credit
students to attend every class. Any unexplained absence will adversely affect your grade If a
credit student has more than two unexcused absences, the grade will be lowered. If a credit
student misses two consecutive classes, the instructor will notify the Coordinator of Academic
Student Services (212.229.5615).
●CANVAS
Use of the online Canvas system, accessible through your MyNewSchool account, is an important
component of class. Participation in periodic online assignments and discussion groups may be
required. However, such participation is not a substitute for active involvement during class time.
● DELAYS
In rare instances, the instructor may be delayed arriving to class. If s/he has not arrived by the
time class is scheduled to start, you must wait a minimum of thirty minutes before leaving. In the
event that the instructor will miss class entirely, a sign will be posted on the classroom door.
● PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism or cheating of any kind in the course of academic work will not be tolerated.
Academic honesty includes accurate use of quotations, as well as appropriate and explicit citation
of sources in instances of paraphrasing and describing ideas, or of reporting on research findings

6. or any aspect of the work of others—including that of instructors and other students. These
standards of academic honesty and citation of sources apply to all forms of academic work:
examinations, essays, theses, computer work, art and design work, oral presentations, and other
projects. The New School adheres to a Zero Tolerance Policy regarding plagiarism. Plagiarism
will result in an F in the course at the discretion of the instructor and in accordance with the
University's policy on plagiarism (see Student Handbook). Students should purchase A Writer's
Reference by Diana Hacker, available at most book stores, for information on proper citation
format.
● INCOMPLETES
New School policies state that “a grade of “incomplete” may be assigned by an instructor at
his/her discretion.” This instructor rarely gives incompletes and will consider doing so
ONLY if a student has a serious, ongoing medical problem or a documented emergency
within his/her immediate family.
● STUDENT DISABILITY SERVICES
In keeping with the University's policy of providing equal access for students with disabilities, any
student with a disability who needs academic accommodations should contact the office of
Student Disability Services on the 3rd
floor of 80 Fifth Avenue. All conversations will be kept
confidential. Students requesting any accommodations will also need to meet with the office of
Student Disability Services, who will conduct an intake, and if appropriate, provide an academic
accommodation notification letter. The direct line is (212) 229-5626 x3135. You may also access
more information through the University's web site. You may also find more information at:
http://www.newschool.edu/studentservices/disability/.
CHOICES FOR FINAL PROJECTS -- PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICE & CRITIQUE
Fall 2019
Projects to do solo or, if you wish, in teams of 2 people:
1) Make a short video (2 - 3 minutes) on any subject (other than porn). Upload it to YouTube or a
similar outlet. Promote it and see how many views you can get. Try for at least 50 views. You
must hand in a two to three page explanation of the strategy upon which the video is based,
how you evaluated its success and the results you obtained, along with the link(s) to the video
online.
2) Do the same as above, only make a podcast of about 5 - 7 minutes. Upload it to iTunes or
other podcast site. Promote it and try to get at least 50 downloads. You must hand in a two to
three page explanation of the strategy upon which the podcast is based, how you evaluated its
success and the results you obtained, along with the link(s) to the podcast online.
3) Choose one of the following organizations: EarthCam Network, Trump World Tower,
Roundabout Theater, Treatment Action Group (TAG), Last Call by Neiman Marcus, Amateur
Night at the Apollo, the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or any of the 40
NYC restaurants you’ll find on this website — https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-cheap-eats-nyc.
Based on the information you find about the organization online, in traditional media or in
person, outline a complete PR strategy for it. Use the ROPES format we discussed in class.
Don’t be general. Make specific suggestions and offer ideas that apply to the organization you

7. choose. (ROPE = Research, Objectives, Program, Evaluation, Stewardship). Your finished
strategy should be between 7 and 10 pages, double spaced.
4) The New School recently completed a university-wide climate assessment, which is a survey
designed to assess people’s experiences and perceptions of diversity and inclusion on
campus. An executive summary of the resulting report was recently distributed by the
president, David Van Zandt.
Read the summary report (uploaded to our course site in canvas) and prepare a 5 to 7 page
paper that does the following: a) points out the strengths of the university climate, as described
in the report, b) points out the weaknesses of the university climate, as described in the report,
c) notes whether you agree or disagree with that view of the university’s strengths and
weaknesses and why, and d) suggests at least three big PR ideas that The New School might
implement in order to fairly present the results of the assessment to the various university
audiences and the public. (Note that you will have to identify and describe the various
audiences the university needs to reach before you can develop the PR ideas.)
5) There are a number of well-known people and institutions whose reputations have suffered in
recent years due to a scandal. Choose one of the following and develop a PR campaign to
help rebuild their reputation: H & M for putting a visual of a monkey on a hoodie worn by a
black child model, Ed Razek of Victoria’s Secret for his comments about models who are plus
size or transgender, the data breach at Dunkin Donuts, Jussie Smollet for reporting a fake hate
crime, another person or organization that you select and have pre-approved by the instructor.
Explain your strategy in a paper that is between 5 and 7 pages, double spaced.
Projects to do solo:
1) Interview 2 public relations professionals, each of whom works in a different area of PR.
(Examples include a PR firm account executive, a speech writer, someone who works in the in-
house PR department of a corporation or nonprofit group, a freelance PR pro, a video
producer, a social media or digital media manager, a graphic designer, a crisis management
professional or an editor of an organization newsletter.) Ask each person to identify the three
main skills that s/he uses in her/his job and find out how those skills are applied in the person’s
daily work. Compare and contrast their answers in a paper that is between 5 and 7 pages,
double spaced.
2) Interview a traditional journalist, such as a newspaper reporter or a television producer, and a
non-traditional journalist, such as a blogger or an online content curator. Ask each person to
identify the three main skills that s/he uses in her/his job and find out how those skills are
applied. Compare and contrast their answers in a paper that is between 5 and 7 pages, double
spaced.
3) Choose one of the following organizations: the Apple Store, Sephora, Girls Inc. of NYC, the
Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club or Urban Outfitters. Write a news release for the organization’s
event, product or service. Search the net for the names of appropriate reporters or bloggers to
send the release to and create a media list of at least 25 outlets, with the reporters’ names and
contact information. You must hand in the release and the media list as your final project.
4) Choose 3 different organizations or companies that have a social media policy posted online.
Compare and contrast the policies, identifying which elements they have in common and which
ones seem to be unique to the organization. Come up with a theory to explain the unique

8. elements -- why does a particular organization need that particular policy provision? Explain
your theory in a paper between 5 and 7 pages, double spaced.
5) Identify an issue you care about. (Examples: HIV infection rates, racism in America, organ
donations, domestic violence, global poverty.) Create a music playlist of at least 10 songs on
iTunes or similar service that raises visibility for the issue and/or advocates for your preferred
solution to a problem. Alternately, you can create a playlist on a thumb drive and turn that in for
your final project. Your playlist must be accompanied by a 3 to 5 page explanation of the
strategy behind each of your song selections.