Week Three

I believe the key messages from this weeks readings were…that research is the first and probably the most important part of the process, and is ongoing throughout the whole PR campaign. A campaign has little hope of being successful without knowing, firstly, what the aims and goals of the client organization are, and secondly, without researching the most effective ways to implement the plan. Basically, all the information you would gain from a SWOT analysis is the starting point to knowing what methodologies to employ for a certain company in a certain environment.

The key points in the readings could be applied to my groups work in that…I’d never even heard of our client organization before. This in itself requires research to find out what it is they actually do and/or offer. I think that since our client organization is such a huge international company there are definitely some campaign tactics that we can rule out straight away. Our group hasn’t had the initial meeting with the client yet, but even after browsing the website it was clear to me that there are some areas that stand out as needing a lot of PR work done.

The readings made me think more about PR theory and practice in that…a detailed and intimate knowledge of your client organization is essential to devising which means we use to get to their hoped for end. The research may be the boring part but it is integral to creating a plan that will put the focus back where it’s needed.

The readings related to the other reading I've done in previous weeks in that…the research coincides with the strategical planning the whole way along. Events happen, situations change and continuous research is needed to keep on top of it all. The information gathered and discussed by numerous people will also have been thought through more thoroughly, (wow, that was even confusing to type) which demonstrates the importance of team work in public relations practice.

Required reading for Week 3:

1. Please ensure you read through this information/Workshop on Using the Internet for Research - Students should note that the information and skills covered in this online workshop will stand them in good stead in other courses and in their work environments.
2. Singh, R. & Glenny, L.. (2004) Research and Evaluation. In J. Johnston & C. Zawawi (eds.), Public relations: theory and practice (pp. 137-168). Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
3. Plowman, K.D. (2005) Conflict, strategic management, and public relations. Public Relations Review, 31(1), 131-138.

Week Two

I believe the key messages from this weeks readings were… that a hands on, strategic approach to public relations is the only way to realistically prepare for the challenges and obstacles that one could face in professional practice these days. Strategy is the basis from which everything else grows in public relations. Without it there is uncertainty, distrust, and floundering action without a backup plan. Goals and aims are not met unless a strategic approach is utilized. This is where group work comes into play. Once a strategy is decided upon then a functional group is needed in order to carry it out to the end. Without a group that can work as a team and trust and depend upon one another the strategy is useless.

The readings made me think more about PR theory and practice in that… the whole process is completely integrated and if one part of the process fails then the rest comes falling down after it. There is no such thing as an individual success when you’re working as part of a functioning unit. Everyone needs to do well in each their own aspect of the strategy otherwise the whole group is pulled down.

Required reading for Week 2:

1. Allert, J. and Zawawi, C. (2004) Strategy, Planning and Scheduling. In J. Johnston,& C. Zawawi (eds.), Public relations: theory and practice (pp. 169-196). Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
2. Group work and Collaborative Writing - find this reading in Course Documents.
3. Introduction to Problem Based learning - see Course Documents

Week One

Hi All,

I'll be posting my reflections on the required readings here every week and encourage any comments or feedback :)

Thanks.