Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations with Event Management, Online PR and Social Media via Online Distance Learning

The Meaning and Development of Public Relations

Definitions of Public Relations; PR's relationship with other Functions/Professions - Advertising; Marketing, etc.; History and Development of Public Relations in Ireland and Globally; Professionalism and Industry Bodies PRII; PRCA; IPR;

Ethical and legal issues

The Principle Ethical Codes which underpin the practice of Public Relations; Legal Issues in Public Relations - Copyright; Libel; Slander; Freedom of Information;

Strategic Process

Situation Analysis; Research; Objectives; Publics; Implementation; Budgets; Timetables; Evaluation; Planning and Managing a PR Campaign;

Public Relations Sectors

Corporate; Consumer; Business to Business; Voluntary Sector; Financial Public Relations; including Communicating Financial Performance; Public Relations during Mergers; Takeovers; Share Offerings; Shareholder Communications; Public Relations' role in the Annual Report Accounts;

Media Specialisations

Technology; Healthcare; Tourism; Environment; Agriculture; Sport;

The Professional Environment

Consultancy Structures; Client Relationships; Pitching for Business; Managing Client Accounts; In-house Departments; Relationships within the Organisation; Preparing an In-house Strategy; Relationship PR Consultants; Managing Staff; Entrepreneurship - Identifying gaps in the Market and Developing services to fill those gaps; launching a new Product/Service;

Public Relations as a Management Function

Public Relations' role in the Organisation - Internal Communication; Communicating Performance; Counselling the Organisation; Strategy; The role of the Public Relations Practitioner; both in-house and in Consultancies; Business Strategy and Operation;

Public Relations Crisis Management

Definitions and Typologies of Crises; The Crisis Management Plan and Crisis Management Team; Communicating in a Crisis; The Aftermath of a Crisis; Reputation Management;
Practical Activity: Develop an Emergency Plan to understand the appropriate steps taken in unforeseen circumstances;

Sponsorship and Community Relations

Definitions and Historical Development of the Sponsorship Market; Why Organisations engage in Sponsorship; Using Sponsorship to Target particular Publics; What can be Sponsored? The fit between the Sponsor and the Sponsored; The Sponsorship Proposal; How Sponsorships fits in to wider Public Relations Campaigns; Evaluating Sponsorships; Why Organisations Engage in Community Relations; The Range of CR Activities;

Political Lobbying

Interest Groups and Lobbying; How to Influence Public Policy; Planning and Managing Lobbying Campaigns; The role of Coalitions; Public Affairs - Integrating Lobbying and Media Campaigns; Involving the Public in Lobbying Campaigns;

Outreach

Managing Relationships with Activist Groups; Coalition Building and Third-Party Endorsements; Working with Trade Associations; Unions; and Charities;

Presentation Skills

Preparation; Content; Structure; Delivery; Visual Aids; Management of Location and Audiences;
Practical Activity: Design and Deliver a presentation to learn different styles and practise your skills in a group environment;

Online PR

The Social Media Landscape

Facebook; Twitter; LinkedIn; Instagram; Snapchat; Blogs; Microblogs; Chatrooms; Email; Flickr; Instant messaging; Message Boards; Mobile Internet ; New Media Releases; Online Conferencing; Online Surveys; Pay per click; Podcasts; RSS; Search Engines; SEO; Social Networking Service Sites; Video Sharing; Virtual worlds; VoIP; Wiki and Widgets;

The Internet as a Media

Commercial Implications of the Internet; Social Interaction with the Internet; Web 2;0 and its Implications; Internet Convergence; the Network Effect; Internet Information Exchange; Internet Audience Size and Exposure; Internet Culture and Communication; Transparency and the Internet;

Online PR building blocks

Online Communications Platforms; Online Communication Channels; Online Communication Mediums; Interactivity and Application of Communication Channels; Policy; Optimisation; Monitoring and Evaluation of Online Communications Channels; Online Communications Channels Planning and Implementation;

Social Media and PR strategy

Local versus Global Communication; Landscaping Platforms; Channels and context; Online PR Organisational Analysis and Segmentation; Developing Online PR Strategies; Online PR Tactics and SEO considerations; Online PR Planning; Managing Online PR Risk and Opportunities;

Media and Media Writing Skills

Mass Media

The elements of the Mass Media in Ireland - TV; National and Local Radio; National and Local Newspapers; Trade Publications; Specialist and Consumer Magazines; the Internet; The functions of different people in the Media;

The Relationship between Public Relations and the Media

What the Mass Media needs from Public Relations; and what Public Relations needs from the Mass Media; The Factors involved in building effective relationships with the Media; Dealing with the Mass Media; i;e; Pitching Stories; Interviews; Press Conferences; Photography; Media Relations in a crisis; Publicity versus Press Relations;

Media Relations

How to Segment Audiences; Serving the Client/Organising and serving the Media; The ?Readership Profile'; Media lists; How to watch Media with publics; The role of Press Releases in public Relations; Creating angles in Press Releases; Identifying the news angle in a story; The role of Photography; The ethics of Media Relations; Evaluating Media Relations; Media Monitoring;

Press Release Writing

Date; Headline; Structure; Wording; Contact Details; Note to Editor; Structuring a Press Release - The Inverted Pyramid Model; The Appropriate use of language for Press Releases; As part of the teaching of this section; students will also cover issues such as; being able to provide reasoning for the Press Release Content; Distribution Lists; additional information to be added for a Press Pack; a description of a Photographic idea and caption; Writing styles for different Media and Publics; Analysing a number of Press Releases and the Media Coverage generated;

Writing Interview Briefs

Preparing Clients for Interviews; Interviewing Styles and Techniques; Audiences; Preparing Questions and Answers; use of Newsworthy Quotes;

Writing for Statements and Speeches

Statements - Tone; Wording; Structure; Clarifications; Speeches - Preparation; Audience; Speech Notes; Structuring of Speech; Use of Language;

Business Material for Public Relations

Writing Proposals; Business Plans; Presentations; Reports;

Writing for Publication

Writing Feature Articles - Structure; Headlines; Awareness of Readership; Use of Language; Writing News Articles; Awareness of the Journalist's agenda; Writing for the Internet;

Grammar: The Basic rules of grammar

The Professional Environment

PR and the Range of Associated Professional Activities; How Public Relations fits into an Organisation's wider communication; Relationships between in-house Public Relations department and the rest of the Organisation; Client relationships; Managing client accounts; and Managing Expectations;

Marketing

Definitions; Historical Development; Market Research and Information; Products; Branding; Marketing Communications; Marketing Segmentation; Marketing Management and Organisation; The role of Public Relations in Marketing Management;

Advertising

Definitions; Historical Development; the Advertising Industry and Professional Bodies; Codes of Practice; Advertising Agencies; Selecting an Agency and working with it; Advertising Campaign Planning and Management; Advertising Media; Types of Advertisements - Magazines; Newspapers; Posters; Billboards; Ambient Advertising; The relationship between Advertising and Public Relations;

Print and Design

Types of Print and Design work in Public Relations; The role of the Project Team; Preparing the Brief; Outsourcing Design and Print Work; and managing that work; Briefing Designers on Content/Parameters;

Suppliers

Dealing with Suppliers - Designers; Printers; Photographers; Exhibition Displays; Video Production Companies; Event Managers; Direct Mail;

Business / Government Environment

Management

Definitions; Decision Making; Forecasting and Planning; Objective Setting; Organisation Structures and Cultures; the Social and Economic Impact of Business and other Organisations; Systems Theory; Motivation;

Public Relations' role within Corporate Management

Management's role in Communicating; PR's function as Management Counsellor; The Internal Communication process in Organisations; The Senior Management Team; The Business Plan; and where Public Relations fits into it; Public Relations' input into Corporate Websites; Corporate Productions - Ideas; Budgets; Commissioning; Managing Subcontracted Work;

Organisations' Impact on Society

The Increasing Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility; Globally and in Ireland; The Ethics of CSR; CSR as an Integral Element of Overall Business Strategy;

Irish Politics and Government

The Relationship between Business; Society and Government; Irish Politics; Economy and Society; The Constitution and Workings of the Political Institutions; The Policy-making process in Ireland; Social Partnership; The impact of the European Union; Regulatory Frameworks;

Event Management

Event Management Planning; Co-ordinating Events; Marketing Events; Event Risk Management; Corporate Event Management; Organising Conferences; Exhibition Management; Sporting Event Management;