Public Relations

Welcome

The following information has been gathered in order to help future freshman decide whether or not to chose to study Public Relations. This is a very challenging yet, rewarding major and we hope that this information can be of assistance! Welcome to our page!

History

Public Relations has been around since the time of the ancient Egyptians. In 2,200 B.C., a Pharoah Ptah-hotep, saw the need for truthful communication with his court and people. He also saw that he had to act in a way that was consistent to what he said. The ancient Greeks called it “Semantikos”, which means semantics in English. A definition of semantics is how to make people do or believe certain ideas. This is essentially the basis of Public Relations today. In 50 B.C. Caesar wrote about his military conquests in order to convince the people of Rome that he was best suited to be head of state. This publication was called Caesars Gallic. This type of Public Relations campaign can still be seen today in every political campaign. The first man to ever be in charge of public relations for any government official was St. Augustine. Around 394 A.D., he was a professor at a university in Milan and would write speeches for the Emperor of the Western Empire. This could be considered the equivalent as the Press Secretary for the President of the United States. People continued to follow St. Augustine’s role throughout the ages until finally, in 1903, Public Relations became an official profession. This occurred when a man named Ivy Lee was employed by John D. Rockefeller to advise him on how to convey himself to the public. Rockefeller was a business man with many coal mines and also owned the Pennsylvania Railroad. When the mines were on strike, Ivy Lee advised Rockefeller to visit the mines and sit down with the miners to resolve the issue. When there were train accidents Ivy Lee invited reporters to the site to get the facts for themselves. That was the first time any of Rockefellers businesses received any favorable press coverage. Lee had three main tenants that he used in his line of work that are still the foundation for Public Relations to this day. They were to tell the truth, provide accurate facts, and that the Public Relations director must have access to management in order to be able to influence decisions. A definition of Public Relations according to Lee is “Public relations means the actual relationship of the company to the people and that relationship involves more than talk. The company must act by performing good deeds”.

Education

Major Page at Georgia Southern
GSU Major Page

Academic Adviser
Cameron Rocker
Adviser Page

Bachelor of Science in Public Relations Graduation Plan (126 Hours Total)

Semester One

ENGL 1101 (3 hrs)
Math (3 hrs)
Humanities course ( 3 hrs)
Traditional lab science course w/lab (4 hrs)
FYE 1220 (2 hrs)

Total 15 hrs

Semester Two

ENGL 1102 (3 hrs)
KINS (1 hr)
ENGL 2111 or ENGL 2112 (3 hrs)
Environmental Science w/ lab (4hrs)
HIST 1112 (3 hrs)
IDS 2210 (1 hr)
General Elective (3 hrs)

Total 18 hrs

Semester Three

One Math, Science or Technology elective (3 hrs)
POLS 1101 (3 hrs)
COMM 1110 (3 hrs)
KINS (1 hr)
HLTH 1520 (2 hrs)
General Elective (3 hrs)

Total 15 hrs

Semester Four

ECON 2105 (3 hrs)
HIST 2110 (3 hrs)
COMM 1100—Human Communication or COMM 2330—Communication Research (3 hrs)
General Elective (3 hrs)
JOUR 2331—Intro to Journalism (3hrs)
One Social Science elective (3 hrs)

Total 18 hrs

Semester Five

MKTG 3131—Principles of Marketing (3 hrs)
COMM 2332—Media & Society (3 hrs)
FORL (2000 or higher) or Significant International Content Course (3 hrs)
General Elective (3 hrs)
JOUR 3331—News Reporting & Writing (3 hrs)

Total 15 hrs

Semester Six

GCM 1631— Multimedia or GCM 1321—Desktop Publishing & GCM 1411 (lab) or IT 1430—Web Page Development (3 hrs)
PRCA 2330—Intro to PR (3 hrs)
One theory/law elective course (3 hrs)
MKTG 3132—Principles of Advertising (3 hrs)
General Elective (3 hrs)

Total 15 hrs

Semester Seven

PRCA 3330—PR Writing (3 hrs)
PRCA 4330—PR Research (3 hrs)
One theory/law elective course (3 hrs)
One media elective course (3 hrs)
Upper division PRCA elective (3 hrs)

Total 15 hrs

Semester Eight

PRCA 4339—PR Campaign Strategies (3 hrs)
PRCA 3711/4711—PR Practicum (1 hr)
Upper-division COMS course (3 hrs)
Upper –division PRCA elective (3 hrs)
Upper-division departmental elective (3 hrs)
PRCA 4791 or PRCA 4335 (3 hrs)
Total 16 hrs

Writing Assignments

The ability to write easily, logically, and succinctly is essential for public relations. The object of most PR writing is to grab the reader’s attention, convey information quickly, and invite the media to cover your story. There are many types of writing that you learn about as you progress through your college career in public relations no matter what school you attend.
media alerts :Time-crunched newsrooms appreciate a media alert, a more condensed version of a press release. Ideal for upcoming events or reminders you learn that you must send the alert to media contacts.
Letters to the editor: The editorial page is one of the most-read sections of the newspaper, and a letter can reach many people.
Op-eds :An op-ed is an opinion piece written by an individual who isn’t on the newspaper’s staff. Before writing an op-ed for your paper, learn what topics are of interest to your community.
Media kits :Prepare a special folder that holds general information about Rotary and your club as well as materials tailored to the event.
Fact sheets :Fact sheets provide details about Rotary programs to ensure that journalists have accurate background information. Contributors: Joe Byrd and Shanice Anderson

Research and Writing in the Discipline

In order to be successful in Public Relations you must have if not excellent have extremely good writing skills. Many of the types of writing in Public Relations have to be error free, worded right and grammatically correct. While in college, many of the assignments are actual pieces of writing that will be given in your career. These assignments include but are not limited to; Press Releases, Newsletters, Speeches, Annual Reports, Brochures, Public Service Announcements and Media Alerts. Also typical coursework for public relations majors focuses on such topics as advertising, speech writing, political campaigns, image management, marketing, promotion and public relations writing.

Non Traditional Research and Writing

Blogs

Title Author Publisher Location
Topix Topix LLC Internet
This is a blog that discusses various "PR" field studies.

knowthis knowthis LLC Internet
This blog is about the use of marketing and advertising in "PR".

Rotary.org Rotary International Internet
A blog that discusses the role of "PR" in politics.

Global Alliance PR Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management internet
This blog discusses the managment of "PR" campaigns for various organizations.

Deitle Deitle and Associates, Inc. Internet
This blog is about "PR" education.

PRWEB Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC. Internet
This is a blog dedicated to reaching various parties via the internet.

Blog/Journalistics Journalistics Internet
This is a blog about "PR" in the news media.

PR News Online Access Intelligence, LLC. Internet
This is a blog discussing the lates thing in the "PR" world.

360 PR Blog 360PR Blog Internet
This blog discusses the use of social media in the field.

Listservs

For students who would like to subscribe to listservs they can do so by going to the website listed and subscribing to listservs of their preference or sending a blank email to any of the following :
Colorado State Listserv
This LISTSERV was designed by Colorado State to help assist students major in Public Relations with information on classes, research and job and internship opportunities.

moc.dlrowrp|tseuqer-enilnocpp#dlroW RP – insert subscribe in the subject field of the email
Sponsored by The Public Relations Society of America's Professional Practice Center, this e-mail mailing list is for both members and nonmembers. Subscribe by sending a message to moc.dlrowrp|tseuqer-enilnocpp#moc.dlrowrp|tseuqer-enilnocpp with the word "subscribe" in the body of your message.

ude.iupui.vrestsil|vrestsil#vrestsiL IUPUI – insert prforum in the subject field of the email
This LISTSERV was created by Indiana University to help keep their faculty, students and anyone with an interest in PR updated on programs and professional meetings, committee work, notices of publications and professional activities, part time job opportunities, and new research.

moc.tsileno|ebircsbus-ycnegarppohsllams#ycnegA RP pohS llamS
This LISTSERV is basically a Public Relations e-mail subscription where people in the field collaborate with each other to discuss the status of PR as a whole. Everyone also brings new information to table that could be of some assistance to others in the field.

Publication Manual(s) and Style Guide(s)

The Publication Manual for Public Relations Majors is American Psychological Association or otherwise known as APA. Also most colleges use the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook and Libel Manual as their style guides.

Jobs And Careers

Account Director
Account Executive
Account Manager
Account Supervisor
Campaign Manager
Chapter Relations Administrator
Communications Coordinator
Communications Director
Communications Editor
Communications Representative
Communications Specialist
Copy Writer
Corporate Communications Specialist
Development Director
Development Officer
Director of Development
Director of Public Relations
Editor
Executive Assistant
External Communications Manager
Financial Public Relations Associate
Fundraising Manager
Lobbyist
Major Gifts Officer
Manager
Managing Editor
Marketing Associate
Marketing Communications Director
Marketing Communications Manager
Marketing Coordinator
Marketing Director
Media Coordinator
Media Relations Manager
Media and Communications Manager
Program Coordinator
Public Affairs Specialist
Public Information Assistant
Public Information Officer
Public Information Specialist
Public Relations Director
Public Relations Manager
Public Relations Coordinator
Public Relations Director
Public Relations Manager
Public Relations Specialist
Relationship Manager
Social Media Specialist
Technical Writer
PR JOBS
PR JOBS

Graduate School

If one is to study in the Public relations field graduate school is not always necessary. What is considered to be a necessity in this field is getting an internship and gaining valuable experience on the job. The most common roads a person in the "PR" field studies after the completion of their Bachelors degree is to get a Masters degree in Public Affairs, Public Administration or go to Law School.
The Following is a list of Top Public Affairs Schools and Law Schools:
University of California Berkeley (Goldman)
Berkeley, CA
Harvard University (Kennedy)
Cambridge, MA
University of Michigan Ann Arbor (Ford)
Ann Arbor, MI
University of Chicago (Harris)
Chicago, IL
Princeton University (Wilson)
Princeton, NJ
Duke University (Sanford)
Durham, NC
Carnegie Mellon University (Heinz)
Pittsburgh, PA
Syracuse University (Maxwell)
Syracuse, NY
Indiana University Bloomington
Bloomington, IN
University of Wisconsin Madison (La Follette)
Madison, WI
University of Texas Austin (LBJ)
Austin, TX
University of Southern California (Price)
Los Angeles, CA
New York University (Wagner)
New York, NY
University of Washington (Evans)
Seattle, WA
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
University of Maryland College Park
College Park, MD
University of California Los Angeles (Luskin)
Los Angeles, CA
University of Minnesota Twin Cities (Humphrey)
Minneapolis, MN
George Washington University (Trachtenberg)
Washington, DC
Ohio State University (Glenn)
Columbus, OH
University of Georgia
Athens, GA
University of Kentucky (Martin)
Lexington, KY
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA
Georgia State University (Young)
Atlanta, GA
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Newark
Newark, NJ
American University
Washington, DC
Florida State University (Askew)
Tallahassee, FL
US NEWS

Georgia Southern University

The only graduate program offered by Georgia Southern is a Masters of Public Administration.(M.P.A) This program requires 39 hours of course work.
GSU MPA

Internships

An internship is highly recommeded in the "PR" field. It is way to gain real-world experience in one's chosen career field.
Public Relations Society of America Internships
GSU Internships

References

Page By: Joe Byrd and Shanice Anderson

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