MPPR 750 analyzes the intersection of “offline” and “online” public relations in the United States, examining the underpinnings and basics of public relations and how and where it intersects with the world of monitoring and influencing stakeholder opinion in the online environment. It will also place a great deal of emphasis on
measurement – how to you prove success, or plot a path forward for achievement? In the first half of the semester, students will focus on the “basics” of public relations; how it functions within organizations, its historical origins, what’s it like to do it for a living, its theoretical underpinnings, how ethics and professionalism apply, and finally how public relations fits together: communications, public opinion and the media. In the second half of the semester, students will learn how new Internet based tools like blogs and attack Web sites intersect with traditional public relations and will learn the theory and practice of public relations in a networked world. Students will also get “hands on” experience monitoring and assessing public opinion of a corporation or issue, as well as creating their own tools to that help make up the landscape of public opinion.