See attachment
Ashanti Hardy
BUS 300 Public Relations
Dr. Tenielle Buchanan
October 30, 2022
BUS300 PR Plan Part 1 Outline
Your paper should have a section with the bolded headers below. Ensure you have a section that discusses each of these:
Name of organization
The United States-based publication Rolling Stone magazine is a news magazine that covers articles on current events relating to music, contemporary culture, and politics. Jann Wenner and Ralph J. Gleason laid the groundwork for the establishment of the organization in 1967 in the city of San Francisco, California. The first thing that brought the organization to public attention was its publication of news regarding rock music and politics. The company's objective and purpose are to produce great material that sheds light on the culture of modern time and to tell extraordinary tales.
However, the primary focus of the corporation is on publishing quality news for its clients (Rolling Stone, 2018). The purpose is to make it easy for people to receive their news coverage in any format they like, be it print, video, social media, internet, or events. This includes providing in-depth interview sessions, album reviews, political analysis, and award-winning reporting. As per Dinsdale (2019), Rolling Stone is a well-known magazine that has over 670,000 paid memberships and has a target readership of young adults who are getting closer to their Middle Ages. The occurrence that led to the organization receiving unfavorable publicity is the topic of discussion in this paper.
Negative Publicity
The event that caused Rolling Stone Magazine to receive negative publicity and become embroiled in a scandal occurred when the publication was served with a defamation lawsuit in 2016. This came about because one of the magazine's authors had written an article in 2014 about a brutal rape that took place at the University of Virginia that the magazine later published, despite the fact that it was proven to be inaccurate (Shapiro, 2016). Nicole Eramo, a former assistant dean at the University of Virginia, filed a lawsuit against Rolling Stone magazine for publishing an article that she claimed defamed her by portraying her as uninterested to the plight of sexual assault survivors. Eramo argued in court that the article misrepresented her. The reporter was judged to be liable for labeling the former dean by publishing false material, which caused the organization to spend large costs in the resolution in the form of compensation to the plaintiff. The jury came to this conclusion after hearing testimony from all sides of the case.
The audience would lose trust in the news the magazine provided as they began to have doubts about the veracity of the material they disclosed to the public, which would result in bad publicity for the magazine. This incident tarnished the institution, which would have an impact on their ability to continue publishing news since their media reports created skepticism. Additionally, no one wished to be affiliated with the institution due to the bad reputation it had developed after having lost the defamation lawsuit that was filed against it. The public had many questions regarding the veracity of the news pieces that the publication had published as a result of their claim that gang rape was untrue. It became challenging to believe that the magazine was a reliable source of accurate news.
Specific Goals
My campaign for this institution will have multiple aims. Priority number one is to repair the damage done to Rolling Stone's reputation as a result of the defamation suit. In order to accomplish this, they will need to convince the general public that the writer at fault in the defamation lawsuit is an outlier and that the actions of one employee are not indicative of the company as a whole. To accomplish this, it will be necessary to shed light on the history of the organization and demonstrate that it had not previously been linked with publishing misleading information; instead, they will need to explain that this was an understandable mistake that they greatly regret and guarantee the citizenry that it will never occur again. The second objective would be to restore readers' faith in the magazine by issuing an official apology through the media and ensuring readers that the reporter will be fired and barred from contributing in the future if she is found to have reported inaccurate material. The achievement of these objectives will be essential to restoring the reputation of the firm.
Steps
I would take a number of actions to try to repair the institutions' reputation and alter how the public views the institution in the wake of the incident. The first step would be to make a public statement explaining Rolling Stone magazine's stance on the situation. After that, it will apologize for publishing information that was later found to be false and give the public its word that it won't happen again. The second action would be to distance itself from the author who leaked incorrect material through the magazine and damaged its reputation with the general public. The third action would be to compensate the plaintiff for her losses and extend a formal apology to her in order to demonstrate the magazine's sincere concern for what transpired. The next stage is for the corporation to take the precautions required to verify the veracity of each and every story submitted by their writers prior to it being published in the magazine. Regardless of the harm created by the controversy, the audience is likely to rebuild their confidence in the news produced by the magazine if the institution is scandal-free for a lengthy period.
Six Ethical Values
A public relations professional's conduct during a crisis should be guided by the six guiding ethical principles of “honesty, fairness, advocacy, independence, loyalty, and expertise.” For a public relations practitioner to be trustworthy, they must treat their clients and the public with the utmost respect and always tell the truth. In order to protect the organization's reputation, I must be honest in the information I provide to the public. Fairness entails treating others fairly and taking into account their viewpoints. That means I have to respect the citizenry's right to express their opinions and my clients' freedom to voice their opinions, even if I disagree with them, as I work to change the public's impression of the magazine.
When advocating on behalf of a client, a PR professional must operate in the public interest by zealously defending that client's position (“The Arthur W. Page Center,” n.d). In this scenario, the correct thing to do would be to offer Rolling Stone a voice in the public discourse about what transpired and to persuade the public to give the magazine another chance to fix its mistakes, just as they should have done for their client. To be really independent, a lawyer must be able to offer their clients impartial advice. To be loyal means to be devoted to the people we speak for while also fulfilling our obligation to the general public. Expertise as a core principle necessitates those public relations practitioners seek out and responsibly apply specialized skills and knowledge to serve the requirements of their clients as well as the public interest.
The internal shareholders who will be impacted by my actions are the investors, whose investment results in the magazine will depend on how the public reacts to the situation. If the campaign succeeds in convincing the audience to trust the magazine, the publication will be able to re-establish its stability. The staff will also be impacted, as they run the risk of losing their employment and income if the public reacts poorly and the magazine's performance declines. The general public is one of the external shareholders who will be influenced by the decisions I make; due to the effect the result will have on their confidence in the magazine to offer trustworthy news.
Evaluation Plan
An evaluation strategy is essential for measuring and monitoring the results of my effort to help Rolling Stone magazine reach its objectives. Using the public's participation on social media to gauge the effect of my campaign on readers' opinions of Rolling Stone will be crucial. By analyzing their feedback and explaining how my campaign's elements combined to get the desired result, I will determine if my efforts have been successful. This is crucial for me to see where my campaign is lacking and how to motivate my supporters to take action. The results of the market research will show whether or not the public's opinion of Rolling Stone magazine has altered as a result of my attempts to persuade them that, notwithstanding the error made by one individual they no longer deal with, the corporation still exhibits integrity in its processes.
Conclusion
The defamation litigation had a huge influence on the image of Rolling Stone magazine, causing severe damage to the firm's operation. Internal and external shareholders were harmed by the unfavorable public opinion emanating from the case. Therefore, it became imperative for the organization to hire a public relations expert to assist in restoring its credibility. Explaining what occurred to the public, accepting responsibility for what occurred, and reassuring the public that it will not occur again is one approach for the institution to convince the public that it deserves a chance to demonstrate that it has more favorable than negative attributes. It is vital to keep monitoring the effect of the efforts that have been made in order to determine what additional steps might be taken to attain the intended outcome. If the procedures outlined above are successfully performed, it is likely that Rolling Stone magazine will be able to recover from the damage done to its reputation.
Sources
1. Dinsdale, J. (2019). Magazine Comparison: XXL and Rolling Stones. https://sites.psu.edu/jboylesummerdays/2019/07/26/magazine-comparison-xxl-and-rolling-stones/
2. Rolling Stone (2018). Welcome to the New Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rolling-stone-magazine-website-redesign-relaunch-666820/
3. Shapiro, R. T. (2016). The jury finds reporter Rolling Stone responsible for defaming U-Va. dean with gang rape story. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/jury-finds-reporter-rolling-stone-responsible-for-defaming-u-va-dean-with-gang-rape-story/2016/11/04/aaf407fa-a1e8-11e6-a44d-cc2898cfab06_story.html
4. The Arthur W. Page Center (n.d). The PRSA Code of Ethics. https://www.pagecentertraining.psu.edu/public-relations-ethics/professional-codes-of-ethics/lesson-2-tbd-waiting-on-edits/features-of-the-prsa-code-of-ethics/