Strategic Communication Plan

ASSIGNMENTS

Your grade will be based on the following criteria:

· Research-Writing Project (50% of grade). You are required to write a 15- to 20-page paper (double spaced) using one of the following two options: (1) a research paper proposal pertaining to one aspect of media and politics or (2) a strategic communication plan for a local political candidate or organization. The research paper proposal/communication plan must use 12-point font with one-inch margins.

· Strategic Communication Plan: This option will require you to write a proposed communication plan for a local politician or political organization that will be active in the upcoming election. For example, your communication plan could be written for a congressperson from the Baltimore region who is seeking re-election; a candidate for a city or county-wide office; a group like Common Cause Maryland or the Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association; or any other person or group other than your place of employment that plans to be involved this election year. I must approve the proposed candidate or organization before you begin working on the project. The strategic communication plan must include the following elements: (1) a brief biography of the candidate or organization; (2) a clear statement of the office the candidate is seeking or the specific race(s) the group is trying to influence; (3) the issues the candidate or group will be promoting; (4) the main goal of the communication strategy; (5) information about the targeted audience the candidate or organization hopes to reach; (6) the main message of the candidate or organization; (7) the resources the candidate or organization has to fund its communication plan; (8) the media strategy to connect the candidate or organization to its intended audience; (9) the action plan for how the communication strategy will be implemented; and (10) how you will evaluate the effectiveness of the plan during the course of the campaign. The communication plan must include a bibliography that lists all the sources used in the research for the project, such as campaign finance forms, candidate or organizational websites, survey data, or any other sources (journalistic, governmental, or scholarly) consulted. This option is designed for those of you who are (a) planning to choose the graduate professional project as your final assignment toward graduation; (b) pursuing a career in political communication; and/or (c) looking for additional opportunities to hone your public relations skills in a professional environment.

· First Steps: You should develop an idea for your Research-Writing Project by February 21, when you are required to email me a three- to four-paragraph proposal that explains the research paper topic, political candidate, or political organization you plan to research and what sources of information you plan to use. The research paper proposal should focus on a very narrow topic and be as specific as possible. The candidate or political organization you choose must be a real person/organization that is planning to run for office or be active during the current election cycle. In many cases, your first (and possibly your second and third) proposal will either be rejected or you will be asked to narrow your focus or clarify the purpose of your research. Therefore, it is imperative that you meet the February 21 deadline so that you have time to revise your proposal in the preceding weeks. Your term paper topic or communication plan proposal must be approved by me no later than March 6 or your final grade will be penalized by at least one letter grade. I reserve the right not to accept any paper that either (1) did not receive final approval from me or (2) received my approval after the March 6 deadline. The Research-Writing Project will be worth 50 percent of your final grade. The project must be submitted to Blackboard by 11:59 p.m. on May 7. This is a semester-long project, and I will expect semester-long quality. Please do not wait until the last one or two weeks to work on this paper.