Introduction to Public Relations Theory: PR Case Study in the News

PR Case Study in the News

PR Case Study in the News: For PR professionals to be successful it's important that they stay informed about what's happening in the news, in our culture, pop culture trends, etc., and to take the opportunity to learn from other companies and organizations about "best practices" for managing PR-related issues, problems, crises, opportunities and announcements.  I'd like to encourage you to start getting in the habit of monitoring the news each day to find interesting and insightful examples of good PR moments and bad PR moments in the real-world.  Examples may come from online or print media sources such as newspapers, websites, TV news reports and talk shows, podcasts, trade publications, magazines, blogs, social medial, etc.  Media outlets I would recommend you start paying attention to include: -The New York Times, The Spokesman Review (local news), The Inlander (local news alternative paper), CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, The Wall Street Journal, People.com, PRWeek (industry trade publication), Mashable.com (technology), Bloomberg Business (business/financial), Advertising Age (industry trade publication), PRSA.org (Public Relations Society of America), and any other outlets catered to your professional interests.  

Periodically throughout the quarter you will be expected to find and post a current PR-related story, or case study that has been reported in the news in the past two weeks.  This is a great opportunity to look more closely at the areas of PR that are of interest to you and also learn about other areas you may not be as familiar with.      Example: A news story about a hot new makeup line a celebrity is promoting, an exciting new movie being promoted, a company undergoing a PR crisis like a product recall, a social media snafu giving a celebrity "bad PR," a nonprofit promoting a great event to raise donations, etc.

Please share and post a brief overview of a real-world PR-related example on Canvas and then respond to at least two other people in the class.  We will then explore the PR examples and discuss the pros and cons of the PR activities involved, what was handled well, what could have been handled differently, etc. Because this assignment is much more detailed than your standard discussion board post it will count toward your "PR Case Studies in the News" category.

PR Case Studies Should Include: 

1) Summary about the PR issue being reported in the news (“Good PR” example, or “Bad PR” example) and the source where it was reported (CNN.com, USAToday.com, etc.) Example: The Associated Press reported that a healthcare facility called Hacienda HealthCare in Arizona is in a bad PR crisis after it was reported in the media that one of its patients (an incapacitated intellectually disabled women), had allegedly been raped by a nurse working at the facility and gave birth to a baby.  The nurse has been arrested and charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of vulnerable adult abuse, according to court records. Source: https://www.apnews.com/2c385edbbf8147cdafee5cbb4cdb3bb8 (Links to an external site.)

2) The organization/company's name involved in the PR crisis/great PR example, mission of the company involved in the PR crisis/great PR example (if you can find it on the company’s website), and purpose (what does the company do in case we aren't familiar with it): Example: Hacienda Heights is a long-term care facility based in Arizona.  The mission of the company is to provide housing and care for disabled residents and seniors. 

3) The key publics, stakeholders, and/or target audiences impacted-stakeholders are the people who can affect or be affected by the organization's actions, objectives and policies (such as employees, investors in the company, community members, partners/vendors that work with the company, etc.) Example: The stakeholders impacted include: other residents housed by the facility, the facility's employees, families of the residents housed by the facility, the woman's family, partners of the facility and the local community.

4) PR strategies and tactics being utilized and any ethical issues (For example, is this being promoted through traditional media, social media, events, etc?) Example: The company is using social media and traditional press (press conferences, etc), to attempt to manage this PR crisis.

5) Examples of statements made by the company in regard to the issue, excerpts from press releases, social media posts, news coverage, etc., that helps highlight how the PR situation is being managed: Example: The company issued a statement to the media in response to the allegations that said x, y and z.  The company also released a statement over its Twitter and Facebook accounts that stated x.  A press conference was also held by the local police department that said the facility was cooperating with local law enforcement.  The public was encouraged to follow the company's website for the latest news and developments concerning the case. 6) Your thoughts on how the situation is being managed from a PR perspective (what you think the company did well, what they could have done differently, etc.), and what recommendations you would make to help the company/person if they were your client and you were the PR professional in charge: Example: I think issuing a statement to the media and allowing the police department to hold their own press conference were both smart moves from a PR perspective.  The company's statement was brief, but to the point and emphasized that the company understood the gravity of the situation, that they were working with local law enforcement and that they were putting new security measures in place to ensure the safety of other residents and to help ensure this wouldn't happen again.  The company attempted to show empathy in its statement without saying too much that could potentially make them even more vulnerable in the event of a lawsuit.  I think it was smart that the company stayed away from having its CEO participate in a press conference as it bought them more time to investigate the situation and how it could have happened.  If I were the PR professional involved I would have also provided a tipline for concerned citizens to call if they had any additional questions, concerns, or tips related to this story of other concerns of abuse and/or neglect.