CMNS2290 week 10 readings

I believe they key messages from this weeks readings were about:

The main message I got from The Three Commandments of Presenting reading was the need to engage and connect with an audience. This reading was good because it talked through the dos and don’ts of presenting and gave some useful and practical tips. The author’s discussion of his own experiences allowed me to see how important it is to be engaging – if you can’t manage this then you seem to be wasting both your time and your audiences. The second reading (Oral Presentation from the Students Skills Guide) gave a very methodic approach to preparing a presentation. Doing this should ensure that you get the most out of what your discussing. The third reading (Speaking as Part of a Group) covered the advantages of presenting in a group and the outlined how a presentation should be structured. I got some really useful information out of this reading, such as the need to start positively. I’m not sure if agree with the part about not using humour though – from my experience, humour helps to engage the audience and create a connection between presenter and class.

The readings could be applied to my groups work:

The readings will be extremely useful because of the group presentations coming up in a few weeks. I’m one of the people presenting and the readings are definitely things which I will continually refer back to when creating the presentation.

The reading made me think more about PR theory and practice in that it:

Presenting and public speaking is a pretty large part of PR and the readings demonstrated how important it is be engaging and clear when presenting an idea. PR practitioners can be seen as the ‘face’ of a company and are meant to ensure that the best possible image is put forward to all stakeholders. Being able to present and speak to large groups of people in an effective manner will further bolster peoples confidence in your company – if you can’t effectively communicate an idea, then it is likely that your organisation will suffer.

The readings related to the other readings I’ve done in previous weeks:

This week’s readings looked at the need for successful verbal communication, something which is absolutely necessary in all parts of PR (e.g. media and community relations). The reading on crisis management emphasised the need for an organisation to take control of a situation – clear, confident information needs to be given, which is where good presentation and public speaking skills become handy.

CMNS2290 week 9 readings

I believe they key messages from this weeks readings were about:

The Journal of Communication Management reading demonstrated how PR practitioners need to constantly be in touch with their publics. Neglecting community relations can have disastrous effects on a company’s reputation - as demonstrated in the reading, where a lack of communication between the UK construction industry and the general public created a misconception of the industry and organisations. The textbook reading focused on how to write a good newsletter and emphasised the importance of having two way communication – allowing the stakeholders to provide feedback and input. The Baverstock reading was similar to the textbook reading but also provided insight into the structures which need to be in place in order for a newsletter to work. I found the case studies in this reading to be particularly interesting as it allowed me to see a working example of what a good newsletter should do.

The readings could be applied to my groups work:

The readings would obviously be helpful if my group wished to put together a newsletter for Lifeline advertising it’s new ‘talk with someone who cares’ campaign. Other then that, the readings served as a useful reminder to make sure our project has room for community feedback and participation.

The reading made me think more about PR theory and practice in that it:

Organisations and PR practitioners seem to need to be proactive in their work – making sure that community relations are always addressed. Doing this and ensuring that communication is a two way process should make the stakeholders feel as though they are not ‘out of the loop’ in regards to the organisations doings. The reading on construction in the UK demonstrated how destructive a lack of action can be to an industries/organisations reputation.

The readings related to the other readings I’ve done in previous weeks:

In previous weeks, the readings have focused upon the importance of relations with the media, this weeks readings were along the same lines – emphasising the importance of communication with all publics. These readings also related to those centred on strategic planning – it is obviously important to have a two-way community relations plan in place to ensure that key stakeholders are satisfied, putting forward the best possible image of an organisation.

CMNS2290 week 8 readings

I believe they key messages from this weeks readings were about:

The textbook reading was mainly concerned with how to write a successful media release (by successful I mean likely to be noted by journalists). The first online reading (Trends in Online Media Relations) examined the way which PR professionals are using the Internet to communicate with key audiences (namely the media). It further looked at the short-comings of eight different countries in regard to their usage of new media. The second online reading centred around journalist perceptions of PR practitioners. It seemed to be a ‘what not to do’ guide on gaining a journalist’s trust.

The readings could be applied to my groups work:

It is important that we consider the points raised by this weeks readings when putting our project together. The readings demonstrated just how important media relations are – my group will need to take this into account and make sure our project successfully utilises media devices (media releases, internet etc) which will be crucial to our campaigns success.

The reading made me think more about PR theory and practice in that it:

The last reading was really quite eye-opening in terms of how journalists view PR practitioners. It really made me see how important it is to build good relationships with journalists – this seems to be able to be done mainly through good writing and good ethics on the part of the PR practitioner. The readings also made me realise the importance of utilising all of the new media technologies available to an organisation.

The readings related to the other readings I’ve done in previous weeks:

This week’s readings specifically related to week four’s readings on media relations – which emphasised the importance of the media and why/how a PR practitioner should work towards building a strong relationship with them. This weeks reading went a bit more in depth, focusing specifically on the features a journalist looks for in media releases and practitioners.

CMNS2290 week 7 readings

I believe they key messages from this weeks reading were about:

This week’s reading seemed to reiterate a lot of the information which was put forward in previous weeks. The reading provided a detailed overview of what is involved in a standard public relations program. It systematically examined key objectives, target audiences, research, communication and media tools, budget, implementation and finally, undertook a case study of AMPs Olympic Torch Relay PR program plan. In doing this, the reading was able to demonstrate how each of these areas can be used to ensure a successful PR program. For example, using certain media forms to target certain groups of people – when communicating with a local community group, the reading states that it would be more suitable to have face-to-face meetings.

The reading could be applied to my groups work:

This reading is definitely something which my group could benefit from using. It breaks up the PR program planning process into information which is easily understandable and incredibly useful. The reading will allow my group to go beyond our established starting point and will enable us to give our program some real substance. It will further allow us to make sure that we have covered everything our program requires in an effective, successful way.

The reading made me think more about PR theory and practice in that it:

It enabled me to recognise just how much needs to be taken into account when undertaking a PR plan. For example, I hadn’t really thought that much about defining target audiences before (I just saw them in terms of general public, stakeholders etc). However after doing the reading I realised that different companies will have a large degree of audience variation – programs should only look at targeting audiences which will be affected. The AMP case study also showed just how much a well planned, successful PR program can benefit an organisation.

The readings related to the other readings I’ve done in previous weeks:

As previously stated, this week’s readings covered much of the same ground as the readings done in earlier weeks. Though, I think that the textbook reading gives a more detailed, practical approach to the theories/ideas brought up in previous weeks (strategic planning, researching publics, media relations etc) – it allows us to see how these ideas can be directly applied to our own work.

CMNS2290 week 6 readings

I believe the key messages from this week’s readings were, to put it simply, about the need for comprehensive, efficient crisis and issues management. The textbook reading explained how PR practitioners are involved with predicting and identifying potential crises and are furthermore involved in setting up frameworks and guidelines in the event that one of these possible hazards does arise. The Taylor and Kent reading investigated the way which the internet can be used in the event of a crisis. The key message from this reading seemed to centre on the fact that the internet can be used to distributed relevant, helpful information directly to the public, media, stakeholders etc. The Campbell reading explained (in great detail) the necessary roles and structures which a company needs to set up to deal with any issues or crises that may arise. The reading on ‘Direct Relief’ outlined the benefits of having a multi-layered structure in place which is designed to deal with crises (in this case the crises were external of the company).

The key points from the reading could be applied to my group work – it is obviously essential for an organisation to install a plan designed to deal with crisis. My group should consider all the possible hazardous scenarios which could accompany the PR plan which we are undertaking.

The readings made me think more about PR theory and practice – I had never really considered how far in advance crisis plans should be thought about and installed. The readings also made me realise how quickly an organisation needs to take control of the situation (whether it be through the internet, media releases or press conferences) - making their case clear to the media, stakeholders and the public. The ‘Direct Relief’ reading was good as it allowed me to observe how valuable and critical it is to have frameworks and structures in place to deal with situations. Without one, ‘Direct Relief’ would have had much trouble and delay in providing aid to areas struck by natural disasters.

The readings related to the other reading I’ve done in previous weeks – a large part of crisis management seems to be keeping a positive relationship between an organisation and the public, stakeholders and media. This relates to the week 4 and 5 readings, which outlined the importance in maintaining a good relationship with all of company’s publics. If a crisis plan does not address the different publics, then it is likely that the publics will lose confidence in the organisation and may even take their business elsewhere.

CMNS2290 week 5 readings

I believe the key messages from this week’s readings emphasised the need for employee and community relations. The textbook reading outlined the fact that employees are the ‘nuts and bolts’ of a company - keeping them and the community (stakeholders etc) happy and informed seems to be critical for a company’s success. The first of the two case studies (Private Hospitals) showcased how the two-way communication model can be used to ‘add value’ to an organisation and its members. The second case study (immigration) displayed how it is important to build up a good relationship with the community (in this case, the community was secondary schools).

The key points from the readings could be applied to my group work – it is important for all members of the group to communicate and contribute equally. This would hopefully keep everyone happy and allow productive work.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice – it is obvious that keeping company relations positive (both between employers and employees and between company and stakeholders) is a vital priority for PR practitioners and companies. The case study on Private Hospitals was good, as it outlined the research, publics, strategies and implementations which should be undertaken to get the most out of employees, members etc.

The readings related to the other reading I’ve done in previous weeks – this weeks readings expanded on last weeks (media relations). Media relations is a large, important part of PR, however, this weeks readings showed me that employees and community should come first – if you don’t have their support, there can’t be a successful company. The case studies demonstrated the need for strategic planning (as outlined in previous weeks) to fully understand employee and community relations.

CMNS2290 week 4 readings

I believe they key messages from this week’s readings were about:

How important media relations are within public relations - the media are said to make up a large portion of stakeholders within the PR sphere. The online readings highlighted framing and interpretation as well as the relationship between the media, PR and the public sphere. It looked at how the media shapes public opinion and the benefits which a PR practitioner may gain through developing a strategic media campaign. The textbook reading focused on how to build a relationship with the media – the different media styles and how to use PR tools to target these styles.

The key readings could be applied to my groups work:

I think it would be important to identify the types of media which my group need to/intend to work with. The readings could further be applied to my group work by way of which tools could be used to target different media types and how to appropriately use them.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that they:

Helped me to get a better knowledge of how to effectively get a message across to the media, stakeholders and the general public. It demonstrated how important it is to recognise who the targeted audience is and furthermore, what tools are most successful at reaching this audience e.g. media conferences allow a larger number of people (perhaps stakeholders and journalists) to deal with a story. The readings further made me realise the importance of a good relationship between a PR person and the media.

The readings related to the other readings I’ve done in previous weeks:

In previous readings the need for strategic planning and research has been highlighted. This weeks readings further looks at the need to do this – the need to research what media to use to reach key publics and the necessity of planning how to do this (media releases, press kits, feature articles etc).