USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism for Prospective Students The undergraduate degrees at USC Annenberg provide a strong foundation for people interested in working in the communication industries: the media, public relations, advertising, strategic corporate and organizational communication, political consulting, higher education, and many more. USC Annenberg offers three undergraduate degrees: * Communication: One of the most versatile degrees offered at USC, a bachelor’s degree in communication prepares you for professional employment or graduate work. * Journalism: With options in Print & Digital Journalism and Broadcast & Digital Journalism, undergraduate students focus on writing, ethics and the use of new technology in a rapidly changing industry. * Public Relations: Emphasizes communication problem solving, strategic thinking, applied skills and management, rather than communication theory; alumni work in all types of organizations. For more information for prospective students: annenberg.usc.edu

USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism for Prospective Students The undergraduate degrees at USC Annenberg provide a strong foundation for people interested in working in the communication industries: the media, public relations, advertising, strategic corporate and organizational communication, political consulting, higher education, and many more. USC Annenberg offers three undergraduate degrees: * Communication: One of the most versatile degrees offered at USC, a bachelor’s degree in communication prepares you for professional employment or graduate work. * Journalism: With options in Print & Digital Journalism and Broadcast & Digital Journalism, undergraduate students focus on writing, ethics and the use of new technology in a rapidly changing industry. * Public Relations: Emphasizes communication problem solving, strategic thinking, applied skills and management, rather than communication theory; alumni work in all types of organizations. For more information for prospective students: annenberg.usc.edu

USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism for Prospective Students The undergraduate degrees at USC Annenberg provide a strong foundation for people interested in working in the communication industries: the media, public relations, advertising, strategic corporate and organizational communication, political consulting, higher education, and many more. USC Annenberg offers three undergraduate degrees: * Communication: One of the most versatile degrees offered at USC, a bachelor’s degree in communication prepares you for professional employment or graduate work. * Journalism: With options in Print & Digital Journalism and Broadcast & Digital Journalism, undergraduate students focus on writing, ethics and the use of new technology in a rapidly changing industry. * Public Relations: Emphasizes communication problem solving, strategic thinking, applied skills and management, rather than communication theory; alumni work in all types of organizations.

It is important for an organization to have one or more spokespeople who are experienced and can stay calm when communicating during a crisis. Crisis communication is how people know what is going on and it is very important when it comes to public relations. This is why it is important to have an adequate number of spokespeople for your organization because sometimes it isn’t sufficient enough to have just one person doing the talking. It looks better on the public relations side of things if you have more than one who are both on the same page and can effectively speak to the media and people on a face-to-face basis.
There are several things that must be done in crisis communication. It isn’t just a matter of looking at the situation and coming up with a response within five minutes. To give a proper response, it is important to evaluate the situation and follow a certain set of rules to make sure the public gets the adequate information. These steps are:
- Developing and delivering at least three key points about the situation. These messages must be relayed in such a way that everyone can understand what is being said. Sometimes these messages do not have to be anything extensive, depending on the situation. Such an example is when a company is going through a lawsuit. Most companies do not allow commenting on pending litigation, so the spokesperson may simply say, “no comment.”
- Make sure that all employees are up-to-date on what is going on. This creates consistency and allows for adequate response for various situations that may arise during a crisis. Many times this interaction should take place face-to-face instead of in a memo.
- Make sure you identify who can be trusted with information and who cannot be. These can be considered your unofficial spokespersons if they must be asked questions. These are the people who will adhere to what you tell them to say. In crisis communication, it is important to stay sensitive to various pieces of information that could cause an even bigger issue.
- A rumor-control system should be put in place. This means that the system must be up and running, allowing others to ask questions and get immediate answers before they begin communicating their speculations with others. What starts out as a question soon becomes fact when it is passed from person-to-person. This can cause a situation to become much more difficult. Rumors result in new issues that must be given attention. This can take attention away from the issue at hand.
Just make sure that those on the inside know exactly what is going on because they are just as important as those on the outside wanting to know what the crisis is, how it is going to impact them, and how to rectify the situation. It is even fair to develop key messages for employees, but to have key messages that are used for those on the outside as well. It is important to implement a system and a strategy that will not cause any type of mass panic, depending on the situation. Sometimes those situations are limited to a company and other times they can influence an entire population.
Just be sure to not jump the gun. Instead, develop strategies that will relay the message effectively. Both inside and outside communication go hand-in-hand in order for things to run smoothly. This shows that crisis communication in public relations is very important when ensuring the safety of people, their affairs, and of those directly involved with the situation.

Product Description
The Public Relations Practitioner’s Playbook is how-to and hands-on. Theory is woven into thousands of proven techniques, tips, tactics, tools and strategies spread over nearly 600 pages. Explanations, examples and anecdotes are in a language that should appeal to experienced practitioners, college students and organization volunteers who assist with public relations and publicity. “The PR Practitioner’s Playbook” – an anatomy of the public relations profession – relies on my experience as a reporter, editor, public relations counselor, and strategic advisor and evaluator. It demonstrates that successful writers practice their craft with poise and eloquence. It is an extension of the author’s classroom, which many students call, “Litwin’s laboratory for practical knowledge.” As former KYW Newsradio colleague Kim Glovas observed,” Larry’s voice is the voice of this book.” Among those considered mentors – and contributors to this book – are Nick George, former managing editor at ABC Radio News, ABC sportscaster Howard Cosell, KYW Newsradio anchor Bill Bransome, print journalist extraordinaire Everett S. Landers and legendary broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow. They spent countless hours helping the author hone his skills and encouraging me to be an open, honest, thorough and valid (relevant) communicator. They stressed tangible tools, and such attributes as knowledge, loyalty, judgment, trust, credibility, ethics and integrity. “The Public Relations Practitioner’s Playbook” serves as a basic or supplemental text in introduction to public relations and graduate overview courses. It offers a refreshing, down-to-earth approach to which many students are just not accustomed. Strategic advisors refer to it as a “potpourri of proven public relations techniques.” The companion CD-Rom contains, among its many tactics, three PowerPoints® that summarize the 17 chapters.

The Public Relations Practitioner’s Playbook: A Synergized Approach to Effective Two-Way Communication

Product Description
Sport Public Relations: Managing Organizational Communication fills a void in the ever-expanding field of sport management by providing comprehensive treatment of public relations practice within sport. Rather than address public relations only as a means of supporting the marketing function or leveraging the media’s interest in an event or organization, this text recognizes public relations as a function that is integral to many aspects of a sport organization’s goals.

The book covers all aspects of public relations, starting with the basics and progressing all the way through legal and ethical issues that sport public relations professionals encounter. The following are some of the topics covered:

•The purpose of sport public relations programs, the distinction from sport marketing, and the benefits to sport organizations
•A strategic perspective on public relations, addressing issues related to reputation management, fostering desirable relationships with key publics, and campaign planning
•The history of sport public relations and how it is evolving
•The foundations for effective media relations in sport, including information services and organizational media
•The critical need for a crisis communications plan and how to develop and execute such a plan (sample plan is also featured)
•The diverse forms of community relations practice and how such programs can generate revenue for sport organizations
•The diverse forms of public relations practice, encompassing employee, investor, customer, donor, and government relations

Sport Public Relations: Managing Organizational Communication provides the theoretical basis for industry practice as well as guidance on applying those concepts. Through “Insights From a Professional” sidebars, readers learn what sport communication work is like, what tasks and dilemmas they will face, and what opportunities are available in the industry. Other sidebars present real-life examples and historical events that show how sport communication has evolved and the vital role it plays in effective sport management. Numerous illustrations and tables present guidelines, tips, and insights, and the appendixes showcase sample products. Also included in each chapter are objectives, key terms, summaries, and learning activities to help students comprehend the material.

In addition, Sport Public Relations: Managing Organizational Communication presents concepts such as reputation management in sport. It discusses how to manage relationships with key publics using a variety of strategies, including media tactics, audience research methods, community outreach programs, crisis communications plans, and Web technology. Readers will understand the full range of functions within the realm of sport public relations and they will learn how to be proactive and progressive in their public relations practices, which will result in better relationships between sport organizations and their key publics.

Sport Public Relations: Managing Organizational Communication

Product Description
Using dozens of case studies from well-known companies such as General Electric, FedEx, Procter & Gamble, Merck, Boeing, and Intel, Delahaye president and public relations scientist Mark Weiner offers a research-based model for creating and implementing public relations programs that will generate desired results and improve an organization’s ROI. Written as a highly accessible hands-on guide, Unleashing the Power of PR explains how to use market research methods to plan and evaluate public relations programs scientifically. The author explores the benefit of learning to speak to senior executives in a way that will improve communications and ultimately help strengthen PR performance and results. In addition, the book debunks common myths—such as “PR is impossible to measure!”—that undercut the effectiveness of PR and obscure its real value.

Unleashing the Power of PR: A Contrarian’s Guide to Marketing and Communication

Product Description
Is your school or district facing increased competition, diminishing resources, changing demographics, media scrutiny, and declining employee retention?

How to Market Your School is a comprehensive guide that provides school administrators with the essential tools to create a positive public image; attract students, qualified personnel, and volunteers; and build community support through a strategic marketing effort. Author Johanna Lockhart draws on her extensive marketing and public relations experience to cover topics such as:

• School marketing: What it is and why it matters
• Developing a marketing strategy
• Marketing research and database marketing
• Marketing and electronic communication
• Media relations
• Building community partnerships
• Public relations and much more

Although originally intended for public school administrators, How to Market Your School is equally valuable to private and charter schools. It will help principals, assistant principals, business managers, and district administrators apply the knowledge and tools used successfully in the private sector to organize, implement, and maintain an integrated marketing program to achieve their particular goals. Lockhart presents the fundamentals of integrated marketing in clear and concise terms and uses actual case studies to illustrate each aspect of successful school marketing.

How to Market Your School: A guide to marketing, public relations, and communication for school administrators

Product Description
Strategic Writing emphasizes the strategic, goal-oriented mission of good media writing, with clear, concise instructions for nearly 40 types of writing documents. This multimedia, multidisciplinary text covers writing for public relations, advertising, sales and marketing, and business communication. Featuring a spiral binding, numerous examples and a user-friendly “recipe” approach, it is ideal for classroom use.

Strategic Writing: Multimedia Writing for Public Relations, Advertising, Sales and Marketing, and Business Communication

Product Description
This second edition of Erica Weintraub Austin and Bruce E. Pinkleton’s popular text, Strategic Public Relations Management, helps readers move from a tactical public relations approach to a strategic management style. Building on the first edition, it demonstrates skillful use of research and planning techniques, providing updated research methods that make use of the Internet and programs aiding data entry and analysis. This version also expands its focus to communication program planning more broadly. Chapters in the book cover such critical topics as: *creating a framework for planning; *identifying the elements of a campaign; *determining research needs and developing the research plan; *gathering useful data for strategic guidance; *making research decisions; and *applying theory to professional practice. This book is valuable as a text in public relations management and communication campaigns courses, while also serving as a reference for practitioners. It introduces readers to the tools necessary for developing and presenting comprehensive, effective, and accountable public relations plans, ensuring they are well prepared for managing and executing communication campaigns.

Strategic Public Relations Management: Planning and Managing Effective Communication Programs