Answer Key for Review and Discussion

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Answer Key for Review and Discussion Questions Chapter 1 1.How many people are estimated to work in public relations around the world?•The Global Alliance estimates that 3 million people worldwide practice public relations as their main professional activity.

2.Is public relations growing as a field in terms of employees and revenues?•Yes, public relations is a growing field and it is expected to continue to grow because of the increasing number of students majoring in public relations. In addition, American organizations spend an estimated $3.7 billion annually on public relations and related ventures, which continues to grow as well.

3.What key words and phrases are found in most definitions of public relations?•Key words or definitive phrases for the profession include: deliberate, planned, performance, public interest, two-way communication, and management function.

4.What does the acronym RACE stand for?

•The four phases of a public relations campaign are: research, action,

communication, and evaluation.

5.Public relations is described as a loop process. What component makes it a loop rather than a linear process?•The feedback loop is indicative of effective two-way communication.

6.Review the description for a public relations specialist on page 4. Did it change your initial perception or public relations as a field?•Student answers will vary. As underscored in the text, an organization’s reputation, profitability, and its continued existence can depend on the degree to which its targeted public supports its goals and policies. Students should be able to describe how this description contrasts with their readings in Chapter 1.

• What are the components of basic public relations practice? Which one sounds the most

interesting to you as a possible career specialty?•Roles for practitioners include counseling, government affairs, employee relations, media relations, special event planning and fund-raising. There is tremendous breadth to public relations work.

• What other terms are used by organizations to describe the public relations function? Do

you have any preference for any of them? Explain.Public Relations Strategies and Tactics 11e Dennis Wilcox, Glen Cameron, Bryan Reber (Answer Key All Chapters, 100% Original Verified, A+ Grade) 1 / 4

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.•Some euphemisms for public relations are: public affairs, government affairs, corporate relations, and corporate public affairs; the most popular is corporate communication.

• How do you think portrayals of various careers in films and television are negative or

positive?•Most television programs and movies project a negative and inaccurate image of public relations. These programs generally stereotype public relations workers as “flacks” or “spin doctors” that are not professional and basically “schmooze” in their jobs. Public relations appears to be extremely glamorous work through the aforementioned portrayals. However, the actual work involved in public relations is rarely demonstrated through these various media portrayals.10 How does public relations differ from the fields of journalism, advertising, and marketing?•Public relations is more multifaceted than the others, with journalism focusing primarily with one “channel” and being more objective, advertising being a paid notion dealing with only media outlets and not having to “deal with” gatekeepers or filters, and marketing primarily concerned with the concept of consumers/sales rather than long-term relationships with publics.11 Some experts say that public relations can launch a new product or service better than advertising can. Do you agree or disagree?•In its market-support function, public relations achieves a number of objectives, including raising awareness, informing and educating, gaining understanding, building trust, making friends, and giving people reasons to buy and create a climate of consumer acceptance.12 Public relations people work for a variety of organizations. What type of organization would you prefer if you wanted to work in public relations?•These include corporations, nonprofits, public relations firms, education, independent consulting, healthcare, and professional associations.13 The text mentions six essential qualities for working public relations. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself on each ability?•These are writing skill, research ability, planning expertise, problem- solving ability, business/economics competence, and expertise in social media.14 Discuss entry-level salaries in public relations. Do you think they are too low, or are they about what you expected/ What about the salaries for experienced professionals?•The median starting salary in public relations was $31,000 in 2008. There is a great deal of growth potential, as evidenced by the national average of $119,000 for experienced practitioners in the corporate world, and $90,000 for experienced practitioners in agencies.15 After reading this chapter, do you think you would enjoy a career in public relations?Why or why not? 2 / 4

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• Student answers will vary. They can explore this question further by taking the Personality Quiz: Do You Have the “Right Stuff”? on pg. 27. It is helpful to discuss both the essential skills and the personality attributes required for a successful public relations career.

Chapter 2

• The roots of public relations extend deep into history. What were some of the early

antecedents to today’s public relations practice?• Examples include the Rosetta Stone in ancient Egypt, the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages, the Boston Tea Party during the American Revolution, and the glorification of Davy Crockett, Annie Oakley and even President Andrew Jackson in the 1800 frontier era.

• Name and briefly describe the five major historical themes of public relations through the

centuries.• (1) Profit. Pope Clement VII used public relations tactics to raise money, and American railroads used media relations, exhibits and press junkets to increase ticket sales. (2) Recruitment. The Catholic Church in Spain and others employed public relations methods to recruit armies and members. (3) Legitimacy. Third party endorsements have been used throughout history to give legitimacy to causes and institutions. (4) Agitation. The temperance and woman’s suffrage movements used agitation to rally the public against gender discrimination, while Standard Oil used public relations to battle antitrust proponents. (5) Advocacy. Public relations continues to be a tool for organizations and companies to gain support for ideas and initiatives.

• The Boston Tea Party has been described as the “greatest and best-known publicity stunt

of all time.” Would you agree? Do you feel that staged events are a legitimate way to publicize a cause and motivate people?• The Boston Tea Party pseudoevent greatly emphasized how symbolism can sway public opinion, with the crates of tea leaves being thrown from a British trade ship into Boston Harbor.

• Which concepts of publicity and public relations practiced by P.T. Barnum should

modern practitioners use? Which should they reject?• Barnum was able to manipulate people with his hype of Tom Thumb and Jenny Lind, but today’s more refined media and more prudent consumer would force someone of that ilk to do more research and planning in these publicity campaigns. The public is very discerning when it comes to the (spending of the) entertainment dollar, which involves more trained personnel.

• What are the four important contributions Ivy Lee made to public relations?

• Ivy Lee’s four contributions to the profession were: (1) advancing the concept that business and industry should align themselves with the public interest, (2) dealing with top executives and carrying out no program unless it had the 3 / 4

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active support of management, (3) maintaining open communication with news media, and (4) emphasizing the necessity of humanizing business and bring it to the “community level.”

• Arthur W. Page enunciated six principles of public relations management. Do your

think these “principles” are as relevant today as they were in the 1930s?• Page’s principles include: tell the truth, prove it with action, listen to the customer, manage for tomorrow, conduct public relations as if the whole company depends on it, and remain patient, calm, and good-humored. Page’s philosophy is especially profound today, because it connotes a notion of listening to publics and also a shared community of pride, responsibility, and accountability.

• What’s your assessment of Ivy Lee’s work for the Rockefeller family in the Colorado

Fuel & Iron Company strife? Do you think his approach was sound? What would you have done differently?• Lee’s campaign in the aftermath of the Ludlow Massacre was groundbreaking in that he helped portray the Rockefellers as philanthropic and caring; he helped with photo-ops with the family and miners and wives, he gave handouts to inquisitive media, and worked hard at achieving relationships with key opinion leaders. Rockefeller became transformed from robber baron to eventually an American icon largely through Lee’s counsel.

• Summarize the major developments in the philosophy and practice of public relations

from the 1920s to 2000.• Before the 1920s, public relations was simply an extension of the journalistic function, without the notion of feedback. Thanks to breakthroughs in social science research, the 1920s saw the discipline shift to the psychological and sociological effects of persuasive communication and target audiences. The 1960s (Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement) brought the need for proactive issues management initiatives. The 1970s was a reform era in the stock market and investor relations arenas. By the 1980s, the concept that public relations was a management function was in full bloom. Reputation management, or perception, permeated the public relations culture of the 1990s.

• James Grunig has outlined four models of public relations practice. Name and describe

each one. Do the models help explain the evolution of public relations theory?• Grunig’s four models of public relations are: (1) press agentry/publicity (a one-way, “hype” model to advocate, with little or no research involved); (2) public information (based not on persuasion but on journalistic ideal and integrity); (3) two- way asymmetric (scientific persuasion is its purpose, with imbalanced effects) and (4) two-way symmetric (gaining mutual understanding through solicited feedback is the main purpose).

• Public relations if now described as “relationship management.” How would you

describe this concept to a friend? A newer concept is the idea that “dialogue” with

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