School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for Semester 1 2020 Units. Students will be notified of all approved modifications by Unit Coordinators via email and Unit Blackboard sites. Where changes have been made, these are designed to ensure that you still meet the unit learning outcomes in the context of our adjusted teaching and learning arrangements.

  • Unit Title

    Media Relations
  • Unit Code

    PRN2225
  • Year

    2020
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Judith Ann ELUND

Description

This unit examines how public relations practitioners work with traditional news outlets, new media and media internal to an organisation. The unit provides the basics of public relations practice in communicating within an organisation as well as representing an organisation to its external stakeholders. Students learn how to write key messages, press releases and pitches to journalists, as well as learning the essential techniques for organisational communication and developing strategies for online communication.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Distinguish between various types of controlled and uncontrolled communication.
  2. Prepare public relations materials to use in publicity.
  3. Infer and interpret coverage in the news media.
  4. Apply relevant principles of communication for pitching to news media.

Unit Content

  1. Media pitching techniques, and media relations ethics.
  2. The strategic purpose of publicity, both pro-active and reactive.
  3. Writing material for media kits: design, layout and typography.
  4. Monitoring, analysis and evaluation of publicity in the news media and conversations in social media.
  5. Media pitching techniques, and media relations for key audiences and strategic messaging.
  6. Design, layout and typography.
  7. Writing material for media kits.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 2Not Offered13 x 1 hour lectureNot Offered
Semester 2Not Offered14 x 2 hour seminarNot Offered
Semester 2Not Offered13 x 2 hour tutorialNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures. Computer lab workshops.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
PortfolioMedia strategy20%
PortfolioMedia kit60%
JournalIn-class reflections of verbal feedback20%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
PortfolioMedia strategy20%
PortfolioMedia kit60%
JournalIn-class reflections of verbal feedback20%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

PRN2225|2|1

School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for this unit. All assessment changes will be published by 27 July 2020. All students are reminded to check handbook at the beginning of semester to ensure they have the correct outline.

  • Unit Title

    Media Relations
  • Unit Code

    PRN2225
  • Year

    2020
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Judith Ann ELUND

Description

This unit examines how public relations practitioners work with traditional news outlets, new media and media internal to an organisation. The unit provides the basics of public relations practice in communicating within an organisation as well as representing an organisation to its external stakeholders. Students learn how to write key messages, press releases and pitches to journalists, as well as learning the essential techniques for organisational communication and developing strategies for online communication.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Distinguish between various types of controlled and uncontrolled communication.
  2. Prepare public relations materials to use in publicity.
  3. Infer and interpret coverage in the news media.
  4. Apply relevant principles of communication for pitching to news media.

Unit Content

  1. Media pitching techniques, and media relations ethics.
  2. The strategic purpose of publicity, both pro-active and reactive.
  3. Writing material for media kits: design, layout and typography.
  4. Monitoring, analysis and evaluation of publicity in the news media and conversations in social media.
  5. Media pitching techniques, and media relations for key audiences and strategic messaging.
  6. Design, layout and typography.
  7. Writing material for media kits.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 2Not Offered13 x 1 hour lectureNot Offered
Semester 2Not Offered14 x 2 hour seminarNot Offered
Semester 2Not Offered13 x 2 hour tutorialNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures. Computer lab workshops.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
PortfolioMedia strategy20%
PortfolioMedia kit60%
JournalIn-class reflections of verbal feedback20%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
PortfolioMedia strategy20%
PortfolioMedia kit60%
JournalIn-class reflections of verbal feedback20%

Core Reading(s)

  • Johnston, J. (2012). Media Relations: Issues and strategies. Allen & Unwin. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ECU/detail.action?docID=1032810

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

PRN2225|2|2