6.You are asked by your employer to establish a “citizens’ task force” for the purpose of writing state legislators opposing an environmental bill that negatively affects the company.

7.Your public relations firm is competing for an account with two other firms. As a sales point, you say, “We can get you coverage in the Wall Street Journal.”

8.You’re looking for a job in public relations, and a tobacco company offers you the highest salary.

9.You work for a public relations firm. A printing company representative contacts you with the following proposal: If you refer clients that result in new business, the representative will pay you a $250 “finder’s fee.”

(Wilcox, Dennis L., et al. Essentials of Public Relations. New York: Longman., 2001. P. 55)

Solve the following PR problem.

Prism Computer Corporation, a manufacturer of personal computers, has developed a new laser printer that is cheaper and more efficient that those produced by competitors. Although prototype models have been built, actual production of the new printer has been stalled up to three months by manufacturing problems.

Despite these difficulties, Prism’s top management believes it is important from a marketing standpoint to announce that the new laser printer is now available. Consequently, you are asked as the product information specialist to write and distribute a new product release about the laser printer and its features.

You are told that that no mention should be made in the news release that the product won’t be available for another three months. What would you do in this situation? Does the situation violate professional ethics in any way? Why or why not?

4. Урок 4 (Unit 4) The Individual in Public Relations

1. Starting up

What personal qualities, do you think, the PR-practitioner should have?

Notes

To become successful in public relations the individual …

1.must be an excellent writer capable of writing client reports, effective article themes to editors, news releases, captions, annual reports, feature stories, and the like;

2.must be able to do shortand long-range planning, conceive and execute a full public relations plan for each account, and adhere strictly to deadlines;

3.must be innovative and imaginative, not bound by trite, traditional ideas; must be willing to

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keep an open mind to new ideas and to researching better ways;

4.must be well informed about a client’s business and continue to keep abreast of all developments in business and government that have an effect on the client’s company’s business; must function as a counselor as well as a communicator;

5.must be a doer and self-starter; must know what follow-up means and have a solid respect for timetables and deadlines;

6.must be a thorough “pro”, skilled in all the techniques used in the practice of public relations: writing and distribution of news releases, producing press kits, running press conferences, and so on;

7.must know how to create publicity by conceiving a meaningful idea and carrying it through to its conclusion; must know how to create sundry ideas where none are evident and must know where to take them;

8.must know what it takes to establish and maintain acquaintanceship with key media people, since editorial contact is one of the primary functions of the public relations professional;

9.must be able to learn and grow as new situations and client needs arise;

10.must be a good manager, capable of organizing and arranging his or her workload for maximum results; must be capable of carrying many assignments at the same time and be in control of each one;

11.must not be a yes man/woman; must contribute to broad communications goal of companies

and institutions.

(Wilcox, Dennis L., et al. Essentials of Public Relations. New York: Longman., 2001. P. 78)

2. Listening

Listening 4.1.

Listen to an interview with Paul Walke, the Global Corporate Practice Director at Ogilvy Public Relations, who talks about an individual in PR. Answer these questions.

1.What education do PR-practitioners usually get?

2.Why is internship so important for a PR-specialist?

3.What duties do new PR-employees perform in an organization?

Complete the extract of what Paul Walke says about educational programs for PRprofessionals.

Some organizations, particularly those with large public relations staffs, have formal _______

programs for new employees. In smaller organizations, new employees work under the _______ of

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experienced staff members. Beginners often _______ files of material about company activities,

_______ newspapers and magazines for appropriate articles to clip, and _______ information for speeches and pamphlets. They also may answer calls from the press and the public, work on

_______ lists and details for press conferences, or _______ visitors and clients. After _______

experience, they write news releases, speeches, and articles for publication or plan and carry out public relations programs. Public relations specialists in smaller firms usually get _______

experience, whereas those in larger firms _______ to be more specialized.

Listening 4.2.

Note

Accreditation program

The major effort to improve standards and professionalism in public relations around the world has been related to establishing accreditation programs. Public relations practitioners are accredited if they have achieved a high level of experience, competence, and ethical conduct. Accreditation, ideally, is a “seal of approval.”

To become an accredited member of PRSA with the designation APR, a person must have at least five years’ full-time experience in public relations or teaching and pass a written and oral exam. The written exam consists of “textbook knowledge” (key terms, theories, and history), interpretation of the code of ethics, and a case problem that tests the candidate’s ability to develop public relations plans to deal with a specific situation.

IABC, which uses the designation of ABC (Accredited Business Communicator), places a heavy emphasis on a person’s professional work samples. The candidate must document the objectives and the overall communication strategy, and provide evaluation of the results. (Wilcox, Dennis L., et al. Essentials of Public Relations. New York: Longman., 2001. P. 61)

Listen to Paul Walke, the Global Corporate Practice Director at Ogilvy Public Relations, who goes on to talk about the education and employment of PR-practitioners. Answer these questions.

1.How are the PR-practitioner’s skills tested?

2.What does ABC mean in the PR industry?

Complete the extract of what Paul Walke says about the employment of PRpractitioners. .

Employment of public relations specialists is expected to ______ faster than _______ for all occupations. The need for good public relations in an increasingly _______ business

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