Prof. Dr. Friederike Schultz — VU University Amsterdam

This upper level undergraduate course is designed to introduce students to global perspectives on public relations theory and practice. A primary goal of the course is to familiarize students with the rapid development of the public relations field in complex societies and to demonstrate the opportunities the field offers to future professionals in the areas of corporate communication, government, non-governmental organizations, and global public relations firms. 

This seminar is designed to equip students with specific knowledge and skills for a successful start as a global public relations practitioner. In addition to learning about current issues and opportunities for public relations practices worldwide, students will examine how political, socio-economic, cultural, and historical particularities  influence organizations and accordingly modern public relations practices in globalized societies, and how specific communication strategies can maintain or repair reputation. Particular attention will be given to specific fields of application, such as Corporate Social Responsibility and Crisis Communication. Also, attention will be given to the role of the Internet for providing access to information and to the examination of the social media tactics that shape global public relations strategies. 

This is a great elective for those who plan to work for large or mid-size communication agencies, corporations, non-profit organizations, government, or military.

 Syllabus

Schedule

- please note that the timeslots might slightly change between June 12 and July 11 -

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Prof. Dr. Nicholas David Bowman — Eberly College of Arts and Sciences (West Virginia University)

Week One – “A History of Media Psychology”, which will feature discussion of the early “moral panic” days of research, including The Payne Fund Studies, The Seduction of the Innocent, and a discussion of the psychological underpinnings of the infamous War of the Worlds broadcast. Our discussion this week will also include an overview of the history of leisure and it’s relation (positive and negative) to society. 

Week Two – “The Limited Effects Paradigm”, which will focus our discussion on the social and psychological mediating variables that explain media influence as powerful under specific conditions. Here, we will discover the work of Schramm, Rogers, Lazardsfeld, Shaw and McCombs among others who were among the first identify the individual difference variables so important to the study of media psychology. 

Week Three – “Contemporary Media Research”, which will bring our understanding of media psychology into the domain of Zillmann and Bryant – the pioneers of the modern study of media influence – and take us to the current state of the field. Here, we will discuss research on media violence, aggression, sexuality and racism in the media to understand how we currently see the relationship between media, the individual, and society. Notably, we will study the influence of this early scholarship on the specific study of entertainment and society. 

Week Four – “Application and Extension”, which will challenge students to suggest areas of research ripe for replication and extension. Today’s media environment is undergoing rapid and major changes, with the fragmentation of media audiences, increased mobile access to media, and increased interactivity with media messages among just a few of the changes uprooting the classic media production system. Using their understanding of media and entertainment to this point, students will be asked to propose areas of the extant literature in need of revision given today’s modern, de-massified and masspersonal media environment. 

Prof. Dr. Talia Stroud — College of Communication (University of Texas at Austin)

We often hear about public opinion, but what is it? Is it what public opinion polls measure?  Are we all members of the public or just some of us?  Are the media able to influence public opinion?  What role does public opinion play in politics?  In this course, we will investigate what public opinion is and how it is measured.  We will explore how public opinion changes and how the media affect public opinion.  Further, we will examine whether we are influenced by our perceptions of public opinion.  If we hold a minority viewpoint, will we behave differently than if we hold a majority viewpoint?  We also will consider normative implications – what should the role of public opinion be? 

Schedule

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