Introduction to Strategic Communications

2021/2022

Учебный год

ENG

Обучение ведется на английском языке

4

Кредиты

Кто читает:

Факультет мировой экономики и мировой политики

Статус:

Курс по выбору

Когда читается:

2-й курс, 1, 2 модуль

Преподаватели

Маликова Камила Юсифовна

Соловьева Ольга Геннадьевна

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This is a course for students aiming to pursue International Affairs major. The course is designed to explore internationally recognized major theoretical concepts and applications of communication studies in subfields of Communication theory. Communication discipline borrows a lot of its theoretical base from psychology, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, critical theory, business management, economics, and linguistics. Hence, this course will address multidisciplinary theoretical issues related to the PR issues, echoing in a relationship development with stakeholders in organizational context. Coursework is designed to encourage students to give critical consideration to the place of theory within PR practice and to apply the theories on real case analysis.

Learning Objectives

• To understand the essence of strategic communication as a practical discipline within the organisation; be aware of its functions, strategies and particular techniques.
• To understand how communication theory and practice have been developed and strategic communication is practiced in different countries.
• To identify, analyse, and discuss actual case studies in strategic communication.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Students know and are capable of using various communication strategies that are applicable in crisis situations.
• Students know how to use the technology and offline communication methods to organise strategic communication.
• Students know the methods and practices of the research that allows to build strategic communication.
• Students know the steps of strategic communication cycle maintenance
• Students understand the practice of communicating with media outlets
• Students understand the role and place of strategic communication in the organisation
• Students understand the role of intercultural context in the strategic communication.

Course Contents

• Defining strategic communication
• Strategic communication cycle
• Research in strategic communication
• Tools and means of strategic communication
• Managing relations with media
• Crisis communication
• Global communications: practicing in intercultural context

Assessment Elements

• In class participation
  Includes commenting and sharing own opinion on the topic of the class.
• Test
• Case study essay
  Basic requirements 1600-2500 words, PDF, spacing 1.15 5-7 references (academic articles) references and links to all the media materials used no plagiarism. any borrowed fragments without proper citation would be considered as an academic dishonesty and to be reported to the head of the program. Structure In the essay please apply all the knowledge acquired through the course into the analysis of the strategic communication or PR case of your choice. There are no strict guidelines for this essay, just a sample structure which can vary depending on the case you select. Choose and describe the background story of your case For inspiration, please address the textbooks from the recommended literature and look through the problematic articles from the media. Also, you can also think of any current events happening in politics (US Presidential Elections and Kayne West), society (the weird spill and dead sea creatures in Kamchatka) or business (Space Dragon launch). Alternatively, you can look for a CSR strategy of organization of your choice or just analyse the general communication practice of any public body (politician, the embassy, NGO). Describe the publics who are involved in the case you’re describing. Address the main problem of the particular communication strategy: analyze and critique the goals, strategy, target audiences and effectiveness. Provide troubleshooting for the problems that you’ve discovered. Draw a conclusion regarding the findings you’ve got. Be critical!
• Report on social presense
  This is an in-class activity which students conduct at their own pace sharing the results with the rest of the class. The main idea of the task is to learn and apply various use and critical assessment skills to evaluate social presence of an organization online. Guidelines can be found in the section Assignments’ description below.
• 5 minutes in class essay
  Students are asked to answer 2 questions based on the home readings.
• Learning strategy assignment
  The class begins with a discussion of the YouTube video and a warm up on strategic communication roles and its main principles. Then we move to the topic of research in comms and the research methods students are familiar with. During this seminar students break into groups to develop a research strategy for a case their group is working with. The product of this seminar - a research strategy is to be submitted by the end of the week and will be graded as one of the assignments. To complete the task successfully, students are expected to go through the primary reading - Chapter ‘Formative research’ from Strategic Planning in Public Relations (p.25-100). The downloaded chapter is available in course materials. READING: Smith, R. D. (2013). Strategic planning for public relations. PHASE 1. FORMATIVE RESEARCH. p.25-100., Routledge

Interim Assessment

• 2021/2022 2nd module
  0.05 * 5 minutes in class essay + 0.3 * Test + 0.1 * Report on social presense + 0.15 * Learning strategy assignment + 0.2 * Case study essay + 0.2 * In class participation

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Smith, Bruce Lannes, and Harold D. Lasswell. Propaganda, Communication and Public Opinion, Princeton University Press, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4071105.
• Smith, R. D. (2017). Strategic Planning for Public Relations (Vol. 5th edition). New York, NY: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1520201

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Aronson, M., Amos, C., & Spetner, D. (2007). The Public Relations Writer’s Handbook : The Digital Age (Vol. 2nd ed). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=199972
• Caywood, C. L. (1997). The Handbook of Strategic Public Relations & Integrated Communications. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=51946
• Public Relations Cases : International Perspectives, edited by Danny Moss, et al., Routledge, 2010. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=557237.
• Smith, R. D. (2013). Strategic planning for public relations. Routledge
• Smith, Ronald D.. Strategic Planning for Public Relations, Routledge, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4862851.