Public Relations and Reputation Management

COURSE OBJECTIVE
After completion of this course, the student will:

• Have knowledge of theories, strategies and effects of public relations and reputation management;
• Be able to describe the interplay of organizations, media and stakeholders from a theoretical perspective;
• Have knowledge on specific fields of PR and reputation management, such as Corporate Identity Management, Crisis Communication, Issue Management, Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Media PR; and
• Be able to develop concrete Reputation Management Strategies.

COURSE CONTENT
After a short introduction, conceptual foundations and definitions of public relations and reputation management are discussed. Next, the course Public Relations ad Reputation Management analyses the interplay between organizations, media (framing, agenda building, news value), stakeholders and the role of corporate identity management for building reputation. Consequently, concrete strategies and effects of public relations and reputation management (e.g., media relations, communication plans) are introduced. In the last part of the course, students learn about public relations and reputation management in specific areas such as Corporate Identity Management, Crisis Communication, Issue Management, Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Media PR. Students put their knowledge in practice through compulsory workgroups in which they analyze first-hand the public relations and reputation of a real organization.

TEACHING METHODS
Lectures and workgroups

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT
Exam and interim test