Public Relations Exam Flashcards
University PR / communications exam cards — crisis communication, planning models, media history, and campaign cases.
24 cards· by GuruOwl
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Try it- 01Which statement is true of the Vatican in 2010 re: the child-abuse cover-up accusations?The Vatican treated criticisms of the cover-up as attacks on the Catholic Church itself (defensive framing / institutional denial), rather than fully accepting external accountability at the time.Classic crisis-comms case: conflating criticism of leadership decisions with attacks on the faith community.crisiscase-studygsc-priority
- 02"Criticisms were taken as attacks on the Catholic Church" — what crisis-response pattern does the Vatican 2010 case illustrate?Defensive institutional framing: equating scrutiny of organizational wrongdoing with an attack on the entire institution or its believers.crisiscase-studygsc-priority
- 03___ are strategies associated with developing positive relationships between an organization and its public.Community relationsCommunity relations builds goodwill with local publics through engagement, sponsorship, dialogue, and mutual benefit — distinct from media relations or investor relations.community-relationsgsc-priority
- 04Where was the first British newspaper printed?OxfordThe first English newspaper is commonly associated with Oxford printing during the 17th century (Civil War era newsbooks).media-historygsc-priority
- 05What are W. Timothy Coombs' four persuasive crisis-communication strategies?Ingratiation, downplaying, distancing, and nonexistenceThese are persuasive (image-repair style) options on Coombs’ continuum; denial/nonexistence is highest risk when evidence of responsibility is strong.coombscrisisgsc-priority
- 06In Coombs' crisis strategies, what does 'nonexistence' attempt to do?Deny that a crisis exists at all (or that the organization is connected to it).coombscrisis
- 07In Coombs' crisis strategies, what does 'distancing' attempt to do?Reduce the organization’s association with the crisis (e.g., shift blame, minimize link to the event).coombscrisis
- 08In Coombs' crisis strategies, what does 'ingratiation' attempt to do?Win approval from publics (remind of past good works, praise stakeholders, seek sympathy) to offset negative impressions.coombscrisis
- 09At which stage in the planning process would a situation analysis be carried out?At the research / formative stage — before objectives, strategy, and tactics are set (the first major step of most PR planning models).Situation analysis answers “where are we now?” using research on organization, publics, and environment.planninggsc-priority
- 10What is Macnamara's (2005) pyramid of evaluation used for in public relations?A hierarchical evaluation model: inputs → outputs → outtakes → outcomes → impact, moving from activity measures up to real-world change.evaluationmacnamaragsc-priority
- 11What does the base of Macnamara’s evaluation pyramid typically measure?Inputs and outputs (effort and production: materials created, media placements, reach) rather than behavioral outcomes.evaluationmacnamara
- 12What is the Parkinson & Ekachai (2006) planning model known for in PR education?A structured PR planning framework used in teaching — emphasizing research, objectives, publics, strategies/tactics, and evaluation as linked stages.planninggsc-priority
- 13What is the Hendrix planning model in public relations?A classic PR campaign planning model (often taught as ROPE or related Hendrix frameworks) linking research, objectives, programming, and evaluation into one cycle.Many textbooks present Hendrix alongside Cutlip’s RACE and Marston’s RACE/ROPE variants.planninghendrixgsc-priority
- 14Earth Hour was a campaign launched by which organization?WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature / World Wildlife Fund)Global lights-off campaign to raise awareness of climate change and energy use.campaignsgsc-priority
- 15What is the primary goal of Earth Hour as a PR/campaign case?Mobilize mass public participation and media attention around climate awareness through a simple symbolic action (turning off lights for one hour).campaigns
- 16What does the RACE acronym stand for in PR planning?Research, Action (or Analysis), Communication, Evaluationplanningrace
- 17What does the ROPE acronym stand for in PR planning?Research, Objectives, Programming, Evaluationplanningrope
- 18What is the difference between media relations and community relations?Media relations manages relationships with journalists/outlets to shape news coverage; community relations builds mutual goodwill with local residents, civic groups, and place-based publics.media-relationscommunity-relations
- 19What is a “public” in public relations theory?A group of people who face a similar problem/issue, recognize it, and organize to do something about it (or who are affected by an organization’s actions).theory
- 20In crisis communication, when is a full apology usually most appropriate?When the organization is clearly responsible and evidence is strong — accommodative strategies outperform denial in preventable crises.crisiscoombs
- 21What is issues management in PR?The proactive process of identifying emerging public issues early and addressing them before they become full-blown crises.issues-management
- 22What is the two-way symmetrical model of PR (Grunig)?A model that emphasizes dialogue, mutual understanding, and balanced two-way communication between organization and publics (not just persuasion one way).theorygrunig
- 23What is a SMART objective in a PR campaign plan?Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound — used to make PR goals evaluable rather than vague.planningobjectives
- 24What is the difference between outputs and outcomes in PR evaluation?Outputs are what you produce and place (releases, posts, coverage); outcomes are changes in awareness, attitude, or behavior among target publics.evaluation