Public relations [ LCOMU2300 ]

basic notions on the most important theories of information and communication. The course of organizational strategic communications can be a good preliminary preparation, in order to have notions about strategic thinking in communication.

The course aims to study the forms of communication (relation and formation) that make up the specific features of public relations and of organisations' communication policies.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired the skills to: understand and interpret the key developments in theories and practices of public relations, and the various current models of public relations; interpret public relations situations in terms of rites, and to analyze the systems of interactions that characterize the social exchange put in place by participants in various situations or manifestations of public relations; ask themselves ethical questions about public relations behavior; analyze the components of the identity of organizations communicated by them to a range of populations.

group work (with a written presentation of the results) and a written individual exam.

The course aims to introduce the student to the comprehension and analysis of situations and forms of public relations of organizations.

It will present the different approaches and conceptions of public relations, its ethical dimension and the principal steps of the development of this discipline, from an academic scientific and a professional practical point of view.

The course will deal with the notion of public and that of organizational culture, as two dimensions implied in public relations. It will expose the implications of the nowadays media context (digitalization and social media).

From the point of view of the politics of nowadays public relations, the course will introduce a series of elements useful to make students understand the following aspects, with the help of concrete examples:

- objectives of public relations,

- targets (different publics and stakeholders),

- techniques and means used by them (written or oral, with a specific attention for digital media, Web 2.0 and social media),

- forms of evaluation of results of public relations' actions and politics.

Moreover, the course will introduce a series of analytical categories, coming from information and communication sciences (with a semiotic, anthropologic and sociological origin). It will show how to use these categories to analyze materials and concrete situations of public relations.

The chosen method includes the presentation of concepts, examples of analysis and teamwork for students.

notes by the lecturers and some texts available at the beginning of the course.

Some professionals will be invited to present particularly meaningful and interesting RP strategies.