Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Student Perceptions Of Public Relations And Journalism: A Pilot Study Of Attitude Shifts Through Curriculum Innovation, Bernard Mccoy, Jerry Renaud, Adam Wagler, Amy Struthers, John Baker

Bernard R. McCoy

Journalism and Public Relations have had a long and often contentious relationship. It is rare when journalists and advertising/PR specialists work well together in the real world. It is equally rare when advertising, public relations and journalism students work together as part of their classroom education. This pilot mixed methods study explored the perceptions journalism and public relations majors had about each other’s professions. The experimental group was comprised of 40 journalism and public relations majors who worked together covering a national event in an immersive college class. The control group included 68 students who participated in a more traditional …