Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Prsa District Leadership Shows Strong Ohio Connection, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

When the Public Relations Society of America East Central District begins its 20^th year on January 1, 2024 its board of directors will have a distinct connection with the Buckeye State.

Building A Library Renovation Website Using Public Relations Principles, Kristen S. Shuyler

Libraries

Learn how James Madison University Libraries built an award-winning library renovation website using core principles from the field of public relations (PR). Key features include an interactive visual timeline (created with an open-source tool), a collection of memories of the library, and FAQs based on actual user questions.

Prsa Communicator Of The Year: Cedarville's Mark Weinstein, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

Mark D. Weinstein, an experienced public relations professional, has been named the recipient of the 2023 Communicator of the Year Award by the Dayton chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). He will be presented his award at the Gem City PR Awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 24, at the Top of the Market in Dayton.

Prsa Communicator Of The Year: Cedarville's Mark Weinstein, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

Mark D. Weinstein, an experienced public relations professional, has been named the recipient of the 2023 Communicator of the Year Award by the Dayton chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). He will be presented his award at the Gem City PR Awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 24, at the Top of the Market in Dayton

Promoting The Bc Digital Commons: For And By The Community, Ady Dewey

Strategic Public Relations Projects

The BC Digital Commons (DC) is an open-access robust repository of artifacts, scholarship, publications, performances, events, and more. Through Google Scholar and other search engines, the content is accessed worldwide, yet the DC remains a little-known resource on campus. This fact motivated the director of the Forrer Learning Commons to seek input on how to more effectively increase submissions and the number of users.

The 2023 Strategic Public Relations class (COMM 347) began by educating themselves on the DC and brainstorming about potential advantages from a student’s perspective. They identified stakeholders to interview to determine general awareness and to test …

The Nashville Predators Social Media Audit, Sam Baranek, Connor Clouthier, Toniya Johnson, Mary Kate Reid, Micaela Trimble

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

This report and presentation will deliver a comprehensive social media audit completed on the Nashville Predators, a national hockey team. In the end, it will show results of our group’s analysis of the communication strategies on the various platforms that the Nashville Predators use for their business and brand. While we already have prior knowledge and experience in social media, we plan to use the theories and principles to come to even better conclusions about the success of the Nashville Predators’ online presence.

The Nashville Predators are known for being a professional hockey team in the NHL. The Predator’s brand …

Soche Honors Cedarville’S Public Relations Director, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

The Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) has presented Cedarville University’s Mark D. Weinstein, executive director of public relations, with a Staff Excellence Award for September 2022.

Response To A Shooting: Supporting A Community’S Steps Forward, Ady Dewey

Strategic Public Relations Projects

On February 1, 2022, two security officers were killed by a gunman on the Bridgewater College campus. Our peaceful community was rocked by heartbreak. The fear, trauma, and grief of that day and the days—and months—to follow were uncharted and challenging in as many different ways as there were individuals impacted.

When the Strategic Public Relations (COMM 347) met for the first time when classes resumed a week later, after processing together their feelings and reactions to the day, they determined that they wanted to do something to help in the healing. They identified two needs: encouraging self-care and promoting …

Situational Crisis Communication Theory And The British Royal Family, Addison Shaw

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis will analyze the public relations of the British Royal Family as seen through the lens of Timothy Coombs’ Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT). Coombs’ (2007) theory provides a theoretical framework and guidelines for crisis response strategies when organizations experience a crisis. This thesis will particularly evaluate the public relations of the British Royal Family during the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death by examining primary artifacts such as newspaper articles and public statements made by the organization and the public. Furthermore, this thesis fills in the research gap regarding the evolution of the public’s perception of an organization with …

The Houston Astros' Cheating Scandal: A Case Study On Crisis Communication In Sports, Wendy Edouard

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In January 2020, the Houston Astros organization was accused of cheating during the 2017 and 2018 baseball seasons. In 2017, the Astros had also won the World Series, thereby offsetting a sports scandal which dominated media coverage for several months. Owner of the Houston Astros, Jim Crane and his players released a statement to the press, a month after the investigation was concluded by the Major League Baseball organization. The investigation concluded that the Astros, in fact, had been stealing pitching signs from opposing teams and using technology to communicate signs to their pitcher. Crane’s response (relying primarily on shift …

Educating And Motivating Students To Get The Covid Vaccine, Ady Dewey

Strategic Public Relations Projects

The 2020-2021 academic year was one of many different challenges as the COVID pandemic ravaged the world. Classes at Bridgewater College were HyFlex, which meant some students were present, in-person, masked, while other students participated online via Zoom. This split arrangement presented significant challenges for everyone – those on campus and those remote. The college experience, needless to say, was totally rewritten and this importantly included communication efforts.

The 2021 Strategic Public Relations class (COMM 347) identified the need of educating their peers about the availability—and advantages—of getting the COVID vaccine. (At this point in March, the College had not …

Perceptions Of Black Lives Matter: An Analysis Of The Movement And Its Impact On The Relationship Between The Lincoln Police Department, The Media And The Public, Paige Heinemann

Honors Theses

This study examines the relationships between the Lincoln Police Department (LPD), the Lincoln Journal Star (LJS), and the public as they interacted during the Black Lives Matter protests in Lincoln, Nebraska, during June 2020. In order to analyze the relationships between the three actors, I utilized previous research that examined the role of the media on perceptions of police, how media framing of police brutality influences perceptions, and how the four models of public relations function in communities. This led me to pose the following research question: How do the relationships between the Lincoln Police Department, the media and the …

The "100 Club" Spotlights Cedarville University, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

100. It’s a big deal. When someone reaches their 100th birthday. Or, engaged couples realizing it’s only 100 days till their wedding. And for three Cedarville University faculty members, completing 100 media interviews in a single academic year is an achievement worth celebrating.

Social Media Leader Receives Dayton Prsa "Young Professional Of The Year" Award, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

Sarah Gump, director of digital and social media at Cedarville University, was named the Young Professional of the Year by the Dayton Area Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) at the Gem City PR Awards ceremony on Sept. 24, 2020.

Prsa-East Central District Honors Cedarville University's Newsroom With Diamond Award, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

Cedarville University received a Diamond Award for its "Newsroom Expands Cedarville University's Media Footprint" entry from the East Central District of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA-ECD). The Diamond Award is presented to public relations practitioners who have successfully addressed a communication challenge with exemplary skill, creativity and resourcefulness.

The Russian Research Center At Harvard Versus Cambridge Analytica: Influencing The Public In A Cold War, Robert Joshua Howard

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

#Whyaspire? Increasing Participation In Annual Academic Celebration, Ady Dewey

Strategic Public Relations Projects

Public relations campaigns are often designed with the goal of raising awareness about an event, an issue, a candidate or any number of other topics. Raising awareness, however, is not enough. To make change requires people connect and act: go to an event, donate to an organization, vote for a candidate. This semester, working with the faculty Research Resource Group, COMM 347 Strategic Public Relations set out to develop messaging and visual media to educate the BC community about ASPIRE and, more importantly, increase participation, both applicants and attendees, in future years.

ASPIRE stands for Arts, Scholarship, Performance, Innovation and …

The Art Of Blogging In Public Relations: A Reflection, Megan Ireland

Honors Projects

In the field of public relations, effective writing is paramount. It is an important part of every step of the campaign process, from research to planning, communicating to evaluating. But writing for PR encompasses more than just research reports and news releases. With today’s increasing reliance on the Internet and social media for information, knowing how to quickly and effectively compose nontraditional written works - including social media posts and blogs - is a skill that all practitioners need. Therefore, I took up the task of researching blogging best practices in the public relations industry and putting them into practice …

Cedarville's Newsroom Awarded “Diamond” By Prsa District, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

For the second time in less than 12 months, Cedarville University’s marketing and communications division received an award of excellence. Cedarville is the winner of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) East Central District “Diamond Award” for its campus newsroom.

Hating In Plain Sight: The Hatejacking Of Brands By Extremist Groups., Bond Benton, Daniela Peterka-Benton

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The adoption of brands as an identity marker for hate groups has been extensively noted for decades. The use of specific brands, often covertly, allows hate groups to have identity markers without the social stigma ascribed to historical hate symbols. With high-profile events such as the ‘Unite the Right’ march in Charlottesville, hate groups have utilized media coverage to increase their visibility and, by extension, the brands that they have co-opted. Such unwanted associations for organizations are defined by this research as a hatejack, whereby an extremist group publicly presents linkage to a brand, typically to claim legitimacy by the …

Prsa-East Central District Honors Cedarville University's Newsroom With 2019 Diamond Award, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

Cedarville University received a Diamond Award for its "Newsroom Expands Cedarville University's Media Footprint" entry from the East Central District of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA-ECD). The Diamond Award is presented to public relations practitioners who have successfully addressed a communication challenge with exemplary skill, creativity and resourcefulness.

Communication Crisis In Tourism Office: Negative News By Online Media, Faustyna Faustyna Faustyna, Lukiati Komala Erdiana, Hanny .. Hafiar ., Iriana .. Bakti .

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to provide an explanation of how the Medan Tourism Office carries out communication crisis activities on negative coverage produced by online media on the culinary tour "Merdeka Walk" Medan Methodology: This research uses the constructivism paradigm. Ontologically, mental construction on social experience is local and specific and depends on the party doing it.. Finding: Negative coverage by online media triggered by fallen trees in 2017 at night culinary tourism location in "Merdeka Walk" has drawn a response from the Governor of North Sumatra with intrusion closing and diverting the function of night culinary tourism …

Cultivating Student Philanthropy: Putting The Fun Into Fundraising, Ady Dewey

Strategic Public Relations Projects

Public relations can be seen as merely promotion – whether a product, an organization, a place or even a person. The essence of PR work, however, is about building relationships to help people gain a deeper understanding or connection to a particular subject-object-concept. The 2019 Strategic PR class (COMM 347) partnered with the college’s office of Alumni Relations to explore how PR seamlessly relates to fundraising by cementing connections between donors and a cause and motivating people to give.

For this project, three areas were identified to address: general philanthropy education, the annual Senior Class Gift, and the annual Day …

How Ebts Might Be Incorporated Into Public Relations Coursework To Promote Deep Learning, Jessica Nerren

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

In thinking about How EBTs might be incorporated into public relations coursework to promote deep learning, it was determined there would be multimedia youtube video production assignment, where students make a youtube tutorial on a threshold concept in comm 344, Public Relations Writing. To do this, students approached this in a problem based learning model, and planned for it with a think/pair/share planning session.

Achievements And Limits Of Strategic Communication For Nation-Building: The Case Of Spain’S Catalan Region (1979-2017), César García

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Arts and Humanities

This paper explores the use of strategic communication for nation building purposes in Catalonia after the approval of the Second Statute of Autonomy in 1979. During this period, the Generalitat de Catalunya, Catalonia’s self-government political organization, has used the high degree of autonomy in a number of areas involving culture, communications or education, among others, to enhance a Catalan identity opposed to the Spanish identity. Soft power approaches – mainly the promotion of Catalan language, culture, sports and symbols – and the implementation of linguistic laws have resulted in a positive climate of opinion concerning an inclusive Catalan identity in …

Retiring The Mack: Preparing Campus Community For Library Construction Project, Ady Dewey

Strategic Public Relations Projects

The Bridgewater campus was on the verge of a dramatic change as the Alexander Mack Memorial Library transformed into the John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons. The project impacted every student as the Mack closed its doors in May 2018, library services were moved to another building and warehouse, and new study spaces were created on campus. Despite this project touching every current and prospective student, there was not a distinct communication plan to reach this audience.

At the request of the library administration, the Strategic Public Relations class planned and recommended how to promote and educate the campus community about …

Crisis Communication And Ethics: The Role Of Public Relations, Yan Jin, Augustine Pang, Joshua Smith

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the veracity of the contingency model of ethical crisis communication by examining the factors of influence in a time of crisis including what constitutes ethics in a time of crisis; the role of public relations (PR) practitioners as the “moral conscience” of an organization and perceptions of the PR’ role within top management. Design/methodology/approach: In-depth interviews were conducted among ten senior PR managers with crisis communication experience in North America. Findings: This research identifies and investigates six ethical variables – the nature of the crisis, the role of top management, the …

Newsroom Will Take Cedarville University To National Audience, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

Providing greater communication for media outlets in Dayton and across the United States is one of the goals for Cedarville University's newest communication vehicles--its high-tech newsroom.

Operational since September 13, Cedarville University's public relations department has provided Dayton media with 14 interviews--three being on live television. A benefit for Cedarville University from the newsroom is it is expected to help increase awareness for its faculty and academic programs.

Newsroom Will Take Cedarville University To National Audience, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

Developing greater awareness is a function of public relations. At Cedarville University, this includes finding new ways of telling stories of academic excellence and Christian mission through the media.

By Friday, Cedarville University will have a better opportunity to achieve this objective as it will officially open its first newsroom on campus. The facility, located in Centennial Library, will allow the university to connect its stories and professors’ expertise more easily with local and national media.

Panacea, Placebo Or Prudence: Perspectives And Constraints For Corporate Dialogue, Øyvind Ihlen, Abbey Levenshus

Scholarship and Professional Work - Communication

Public relations has long been preoccupied with the notion of dialogue, and the advent of social media ushered in new enthusiasm. Still, despite the technology on offer and the fact that dialogue has become a value that ‘everyone’ embraces, most research concludes that little actual dialogue takes place between corporations and their stakeholders. Scholars have pointed to a host of different factors to explain this, ranging from practitioners’ lack of time to their lack of understanding of what dialogue is. This article discusses perspectives on corporate dialogue with a focus on the constraints identified in the literature, before presenting the …