Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Social Enterprises And Social Media: A Dialogic And Comparative Analysis, Kevin L. Rawls

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is devoted to assessing the public relations activities of social enterprises on social media through a dialogic communication lens and comparing those activities with traditional businesses. Social enterprises are fundamentally devoted to leveraging market forces to help create sustainable social change, and as such are interested in not only financial returns but also specific social returns, and the public relations strategies of these organizations should be more aligned than traditional businesses with fully functioning society theory and dialogic communication principles. This study reveals areas of opportunity for both social enterprises and conventional companies to develop in the area …

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 …

​​Pr 101: A Resource For New Public Relations Professionals, Ilana M. Weinberger

Publications and Research

The field of public relations (PR) is often misunderstood, despite the fact that it is a growing field (Fawkes, 2018). New employees enter the field of PR every year, whether as new graduates or as those making a career change, yet the intricacies of working in PR are not generally taught in the classroom (Meganck, Smith & Guidry, 2020). Most people do not have a solid understanding of what PR professionals do on a day-to-day basis, and in fact, many of those entering the field don’t either. They may think that PR is simply social media management, or even confuse …

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 …

Spinning At The Border: Employee Activism In 'Big Pr', Camille Reyes

Communication Faculty Research

This article extends Coombs and Holladay’s (2018) social issues management model to provide new perspectives on activism and public relations. It also fills a gap in the literature on internal activism by analyzing the case of The Ogilvy Group and their employees, many of whom pushed for the agency to resign its work for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Through a textual analysis of a leaked transcript documenting a meeting between Ogilvy management and internal activist employees, the communicative tasks of definition, legitimation, and awareness (Coombs & Holladay, 2018) are explored in a way that complicates identity and power. As …

Law Library Continuing Services Webpage, May 2021, University Of Georgia Law Library

COVID-19 Pandemic Archive

This screenshot was the final version of the Law Library's COVID-19 Continuing Services webpage. First published on Friday March 13, 2020 as we prepared for our first week of building closure at the onset of the pandemic, it was the primary location of our library's facility hours, pandemic services, and closure information through Spring 2021. This version shows the way the webpage looked on the date it was unpublished May 17, 2021.

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.

Law Library Reopening Video, Fall 2020, Rachel S. Evans, Geraldine R. Kalim

COVID-19 Pandemic Archive

In this five minute video UGA Law Library shared information about reopening for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, including changes to policies, virtual services, and access to the facility and other resources. This video was used as a part of communications with School of Law faculty, staff and students and embedded on the library's webpage for continuing services throughout the 2020-21 academic year.

Law Library Virtual Tour Orientation Video, Fall 2020, Rachel S. Evans, Geraldine R. Kalim

COVID-19 Pandemic Archive

In this updated virtual tour for Fall 2020's incoming students at UGA School of Law the library took students on a tour of the building, shared resource and service information, and provided some details about navigating the spaces and accessing the collection during the pandemic. This video was included in the School of Law incoming student virtual orientation experience as part of their eLC course, managed by the school's Office of Student Affairs.

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.

How To Hack Outreach: An A–Z Guide Of Ideas, Tips, And Tools, Rachel S. Evans, Marie Mize, David Rutland, Szilvia Somodi, Sharon Bradley

Articles, Chapters and Online Publications

In this article librarians and staff collaborate to deliver an alphabetical list of tips, tools, tricks and other resources for how they effectively work inter-departmentally to promote their library and institutional resources, services and information. The piece includes specific examples featuring several ideas from past library events, exhibits and displays, and other efforts with nods to several other colleagues from UGA Law Library. This article served as written documentation of this group's fall 2019 panel presentation at the Georgia Libraries Conference.

#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 …

Balancing Transparency And Privacy In A University Sexual Misconduct Case: A Legal Public Relations Case Study, Chelsea L. Woods, Shari R. Veil

Communication Faculty Publications

In 2016, the University of Kentucky became embroiled in an open records debate with its student newspaper, The Kentucky Kernel. Following a professor’s resignation amid a sexual misconduct investigation, the Kernel asked for records pertaining to the case. The University refused, claiming the information would violate survivors’ privacy. The decision sparked public backlash, forcing the University to combat accusations that it was prioritizing reputation over student safety. This case study provides insight into the crisis management process by exploring how key actors in the case made decisions. Drawing from theoretical perspectives including stakeholder theory and the ethics of care …

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 …