Introduction
Public relations management often breaks down at the working level: press releases that journalists ignore, media lists that are out of date, enquiries answered late or without approval, and campaigns planned without research or a budget, then reported as clippings counts. This Core Concept course gives PR and communications officers a structured method for running the PR function, from defining publics and applying the RACE and ROPE planning models to writing press materials, managing media relations and measuring outcomes. Participants build a PR Campaign Plan and Media Pack for a live initiative.
Course Objectives
- Define the publics of a PR programme and map how each one relates to the organisation and its issues
- Plan a PR programme with the RACE or ROPE model, starting from formative research and measurable objectives
- Write press releases, media kits and journalist pitches that match the needs of specific outlets and beats
- Manage media relations day to day, including media lists, relationship tracking and the handling of journalist enquiries
- Design and budget a PR campaign across traditional, digital and social channels and test it against ethics codes
- Produce a PR Campaign Plan and Media Pack evaluated against outcome measures in line with the Barcelona Principles
Target Audience
- Officers responsible for drafting press releases, statements and media materials
- Staff who maintain media contacts and answer journalist enquiries on behalf of the organisation
- Coordinators who plan and run PR campaigns, launches and awareness activities
- Communication staff in public bodies and institutions who handle public information and media contact
- Team members responsible for monitoring coverage and reporting PR results
- Marketing and corporate affairs staff whose role includes earned media activity
Course Outline
Day 1: The PR Function, Its Publics and Current Practice
- PRSA and CIPR Definitions of Public Relations and the Scope of the PR Function
- Grunig Situational Theory: Non-Publics, Latent, Aware and Active Publics
- Publics Segmentation Matrix: Media, Community, Customers, Investors and Government
- Corporate PR, Marketing PR and Public Affairs: Role Boundaries Worksheet
- PR Function Audit: Channels, Media Assets, Coverage History and Resourcing
Day 2: PR Research and Planning Models
- RACE Planning Model: Research, Action, Communication and Evaluation
- ROPE Planning Model: Research, Objectives, Programming and Evaluation
- Formative Research Methods: Media Content Analysis, Surveys and Focus Groups
- SMART PR Objectives for Awareness, Attitude and Behaviour Outcomes
- Barcelona Principles 3.0: Outcome-Based Measurement and the Exclusion of AVE
Day 3: Press Materials and Media Relations Practice
- Press Release Structure: Headline, Dateline, Lead Paragraph, Quotes and Boilerplate
- Media Kit Assembly: Fact Sheet, Backgrounder, Biographies and Image Library
- Journalist Pitch Email and Story Angle Development for a Target Beat
- Media List Building and Relationship Tracker by Outlet, Beat and Contact History
- Journalist Enquiry Log: Triage, Approval Routing and Response Time Standards
Day 4: Campaign Design, Digital PR and Professional Ethics
- PR Campaign Plan and Budget Template: Activities, Timeline and Cost Lines
- Digital and Social PR: Online Newsroom, Influencer Outreach and Earned Links
- Government and Institutional Communication Overview: Public Information and Citizen Engagement
- PR Evaluation Dashboard: Coverage Quality, Message Pick-Up and Audience Outcome Indicators
- Ethics Review Using PRSA Code Values, the IABC Code and the TARES Test
Day 5: Case Work and the PR Campaign Plan and Media Pack
- Product Launch Case Study: Press Release and Media Kit Critique
- Public Service Awareness Case Study: Publics, Objectives and Channel Mix
- Non-Profit Fundraising Case Study: Pitch Plan and Target Media List
- PR Campaign Plan and Media Pack Drafting for a Live Organisational Initiative
- Peer Review Panel Against a Campaign Plan Scorecard and Ethics Checklist
Skills You Will Gain
- Publics Analysis
- PR Programme Planning
- Press Release Writing
- Media Pitching
- Media Relationship Management
- Campaign Budgeting
- Digital PR Execution
- PR Outcome Evaluation
Why Attend This Course
- Return with a PR Campaign Plan and Media Pack ready to use for an initiative in your own organisation
- Get stronger pick-up from journalists by writing releases and pitches around what each outlet actually covers
- Report PR results to managers as outcomes rather than clippings counts or advertising equivalents
- Compare media relations and campaign practice with officers from companies, public bodies and non-profits
Conclusion
Effective public relations depends on knowing who the publics are, planning from research, and giving journalists material they can use. This course moves from the PR function and its publics, through the RACE and ROPE planning models and outcome-based measurement, to press releases, media kits, pitches, enquiry handling, campaign budgeting, digital PR and ethics. The final day applies the method to cases from business, public service and non-profit settings and produces a PR Campaign Plan and Media Pack for a live initiative.
