Subject Overview

Public Relations Management examines how organisations build, maintain and protect relationships, reputation and legitimacy through research, strategic communication and responsible engagement. The subject integrates traditional media relations with stakeholder management, digital communication, crisis response, analytics, governance and emerging AI-enabled practice.

Learning Goal

On completion, students will be able to plan, execute, manage and evaluate ethical public relations programs; make evidence-based communication decisions; manage media, stakeholders, reputation and crises; and apply contemporary digital technologies and AI responsibly in professional practice.

Syllabus

1. Foundations and Evolution of Public Relations

Learning Objective: Explain the meaning, scope, functions, history and terminology of public relations; distinguish PR from advertising, journalism, marketing, publicity and propaganda; and identify major industry roles and sectors.

Category: foundation

2. Public Relations Theories and Communication Models

Learning Objective: Apply systems theory, excellence theory, two-way communication, agenda-setting, framing, diffusion, persuasion, social influence and relationship management models to public relations situations.

Category: foundation

3. Ethics, Law, Governance and Professional Standards

Learning Objective: Evaluate ethical dilemmas, transparency, conflicts of interest, misinformation, privacy, intellectual property, defamation and regulatory obligations using professional codes and governance frameworks.

Category: core

4. Stakeholders, Publics and Organisational Reputation

Learning Objective: Identify and prioritise stakeholders and publics; analyse expectations, power, legitimacy and influence; and manage organisational identity, image, trust, legitimacy and reputation.

Category: core

5. Public Relations Research and Environmental Intelligence

Learning Objective: Conduct situation analysis using primary and secondary research, social listening, media monitoring, stakeholder mapping, PESTLE, SWOT and issue scanning to produce actionable insights.

Category: core

6. Strategic Public Relations Planning and Decision Making

Learning Objective: Develop evidence-based PR strategies using models such as RACE, ROPE and PESO; define measurable objectives, audiences, positioning, resources, timelines, risks and implementation responsibilities.

Category: core

7. Message Strategy, Storytelling and Content Development

Learning Objective: Design audience-centred key messages, narratives, speeches, media materials and multimedia content using persuasion, framing, brand voice, accessibility and cultural sensitivity principles.

Category: application

8. Media Relations and News Management

Learning Objective: Understand newsroom practices and news values; build ethical journalist relationships; prepare pitches, press releases, media kits and spokespersons; and manage interviews, briefings and press conferences.

Category: application

9. Digital, Social Media and AI-Enabled Public Relations

Learning Objective: Manage websites, social platforms, online communities and influencer relations; apply generative AI, automation and social listening responsibly; and address algorithmic bias, deepfakes, privacy and disclosure.

Category: contemporary

10. Issues, Risk and Crisis Communication

Learning Objective: Identify emerging issues and communication risks; create crisis plans, teams, protocols and holding statements; manage real-time response, misinformation and recovery; and evaluate organisational learning.

Category: strategic

11. Internal Communication and Change Management

Learning Objective: Plan employee communication, leadership messaging, engagement and feedback; support organisational culture, transformation and change; and manage communication across hybrid and distributed workplaces.

Category: application

12. Public Affairs, Advocacy and Social Responsibility

Learning Objective: Explain government, community and activist relations; design ethical advocacy and lobbying approaches; and align ESG, sustainability and corporate social responsibility communication with credible organisational action.

Category: strategic

13. Campaign, Event and Partnership Management

Learning Objective: Integrate earned, shared, owned and paid communication across campaigns, events, sponsorships and partnerships while managing budgets, suppliers, schedules, quality and operational risks.

Category: application

14. Measurement, Analytics and Future PR Management

Learning Objective: Evaluate outputs, outtakes, outcomes and impact using AMEC principles, KPIs, dashboards, sentiment and reputation metrics; calculate value and report insights while assessing digital transformation, synthetic media and future professional capabilities.

Category: advanced