Note to students:  The two articles about the EXXON crisis are now available in my office.  Please come by at your earliest convenience to pick them up.  If I am not in my office, I will leave them in an envelope attached to my door.  Remember to read the crisis article about Columbine High School handed out in class.  Also, take a look at the photo gallery of the Elian Gonzalez seizure on the USA Today website and think about the public affairs/governmental affairs crisis this may have created.  Will the photos of Elian's reunion with his father outweigh images of the seizure in the public mind?

Description:
PUBR 5301 is a graduate communication course designed to provide students opportunities to explore ethics and professional practices in public relations and mass media through a case study approach.  The course emphasis will be on gaining a critical understanding of ethical foundations and professional practices in public relations and how these converge with media ethics and practices to thwart or propel public relations efforts and public policies.  Study will include in-depth examination of  several actual controversial cases involving media and public relations in PR firms, corporate communications departments, government agencies, political organizations and non-profit environments.

Special Note:
You will need to have access to e-mail and the Internet to successfully complete this course. This web page serves as your syllabus. Bookmark and write down the url address. Check it often for updates on class activities, assignments and readings. There will be no printed syllabus. You may use any account which gives you regular access to e-mail and the Internet.  There are several such labs readily available on campus.

Class Sessions:
6-8:45 p.m. (changed by unanimous decision of the class) Wednesday, 421 Warf-Pickel Hall

Snailmail:
Mailboxes in the Communication Department, First Floor, 111 Warf-Pickel Hall

e-mail: johnking@etsu.edu
The best way to reach me is to send me an e-mail message. I check e-mail several times a day.

Phone:
423/439-4169, 9-4169 on campus (please leave message on voice mail)

Office:
520 Warf-Pickel Hall

Office Hours:
9:30-11:30 a.m., Monday; 9:30-10:30 a.m., Tuesday; 1:30-2:30 p.m., Tuesday; 9:30-11:30 a.m., Wednesday

These are official office hours, reserved for students.  I will, of course, be in the office at times other than these.  If these hours are not convenient for you, please contact me to schedule an appointment and I will be happy to meet with you at a time that is convenient for you.

Please check my on-line schedule for a complete listing of my schedule for the semester.

Access my home page and schedule at: http://www.etsu.edu/kingpr/jkhomesp2000.htm

Course Format:
The class will be taught in a seminar discussion format with extensive information available on this web site including assignments, study questions, links to readings and relevant web sites.

Students who do well in the course will be those who attend regularly, read the material, study and prepare to discuss the information and issues in the course intelligently.

To facilitate that process, I have developed this web site for the course.  Check it often.  Read the assigned readings in the text.  Read the on-line lecture notes.  Make your own notes.  Study and be prepared to discuss the on-line questions.  Explore the links provided. In other words, immerse yourself in the material.

Course Objectives:
1/ To provide students an opportunity to gain knowlege about ethical considerations in public relations and mass media.

2/ To provide students an opportunity to gain knowlege about major case studies in public relations.

3/ To provide students an opportunity to explore the interaction between mass media and public relations and the resultant effects on public relations efforts and public policy formulation.

4/ To provide students an opportunity to apply ethical, practical and theoretical  knowledge to PR problems.

5/ To provide students an opportunity to develop original research proposals centering on PR ethics and case studies.

Required Reading:
Toxic Sludge is Good For You:  Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry
John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton

Public Relations Cases, Fourth Edition
Jerry A. Hendrix

Ethics in Media Communications:  Cases and Controversies, Third Edition
Louis A Day

Additional print and on-line readings will be assigned in class.

Assignments and Grades:
A five-page paper on Public Relations ethics (25 percent)
Two two-page analysis papers on selected PR case studies (25 percent)
A 10-page research paper on PR ethics and case studies (50 percent for undergrads)
A 10-page proposal for original research centering on PR ethics and case studies (50 percent for grad students)

Grading Scale:
93-100 = A, 90-92= A-, 87-89 = B+, 83-86 = B, 80-82 = B-, 77-79= C+, 73-76= C, 0-72= F

Deadline Policy:
Deadlines must be met on all assignments. Late assignments will not be accepted. A late assignment is one that is not available when the professor collects the assignments. Deadlines will not be extended except for extreme circumstances such as a serious illness or a death in your family. If you will be involved in a university approved trip, you will need to submit assignments in advance. It is your responsibility to notify the professor of such circumstances. Late assignments will receive a grade of zero.

Honesty:
East Tennessee State University has published specific guidelines for student academic conduct and expects the highest integrity of you. (See the ETSU Student Handbook, Spectrum, or the online version at http://www.etsu.edu/students/spectrum.htm) All work must be your own and must be produced during this term. Any dishonesty will be referred to student conduct officials.

Classroom Conduct:
As college students, you are all here to study, learn and prepare for a professional career.  Any disruptive conduct which interferes with the goals and objectives of the course will not be tolerated.  Individuals who persist in such conduct will be referred to student conduct officials, including the Dean of Students.

Attendance:
Graduate education in communication demands a great deal of commitment to study and preparation for class meetings and assignments.  Therefore, attendance at each class meeting is mandatory.  You will be permitted to miss two classes with no penalty.  Beyond that, 10 points will be deducted from the final grade for each unexcused absence.

Disability Services:
Individuals with disabilities qualified by the university should notify the professor if desired and contact the ETSU Office of Disability Services so that accommodations can be arranged in advance.

Course links:
Watch this space for more course links relevant to the class.
Welcome to East Tennessee State University!
Public Relations Society of America
Public Relations Student Society of America
AEJMC Public Relations Division
Fortune 500