Public Relations For Digital Media

Develop PR Strategy in a Digital Age

Prepare for a career in public relations with four hands-on courses.

About This Specialization

This Specialization provides an overview of the public relations field, emphasizing the strategic role of PR management in achieving long-term business goals. You’ll study the case examples and theoretical concepts that inform PR best practices, and you’ll gain practical experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research, planning campaigns, and optimizing social media content. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll create a strategic communication plan in response to a real-world PR problem.

Created by:

5 courses

Follow the suggested order or choose your own.

Projects

Designed to help you practice and apply the skills you learn.

Certificates

Highlight your new skills on your resume or LinkedIn.

Courses

Beginner Specialization.: No prior experience required.

COURSE 1
Introduction to Public Relations
Upcoming session: Aug 28 — Oct 2.
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 6-8 hours/week
Subtitles
English
About the Course
What is Public Relations? What does a Public Relations practitioner do and what is the role of Public Relations in a technologically-connected global landscape? What is the nature of the Public Relations process and how to develop Public Relations strategies and tactics? In this course, you will learn what Public Relations is, what are some of the key growth areas in Public Relations, and the future of the practice. You will learn about the various theories of Public Relations and how to put these theories to use when carrying out Public Relations activities. The course will provide you a big picture of the Public Relations process, and the important roles of strategy and tactics in the process. This is a foundation course for students wanting to pursue careers in public relations as well as a refresher for entry level PR practitioners wanting to brush up on their knowledge of the field. Throughout the course, I will converse with you about the ongoing trends in technology and culture and the ways in which these trends are shaping PR across the globe. Come join me in this fun tour of Public Relations practice, PR theories, and the PR process. We will learn together about the nature of PR in our technologically-powered networked societies and the ways in which PR careers are being transformed by global conversations.
COURSE 2
Public Relations Research
Upcoming session: Sep 4 — Oct 9.
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 6-8 hours/week
Subtitles
English
About the Course
Perhaps you are familiar with research. You might have learned about research or maybe you conduct research in your life. How is that different from research in Public Relations practice? In this course, you will learn the foundations of research in PR. PR research is applied research. Practical application of research allows you to improve the organization’s performance. Research can be used in many ways in Public Relations practice. For example, you can use research to analyze and assess a need for the organization, ensure your objectives are realistic and connected to your outcome, identify and describe the relevant publics, brainstorm and test messages and channels, monitor the progress of your PR efforts, show impact and effectiveness of your program. This course will provide you the basic knowledge to plan, design, and conduct research to solve a PR problem. This course is designed for students wanting to pursue careers in public relations as well as a refresher for entry level PR practitioners wanting to brush up on their knowledge of the field. Come join me in this tour of research in PR where you will learn to use research as the backbone of your strategic decisions based on evidence.
COURSE 3
Public Relations Campaigns
Upcoming session: Sep 4 — Oct 9.
Commitment
4 weeks of study, 6-8 hours/week
Subtitles
English
About the Course
One of the most widely implemented and exciting areas of Public Relations is Public Relations Campaigns. What are PR campaigns and what are the best practices for putting together campaigns? What does the campaign process look like? How to go about putting together a campaign and evaluating it? Drawing from my experiences in researching, carrying out, and teaching campaigns, I will give you an overview of the campaign process. In this course, you will learn the structure of a PR campaign and the steps involved in putting it together. You will learn about the nuts and bolts of setting up objectives, developing strategy and creating tactics. In doing so, the course will take you through a brief tour of various campaign theories. You will also learn about the key lessons that have been derived from critical analyses and synthesis of the research on campaigns. Finally, you will pick up the key elements of campaign evaluation. I am looking forward to enjoying this journey with you in learning about PR campaigns.
COURSE 4
Social Media in Public Relations
Upcoming session: Aug 21 — Sep 25.
Commitment
4 weeks, 6-8 hours per week
Subtitles
English
About the Course
Have you ever wondered why some videos go viral while others flop or how some companies have successfully leveraged Facebook and Twitter to reach out to their customers and clients? How are some companies able to effectively navigate the world of social media and build thriving online communities while others flounder, crash and burn? These questions along with many others concerning the use of, management and effects of social media in today's world will be covered in this course. Embark on a journey into the realm of social media in public relations and explore the dynamics and management of social media and how it has changed public relations. We will examine the impact of digital influence, the relationship between traditional and social media as well as some of the pitfalls in the use of social media. You will also learn how to cultivate and manage relationships in social media, engage the online community, and plan and manage online content. We will also take a look at some ways of to measure and evaluate social media campaigns. Come, join me in this course and take the first step towards an exciting and rewarding career in social media.
COURSE 5
Public Relations Capstone
Upcoming session: Sep 4 — Oct 16.
Commitment
5 weeks of study, 3-5 hours/week
Subtitles
English
About the Capstone Project
The capstone project will be a strategic plan. Students will be given a specific problem and will be asked to conduct a situation analysis based on research, which will then serve as the basis of the strategic plan outlining the objectives and specific communication strategies for addressing the problem. The project will test the knowledge of students in basic principles of public relations, public relations research, strategy and new media, asking students to come up with a strategic plan. The strategic plan will be the roadmap for a public relations campaign and will integrate the key concepts offered through the four courses.

Creators

The National University of Singapore aspires to influence the future through education, research, and service.
A leading global university located in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore’s flagship university, and offers a global approach to education and research with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. Its transformative education includes a broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-disciplinary courses and cross-faculty enrichment.

Mohan Dutta
Professor, Head of Communications and New Media
Iccha Basnyat
Assistant Professor
Tracy Loh
Visiting Fellow

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