Monthly Archives: April 2025

Journal of Public Relations Education, Vol. 11, Issue 1

Letter from the Editor

Adrienne A. Wallace
Grand Valley State University
Editor-in-Chief
Journal of Public Relations Education
Email: wallacad@gvsu.edu

At JPRE, we love it when a plan comes together, resulting in a powerful themed issue. In 11-1, the evolving landscape of public relations (PR) education and the necessity of preparing students for industry challenges through experiential learning, ethical considerations, and AI literacy is brought full circle. This issue features a diverse array of pedagogical innovations aimed at bridging the gap between academic instruction and professional application.

“The Kids Are Alright” by Tefertiller, Vaszuez and Brammer delves into the ethical dimensions of AI use among PR students, revealing how future practitioners navigate the complexities of AI-driven communication while maintaining professional integrity​. The creative thinking of Riddell, Fenner, and Kearney uses Enneagram Harmony Triads for group formation in PR courses, and highlights the role of team dynamics in successful campaign execution. By leveraging personality-based grouping, this method improves collaboration, reduces interpersonal friction, and enhances overall project outcomes, reinforcing the importance of soft skills in PR education​. The teaching brief by Howes on creating a prompt library for AI-driven public relations education underscores the growing importance of AI proficiency in public relations practice, emphasizing both the technical skill of prompt engineering and the critical thinking necessary to evaluate AI-generated content​. Finally, the critical dimension of industry readiness is explored by the dynamic duo from Jacksonville State University, Murphy and Joyce, in a teaching brief giving us a roadmap for the integration of job application practice into a PR campaigns course, which provides students with hands-on experience in applying for PR roles, refining their resumes, and preparing for professional interviews​. This approach mirrors industry expectations, ensuring that students graduate with not only theoretical knowledge but also practical skills that enhance employability.

Together, these articles reflect the Journal of Public Relations Educator’s ongoing commitment to advancing pedagogical strategies that align with industry needs. From AI literacy and ethics to career preparation and collaborative learning, the articles in this issue provide a roadmap for equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and ethical frameworks necessary to thrive in the modern PR landscape.

Coming soon: Keep your eyes peeled for two special issue calls dropping in the upcoming weeks: first, in what we are calling the graduate issue, is the collective creation of previous JPRE editors-in-chief, Pamela Bourland-Davis, Emily Kinsky, and Charles “Chuck” Lubbers which will invite invite research articles, teaching briefs, and book reviews – we are especially interested in manuscripts that explore BOTH the challenges and opportunities for public relations pedagogy focusing on graduate-level education; then the second special issue, we are affectionately referring to as the GIFTs of leadership which features another all-star guest editor lineup of David Grossman (The Grossman Group), Tina McCorkindale (IPR), Karla Gower (Plank), and more. This special issue will welcome submissions of articles, teaching briefs, and book reviews that examine both the challenges and opportunities in public relations pedagogy, with a focus on leadership in the undergraduate classroom. Watch the AEJMC PRD listserv for complete calls and the PRD community website for these calls as they go live.

Our appreciation goes out to the Editorial Review Board, the Past Editors Council, as well as our beloved sponsors, the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication and the Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations – Moody College at the University of Texas at Austin. If you are interested in joining the ERB or sponsoring JPRE, please reach out. I’d love to talk to you about how you can contribute to our 100% volunteer-operated open-access journal.

Onward!
Adrienne A. Wallace
Editor-in-Chief

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter from the Editor
Adrienne A. Wallace

ARTICLES

The Kids Are Alright: Examining How U.S. Public Relations Students Ethically Navigate Artificial Intelligence
Alec Tefertiller, Rosalynn Vasquez & Matthew Brammer

Do We Have to Work in Groups? Using Enneagram Harmony Triads for Improved Group Formation in the Classroom
Heather Riddell, Christopher Fenner & Christina Kearney

TEACHING BRIEFS/GIFTS

Creating a Prompt Library: Applying Generative AI Skills to Public Relations Practice
Pauline Howes

Preparing Students for the Workplace: Integrating Job Application Practice into a Campaigns Course
Breann Murphy & Teddi Joyce

BOOK REVIEWS

A Modern Guide to Public Relations: Unveiling the Mystery of PR
Matthew P. Taylor

Read the Full Issue:

JPRE_2025_11(1)Download

The Kids Are Alright: Examining How U.S. Public Relations Students Ethically Navigate Artificial Intelligence

Editorial Record: Submitted May 23, 2024. Accepted July 26, 2024.

Authors

Alec Tefertiller
Assistant Professor
Baylor University
Texas, USA
Email: Alec_Tefertiller@baylor.edu

Rosalynn Vasquez
Assistant Professor
Baylor University
Texas, USA
Email: Rosalynn_Vasquez@baylor.edu

Matthew Brammer
Virtual Coaching Specialist
Ford Motor Company

ABSTRACT

Generative artificial intelligence tools have alarmed many in higher education given their potential threat to academic honesty. For public relations educators, for whom ethics education is an important consideration, the implications of these tools warrant close consideration. Using a cross-sectional, mixed-methods survey of students in a U.S. collegiate journalism and public relations department (N = 256), this study determined that while ethical issues need to be addressed, students seek to use the tools in a manner consistent with professional guidelines.

JPRE_2025_11(1)_TefertillerEtAlDownload

Do We Have to Work in Groups? Using Enneagram Harmony Triads for Improved Group Formation in the Classroom

Editorial Record: Submitted July 20, 2024. Revised October 17, 2024. Accepted February 10, 2025.

Authors

Heather Riddell
Associate Professor
University of West Florida
Florida, USA
Email: hriddell@uwf.edu

Christopher Fenner
Instructor
University of West Florida
Florida, USA
Email: cfenner@uwf.edu

Christina Kearney
M.A. Student
Saint Mary of the Woods

ABSTRACT

A significant challenge academic courses face is how best to group students for a semester-long project in strategic communication or public relations courses. This research aims to determine whether using the Enneagram of Personality’s Harmony Triads to contextualize the formation of student groups in public relations courses increases the quality of group experiences and the effectiveness of project teams. An experiment was conducted over two academic years: one taught with the Enneagram framework and one without. Assessments and findings are based on comparing data gathered via peer evaluations, final group projects, and course grades. Results show group and final grades increase when project teams are formed using the Enneagram, suggesting the framework facilitates group cohesion, increased productivity, and higher grades.

JPRE_2025_11(1)_RiddellEtAlDownload

Creating a Prompt Library: Applying Generative AI Skills to Public Relations Practice

Editorial Record: Submitted June 30, 2024. Revised June September 21, 2024. Accepted February 10, 2024.

Authors

Pauline Howes
Associate Professor
Kennesaw State University
Georgia, USA
Email: phowes1@kennesaw.edu

ABSTRACT

Preparing public relations students with knowledge and skills to apply generative artificial intelligence (AI) to professional practice has become an essential part of PR education. This teaching brief presents a public relations course assignment, Creating a Prompt Library, that involves developing prompting skills, applying AI tools to a variety of public relations tasks, and critically analyzing AI output.

JPRE_2025_11(1)_HowesDownload

A Modern Guide to Public Relations: Unveiling the Mystery of PR

Reviewer

Matthew P. Taylor, Middle Tennessee State University

Author: Amy Rosenberg
Publisher: Veracity Marketing, 2021
ISBN (Print): 978-1-7365140-0-9
ISBN (eBook): 978-1-7365140-1-6
Number of pages: 185

A Modern Guide to Public Relations: Unveiling the Mystery of PR provides a practitioner’s perspective on how to conduct effective media relations using traditional methods to generate publicity and newer SEO-driven approaches to garner attention online. Author Amy Rosenberg, founder and president of Veracity, a PR firm in Portland, OR, draws from a wealth of professional experience to guide the book’s articulation of how to generate effective story ideas, distribute content to the appropriate news outlets, and connect with journalists in order to earn placement. Rosenberg also incorporates her observations on the most important qualities for public relations professionals to possess and how to find one’s fit in the industry. Public relations is an intriguing career path in this telling.

JPRE_2025_11(1)_TaylorDownload

Preparing Students for the Workplace: Integrating Job Application Practice into a Campaigns Course

Editorial Record: Submitted July 19, 2024. Revised October 14, 2024. Accepted February 10, 2025.

Authors

Breann Murphy
Associate Professor
Jacksonville State University
Alabama, USA
Email: bmurphy5@jsu.edu

Teddi Joyce
Associate Professor
Jacksonville State University
Alabama, USA
Email: tjoyce@jsu.edu 

ABSTRACT

Public relations industry professionals express a growing need for undergraduate students to be profession-ready upon graduation. As a result, educators must continue to creatively integrate assignments and experiential learning experiences into the classroom that simulate real-world practices and emphasize job readiness. This teaching brief provides an assignment sample to help educators provide students with practice and experience on applying for a job in public relations and how this assignment can be implemented into a public relations campaigns or capstone course.

JPRE_2025_11(1)_MurphyJoyceDownload