Editorial Record: Submitted Record June 9, 2023. Accepted August 30, 2023. Published October 2024.
Author
Katie R. Place Professor School of Communications Quinnipiac University Connecticut, USA Email: Katie.Place@quinnipiac.edu
ABSTRACT
This great idea for teaching (GIFT) aims to help undergraduate or graduate students review extant social media and web ethics policies and then apply their knowledge to the development of their own ethics policy. This GIFT guides educators through the rationale of the study, the steps of the study, a teaching note regarding the study, and relevant references.
Editorial Record: Submitted April 20, 2023. Revised July 3, 2023 and October 18, 2023. Accepted November 28, 2023.
Author
Young Joon Lim Professor Department of Communication University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley Texas, USA Email: young.lim@utrgv.edu
ABSTRACT
This study delves into the effects and implications of ChatGPT on American college students, focusing on their familiarity with emerging communication and educational technologies. The research also seeks to provide valuable insights for college administrators concerned about the ethical implications of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in higher education. The study examines students’ perceptions of ChatGPT, how colleges are responding to it, and the steps that should be taken in light of the proliferation of AI-based learning tools. The findings reveal that students are apprehensive about the lack of education regarding AI tools in today’s digital age and expect colleges to stay abreast of rapidly evolving AI technologies. To foster ethical conduct, it is crucial to remind students of the code of ethics that discourages unethical practices such as cheating, plagiarism, and academic dishonesty. Colleges should also establish clear and responsible guidelines for using AI tools. This will encourage students to contemplate the purpose of college education and consider the significant role it plays in their lives.
Editorial Record: Submitted May 19, 2023. Revised December 12, 2023. Accepted December 14, 2023.
Authors
Amanda J. Weed Associate Professor School of Communication & Media Kennesaw State University Georgia, USA Email: aweed2@kennesaw.edu
Lauren Nye School of Communication & Media Kennesaw State University Georgia, USA
ABSTRACT
Pre-professional student organizations are known to complement undergraduate university studies and propel students into their professional careers. The mission of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is to support students by enhancing education, broadening networks, and launching careers of students in the public relations industry. While PRSSA membership peaked at more than 10,000 members in 2018, membership has declined 41.6%, or more than 4,000 members, to a little more than 6,000 members in 2022. PRSSA student leaders can serve as the “canary in the coal mine” to pinpoint critical challenges in chapter recruitment, engagement, and day-to-day management. This study, through the theoretical lens of Self Determination Theory, aims to measure how PRSSA student leadership satisfies needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness; and explores intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to serve as chapter leaders. From the study findings, the authors propose a PRSSA leadership strategy that integrates extrinsic motivation in the form of a class credit model that better aligns the PRSSA mission to the evolving needs of students.
Editorial Record: Submitted May 27, 2023. Revised November 12, 2023. Accepted December 14, 2023.
Authors
Stephanie Madden Associate Professor Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania, USA Email: szm962@psu.edu
Kate Guastaferro Assistant Professor School of Global Public Health New York University New York, USA Email: kate.guastaferro@nyu.edu
ABSTRACT
This paper explores the experiences of one public relations capstone course to understand students’ experiences in developing a child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention campaign. Findings from this research indicated positive changes related to issue salience, efficacy, and knowledge. Furthermore, the sensitive nature of this issue was a motivator for students, although there were concerns about not offending target audiences or triggering survivors. This article provides ways to integrate trauma informed practices into a public relations campaigns course for instructors engaging with stigmatized issues.
Adrienne A. Wallace Associate Professor Grand Valley State University Editor-in-Chief Journal of Public Relations Education Email: wallacad@gvsu.edu
The 10-2 issue is all about the student experience. Following the Commission of Public Relations Education (CPRE) issue in 10-1, wherein we examined expectations of a complicated and growing field, we look at not just how students will succeed in the industry but rather their experience and perspective in getting to the finish line of the undergrad experience, using the classroom as a laboratory.
This issue addresses courageous methods with Madden & Guastaferro lending brave insight into the emotional toll that students endure when working with sensitive topics. In fact, their findings show us that students found this topic motivating and meaningful in providing support to victims. I’m grateful for Madden & Guastaferro bringing these issues and advice to light so as to help other PR professors understand how to more effectively integrate trauma-informed practices into campaign courses. We can’t avoid commonly stigmatized issues for the sake of our own comfort in classrooms, we must remain vigilant and maybe even, comfortably uncomfortable in order to improve outcomes related to all matters of communication with all people. I hope you find this article as moving and helpful as I did.
Then, Weed & Nye reveal an additional aspect of student satisfaction using extracurricular activities through PRSSA as a model for maximizing leadership potential and their knowledge, skills, abilities, and traits (KSATs) – building upon the last two CPRE reports. They recommend to maximize these KSATs that PRSSA should be structured within a for-credit curricular design to enhance career preparedness in the student experience. This left me thinking about the potential that exists for high-impact practices and experiential learning crossovers in my own curriculum and asking the question, am I advocating enough for my own PRSSA chapter?
This takes us to the role of technology in this experience discussion, which Lim and Place address in the use of technological tools and responsible use in public relations with our final article and GIFT. In these final pieces, Lim reveals, that college students anticipate professors to incorporate ChatGPT into many course materials rather than prohibiting its use. This study highlights that ChatGPT is a powerful PR tool that can be used by colleges to improve their public relations efforts in a number of ways, from classroom to campus-wide innovation. I appreciated this article and timing as my own university and unit wrestle with policymaking and educational practices surrounding emerging tech in the classroom and campus.
As luck would have it, Place provides us with a solution to the implementation of this looming issue in our classrooms in her award-winning GIFT from the PRSA Educators Academy Summit in 2022. This assignment has miraculously stood the test of tech time and is structured to empower, enable, and embolden students to apply ethical and legal theory in PR to practice by way of a policy writing assignment. Really turning the student into an expert to engage as counsel and “ethical guardians” in the field; furthering a confident student through this classroom experience. Our educators in this issue have effectively transformed wicked problems into practical and professional solutions. I’m so proud of the work we do at JPRE, and I hope our scholars inspire your own practice.
The Journal of Public Relations Education (JPRE) is devoted to the presentation of research and commentary that advance the field of public relations education. JPRE invites submissions in the following three categories:
Research Articles
Teaching Briefs
Book/Software Reviews
Learn more by visiting the About JPRE page and the Authors/Contributors page for submission guidelines. All submissions should follow the guidelines of the most recent edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Elizabeth L. Toth Professor Emerita University of Maryland Maryland, USA Email: eltoth@umd.edu
ABSTRACT
This article further examines the 2023 quantitative research by the Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE) on KSAs and hiring characteristics desired and delivered/found as reported by public relations educators and practitioners. Specifically, the examination considers where significant differences between the groups exist. Another focus was investigating groupings of hiring characteristics between public relations educators and practitioners. Finally, a comparison of the CPRE recommended six-course standard was conducted between educators in the U.S. and those located outside the U.S. The study aims to guide curricular decisions for educators across the globe as well as foster conversations between educators and practitioners in public relations.
Keywords: Public relations education, KSAs, hiring characteristics, PR coursework
To cite this article: Shen, H., Bourland-Davis, P., & Toth, E.L. . (2024). CPRE Study: Educator/practitioner perceptions of student preparation and international comparisons of the six-course standard. Journal of Public Relations Education, 10(1), 6-46. https://journalofpreducation.com/?p=4571
Adrienne A. Wallace Associate Professor Grand Valley State University Editor in Chief, Journal of Public Relations Education Email: wallacad@gvsu.edu
Elizabeth L. Toth Professor Emerita University of Maryland Co-Editor, CPRE 2023 Report Email: eltoth@umd.edu
Pamela Bourland-Davis Professor Georgia Southern University Co-Editor, CPRE 2023 Report Email: pamelagb@georgiasouthern.edu
As the incoming editor of the Journal of Public Relations Education, I’ve been absolutely blown away and, frankly, dazzled by the dedication and talents of an all-volunteer team. Where else in the academy does one find an open-access journal run 100% on the time, talent, and treasure of volunteers? Are we crazy? Passionate? Both? Maybe. Anyway, I’m here for it and so are you! If you are so inclined to drop a note of thanks to our esteemed volunteers, you can find a listing of the full executive editorial board and editorial review board at this link.
JPRE welcomes the following members to the executive editorial board of directors:
Senior Associate Editor – Christopher McCollough, Ph.D., Jacksonville State University Associate Editor – Style – Luke Capizzo, Ph.D., APR, University of Missouri Associate Editor – Style – LaShonda L. Eaddy, Ph.D., APR, Penn State University Associate Editor – Layout Design & Web – Amanda J. Weed, Ph.D., APR, Kennesaw State University Assistant Editor – Layout Design – Haley Higgs, Ph.D., Georgia Southern University Associate Editor – Book/Resource Reviews – Jiun-Yi (Jenny) Tsai, Ph.D., Northern Arizona University Assistant Editor – Digital Media – Kate Stewart., Jacksonville State University
It’s my pleasure to thank Dr. Pamela Bourland-Davis for her endless support and enthusiasm for the growth and forward progress of this journal. As just the fourth editor in the journal’s history, it’s not lost on me that JPRE would not be the success it is without the legacy support of the past editors Pamela Bourland-Davis, Emily Kinsky, and Chuck Lubbers and critical support from Tiffany Gallicano. These esteemed scholars form the past editors’ council of JPRE – the foundation and backbone of the journal.
With each new editor, great strides have been made throughout JPRE’s history. As such, I’m pleased to announce the first marks that the incoming executive editorial board has made on the journal, starting with this issue:
We have updated each publication entry to simplify the process and improve website navigation, page loading time, and search. This will allow us to capitalize on precious volunteer hours as well as end keyword cannibalization and “keyword stuffing” of articles published as both a “blog style” post and a PDF on the same site. The appearance might change over time as we find out what is working and what is not working for the journal for search.
Sponsorship from the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin will create the Moody College of Communication Quality Reviewer Award with a cash prize to be awarded in August.
Sponsorship from The Arthur W. Page Center establishes the Page Center Ethics in PR Pedagogy Award with a cash prize – to be awarded in August.
Due to generous sponsorships from Moody College and the Page Center, JPRE will pursue CrossRef/DOI supplier registration and SCOPUS database participation to expand the journal’s footprint and impact.
As you can see, this good work cannot be maintained without donor aid. If you are interested in supporting JPRE financially, please message me (jpre@gvsu.edu) for a specialized sponsorship package.
Finally, those of you who attended the November event celebrating 50 years of the Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE) understand the blood, sweat, and tears that went into the 2023 CPRE report, Navigating Change. It’s my pleasure to present the guest editor commentary for special issue 10-1 below. This issue is a dynamic partner in implementing the report findings into our classrooms. Thank you to Pamela Bourland-Davis and Elizabeth Toth for their insight and lift in bringing this special issue to publication so swiftly.
Adrienne A. Wallace Editor in Chief Journal of Public Relations Education
The 2023 Commission on Public Relations Education report, Navigating Change: Recommendations for Advancing Undergraduate Public Relations Education, was published in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Commission. An 18-month process, the report emerged from crowdsourcing what practitioners and educators felt were the most critical topics for public relations, especially as we emerged from a global pandemic, and a myriad of other social and political issues. The result was a report focused on key elements related to the status of education, repeating key items from previous CPRE studies; the future of the workplace; critical strategic thinking; data insights and strategy; ethics; DEI; and, PR as a driver of social change.
Each of these topics was addressed via questions on an omnibus-style quantitative survey, “Page Conversations,” and through secondary research. The key findings are detailed in the report, along with recommendations – largely focused on educators. This issue of the Journal of Public Relations Education provides a deeper dive into some of the data, which was largely descriptive in the report. It also provides teaching suggestions to integrate the findings in the classroom.
Specifically, in this issue you’ll find additional information on the KSAs and hiring preferences as seen by practitioners versus educators, along with the differences between U.S. and international curriculum based on the respondents. Future of the workplace team members considered whether current job ads reflect the interests of Gen Z, the primary future employee workforce. Additional data insight and application in the classroom are offered through reports on critical strategic thinking and ethics. And finally, a classroom assignment based on one of the DEI recommendations is offered.
Because of the richness of the data, and the reported importance of these topics, we anticipate you’ll see additional publications and presentations emerging from the CPRE report in the future. The 2023 Report, Navigating Change, gives the most current thinking by experts. It also has a wealth of additional resources to learn how the seven-chapter topics are refining public relations knowledge. Here’s the link to the full report, the executive summary, and a student guide: https://www.commissionpred.org/navigating-change-report/
We walked away from this project concluding that undergraduate public relations education has made significant progress in establishing the educational foundations. At the same time, it would appear that we are seeing higher-than-ever expectations of our graduates from the public relations industry. The choice of topics included in the report implies that what is needed from future employees will be to think wholistically about how to create effective relationships for their employers within rapidly changing social and global expectations.
Elizabeth L. Toth, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA Professor Emerita, CPRE 2023 Report Co-Editor
Pamela Bourland-Davis, Ph.D. Professor, CPRE 2023 Report Co-Editor
Table of Contents
Editor’s Note Adrienne A. Wallace, Elizabeth L. Toth, and Pamela Bourland-Davis
The Journal of Public Relations Education (JPRE) is devoted to the presentation of research and commentary that advance the field of public relations education. JPRE invites submissions in the following three categories:
Research Articles
Teaching Briefs
Book/Software Reviews
Learn more by visiting the About JPRE page and the Authors/Contributors page for submission guidelines. All submissions should follow the guidelines of the most recent edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Building upon one of the five key recommendations of the Commission on Public Relations Education 2023 standards report, this teaching brief examines how educators can actualize their diversity, equity, and inclusion missions in public relations classrooms. Public relations educators can use this teaching brief to help undergraduate students understand the meaning, significance, and current climate of DEI, as they facilitate an in-class, interactive assignment where students examine organizations’ DEI missions by engaging in research, critical strategic thinking, and class discussions. Overall, this teaching brief aims to strengthen the ongoing work of embedding DEI in the public relations curriculum, as well as share practical implications for the public relations industry.
Keywords: Public relations education, diversity, equity, inclusion, resistance, belonging, actualizing DEI
To cite this article: Vasquez, R.A., Logan, N., Fussell Sisco, H., & Place, K. (2024). Actualizing the DEI mission in public relations classrooms. Journal of Public Relations Education, 10(1), 133-149. https://journalofpreducation.com/?p=4667
Shannon A. Bowen Professor University of South Carolina South Carolina, USA Email: sbowen@sc.edu
Denise Bortree Professor Penn State University Pennsylvania, USA Email: dsb177@psu.edu
ABSTRACT
Public relations practitioners need to be prepared to serve as ethics counselors and values managers. However, as revealed in the 2023 Commission on Public Relations Education report, public relations managers are not satisfied with the level of ethics knowledge possessed by recent graduates they have hired. Through additional analysis of the CPRE data collected from surveys with public relations practitioners and educators, this study reveals what topics managers believe should be taught related to public relations ethics to adequately prepare students for their careers. The results revealed significant deficiencies, especially in colleges and universities that do not offer standalone ethics courses, but simply integrate ethics content into other public relations courses. We provide specific recommendations of resources and pedagogical approaches for addressing five of the core topic areas.
To cite this article: Neill, M.S., Bowen, S.A., & Bortree, D. (2024). Identifying & addressing gaps in public relations ethics education. Journal of Public Relations Education, 10(1), 108-132. https://journalofpreducation.com/?p=4659
Editorial Record: Submitted March 13, 2024. Revised April 11, 2024. Accepted May 27, 2024. Published June 2024.
Author
Kenneth Plowman Associate Professor Brigham Young University Utah, USA Email: kenneth_plowman@byu.edu
Anna Klyueva Associate Professor University of Houston, Clear Lake Texas, USA Email: klyueva@uhcl.edu
Hongmei Shen Professor San Diego State University California, USA Email: hshen@sdsu.edu
Christopher Wilson Associate Professor Brigham Young University Utah, USA Email: chriswilson@byu.edu
Elina Erzikova Professor Central Michigan University Michigan, USA
ABSTRACT
Both educators and practitioners ranked critical and strategic thinking skills highly in the 2023 CPRE survey and stressed them as an important area to consider for future curriculum development. However, the 2023 CPRE report also highlighted that most critical and strategic thinking instruction is taken for granted in undergraduate public relations education. This article underscores the importance of developing critical and strategic thinking skills in public relations students through explicit instruction for future career success. Drawing from diverse perspectives on critical and strategic thinking and building on the findings from the 2023 CPRE report, the article proposes an integrated four-step DASA Model (Detecting, Analyzing, Strategizing, and Acting) for teaching the public relations process. The article offers an in-depth discussion of the DASA model application with specific examples of its in-class implementation and assessment of students’ metacognitive skills.
Keywords: Critical thinking, strategic thinking, DASA model, public relations process
To cite this article: Plowman, K., Klyueva, A., Shen, H., Wilson, C., & Erzikova, E. (2024). Teaching critical strategic thinking through the DASA model. Journal of Public Relations Education, 10(1), 79-107. https://journalofpreducation.com/?p=4645
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