APR Quality Assurance & Compliance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which measurement framework is most commonly used to evaluate the effectiveness of a PR campaign against its stated objectives?
- PESO model
- Barcelona Principles (Correct answer)
- RACE model
- PRSA Code of Ethics
Correct answer: Barcelona Principles
The Barcelona Principles provide a globally accepted framework for measuring PR effectiveness tied to specific objectives.
Question 2: A PR practitioner discovers a vendor submitted fabricated media coverage reports. The MOST appropriate first step is to:
- Immediately terminate the vendor contract
- Report the issue internally and document findings (Correct answer)
- Notify the client before conducting an internal review
- Ignore it if client outcomes were still achieved
Correct answer: Report the issue internally and document findings
Documenting findings and reporting internally ensures a structured, evidence-based response before any external action.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes a 'communication audit' in a QA context?
- A review of social media follower counts
- A systematic evaluation of all communication processes and outputs (Correct answer)
- An annual budget review for PR spending
- A competitive benchmarking report
Correct answer: A systematic evaluation of all communication processes and outputs
A communication audit systematically examines processes, messages, channels, and outcomes to identify gaps and improve quality.
Question 4: Under PRSA's Member Code of Ethics, the principle of 'fairness' requires PR professionals to:
- Charge equal fees to all clients
- Respect all opinions and support the right of free expression (Correct answer)
- Distribute press releases to all outlets simultaneously
- Provide equal time to opposing viewpoints in all materials
Correct answer: Respect all opinions and support the right of free expression
PRSA's fairness principle centers on respecting diverse viewpoints and upholding the right to free expression.
Question 5: Which quality control step should occur BEFORE a major press release is distributed?
- Post-publication media monitoring
- Multi-level editorial review and fact-checking (Correct answer)
- Audience sentiment analysis
- Competitive share-of-voice measurement
Correct answer: Multi-level editorial review and fact-checking
Pre-distribution editorial review and fact-checking catches errors and ensures accuracy before the message reaches the public.
Question 6: A compliance checklist in PR typically ensures that all content:
- Achieves maximum media impressions
- Meets legal, ethical, and organizational standards (Correct answer)
- Is approved by the CEO before release
- Uses only owned media channels
Correct answer: Meets legal, ethical, and organizational standards
Compliance checklists verify that content satisfies legal requirements, ethical guidelines, and internal organizational policies.
Question 7: When establishing KPIs for a PR quality assurance program, they should primarily be:
- Based on industry averages rather than client goals
- Specific, measurable, and tied to communication objectives (Correct answer)
- Focused exclusively on media impressions
- Set by the media partner, not the PR team
Correct answer: Specific, measurable, and tied to communication objectives
Effective KPIs must align with stated communication objectives and be measurable to allow meaningful quality assessment.
APR Quality Assurance & Compliance 2
Which measurement framework is most commonly used to evaluate the effectiveness of a PR campaign against its stated objectives?