CPC Public Relations & Media Relations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a crisis, a company discovers inaccurate information spreading on social media. The BEST initial PR response is to:
- Wait 24 hours to gather all facts before responding
- Issue a blanket denial without providing alternative facts
- Acknowledge awareness of the situation and commit to providing updates (Correct answer)
- Remove all company social media accounts temporarily
Correct answer: Acknowledge awareness of the situation and commit to providing updates
Acknowledging the situation quickly and promising updates demonstrates transparency and helps control the narrative without waiting too long.
Question 2: What is a 'boilerplate' in the context of a press release?
- A legal disclaimer required by the SEC
- A standardized paragraph at the end describing the organization (Correct answer)
- The embargo notice placed at the top of the release
- A bulleted list of key statistics supporting the announcement
Correct answer: A standardized paragraph at the end describing the organization
A boilerplate is a brief, standardized 'About the Company' paragraph placed at the end of every press release.
Question 3: A PR manager is asked to evaluate the success of a media campaign. Which metric most directly measures media quality over quantity?
- Total number of press releases distributed
- Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) of coverage
- Tone and sentiment of media coverage received (Correct answer)
- Number of journalists who opened the pitch email
Correct answer: Tone and sentiment of media coverage received
Sentiment analysis evaluates whether coverage is positive, negative, or neutral, providing insight into media quality beyond simple volume counts.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of proactive media relations?
- Issuing a statement after a journalist contacts the organization about a scandal
- Pitching a story about the company's new sustainability initiative before it is widely known (Correct answer)
- Responding to a FOIA request submitted by a reporter
- Correcting a factual error after it has been published
Correct answer: Pitching a story about the company's new sustainability initiative before it is widely known
Proactive media relations involves initiating contact with journalists to generate coverage on the organization's own terms.
Question 5: What is the purpose of an editorial calendar in PR planning?
- To schedule all internal employee newsletters for the year
- To map out media opportunities and content timing aligned with editorial themes (Correct answer)
- To track when journalists submit their stories to editors
- To record all past press releases in chronological order
Correct answer: To map out media opportunities and content timing aligned with editorial themes
An editorial calendar helps PR teams align pitches and content with anticipated media themes, seasons, and publication schedules.
Question 6: A spokesperson repeatedly says 'no comment' during a media interview. This approach most likely results in:
- Journalists concluding the company has nothing to hide
- The public viewing the organization as transparent and cautious
- Negative perceptions suggesting the organization is hiding information (Correct answer)
- Reduced media coverage and less public scrutiny
Correct answer: Negative perceptions suggesting the organization is hiding information
'No comment' is widely interpreted as evasion and can fuel negative speculation, even when the organization is legally or operationally constrained.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'message discipline' in media training?
- Strictly limiting the number of words a spokesperson uses per answer
- Consistently returning to key messages regardless of the questions asked (Correct answer)
- Refusing to answer any off-topic questions during an interview
- Memorizing an exact script to recite during press conferences
Correct answer: Consistently returning to key messages regardless of the questions asked
Message discipline means consistently bridging back to core messages during interviews, ensuring key points are communicated even when questions diverge.
CPC Public Relations & Media Relations 3
During a crisis, a company discovers inaccurate information spreading on social media.
The BEST initial PR response is to: