CPRS Strategic Communication & Media Relations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A nonprofit is launching a public awareness campaign with a limited budget. Which media strategy offers the highest earned-media potential?
- Paying for sponsored content in trade publications
- Cultivating a compelling human-interest story for local TV (Correct answer)
- Running a national print ad campaign
- Distributing a generic press release to all wire services
Correct answer: Cultivating a compelling human-interest story for local TV
Human-interest stories with emotional resonance are highly attractive to local TV news and often generate organic coverage without paid placement.
Question 2: What distinguishes a strategic communication plan from a tactical plan?
- A strategic plan lists specific deliverables and timelines only
- A strategic plan aligns communication goals with overarching organizational objectives (Correct answer)
- A tactical plan defines the overall vision and mission
- There is no meaningful difference between the two
Correct answer: A strategic plan aligns communication goals with overarching organizational objectives
Strategic plans connect communication activities to broader business or organizational goals, while tactical plans detail the specific actions to achieve those goals.
Question 3: Which situation represents an example of proactive media relations?
- Responding to a journalist's inquiry about a product recall
- Pitching a feature story about the company's community impact before any issue arises (Correct answer)
- Issuing a crisis statement after negative coverage appears
- Declining media requests during a sensitive period
Correct answer: Pitching a feature story about the company's community impact before any issue arises
Proactive media relations involves initiating contact and story ideas to shape coverage positively, rather than reacting to external inquiries.
Question 4: A brand's spokesperson misstates a key fact on live television. What is the immediate best practice?
- Wait to see if any outlet corrects it before responding
- Issue a correction promptly and proactively contact the outlet (Correct answer)
- Deny the misstatement occurred
- File a complaint with the broadcasting regulator
Correct answer: Issue a correction promptly and proactively contact the outlet
Swift, voluntary corrections preserve credibility and reduce the risk of the error spreading or being amplified by others.
Question 5: What is the role of a 'news hook' in a media pitch?
- A legal disclaimer at the end of a press release
- A timely peg that ties the story to current events or trends (Correct answer)
- A list of editorial contacts for follow-up
- A financial disclosure required by the SEC
Correct answer: A timely peg that ties the story to current events or trends
A news hook connects a pitch to something already in the public conversation, making it more relevant and newsworthy to editors.
Question 6: Under the PRSA Code of Ethics, which behavior is explicitly prohibited?
- Pitching stories to multiple journalists simultaneously
- Paying a journalist undisclosed fees to publish favorable coverage (Correct answer)
- Declining to comment on confidential legal matters
- Distributing materials only in English
Correct answer: Paying a journalist undisclosed fees to publish favorable coverage
Paying journalists for undisclosed favorable coverage violates transparency and honesty provisions in the PRSA Code of Ethics and constitutes pay-for-play.
Question 7: Which type of communication objective is SMART-formatted?
- Increase brand awareness among all audiences
- Improve media sentiment generally over the next year
- Generate 15 positive earned media placements in top-tier outlets within 90 days (Correct answer)
- Build relationships with journalists
Correct answer: Generate 15 positive earned media placements in top-tier outlets within 90 days
SMART objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound — a numeric target with a defined timeframe satisfies all five criteria.
CPRS Strategic Communication & Media Relations 3
A nonprofit is launching a public awareness campaign with a limited budget.
Which media strategy offers the highest earned-media potential?