CPRS Strategic Communication & Media Relations 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An organization receives a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request related to a communications campaign. What should PR practitioners do?
- Destroy all relevant records to protect confidential strategies
- Coordinate with legal counsel to respond accurately and within the legal timeframe (Correct answer)
- Redirect the requester to the organization's website
- Deny the request citing competitive sensitivity
Correct answer: Coordinate with legal counsel to respond accurately and within the legal timeframe
FOIA requests carry legal obligations; PR practitioners must work with legal counsel to respond accurately, on time, and in compliance with applicable law.
Question 2: Which approach best supports long-term relationship building with media contacts?
- Pitching exclusively when your organization has breaking news
- Providing journalists with exclusive story access only during crises
- Consistently offering relevant story ideas, sources, and data even without an agenda (Correct answer)
- Sending large media gifts and event invitations regularly
Correct answer: Consistently offering relevant story ideas, sources, and data even without an agenda
Journalists value PR contacts who serve as reliable, agenda-free resources over time, not just conduits for organizational announcements.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a 'dark site' in crisis communication planning?
- A secure internal database for storing confidential PR strategies
- A pre-built website held in reserve to activate quickly during a crisis with accurate information (Correct answer)
- A social media monitoring tool that tracks negative coverage
- An archive of outdated press releases removed from the main site
Correct answer: A pre-built website held in reserve to activate quickly during a crisis with accurate information
A dark site is a pre-developed web property that can be activated quickly during a crisis to provide the public and media with accurate, organization-controlled information.
Question 4: When measuring PR campaign effectiveness, AVE (Advertising Value Equivalency) is widely criticized because:
- It overestimates the cost of earned media
- It does not capture audience engagement or trust, and equates editorial coverage with paid advertising (Correct answer)
- It is too difficult to calculate accurately
- It was developed before digital media existed
Correct answer: It does not capture audience engagement or trust, and equates editorial coverage with paid advertising
AVE conflates editorial credibility with paid advertising space cost, ignoring qualitative factors like tone, prominence, and audience trust that make earned media valuable.
Question 5: A PR team is preparing for a press conference. Which logistical element is most critical to media attendance?
- Offering branded merchandise to attendees
- Choosing a convenient time and location that fits journalists' filing schedules (Correct answer)
- Inviting only journalists who have written positively about the organization before
- Providing a lengthy scripted presentation
Correct answer: Choosing a convenient time and location that fits journalists' filing schedules
Journalists are more likely to attend when timing and location accommodate their deadlines and workflows, making scheduling the most critical logistical factor.
Question 6: What is 'message discipline' in the context of spokesperson training?
- Restricting all employee communication to written formats only
- Consistently returning to core messages regardless of how questions are phrased (Correct answer)
- Avoiding all media contact until a formal policy is approved
- Delegating all media questions to legal counsel
Correct answer: Consistently returning to core messages regardless of how questions are phrased
Message discipline means a spokesperson consistently weaves key messages into every response, ensuring the organization's most important points are communicated no matter the question.
Question 7: Which channel is most effective for reaching journalists in real time during a fast-moving news event?
- Mailing a printed press kit
- Posting to the company's LinkedIn page
- Sending a concise email pitch or using a direct message on X (formerly Twitter) (Correct answer)
- Scheduling a follow-up call for the next business day
Correct answer: Sending a concise email pitch or using a direct message on X (formerly Twitter)
During fast-moving events, email and direct social messaging platforms like X allow near-instant communication with journalists who are actively monitoring these channels.
CPRS Strategic Communication & Media Relations 5
An organization receives a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request related to a communications campaign.
What should PR practitioners do?