Mass Comm Bachelor of Communication Bachelor of Communication: Public Relations Strategies 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The concept of 'reputation capital' in PR suggests that organizations with strong reputations:
- Are immune from all crises
- Have built goodwill that provides resilience during negative events (Correct answer)
- Can avoid all media scrutiny
- Do not need ongoing PR efforts
Correct answer: Have built goodwill that provides resilience during negative events
Reputation capital represents accumulated goodwill that acts as a buffer, giving organizations the benefit of the doubt from stakeholders during crises or controversies.
Question 2: A PR practitioner drafting a position paper for an executive is producing which type of document?
- A backgrounder
- A media advisory
- A white paper or op-ed supporting a specific viewpoint (Correct answer)
- A pitch letter
Correct answer: A white paper or op-ed supporting a specific viewpoint
Position papers and op-eds articulate an organization's or individual's stance on an issue, designed to persuade stakeholders and establish thought leadership.
Question 3: Which approach best characterizes 'strategic PR' as opposed to purely tactical PR?
- Focusing only on media placements and press releases
- Aligning communication activities with organizational goals and measuring outcomes (Correct answer)
- Maximizing the number of events hosted per year
- Producing the most social media posts possible
Correct answer: Aligning communication activities with organizational goals and measuring outcomes
Strategic PR ties communication programs to business objectives and uses measurement to demonstrate value, distinguishing it from output-focused tactical execution.
Question 4: The practice of 'newsjacking' in PR involves:
- Hacking into news organizations' systems
- Inserting a brand's perspective into breaking news stories to gain coverage (Correct answer)
- Paying journalists to write favorable stories
- Blocking negative news from being published
Correct answer: Inserting a brand's perspective into breaking news stories to gain coverage
Newsjacking means quickly connecting a brand's message to trending news stories, leveraging the existing media attention to gain earned coverage.
Question 5: When a PR campaign uses third-party endorsers such as doctors or scientists to lend credibility, it is leveraging:
- Source credibility theory (Correct answer)
- Cultivation theory
- Uses and gratifications theory
- Social penetration theory
Correct answer: Source credibility theory
Source credibility theory holds that messages from perceived experts are more persuasive because audiences attribute expertise, trustworthiness, and goodwill to the source.
Question 6: A tech company holds an exclusive pre-launch briefing with five top journalists before a product announcement. This practice is called:
- A press junket
- A media embargo briefing (Correct answer)
- A pseudo-event
- A product placement deal
Correct answer: A media embargo briefing
An embargo briefing provides journalists early access to information on the condition they hold publication until a specified release time, enabling deeper coverage at launch.
Question 7: Which public relations specialty focuses on managing communications with elected officials, regulatory agencies, and government bodies?
- Consumer PR
- Financial PR
- Public affairs and lobbying communications (Correct answer)
- Community relations
Correct answer: Public affairs and lobbying communications
Public affairs encompasses government relations, lobbying, and policy communication, helping organizations influence legislation and maintain relationships with regulatory stakeholders.
Mass Comm Bachelor of Communication Bachelor of Communication: Public Relations Strategies 5
The concept of 'reputation capital' in PR suggests that organizations with strong reputations: