Developing a Public Relations Plan

Imagine that you are employed at one of the organizations mentioned in the text that has been involved in a scandal or crisis.

Examples of organizations that you could choose to write about include the following:

• Michigan State University (MSU) faced claims in 2018 from more than 300 women and girls who were allegedly assaulted by MSU sports doctor Larry Nassar.
• Penn State University’s $100 million-plus settlement involving the football coach Jerry Sandusky in a sexual abuse scandal that brought down famed football coach Joe Paterno.
• Planned Parenthood was scrutinized by the media in 2015 when an anti-abortion group secretly filmed unsuspecting representatives talking about getting money for aborted fetal parts.
• The Humane Society of the United States’ chief executive was forced to step down in 2018 for an alleged history of sexual misconduct.
• The Simpsons and the Apu Crisis (Brown Face Scandal).
• Theranos scandal and CEO Elizabeth Holmes.
• NPR and the firing of Garrison Keillor for sexual harassment.
• Rolling Stone magazine sued for defamation in 2016 in connection with a story about a gang rape at the University of Virginia.
• The Facebook scandal involving Russian advertisements to influence the 2016 presidential campaign.
• Disney’s credibility was questioned when it laid off 250 employees in 2015 and replaced them with lower-paid immigrants.

Instructions

Write a 4–5 page paper in which you:

• State the name of the organization and describe its mission and purpose. Provide details about the company.
• Explain in detail the facts of the event that generated negative publicity, crisis, or scandal. Discuss why this situation would create negative publicity.
• Create the specific goals your campaign will try to achieve and justify why you chose these goals.
• Design and explain the steps you will take to achieve your goals.
• Discuss six of the ethical core values that a PR professional should employ in responding to the crisis (Chapter 6). Identify the internal and external stakeholders who will be affected by your actions.
• Compose an evaluation plan and explain how you will use it to assess the outcome of your campaign.

Additional Requirements

• Include a conclusion to summarize your points.
• Include in-text citations when presenting information from other sources. You should begin your search for sources in the Strayer Library.
• Use a minimum of three credible, relevant, and appropriate sources.
• Include a sources page at the end of your paper.
• Limit the use of quotes (no more than 10% of direct quotes in the body of the paper). Paraphrase content to demonstrate your understanding of the material.
• Include 7–8 headings to organize the paper by various sections or topics.

Note: Source pages are not included in the 4–5 page count.

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