Many PR professionals believe that no textbook can teach students the motivation and skills they need to succeed in the industry. From my experiences both in academia and the world of public relations, I tend to agree. However, while nothing can replace real-world experience, it is still necessary for students to grasp the basic framework, concept and terms that define PR.
In this case, Averill Gordon’s aptly titled book, Public Relations, is an excellent overview from which students can grow their knowledge. Gordon is a specialist in global PR and as a student lecturer at AUT University in New Zealand, she understands how to get inside students’ heads. Her book covers the basic principles of PR, allowing room for lecturers to expand on topics and use real-life examples to bolster the material.
Gordon first takes a look at the general PR framework, segueing into how to create the perfect PR campaign. She then goes on to discuss public relations in a broader context, including crisis management, social responsibility, and the ever-important realm on online media. It’s a broad theoretical approach to a complex industry, but Gordon does include an “application to industry” case study section, which provides examples of properly implemented PR campaigns.
While Gordon does not currently reside in the U.S., her lessons are globally applicable, especially in New York, the heart and soul of the PR industry. Students can garner fundamental PR knowledge from Gordon’s text, and lecturers have ample opportunity to gauge classroom understanding through exercises, quizzes, and outlined discussion points.
The paperback is unpublished as of yet, but is set to be released sometime this month. Students and lecturers can visit www.Amazon.com to pre-order the paperback for $59.95.
Posted by Amanda Huggins on March 7, 2011 12:20 PM
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