Pre375 Principles Of Public Relations -- Exam #2 Flashcards

Front 1

an assessment of the difficulty an audience should have reading and comprehending a passage

Back 1

readability study

Front 2

employed to assess how readily written messages are understood

Back 2

readability study

Front 3

most of these are based on the number of syllables in the words and the length of the sentences used

Back 3

readability studies

Front 4

help determine the clarity of a written message and its appropriateness to the educational level of an audience

Back 4

readability studies

Front 5

the basic premise of these is that written copy will be ineffective if it is too difficult to read

Back 5

readability studies

Front 6

_____ may be useful in public relations efforts to tailor writing styles toward target publications

Back 6

readability studies/tests

Front 7

True or false? Simple writing is always the best.

Back 7

false

Front 8

a research process to determine what the image of an organization is both internally and externally

Back 8

public relations audit

Front 9

essentially a broad-scale study that examines the internal and external public relations of an organization

Back 9

public relations audit

Front 10

involves a comprehensive study of the public relations positions of an organization: how it stands in the opinion of its various publics

Back 10

public relations audit

Front 11

they provide input data for planning future public relations programs and help evaluate the effectiveness of previous efforts

Back 11

public relations audit

Front 12

What are the four steps of a PR audit?

Back 12

(1.) finding out what "we" think, (2.) finding out what "they" think,
(3.) evaluating the disparity between the two, (4.) recommending

Front 13

interview with key management at the top and middle strata of an organization to determine company strengths and weaknesses, relevant publics, and issues and topics to be explored

Back 13

finding out what "we" think

Front 14

researching key publics to determine how closely their views match those of company management

Back 14

finding out what "they" think

Front 15

a public relations balance sheet of assets, liabilities, strengths, weaknesses, and so on is prepared based on an analysis of the differences found between steps 1 and 2

Back 15

evaluating the disparity between the two

Front 16

a comprehensive public relations program is planned to fill in the gap between steps 1 and 2 to correct the deficits of the balance sheet prepared in step 3

Back 16

recommending

Front 17

people who are not aware of an existing problem

Back 17

latent public

Front 18

a group faces an indeterminate situation but does not recognize it as a problem

Back 18

latent public

Front 19

people who are getting the message who probably do not recognize that there is a problem that exists

Back 19

latent public

Front 20

a group of people who share a common problem or goal and recognize their common interest

Back 20

public

Front 21

John Dewey, in his 1927 book The Public and Its Problems, defines a public as a group of people who: (3 things)

Back 21

(1.) FACE a similar indeterminate situation, (2.) RECOGNIZE what is indeterminate in that situation, (3.) ORGANIZE to do something about the problem

Front 22

James Grunig proposed and tested what three categories for the identification of publics based on Dewey's definition?

Back 22

(1.) latent publics, (2.) aware publics, (3.) active publics

Front 23

What are the seven aspects practitioners define publics by?

Back 23

(1.) age/gender/ethnicity, (2.) marital-family status, (3.) education/income level, (4.) work location/residence, (5.) media use, (6.) political and religious affiliation, (7.) attitude/opinion/behavior

Front 24

What is the most important aspect practitioners define a public by?

Back 24

Attitude/opinion/behavior since many times we are trying to alter how someone thinks of something or their behavior.

Front 25

such categories group together people who are likely to behave in similar ways

Back 25

public

Front 26

makes it possible for public relations practitioners to communicate with each group regarding its needs and concerns rather than attempting to communicate with a mythical "average"

Back 26

public

Front 27

a technique that allows each member of a public an equal chance of being selected

Back 27

simple random sampling

Front 28

True or false? If a sample is large enough is selected totally random, it will accurately reflect the characteristics of its public.

Back 28

true

Front 29

Nielsen ratings using from 1,200 to 1,600 in a sample to determine what households across the company are viewing each night is an example of

Back 29

simple random sampling

Front 30

the most common example of this is drawing a name from a hat

Back 30

simple random sampling

Front 31

a research gathering technique that selects a subset of the larger group with every member of the larger group having an equal chance of being selected

Back 31

simple random sampling

Front 32

this type of sampling gives the best statistical chance of being accurate

Back 32

simple random sampling

Front 33

What are four aspects of an interviewer that may bias a response/disadvantages to interviewing?

Back 33

the (1.) personality, (2.) dress, (3.) speech patterns or accents, (4.) nonverbal cues of the interviewer

Front 34

scientific testing that usually includes an untested control group

Back 34

experimental research

Front 35

when test groups from the group or groups tested can be measured against the untested control group to determine the extent of difference

Back 35

experimental research

Front 36

when one group gets one message, the second gets another, and so on to see which message is the most effective

Back 36

experimental research

Front 37

experimental research is a (formal/informal) scientific research technique

Back 37

formal

Front 38

experimental research is generally divide into what two categories?

Back 38

(1.) laboratory and (2.) field experiments

Front 39

take place in a carefully controlled environment designed to minimize outside effects

Back 39

laboratory experiments

Front 40

take place in real-world settings

Back 40

field experiments

Front 41

in a _____ experiment, the researcher sacrifices a great deal of control over the setting to obtain reactions in a real environment. In a _____ setting, the researcher can control many outside stimuli that might contaminate the results of the study

Back 41

field; laboratory

Front 42

inviting people into a room to view the message in several forms and then measuring their reactions is an example of _____. The setting ensures that the subjects' responses are based on the message being studied and not on other stimuli that might be in a normal environment.

Back 42

laboratory experiments

Front 43

a test-market study using a specific group of young people in their normal environment is an example of a

Back 43

field experiment

Front 44

True or false? A lot of public relations research is done in a controlled, laboratory setting.

Back 44

false

Front 45

Other than survey research, _____ are the second most used scientific research method along with content analysis.

Back 45

field experiments

Front 46

a formal or scientific study usually accomplished through use of a questionnaire administered to a sample of the audience being studied.

Back 46

survey research

Front 47

by far the most common of all types of research processes in public relations

Back 47

survey research

Front 48

the formal tool used 90% of the time in public relations

Back 48

survey research

Front 49

the most effective way to assess the characteristics of publics in a form that allows the data to be used in planning and evaluating public relations efforts

Back 49

surveys

Front 50

True or false? Surveys should provide a means of separating publics rather than lumping them all together into one amorphous mass.

Back 50

true

Front 51

done most of the time in public relations simply because it can be done very easily and does not require a lot of time

Back 51

survey research

Front 52

refers to careful, detailed sample examinations of the knowledge, perception, attitudes, and opinions of members of various publics.

Back 52

survey

Front 53

the general purpose is to obtain a better understanding of the reactions and preferences of a specific public or publics

Back 53

survey

Front 54

for public relations efforts, we divide survey data into what two types?

Back 54

(1.) demographic data and (2.) opinion data

Front 55

characteristics (age, sex, occupation, etc.) of the people responding to the survey that help a practitioner classify them into one or more publics

Back 55

demographic data

Front 56

responses to those questions a practitioner raises concerning the attitudes and perceptions of certain publics about critical issues

Back 56

opinion data

Front 57

a group of people representative of an organization's various publics who are called together, usually only once, to give advance reaction to a plan

Back 57

focus group

Front 58

the most widely used technique for preliminary research

Back 58

focus group

Front 59

a small number of people who share some demographic characteristic

Back 59

focus group

Front 60

in focus groups, members are interviewed using _____ questions to encourage interaction and probe the nature of their beliefs

Back 60

open-ended

Front 61

often used prior to survey research to help the researcher have enough information to ask appropriate questions in the survey questionnaire

Back 61

focus groups

Front 62

considered informal research because the results cannot be scientifically applied to the larger group or public it represents, but has become one of the most popular of all research tools for the public relations practitioner

Back 62

focus group

Front 63

nonscientific research or information gathering

Back 63

informal research

Front 64

may include phone calls to the organization as well as letters, sales reports, and discussions with community leaders

Back 64

informal research

Front 65

a method of gaining an in-depth understanding of an audience without the rigor of more formal, scientific research methods

Back 65

informal research

Front 66

also called preliminary research because it is nonscientific and often done as background research

Back 66

informal research

Front 67

informal research is also called _____ because it is nonscientific and often done as background research

Back 67

preliminary research

Front 68

What are the six (6) types of informal research?

Back 68

(1.) record keeping, (2.) key contacts, (3.) special committees, (4,) focus groups, (5.) casual monitoring, (6.) the internet, library, and database sources

Front 69

frequently, individuals who are _____ in the community, industry, or organization act as key contacts for the public relations practitioner

Back 69

opinion leaders

Front 70

the gathering of available information from published sources

Back 70

secondary research

Front 71

research from sources already produced, such as books, magazines, newspapers, published opinion polls, Web articles, and other electronic records

Back 71

secondary research

Front 72

True or false? You should read the existing research on your topic first, so the term "secondary research" is perhaps misleading.

Back 72

true

Front 73

research already done by somebody else

Back 73

secondary research

Front 74

Who establishes policies?

Back 74

Policies are generally established by an organization's top management as guidelines for decision making. Sometimes policies also originate informally at lower organizational levels as a pattern of decision making occurs over a long period of time. In such cases, top management merely formalizes what is already happening. In other situations, policy may be established either as a result of recommendation from lower-level managers or as a direct result of top management's observation that a problem exists. Outside organizations, such as governmental agencies, also set policies or at least influence them.

Front 75

generally established by an organization's top management as guidelines for decision making

Back 75

policies

Front 76

those who _____ usually seek to guide decision-making activities in ways consistent with organizational objectives

Back 76

make policy

Front 77

other purposes of this include improving effectiveness or imposing the values of top management

Back 77

policy

Front 78

True or false? Policies can originate at lower organizational levels.

Back 78

true

Front 79

True or false? Outside organizations have no influence on policy.

Back 79

false

Front 80

Health and safety policies in most large organizations have changed considerably in recent years as a direct result of actions by _____.

Back 80

government agencies

Front 81

True or false? Public relations departments do not have to plan their daily operations to avoid conflict with policy.

Back 81

false (they must plan their daily operations to avoid conflict with policy).

Front 82

Public relations practitioners should be included in the strata of policymakers for any organization to ensure sensitivity to _____.

Back 82

the interests of its publics

Front 83

plans for dealing with certain types of situations, particularly common situations and emergencies

Back 83

standing plans

Front 84

provide routine responses to recurring situations

Back 84

standing plans

Front 85

once set, allow mangers to make more efficient use of their planning time because they do not have to formulate a new plan for every similar situation

Back 85

standing plans

Front 86

True or false? Overuse of standing plans may limit an organization's responsiveness to its environment, a critical issue for public relations.

Back 86

true

Front 87

What are the three types of standing plans?

Back 87

(1.) policies, (2.) procedures, (3.) rules

Front 88

detailed guidelines for implementing policy decisions

Back 88

procedures

Front 89

provide detailed instructions for performing a sequence of actions that occur regularly

Back 89

procedures (standard procedures/standing operating procedures)

Front 90

emergencies, though infrequent, should be handled through set _____ because of the need to respond quickly and effectively

Back 90

procedures

Front 91

statements that specify the action to be taken in a particular situation

Back 91

rules

Front 92

substitute for decisions; no latitude for application is provided other than to follow or not follow

Back 92

rules

Front 93

may be necessary when certain procedures are crucial

Back 93

rules

Front 94

an examination of the effectiveness of a public relations effort

Back 94

evaluation

Front 95

to properly evaluate the plan, whether campaign or standing, the procedures for evaluation must be developed when?

Back 95

before implementation begins in order to have a benchmark with which to measure performance during and at the end of the program

Front 96

evaluation at various stages during the program; includes the monitoring necessary to make changes while the plan is still being implemented

Back 96

formative evaluation

Front 97

provides the summary of what went right or wrong -- and why -- after the campaign has ended

Back 97

summative evaluation

Front 98

establishing evaluation techniques involves what four things?

Back 98

(1.) gathering benchmark data, (2.) evaluating each objective, (3.) determining formative evaluation techniques, (4.) determining summative evaluation techniques

Front 99

evaluation designs must do what three things?

Back 99

(1.) be established in advance, (2.) determine the extent to which objectives are achieved, (3.) be applicable to all objectives

Front 100

may be the most difficult of the terms to define in the planning process

Back 100

strategies

Front 101

can refer to the type or emphasis of a message, the way we want to approach a task, or a variety of other things

Back 101

strategy

Front 102

a way or ways you are going to accomplish your objectives

Back 102

strategy

Front 103

a way or ways you are going to accomplish your objectives; for example, developing a media campaign, creating informational materials, or preparing a special event

Back 103

strategy

Front 104

developing a media campaign, creating informational materials, or preparing a special event are all examples of

Back 104

strategies

Front 105

used to define means for achieving objectives more precisely

Back 105

strategies

Front 106

an intermediate step between objectives and tactics

Back 106

strategies

Front 107

tend to group like tactics together

Back 107

strategies

Front 108

active the objective and are a lot more specific -- maybe putting a number on things, such as "we want to have half of the NKU population sign a petition"

Back 108

strategies

Front 109

True or false? Every public relations plan for a program or campaign has to have a theme.

Back 109

false

Front 110

often the creative piece that has made a public relations campaign successful

Back 110

theme

Front 111

an effective theme should do what three things?

Back 111

(1.) catch the essence of the plan or campaign, (2.) be short (around 3-5 words), (3.) be something that can endure over time

Front 112

seldom will you have the budget or time to do everything at once. at this point you can develop a _____ to reflect the research done to narrow the task to a manageable size

Back 112

problem statement

Front 113

it should define the scope of the effort and recognize any special requirements of the organization, target audiences, and media

Back 113

problem statement

Front 114

a planning document that should tell how the purpose will be accomplished for the audience that has been identified

Back 114

problem statement

Front 115

should discuss specific tactics and alternatives, define expected outcomes, and specify communication media, activities, and channels to be used

Back 115

problem statement

Front 116

the basic direction of an organization or other entity

Back 116

goals

Front 117

generally considered to be the top priority within an organization because they provide a sense of direction

Back 117

goals

Front 118

what are the four component parts of an organization's goals?

Back 118

(1.) purpose, (2.) mission, (3.) objectives, (4.) strategies

Front 119

establishing public relations goals involves specifying _____ and analyzing _____

Back 119

alternatives; contemporary circumstances

Front 120

True or false? Because campaigns are usually designed to accomplish unique objectives, they must be planned using nonroutine procedures.

Back 120

true

Front 121

True or false? Campaign planning is a linear process.

Back 121

false (some of the planning elements must occur simultaneously, some are ongoing, and some may occur before others in certain situations)

Front 122

What are the 13 elements of campaign planning?

Back 122

(1.) establishing GOALS in relation to the mission statement, (2.) determining the present situation (PRELIMINARY STUDY), (3.) determining PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES, (4.) researching and selecting your TARGET AUDIENCES, (5.) RESEARCH, (6.) developing a THEME for the program or campaign, (7.) developing the OBJECTIVES, (8.) creating STRATEGIES to accomplish the objectives, (9.) developing TACTICS to implement strategies, (10.) creating EVALUATION techniques, (11.) developing a BUDGET, (12.) working out a TIMETABLE, (13.) assigning PERSONNEL

Front 123

surveys to measure the attitudes and opinions of specific audiences

Back 123

public opinion surveys

Front 124

forecast reaction to initiative or actions contemplated by politicians, government officials, and managers

Back 124

public opinion surveys

Front 125

presidents often use these to determine whether to support a legislative issue, a nominee for a cabinet position, or a military action

Back 125

public opinion surveys

Front 126

long-range plans concerning a group's major goals and ways of carrying them out, usually made by top management

Back 126

strategic plans

Front 127

long-range plans, usually made at the upper levels of management, that involve decisions concerning major goals of organization and policies for their implementation

Back 127

strategic plans

Front 128

_____ has become a primary tool to identify and to prioritize the strategic issues upon which an organization's plans are ultimately founded

Back 128

environmental scanning

Front 129

the majority of public relations practitioners deal with _____ tactics. However, those who develop the objectives and strategies are the ones giving meaning and direction the effort.

Back 129

day-to-day

Front 130

taking an action to be on the offensive

Back 130

proactive

Front 131

planning from public relations from a _____ activity to a _____ process.

Back 131

reactive; proactive

Front 132

public relations practitioners, like most other managers, tend to be _____-oriented.

Back 132

action

Front 133

perhaps the most frequent complaint of public relations practitioners is that other managers ask for their services when?

Back 133

only after the problem has become unmanageable

Front 134

for a long time, public relations practitioners have been advocating _____ public relations

Back 134

preventive

Front 135

when _____ is equipped with _____, negative effects can be minimized, and public relations management can provide well-designed, positive actions rather than hastily conceived reactions

Back 135

advanced warning; adequate planning

Front 136

individuals or groups who perceive themselves as having an interest in the actions of an organization

Back 136

stakeholders

Front 137

may be consumers, shareholders, employees, or just members of society

Back 137

stakeholders

Front 138

generally express themselves through groups that share a common purpose, such as environmental or consumer causes

Back 138

stakeholders

Front 139

employees and shareholders are examples of _____ stakeholders

Back 139

internal

Front 140

consumer advocates, the handicapped, minorities, low-income segments, senior citizens, volunteer and service groups, and educational organizations are examples of _____ stakeholders

Back 140

residence

Front 141

those dependent on telemarketing, small businesses, and large business are examples of _____ stakeholders

Back 141

businesses

Front 142

media, government, and the Arizona Corporate Commission are examples of _____ stakeholders

Back 142

other

Front 143

people who are instrumental in influencing other people's attitudes or actions

Back 143

opinion leaders

Front 144

frequently, these individuals in the community, industry, or organization act as key contacts for the public relations practitioner

Back 144

opinion leaders

Front 145

our experiences and our role in society (or _____) shape the way we perceive things

Back 145

frame of reference

Front 146

because we all perceive things differently, the major obstacles in communication are

Back 146

the failure to acknowledge differences and the failure to successfully negotiate those differences in perceptions

Front 147

True or false? From a communication viewpoint, the perceptions of each of us are "true" because they reflect what we know and what we are.

Back 147

true

Front 148

some understanding begins to occur when there is a common or _____

Back 148

shared frame of reference

Front 149

How do you find common or shared frames of reference?

Back 149

We must find out what other people think and why they think that way so you can attack the problem and send the message in the context of your receiver's frame of reference (his or her knowledge, social-cultural role, attitudes, communication skills, needs, wants), not yours.

Front 150

The reason you are communicating is that another's _____ is different from yours. The objective is to understand your receiver's perceptions -- not so you can change or criticize them, but in order to broaden them so he or she has an understanding of your _____ and thus has a better ability to support, or at least to not obstruct, the fulfilling of your objectives.

Back 150

frame of reference; selective perceptions

Front 151

True or false? You find your stakeholders' frames of reference through research, both formal and informal.

Back 151

true

Front 152

What are the three basic considerations for media selection?

Back 152

(1.) audiences, (2.) timing, (3.) budgets

Front 153

Why is identifying media critical?

Back 153

Because there are no "mass" media anymore (the typical daily newspaper may reach half the homes in a community and the typical network television newscast may reach 10 percent of the viewing audience, many in which your stakeholders are not present)

Front 154

_____ must be the first consideration in any public relations effort

Back 154

audiences

Front 155

Uncontrolled media present a special problem to the public relations practitioner because publicity releases must be planned for what two audiences?

Back 155

(1.) the primary audience (the public for whom the message is intended) and (2.) the editor or reporter who selects or rejects the release

Front 156

when you do an audience comparison, you are comparing what two things?

Back 156

media audiences vs. target audiences

Front 157

What are three questions to ask when determining audiences in media selection?

Back 157

(1.) How closely do media audiences match stakeholder groups demographically? (2.) Which media reach the largest number of stakeholder group members? (3.) Which offer the best combination of coverage and credibility?

Front 158

True or false? The question of when the primary audience receives the message may be just as important as whether it receives the message at all.

Back 158

treu

Front 159

What are three questions to ask when determining timing in media selection?

Back 159

(1.) How much time do you have to prepare content? (2.) What kinds of "lead times" prevail among media? (3.) What time factors are implicit in the public relation problem?

Front 160

when budgeting, usually the first decision that must be made is whether

Back 160

the message needs to be delivered by more than one medium

Front 161

Having more money in media selection may mean more _____, whereas less money means you will be doing things like _____.

Back 161

advertisement spots; interviews and trying to get the newspaper interested in the story

Front 162

the amount of money available to achieve specified objectives

Back 162

budget limitations

Front 163

media that the public relations practitioner has actual control over, such as the company newsletter, pamphlets, and posters

Back 163

controlled media

Front 164

includes internal publications, direct mail, posters, and advertising; allows the public relations practitioner to dictate what is published and how it is delivered to the primary audience

Back 164

controlled media

Front 165

What are the two types of controlled media that have become especially important to public relations campaigns in the last few years?

Back 165

(1.) the World Wide Web/Internet, (2.) adveritsing

Front 166

considered the first public relations mass medium

Back 166

the World Wide Web/Internet

Front 167

considered the first public relations mass medium because it allows managed communication to flow directly between organizations and mass audiences without the gate-keeping functions present in other mass media

Back 167

World Wide Web/Internet

Front 168

increasingly, the lines between public relations and _____ are blurred in an effort to communicate as effectively as possible

Back 168

advertising

Front 169

What are the positive/upsides of controlled media? (4)

Back 169

(1.) total control over message CONTENT (what is written, what it looks like), (2.) total control over DELIVERY, TIME, and PLACE, (3.) REAL COSTS lower than apparent costs because audiences can be more precisely "targeted" (you know the message is getting to them), (4.) the WASTE inherent in uncontrolled media audiences is sharply reduced

Front 170

What are the negatives/downsides of controlled media? (3)

Back 170

(1.) relatively COSTLY to produce, (2.) TIME-CONSUMING in development, (3.) lacking the "URGENCY" of news

Front 171

a method for characterizing publics according to their interest in an issue

Back 171

stakeholder analysis

Front 172

provides a more realistic framework for an organization to visualize its environment

Back 172

stakeholder analysis

Front 173

a method for differentiating among publics

Back 173

stakeholder analysis

Front 174

applying the _____ approach to public relations practice allows actions to be organized around an entire system of stakeholder groups

Back 174

stakeholder management approach

Front 175

the goal of this is maximum overall cooperation between the stakeholders and the organization's objectives

Back 175

stakeholder analysis

Front 176

True or false? The stakeholder process fundamentally changes public relations communication and action processes.

Back 176

false (it organizes them for more efficient use)

Front 177

can determine who should be the object of an action step, what the action should be, what results should be sought, and how each element will fit into the overall plan

Back 177

stakeholder analysis

Front 178

True or false? In a stakeholder management system, action of each public is planned together.

Back 178

false (action for each public is planned separately)

Front 179

What are the three keys to success within stakeholder analysis?

Back 179

(1.) understanding stakeholder groups, (2.) knowing the communication channels they use, (3.) developing and disseminating messages through those channels

Front 180

this theory is based on the premise that certain people in our society are opinion leaders and if these opinion leaders can be convinced to support a certain matter, they will influence others to support it also.

Back 180

two-step flow of information theory

Front 181

convincing a minister that a senior center is good to get him to encourage support from church members is an example of

Back 181

two-step flow of information theory

Front 182

True or false? Both research and practice have shown that the two-step flow of information theory is correct.

Back 182

false (although it contains a great deal of truth, research and practice have shown that it is too simplistic since it allows only two levels and presumes a linear flow of information)

Front 183

when the topic is known but knowledge is limited

Back 183

awareness

Front 184

when development of interest begins; information sought

Back 184

interest

Front 185

when people begin to mentally apply the idea to their individual situations; simultaneously they obtain more information and make a decision to try the new idea

Back 185

evaluation

Front 186

at this point actual application/use begins, usually on a small scale. potential adopters are interested in the practice, techniques, and conditions necessary for application

Back 186

trials

Front 187

idea, service, or product has proven worthwhile and has been accepted as something that will make life easier

Back 187

adoption

Front 188

in the early stages of awareness and interest, _____ are most effective

Back 188

mass media

Front 189

in the critical stages of evaluation and trial, emphasis shifts to the influence of _____.

Back 189

significant others

Front 190

at the point of adoption, _____ becomes the primary channel.

Back 190

personal experience

Front 191

the secondary, or support, path begins with _____, moving to _____ at the evaluation and trial stages and then back again to _____ at adoption

Back 191

significant others; unbiased third parties; significant others

Front 192

the way in which information spreads through a public

Back 192

diffusion of information

Front 193

True or false? More often than not, the action implemented to accomplish a public relations plan can be explained as an attempt to spread information within a target audience.

Back 193

true

Front 194

a term used to describe the way in which new ideas are adopted by society

Back 194

diffusion

Front 195

Publics or target audiences are social systems that public relations practitioners seek to influence. Therefore, it is important that our knowledge about the _____ be applied to the public relations process.

Back 195

diffusion of information

Front 196

people who know about a problem but don't act on it

Back 196

aware public

Front 197

recognizes a need but is not prone to any action, such as accepting a new idea

Back 197

aware public

Front 198

develop from latent publics after they recognize the problem

Back 198

aware public

Front 199

What are three aspects of an organization's relationships with media representatives that can be measured?

Back 199

(1.) the media's view of those relationships, (2.) the consequences which follow from news release output, (3.) the activity of the company media representative

Front 200

one method used to check for environmental influences, even when the practitioner has a small budget and staff, is _____

Back 200

focus group interviewing

Front 201

composed of individuals randomly selected from a public who meet to discuss the campaign; presented with the elements of the campaign and then directed through a discussion of its effects and the causes of those effects

Back 201

focus group

Front 202

an ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of public relations actions considering the impact of uncontrolled elements

Back 202

open-system evaluation

Front 203

True or false? Many public relations programs are too complex for simple before-and-after measures.

Back 203

true

Front 204

attempts to incorporate factors outside the control of the public relations campaign when assessing its effectiveness

Back 204

open-system evaluation

Front 205

emphasizes the extent to which the public relations function is encompassed by numerous other aspects of an organization and its environment. Factors like unintended audiences and organizational administration are also included.

Back 205

open-system evaluation

Front 206

True or false? Public relations messages should be expected to have as much effect on the managers and employees of an organization as they do on other publics.

Back 206

true

Front 207

True or false? Many of the factors included in the open-system evaluation are easy to measure accurately.

Back 207

false (they are difficult to measure accurately)

Front 208

the value of the open-system method of evaluating is that it

Back 208

considers public relations in the broader spectrum of overall organizational effectiveness

Front 209

the value of the _____ method of evaluating is that it considers public relations in the broader spectrum of overall organizational effectiveness

Back 209

open-system

Front 210

_____ evaluation is the model most widely used by public relations staffs

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closed-system evaluation

Front 211

What are the two major drawbacks/disadvantages of closed-systems?

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(1.) just because a message was transmitted to the intended audience in an understandable form and produced favorable attitudes does not mean the campaign goals were reached, and (2.) the likelihood that desired results will occur, especially in terms of actual behavior changes, is influenced by a number of factors outside the elements of the campaign.

Front 212

What are the six (6) factors considered in the standard pretest and posttest evaluation design?

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(1.) productions, (2.) distribution, (3.) interest, (4.) reach, (5.) understanding, (6.) attitudes

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an accounting is conducted of every public relations tool used in the campaign. The amount of material actually produced and the total cost of production yield important cost-effectiveness information. The amount of time and budget devoted to teach segment of a public relations effort can be reassessed with this type of data.

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productions

Front 214

the evaluation design includes the channels through which the messages of the campaign are distributed. Note that although these kinds of data provide a reasonable measure of the efficiency of the campaign, distributions do not really address the issue of effectiveness

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distribution

Front 215

reader interest surveys determine what people read in various types of publications. A representative sample of the total potential reading audience is surveyed to obtain a quantitative measure of what readers actually consume, but they do not measure comprehension or the effect of the message on the reader.

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interest

Front 216

reader interest surveys not only provide information concerning whether a story was read but also describe the people who read it. The information can be valuable because messages frequently reach publics other than those for whom they are intended. A reasonably accurate measure of which audiences are being reached by which messages is imperative to any evaluation effort.

Back 216

reach

Front 217

although it is important to determine whether the target audience is being reached, it is equally important to know whether the audience can understand the message. A public relations campaign cannot be considered successful if the public does not get the point.

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understanding

Front 218

creating and maintaining positive attitudes or changing negative ones is the central purpose of all public relations activity. Therefore, measuring attitudes, or preferably attitude change, is a highly prized form of evaluation. Frequently a pretest/posttest measurement is conducted to determine the amount of shane in the attitudes of target publics that can be attributed to the public relations campaign. Many factors, ranging from the need for a scientifically selected sample to the construction of a questionnaire that will not bias results, make attitude measurement a difficult task for most practitioners.

Back 218

attitudes

Front 219

a pre-/post-event assessment that considers only the controlled message elements

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closed-system evaluation

Front 220

limits its scope to the message and events planned for the campaign and their effects on the intended publics

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closed-system evaluation

Front 221

the model of public relations evaluation most frequently used

Back 221

closed-system evaluation

Front 222

the intent of the system is to test the messages and media of a public relations campaign before they are presented to the intended public

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closed-system evaluation

Front 223

this pretest strategy is designed to uncover miscalculations that may have gone unnoticed in the planning stage. The posttest evaluation is conducted after the campaign has been under way long enough to produce results. Posttest data can be compared with pretest results and campaign objectives to evaluate the effectiveness of the effort. These results also provide input for planning the next campaign.

Back 223

closed-system evaluation

Front 224

once it is determined that a message has reached its intended audience, the practitioner must evaluate the _____

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audience's response

Front 225

frequently, this type of information can be obtained through various message pretesting methods; the resulting data help predict whether the message will cause a favorable or unfavorable reaction

Back 225

audience response

Front 226

can also determine if the message attracts attention, arouses interest, or gains audience understanding

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audience response

Front 227

frequently, _____ can be predicted by tracking media treatment of stories in terms of favorable, neutral, and unfavorable tendencies.

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audience response

Front 228

involves whether and how well intended publics were reached, which messages reached them, and who else heard the messages

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audience coverage

Front 229

perhaps the first point that must be documented in evaluating any public relations effort is whether

Back 229

the intended audiences were reached

Front 230

What are the two methods used to help figure out audience coverage?

Back 230

(1.) first, accurate records must be kept of what messages were prepared and where they were sent, (2.) second, a system must be used to keep track of which releases were used and by whom

Front 231

True or false? Massive amounts of publicity always have value.

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false; massive amounts of publicity have no value unless some of it actually reaches the intended audience

Front 232

the measurement of _____ involves more than just the ratio of releases sent with releases used. The practitioner must also be able to specify what audiences (both intended and unintended) were reached by which media

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audience coverage

Front 233

this type of data is available from readership surveys and audience rating information obtainable through media advertising sales departments

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audience coverage

Front 234

What are the four dimensions that can be applied to impact analysis?

Back 234

(1.) audience coverage, (2.) audience response, (3.) campaign impact, (4.) environmental mediation

Front 235

What are the four dimensions that can be applied to impact analysis?

Back 235

(1.) audience coverage, (2.) audience response, (3.) campaign impact, (4.) environmental mediation

Front 236

True or false? Measuring the impact or results of a public relations effort is always simple.

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false; measuring the impact or results of a public relations effort is always difficult and never totally objective.

Front 237

the practitioner must be concerned with the impact of the campaign as a whole. In this case, the whole is not equal to the sum of the parts. If a campaign is correctly researched and planned, its elements will interact to produce an effect that is much greater than the sum of the response to the individual messages. Therefore, it is important to measure the cumulative impact of a public relations campaign, keeping in mind the goals developed in the planning phase.

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campaign impact

Front 238

practitioners must realize that the public relations campaign is not the only influence on the attitudes and behaviors of their publics. Public relations campaigns exist in an environment of social processes that can have as much or more effect on the goals of the effort as the prepared messages do. For this reason, the measured results must be interpreted in light of various other forces in operation.

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environmental mediation

Front 239

a process specifying that supervisors and employees will jointly set goals for employees; usually followed by a joint evaluation of the employee's progress after a set period of time

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management by objectives (MBO)

Front 240

the use of this will help alleviate the measurement problem facing public relations

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management by objectives (MBO)

Front 241

although frequently used for evaluating individual employees, its basic elements can also be applied to programs, projects, and work groups

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management by objectives (MBO)

Front 242

the object is to prepare advance statements, usually during the planning phase, concerning legitimate expectations from a given effort. These must be mutually agreed on by all those involved before the action occurs. When the set time for evaluation arrives, objectives can be compared with accomplishments to assess the degree of success.

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management by objectives (MBO)

Front 243

What are the five basic MBO steps?

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(1.) work group involvement, (2.) manager-subordinate involvement, (3.) determination of intermediate objectives, (4.) determination of measures of achievement, (5.) review, evaluation, and recycling

Front 244

within MBO, the idea that if more than one person will be working on the project, the entire group should be involved in setting the objectives

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work group involvement

Front 245

within MBO, the idea that once the objectives of the group are established, each subordinate should work with they manager of the project to define a set of individual objectives. They keep the project moving by ensuring that everyone understands his or her role.

Back 245

manager-subordinate involvement

Front 246

within MBO, this step defines a series of objectives along the way toward the overall target. Setting them permits in-progress evaluation to be done more precisely and makes it possible to consider midcourse corrections before the project gets out of hand.

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determination of intermediate objectives

Front 247

within MBO, the point when the effort will be considered complete should be specified in terms of either a time element or the achievement of a stated objective

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determination of measures of achievement

Front 248

within MBO, because no objective can be defined with absolute precision or achieved perfectly, it is important to use information gained from each evaluation process to improve the planning for the next public relations effort

Back 248

review, evaluation, and recycling

Front 249

the final "phase" of evaluation with the goal to assess the program's end results

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outcome evaluation

Front 250

also known as summative evaluation

Back 250

outcome evaluation

Front 251

evaluation to determine the success or failure in reaching a program's or campaign's objectives that is done at the completion of the program

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outcome evaluation

Front 252

when objectives and results are compared to determine the variance

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outcome evaluation

Front 253

at this point, all prior evaluations become important for explaining the context in which the program was implemented and for interpreting the results

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outcome evaluation

Front 254

after this, an evaluation report transmits this information, along with any suggestions for planning future efforts, to an appropriate decision maker

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outcome evaluation

Front 255

when you do this, you are literally looking at whether someone bought the product or changed their behavior, etc.

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outcome evaluation

Front 256

What are the four steps of outcome evaluation?

Back 256

(1.) compare outcomes with objectives, (2.) interpret results, (3.) report results to management, (4.) make recommendations concerning subsequent programs or program cycles

Front 257

involves measuring the results of a public relations effort to determine its effect on an organization's program

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impact analysis

Front 258

when _____ is evaluated, practitioners measure the number per percentage of the audience who learn the message content, who change their opinions, who change attitudes, and who behave in the desired fashion

Back 258

impact

Front 259

when _____ is evaluated, practitioners measure the number per percentage of the audience who learn the message content, who change their opinions, who change attitudes, and who behave in the desired fashion. They may also determine if the problem is solved or the goal is achieved.

Back 259

impact

Front 260

evaluating _____ is one of the most important aspects of evaluation because this is the goal -- we want them to buy into what we are sending out

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impact

Front 261

Evaluating impact involves what six (6) criteria?

Back 261

(1.) number of who learn message content, (2.) number who change opinions, (3.) number who change attitudes, (4.) number who behave in desired fashion, (5.) goal achieved/problem solved, (6.) social and cultural change

Front 262

How do we evaluate impact?

Back 262

by measuring the number or percentage who learn the message content, who change their opinions, who change attitudes, and who behave in the desired fashion. They may also determine if the problem is solved or the goal is achieved as well as social and cultural change.