Tips for the In-Focus ProjectFor your enjoyment and edification

The In-Focus Project• Great ideas are everywhere!• SocialTV• Sports and Social Media (Cleveland Indians)• Ghost Blogging• Brandjacking• Social Media Policy• Law (SEC) and ethics• Healthcare and social media• Compare/contrast, platforms/cases

Formats• Case study• Whitepaper• Critical Analysis• Original research

• What’s the purpose? Who’s your audience?

• How can you show your expertise?

Topic• Refine toward a specific research question (or two).

• What is it that you want to learn about this topic?

Relevant Issues• PR Theories & Media Theories• Concepts & Issues• Greenwashing, Corporate Social responsibility, Crisis

Communication, Reputation Management, etc. • Best Practices• Standards, Guidelines

• PR Theories & Media Theories: Make a list!

PR Theories & Concepts• Third Party Credibility• Two-Step Flow• Systems Theory• Hunt-Grunig Model• Dialogic Theory

• Other media theories

Sources• Use a variety of sources, references.• Academic and Professional• Top journals in PR• Top publications in PR

Organization• Summary (Literature Review)• Analysis: Apply theories, issues, etc. • Relevance to PR

• Divide into subsections, headers

• Key to success: BEYOND DESCRIPTION• Analysis and significance• What does this mean for PR? What does this mean for the

industry/org?• WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN??