Examines how corporate entities use the Web to present themselves as socially responsible citizens and to advance policy positions. Samples randomly "Fortune 500" companies, revealing that, although 90% had Web pages and 82% of the sites addressed a corporate social responsibility issue, few corporations used their pages to monitor…

Argues that a course or unit in crisis management/communication is an excellent way of teaching public relations theory, management concepts, information management, problem solving, and communication management. Identifies course objectives, discusses main topics and student evaluation, and concludes with advice and a list of readings. (SR)

Offers a first-hand account of a faculty internship at a major international public relations firm. Discusses the internship host and the intern's duties; faculty internship advantages and benefits; and faculty internship disadvantages and limitations. Considers 10 experiential realizations stemming from the author's internship experience. (SR)

The experiences of Columbine and El Cajon high schools with media onslaughts following traumatic shooting incidents underscore the importance of getting the message across and sticking to known facts. In a crisis, speculation can hurt everyone. The most important elements in crisis communications are planning and media relations. (MLH)

The British Labour Government's New Deal, a welfare-to-work initiative, has received widespread media attention. Content analysis of press releases illustrates how the government has tried to shape media messages and public perceptions of welfare reform in its presentation of this program. (SK)

Educators are feeling pressured to accommodate students, parents, and taxpayers to garner community support. Principals pursue customer intimacy; people are demanding their rights; and taxpayers, including aging baby boomers, are searching for bargains. American Federation of Teachers President Al Shanker finds academic standards and customer…

Two articles look at higher education public relations issues. The first reviews three studies of public opinion of higher education, undertaken through broad survey, focus groups, and a survey of civic leaders. In the second article, five college and university public relations professionals reveal their battle plans to respond to public…

Analyzes 161 cited and 177 uncited articles published in "Public Relations Review" (1975-93) to determine if 3 independent variables--research methods, type of statistics, and topics--influenced whether or not articles were cited in other research articles. Finds significant differences between quantitative and qualitative research methods but not…

Explores the impact of PRForum, an Internet newsgroup, on the public relations community by examining the nature, function, and content of online exchanges. Finds that PRForum is used for three functions: to facilitate the exchange of information; to create a forum for debate on issues; and to cultivate a sense of self-validation on personal and…

Instead of differentiating themselves by building "brand identities," colleges and universities often focus on competing with price. As a result, fewer and fewer institutions base their identities on value, the combination of quality and price. Methods of building two concepts to influence customers' brand image and brand loyalty are…

Colleges and universities should critically review their publications periodically to save money and also as a way to present a more cohesive institutional identity. Ten recommendations are made for conducting a productive publications audit; they include choosing an evaluation method, selecting participants, making the experience pleasant, and…

Explores cultural variability, especially uncertainty avoidance and power distance, and examines how it affects public response to crisis. Presents an analysis of the national cultures of six European countries that showed that publics who live in nations that are high in uncertainty avoidance and power distance tend to react more strongly, and…

Analyzes the rise of PRolicy (public relations public policy) as it relates to educational policy, by examining the first Reagan Administration's use of media manipulation to shape public perceptions of its educational policy agendas. Discusses implications of market-oriented strategies for researchers, teachers, and administrators. (Contains 60…

Three chief alumni relations officers discuss their views on the importance of hiring graduates of the college or university as alumni relations staffers. Opinions ranged from the belief that it is helpful when alumni and staff share an alma mater, to alumni status is not particularly important, to an attempt to mix both in the alumni relations…

Campus activities planners are offered strategies to use to make the most of their time attending National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) conventions. Advice includes specific approaches for covering conference sessions and booths, gathering information, planning for campus performances, and having students learn from the convention…