Examines the role and perceived value of public relations in institutional ethics initiatives. Surveys ethics officers in North American institutions. Finds that public relations professionals are not playing key roles in the institutionalization of ethics, and that public relations remains a relatively untapped resource in ethics programs. (PA)

Examines the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) public relations efforts concerning the Hubble telescope. Proposes that NASA's poor public relations exacerbated problems: NASA oversold the telescope before it was deployed, failed to develop a plan for release of images, provided misleading flight reports, and reported…

Describes a new managerial approach to assessing public relations/communications (PR/C) performance using a "balanced scorecard." Reviews the current state of PR/C management assessment; illustrates the balanced scorecard framework; highlights its strengths and weaknesses; describes the process of applying the scorecard to PR/C units;…

Describes National School Public Relations Association standards for school public relations and communications professionals and program. Includes reactions and comments about new Association standards from seven superintendents and four school public-relations professionals. (PKP)

Presents names of college and universities unfamiliar to potential students. Finds that one cluster of respondents had a clear preference for geographic or aspirational names while a second cluster had a preference for proper names. Notes that there was an overall preference for proper names. (SG)

Former superintendent discusses five lessons learned about how to inform the public about school-improvement efforts: Learn from district's history of school improvement, be honest and candid with public, engage the public in dialogue to redefine accountability, define "results" as individual and cohort performance along a multiyear developmental…

Notes that disputes are seen as much less confrontational, much less zero-sum games in Canada than in the United States. Interviews 15 communications and public relations practitioners and professors with experiences on both sides of the 49th parallel and reviews relevant literature. Concludes that the greater acceptance of two-way symmetrical…

Reviews the history of the Public Relations Body of Knowledge Abstracts, a database of public relations research and literature. Describes the uses of the abstracts for research purposes, and reports assessments of new research directions as set forth by members of the Public Relations Society of America's permanent Body of Knowledge Board. (MM)

Analyzes a recent instance of focus group research applied to a public relations case (rather than a marketing case). Reviews the advantages and disadvantages of this qualitative method, and describes the case of a county department of mental health relying on focus group research to help plan a program aimed at reducing the stigma of mental…

Surveys employees of the Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania to examine why they read "Vital Signs," the employee newsletter. Finds that employees with a higher level of organizational integration often place more emphasis on reading the employee newsletter to survey system functions and the employee social network. (MM)

As the experience of a Wisconsin high school shows, high school sports may be used as a positive public relations tool. Rules include keeping it clean, tying sports to education, remembering to feature girls' sports, considering alternative media, and avoiding the cult of the personality. (MLH)

The six-stage diffusion process, with choice of the right media, makes a vital strategy for public relations because it goes beyond informing to stimulating action. (MSE)

Explores and illustrates the different types of press relations commonly undertaken by terrorist organizations. Argues that large and small groups both engage in publicity efforts, but employ different patterns of press relations activities. (SR)

Describes (prompted by Pete Rose's unsuccessful challenge to the authority of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball) the creation of the Commissioner's office in 1921 by Albert Lasker, an advertising and public relations genius, to deal with the public relations problem facing baseball in the wake of the 1919-20 Black Sox scandal. (SR)

Indicates that there is an increasing number of women in the public relations field, and increased enrollment of women in college public relations programs. Looks at factors involved in women's place in the field of public relations. (MS)