Public Relations Outcomes Checklist
- Identify the elements and sequence of steps in the information strategy process.
- Identify the five types of information contributors.
- Understand the differences between types of media messages.
- Recognize the various purposes of media messages.
- Understand the characteristics of good storytelling and elements important in crafting media messages.
- Understand that an information strategy is needed at each stage in the creation of messages.
- Understand the types of assignments that might trigger the need to develop a comprehensive information strategy.
- Articulate the questions you need to ask of your supervisor/colleagues to clarify the message task.
- Determine what the person giving the assignment requires.
- Determine the parameters of the information task.
- Determine the purpose of the message.
- Brainstorm the variety of potential audiences for a message.
- Consider the different attributes or expectations that specific audiences might have and how they affect the development of your information strategy.
- Articulate message “purpose” and understand how the intended message outcome informs the choice of message audience.
- Develop a set of questions that will help identify “high-value” potential target audiences for a messages.
- Analyze a broad topic to identify angles or aspects that might be researched.
- Tie the message content to the needs of the identified audience.
- Generate new and interesting ideas for messages.
- Develop point-of-view diagrams, idea maps, and other techniques to spur idea generation.
- Understand how you can effectively use the above techniques in the development of story ideas.
- Use observation as an idea generation strategy.
- Understand how identifying relevant disciplines can aid in brainstorming topic angles.
- Identify the conventional wisdom and stereotypes related to the topic.
- Identify the broad characteristics of public-sector institutional, private-sector institutional, scholarly, journalistic and informal contributors of information for messages.
- Understand the nature, characteristics and limitations of information available from these contributors and sources.
- Identify the relevant disciplines of knowledge that can contribute to an information strategy.
- Identify the specific perspective a discipline of knowledge provides on a topic.
- Identify the types and characteristics of libraries that might contribute to an information strategy.
- Recognize the social constraints under which communicators work.
- Identify the characteristics of ethical thinking and the forms of ethical decision-making that guide mass communication professionals.
- Identify the positive and negative obligations that communicators weigh in their work.
- Consider the cultural climate within an organization.
- Articulate some of the legal and regulatory standards that must be considered by communicators as part of an information strategy process.
- Apply the information strategy process to a variety of information and message tasks.
- Assess the strengths and weaknesses of an information strategy as it has been applied to a particular type of information or message task.
