Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Press Office
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Introduction
The course provides an overview of how Works a press office, from a private company, a PR agency, a non-profit or government. It explains in a theoretical and practical way the objectives, the strategy, the various tools for working with the media, spokesperson training and evaluation of the work done.
Pre-course requirements
No.
Objectives
- Understand how works a press office, stating objectives and design a media plan.
- Know and use the tools that a press office works.
- Apply the most appropriate tool in every circumstance and with every media.
- Gain confidence in the relationship with journalists knowing and avoiding common mistakes.
- Spokesperson: prepare and give a speach
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN06 - Recognise the principal artificial intelligence tools with applications in journalism.
- CP01 - Work effectively in professional journalism teams, adapting to multidisciplinary and changing environments.
- CP02 - Apply professional ethical principles and standards of academic rigour in journalism, recognising the current legal and ethical framework and respecting the fundamental right to equality between women and men, promoting human rights, a culture of peace and democratic values, including the use of inclusive, non-discriminatory and stereotype-free language.
- CP03 - Analyse audiences within the digital media ecosystem in order to develop content for diverse audiences.
- CP04 - Manage the technical, material and time-related resources of a journalistic project.
- CP07 - Create innovative multimedia products by integrating graphic design, emerging technologies and elements of digital culture to communicate information in an engaging and accessible way across all devices.
- CP08 - Implement strategic communication plans within organisations and institutions across different sectors, defining the organisation's messaging and public image.
- CP11 - Apply internal and external communication strategies to build a favourable perception of an organisation among its stakeholders.
- CP12 - Manage an organisation's internal communications to promote understanding of its values and organisational culture.
- HB01 - Interpret relevant data obtained from a variety of sources.
- HB02 - Present and defend journalistic projects orally and in writing in Catalan, Spanish and English.
- HB04 - Use a range of media research and documentation resources.
- HB05 - Distinguish between information, opinion and manipulation, applying verification and source-checking techniques to debunk misinformation and identify content generated by artificial intelligence.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students will be able to:
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To work confidently and professionally in a radio studio and a television studio.
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To use video and audio editing software, web design tools and graphic design software proficiently.
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To plan the resources and logistics required to launch a radio programme or podcast.
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To plan the resources and logistics required to launch a news or current affairs programme for television, social media and streaming platforms.
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To develop journalistic or communication projects on the internet.
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To use graphic resources in journalistic or communication projects, including AI-generated images and infographics.
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To convey the concept and focus of print journalism texts through photography.
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To acquire technical skills in the main technologies for recording and editing image and sound.
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To master the main techniques and technologies of digital design, including AI tools.
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To develop planning and leadership skills through event organisation and participation in press offices.
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To develop teamwork skills by fostering positive synergies that harness and maximise each team member’s talent.
Syllabus
- Press offices: what are, objectives, functions and types.
- Know who you work for and the communication needs of the organization.
- Database of journalists and media.
- Main mistakes with journalists
- Communication tools: press releases, press conferences, press kits, travels.
- Training spokespersons.
- Location and news writing.
- Evaluation of the objectives of the Press Office.
- Online press department and online brand reputation
Bibliography and resources
- Dictating the News: Understanding Newsworthiness from the Journalistic Perspective. Lynn M. Zoch, Ph.D.
- Professor & Director, School of Communication. Radford University. Zoch & Supa – Public Relations Journal – Vol. 8, No. 1 (2014).
- Genres and Processes in the PR Industry: Behind the Scenes With an Intern Writer. Stephen Bremner. International Journal of Business Communication 2014, Vol. 51(3) 259–278.
- Compensation and Corrective Action as the BP Response to the Deepwater Horizon incident. Williiam Forrrest Harlow and Rachel Martin Harlow. Communication Research Reports. Vol. 30, Nº 3, July-September 2013, pp 193-200.
- From Press Release to News: Mapping the Framing of the 2009 H1N1 A Influenza Pandemic. Seow Ting Lee and Iccha Basnyat. Health Communication, 28. 119-132, 2013.
- La comunicación entre gabinetes y periodistas a través de la web 2.0: el caso de meneXtra.com. María José Cantalapiedra González, Leire Iturregui Mardaras, Daniel García González. 2012
- Usablidad de las herramientas TIC’S y aplicaciones tecnológicas en los gabinetes de comunicación online. Rosario Puertas Hidalgo, Karina Valarezo Gónzález, y Verónica Altamirano Benítez. 2013
- Del gabinete de prensa al gabinete de comunicación: La dirección de comunicación en la actualidad. C Cristófol Rodríguez. 2014
- Los gabinetes de comunicación y su adaptación a la red: la incorporación de la figura del community manager. FS Turmo, JJV Lassa. 2015Comunicación con bloggers. Manual de instrucciones. José Antonio Ritoré Bru. Revsita de comunicación, nº8, pag 30. Febrero 2009.
- Ortiz, J. (2019). “Pistas para comprender al periodista”, RAEIC, Revista de la Asociación Española de Investigación de la Comunicación, vol 6, núm. 11, 17-23.
- https://justificaturespuesta.com/como-enamorar-alumnos-palabra-metodo-ted/ (Método TED como hablar en público)
- Video tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN1dt_VG9bk
- Ferrigno, Giulio & Di Paola, Nadia & Oguntegbe, Kunle & Kraus, Sascha. (2023). Value creation in the metaverse age: a thematic analysis of press releases. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research. 29. 337-363. 10.1108/IJEBR-01-2023-0039.