PR Principles Exam 1

P.T. Barnum

19th-century showman and pioneer of press agentry; used sensational publicity stunts and manipulation of media attention, exemplifying pre-professional, "hype"-driven promotion.

Ivy Lee

Often called a father of modern PR; introduced the idea of honesty and proactive disclosure to corporate clients (e.g., his "Declaration of Principles"), shifting PR toward two-way, more ethical practice.

Edward Bernays

Nephew of Sigmund Freud; pioneered PR as an applied social science, using psychology to shape public opinion (e.g., "Torches of Freedom" campaign); wrote Propaganda and Crystallizing Public Opinion, often called a father of modern PR/spin.

Moss Kendrix

Pioneering Black PR practitioner who built campaigns targeting African American consumers for major brands (e.g., Coca-Cola), opening corporate America's recognition of Black consumer markets.

Inez Kaiser

First Black woman to own a PR firm serving national clients; broke barriers for women and people of color in the profession.

Betsy Plank

Trailblazing PR executive and first woman president of PRSA; strong advocate for PR education and the professionalization of the field.

What does R.A.C.E stand for?

Research, Action, Communication, Evaluation

What does P.E.S.O Stand for?

Paid, earned, shared, owned

What does the Research part of RACE mean?

Gather information to understand the situation, problem, audience, or opportunity

What does the Communication part of RACE mean?

Carry out the plan and deliver messages to the appropriate audiences

what are the key characteristics of PR?

Deliberate, planned, performance, public interests, two-way communication, strategic management, integrated

what is the difference between PR messages and Advertising messages?

Advertising messages are paid, and PR messages are earned

what is an example of shared media?

social networks like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook

What is one way the textbook outlines that the field of PR is changing?

DEI initiatives

what is not one of the six essential skills for a successful career in PR?

Commercial design

what is a normal entry-level salary in a PR role?

$45,000

which of the following is not a responsibility for an independent PR consultant?

participating in corporate policy decisions

What task do entry-level technicians typically do?

Social Media

Salaries in PR often vary by region this is because ______?

Regions with major metropolitan areas are paid better due to the cost-of-living and clientele

what is the highest level of job a typical person can achieve in PR at a company?

Chief communications officer

A career in public relations requires a broad skill set. Which of the following is NOT an example of a diverse role or responsibility in public relations?

Negotiation and purchasing paid commercial slots on networks

what are the five major historical themes of public relations?

Profit, Recruitment, Legitimacy, Agitation, and Advocacy

Who could be considered the first press secretary.

Amos Kendall

Which figure is widely considered to be the “first PR counselor” and what is an example of their contribution to media relations and press agentry?

Ivy Lee Ledbetter, who issued his “Declaration of Principles”, emphasizing truth, accuracy, and openness in public relations.

Which term describes the relationship between press and audience where research and audience feedback is used to adapt and deliver more persuasive communication?

Two-way asymmetrical

What group accounts for roughly 70% of P.R. practitioners?

Women

Which pairing of a PR organization and the awards program it sponsors is correct?

IABC and the Gold Quill Awards

Which statement best describes the purpose of accreditation programs in the public
relations profession?

They provide voluntary certification to demonstrate professional competence.

Which of these are not an example of the different types of advisory relationships/roles held by PR professionals?

Business Authority

How do PR departments and firms provide services to organizations?

Through support, objectivity, and expertise

Which describes a potential conflict between PR representatives and the human resources department?

PR can’t achieve satisfactory external communications unless effective employee relations are conducted simultaneously - HR deals directly with employees relations

What is on advantage of hiring a PR firm?

They provide new ideas and Objectivity

Of the following options, which does your book mentioned as being a flexible billing method?

Basic hourly fee

Why are more companies outsourcing public relations and communication services to outside PR firms?

To gain specialized expertise

How do PR firm bill their client?

By the time spent on a client’s task

What kind of role does PR play in organization?

Supporting

Line vs. Staff functions

___________ have direct authority over an organization's core operations and can make binding decisions (e.g., production, sales). ________ provide expertise and support to line functions but don't directly command organizational resources. PR is generally considered a staff function — it advises and supports rather than directly controlling core business operations.

What are PRSA’s core values?

Advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty, and fairness

What is NOT an example of fair use?

Putting someone else’s song in a Youtube video

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a trademark

It protects original books, movies, or artworks

Which of the following is a communication rule of FINRA?

Communications must be fair, balanced, and complete and not omit material information

What is pure advocacy?

A concept from contingency theory, defined as the organization stance which will provide no compromise or consolation to adversaries.

what is a deepfake?

an image or video in which a person's likeness has been convincingly replaced with that of another person. (often a public figure).

What is the main reason PR professionals should NOT try to “buy” media coverage with gifts or favors?

It can damage credibility and public trust in both the media and the PR professional.

Why is trust considered so important in media relations for PR professionals?

Trust helps PR professionals serve as credible sources of information for the media.

Quantitative Research focuses on…

Numerical data

What is the difference between Trademark Laws and Copyright Laws?

Trademark Laws protect brand identifiers, while Copyright Laws protect original creative works.

One-way vs. two-way communication.

__________________ flows from organization to public with no built-in feedback loop (traditional press releases, broadcast advertising).____________ involves dialogue and feedback between organization and publics, allowing the organization to listen and adjust. Modern PR practice expects and emphasizes _______ (ideally _____ symmetrical) communication, reflecting the shift toward relationship-building and stakeholder engagement rather than pure message broadcasting.

Pure advocacy

means an organization/practitioner always argues one-sided in favor of the client's position, regardless of circumstances.

Contingency theory

holds that an organization's public stance should shift along a spectrum from pure advocacy to full accommodation depending on situational factors (public opinion, threat level, relationship with the public, etc.) — meaning ethical PR sometimes requires compromise or accommodation rather than always defending the client unconditionally.

Agenda setting

is media's power to influence what topics the public thinks about by choosing what to cover, even without dictating opinions on those topics.

Framing

is how media/communicators shape how an issue is understood by emphasizing certain aspects or angles over others.

Priming

is how prior media exposure influences the standards/criteria people use to evaluate later information or people (e.g., judging a politician based on issues recently covered in the news).

What is the framing of messages and the use of “facts” that are often misleading, untrue, or biased to support an ideology or political objective?

Propaganda

What is the theory that proposes that people rarely form opinions based directly on the media?

Two-step flow theory

What is the process by which the media shapes public discourse by selecting topics the public should pay attention to?

Agenda setting

When media coverage increases the attention and intensity surrounding a disagreement, it is known as:

Escalation

What is the prevailing opinion that is shared by most people, which is somewhat elusive and extremely difficult to measure at any given moment?

Public opinion

________ refers to media such as television, radio, newspapers, and major websites that can reach large audiences

Mass media

A Movie critic includes short clip from new movie to discuss and critique the scene. This describes

Fair Use

What are the steps of the diffusion of innovation theory (AKA consumer adoption process)?

Awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, adoption

Public relations personnel spend a lot of time and energy preparing news releases and other materials,
such as ?

Fact sheets and media kits

Public relations professionals often create _______ to act as a concise invitation to invite journalists to
attend and cover an upcoming live event. This is a proactive standard practice that PR professionals use to
obtain media coverage for an event.

Media Advisory

After the headline, the ____ paragraph immediately tells readers the key message in one or two sentences,
so they get the gist of the article even if they stop reading at that point.

Lead

______ is an unpaid announcement that promotes the programs of government agencies and charitable
and civic organizations, or that serves the public interest.

PSA

What enables organizations to quickly disseminate information and opinions to a wide audience through
the news media, avoiding the time-consuming task of presenting information to news outlets individually?

News Conference

Which is an example of a product placement?

A television character drinks a popular brand of soda

Earned media

is coverage or attention an organization receives without paying for it directly — through media relations and pitching — carrying more credibility because it's presented by an independent third party.

Paid media

is advertising the organization pays to place.

Shared media

is content distributed through social platforms, often via engagement and sharing rather than direct payment. Owned media is content on channels the organization controls directly (its own website, blog, or social accounts).

Press releases

Written announcements of newsworthy information sent to media for coverage.

Media advisories

Brief invitations to media to attend/cover a specific event, focused on logistics.

Multimedia Releases

News releases enhanced with video, images, audio, or infographics for richer, more shareable coverage.

Media Kits

Comprehensive packages of information (releases, fact sheets, photos, bios) given to media covering an organization or event.

Fact sheets

Concise documents summarizing key facts and figures about an organization, product, or issue for quick reference.

Media tours

Coordinated series of media interviews (in person or virtual) conducted across multiple outlets, often promoting a specific message or spokesperson.

Media previews

Exclusive early access events/briefings that let media experience a product, exhibit, or event before public launch.

Public service announcements (PSAs)

Non-commercial announcements, often distributed free by media outlets, promoting messages that serve the public interest (health, safety, community causes).

Libel

defamation in a written, published, recorded, or otherwise relatively permanent form, such as a newspaper article, social-media post, blog, or sometimes a video.

Slander

defamation that is spoken or otherwise transitory, such as making a false damaging statement about someone during a conversation or speech.