Test Bank

Chapter 1: Introduction to Public Relations

Multiple Choice

1. When attempting to define public relations, it is important to know ______.

a. why it is more important than advertising or marketing

b. that the original definition from 1905 still stands today

c. how different parties may view the field

d. that “spin” leads improved PR performance

Learning Objective: 1-1: Define public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What Is Public Relations?

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. If a group of your professors were to analyze the success of a recent public relations campaign, they would be likely to view it in terms of ______.

a. an emphasis on asymmetrical communication

b. a planned effort to influence public opinion

c. overriding concern for the employer or client

d. conflict management between publics

Learning Objective: 1-1: Define public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How Academics Define Public Relations

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. Unlike their counterparts in academia, PR practitioners define public relations according to ______.

a. strategy and relationships

b. marketing and advertising

c. crisis and recovery

d. journalists and media

Learning Objective: 1-1: Define public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How Practitioners Define Public Relations

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. The term “public relations” refers to ______ dialogue with individuals or groups in a ______ situation.

a. brief; transactional

b. business; financial

c. emotional; creative

d. ongoing; win-win

Learning Objective: 1-1: Define public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How Do We Build Relationships in Public Relations?

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Why is it considered a cardinal sin for PR practitioners to target the “general public” in a campaign?

a. They will likely exceed their client’s budget.

b. The general public will probably dislike the campaign.

c. The campaign will be unfocused and ineffective.

d. most successful campaigns target age cohorts.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: We Identify Publics

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Suppose that you are a Chevy truck lover. You are passionate about the brand and tell your friends how much tougher they are than Ford, Dodge, or Toyota trucks. For the past decade, you have purchased a new Chevy truck every three years, and don’t mind the monthly payments. This makes you a (n) ______ in the Chevrolet brand.

a. stakeholder

b. investor

c. volunteer

d. expert

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: We Focus on Stakeholders

Difficulty Level: Hard

7. If Nike supports a major athlete taking a controversial political stand, it may spark positive feelings among key publics because it aligns with their expectations of ______.

a. their favorite athlete

b. the brand

c. his/her Nike gear

d. political privilege

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: We Manage Relationships Between Publics and Brands

Difficulty Level: Hard

8. If you are a student looking ahead to a career in public relations, which of the following is safe to assume?

a. You can choose your employment setting from a wide range of sectors.

b. You should prepare to learn more about accounting, as this field is rapidly growing.

c. You should look for job listings that specify “public relations” in the title.

d. You can focus mostly on the United States, since this is home to the profession.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Where Do We Find Public Relations in Action?

Difficulty Level: Hard

9. How has the task of writing changed for PR practitioners in the 21st century?

a. It is less important than it used to be, thanks to social media.

b. It is almost as important as technology skills.

c. It is one that can now passed on to college interns.

d. It involves new tasks and new kinds of writing.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: We Write

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Why is it advantageous to be a skilled researcher in a public relations career?

a. You can quickly switch careers in a slack economy.

b. It hones your skills in writing SWEAT analyses.

c. It helps you to apply what you learn in a strategic fashion.

d. You can act as a mentor to junior PR practitioners.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: We Conduct Research

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. Regarding creativity and the public relations discipline, it is important to remember that PR relations professionals ______.

a. are secondary to their marketing and advertising counterparts

b. can bridge the science and art of persuasive messaging

c. must rely upon outside experts to form their strategies

d. should seek continuing education to hone their creative expertise

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: We Think Creatively

Difficulty Level: Easy

12. You’ve earned your degree in public relations and gained a decade of experience out in the field. You’re ready to walk into a board room with a solid background in finance, accounting, or marketing research. This means that you have built a firm foundation in ______.

a. business

b. management

c. human resources

d. client relations

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: We Understand Business Practices

Difficulty Level: Hard

13. In the 21st century, graduates in marketing, advertising, and English are increasingly competing with those in public relations. What does this mean for PR students and professionals?

a. They should report these as ethical violations to their employers.

b. They should not be concerned, as PR is well-established.

c. They should accept that PR has become secondary to these fields.

d. They must work to stay ahead of this trend.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: We Meet Emerging Expectations

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. You are a junior-level PR staffer for Newell Brands, maker of the Crock-Pot. You learn that on a recent episode of the NBC series, “This is Us,” lead character Jack Pearson is killed by a house fire sparked by a defective Crock-Pot. Show fans are outraged, and potential customers and journalists have asked the company to respond. What public relations function are you performing as you attempt to tackle this incident?

a. anger management

b. product placement

c. crisis communication

d. storytelling

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: We Meet Emerging Expectations

Difficulty Level: Hard

15. The Dove “Real Beauty” initiative proves that public relations practitioners must be ______.

a. cause evangelists

b. reputation managers

c. strategists

d. digital and social media experts

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: We Meet Emerging Expectations

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. Some professionals in other fields do not take public relations seriously, claiming it is not “concrete” enough. What do they mean by such statements?

a. PR emphasizes working with paid media.

b. PR focuses largely on managing relationships.

c. PR cannot deliver research-based results.

d. PR works in a vacuum, isolated from other professions.

Learning Objective: 1-3: Distinguish between public relations and similar disciplines.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: How Do We Work With Professionals in Related Fields

Difficulty Level: Medium

17. The “PESO” acronym stands for ______.

a. progressive, early, stated, and on-point objectives

b. polished, expert, strategic, and on-time strategies

c. progressive, entertaining, sales-oriented, and on-target event

d. paid, earned, shared, and owned media

Learning Objective: 1-3: Distinguish between public relations and similar disciplines.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How Do We Work With Professionals in Related Fields?

Difficulty Level: Easy

18. A journalist at your local television station says, “I just can’t figure it out. One day, my PR friend at the hospital helps me out with an important medical story. The next day, she’s bugging me about some groundbreaking event that doesn’t interest me at all.” The journalist is saying that the relationship between public relations and journalism is ______.

a. antagonistic

b. collegial

c. complicated

d. stable

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: We Work With Journalism Professionals

Difficulty Level: Hard

19. Using virtual reality (VR) to enhance stories on the Weather Channel or promote the movie “Tomb Raider” is primarily an example of ______.

a. leveraging digital advertising opportunities

b. using experiential media to tell stories

c. creating product placement initiatives

d. experimenting with new marketing approaches

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: We Work With Journalism Professionals

Difficulty Level: Hard

20. A key difference between public relations and advertising is that public relations focuses on ______ while advertising focuses on ______.

a. dialogue; paid content

b. events; promotions

c. measurement; immediate return

d. stakeholders; consumers

Learning Objective: 1-3: Distinguish between public relations and similar disciplines.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: We Work With Advertising Professionals

Difficulty Level: Medium

21. Of the statements below, which describes the current relationship between the public relations and advertising disciplines?

a. Practitioners do not enjoy working with each other.

b. Technology has created new and separate spaces for each.

c. A focus on paid media has pushed advertising to the forefront.

d. The lines between the two disciplines have blurred.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: We Work With Advertising Professionals

Difficulty Level: Medium

22. Advertising is characterized by a ______ message strategy, while public relations relies upon a ______ message strategy.

a. two-way; one-way

b. relationship-based; dialogue-based

c. push; push-pull

d. coercive; persuasive

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: We Work With Advertising Professionals

Difficulty Level: Medium

23. Public relations professionals can assist marketing departments and organizations by ______.

a. gaining more earned media for them, which saves on annual budgets

b. helping them understand influencers and nontraditional media platforms

c. serving as a “go-between” to journalists to secure positive media coverage

d. making advertising buys for them in larger, complex media markets

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: We Work With Marketing Professionals

Difficulty Level: Easy

24. Which of the following strengths can PR professionals use to aid their clients in conveying their brand value?

a. the ability to conduct litigation public relations

b. connections to advertising executives

c. knowledge of fiscal responsibility

d. the power of storytelling

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: We Work With Marketing Professionals

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. Research on the role of public relations and social media indicates that ______.

a. PR professionals need to do more to participate in major decision making

b. it is time to let experts from other disciplines control the conversation

c. PR educators have the best insights into future trends

d. the writing that PR people use will not work on new technology platforms

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Where Are We Headed?

Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. PR practitioners have unjustly been criticized as “spin doctors,” because the profession as a whole is ethical.

Learning Objective: 1-1: Define public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Chapter 1 Introduction

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. According to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the essence of public relations is building relationships.

Learning Objective: 1-1: Define public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How Practitioners Define Public Relations

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. In public relations, anyone with an emotional or financial investment in an organization or brand is considered to be a stakeholder.

Learning Objective: 1-1: Define public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: We Focus on Stakeholders

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Managing relationships between publics and brands is an emerging but still minor aspect of the public relations practice.

Learning Objective: 1-1: Define public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: We Manage Relationships Between Publics and Brands

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Writing is becoming a less important public relations skill with the emergence of social media.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: We Write

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Public relations practitioners are now managing new roles and functions that were unheard of a generation ago.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: We Meet Emerging Expectations

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Journalists can do much to help PR practitioners, but PR practitioners can’t do much to help journalists.

Learning Objective: 1-3: Distinguish between public relations and similar disciplines.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: We Work With Journalism Professionals

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Public relations and advertising professionals have different views of each other, but each side acknowledges the need to be more integrated.

Learning Objective: 1-3: Distinguish between public relations and similar disciplines.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: We Work With Advertising Professionals

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. In many major organizations, the public relations and marketing functions are integrated.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: We Work With Marketing Professionals

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Public relations practitioners should be strong news writers, but they do not have to be strong storytellers.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How Do We Use Storytelling?

Difficulty Level: Easy

11. Because public relations is a strong discipline on its own, it does not need to embrace other fields such as social psychology or journalism.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Where Are We Headed?

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. Although the public relations has evolved considerably, it will continue to face new ethical and legal challenges.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Where Are We Headed?

Difficulty Level: Easy

Essay

1. Define stakeholders and analyze the stakeholder approach to public relations.

Learning Objective: 1-1: Define public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: We Focus on Stakeholders

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. You have just graduated from college with a degree in Public Relations. Armed with your newly minted diploma, you begin interviewing for jobs. Toward the end of one promising interview, the employer pauses and says, “It is interesting that the work we do is not always recognized as public relations.” Explain what she means by this statement.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Where Do We Find Public Relations in Action?

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. After a year in your first public relations position, you return home for a family visit. At dinner, your mother still seems to be unclear about what your job entails and the typical tasks that you perform during an average week. How do you explain this to her?

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify key areas within public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: What do we do as PR professionals?

Difficulty Level: Hard

4. Identify some of the traditional distinctions between public relations, advertising, and marketing, and explain how those distinctions have changed in recent decades.

Learning Objective: 1-3: Distinguish between public relations and similar disciplines.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: How Do We Work With Professionals in Related Fields?

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Analyze the ways in which public relations professionals interact with journalists, and provide specific examples how this might work.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: We Work With Journalism Professionals

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Provide examples of some of the societal and technological factors that have increased the importance of storytelling as a public relations function.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How Do We Use Storytelling?

Difficulty Level: Hard

7. Categorize the future trends that public relations practitioners are likely to face in the decades ahead.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Understand the influences of other disciplines on public relations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Where Are We Headed?

Difficulty Level: Medium