Question 1

Grunig and Hunt posited four models of public relations. Who is associated with the first model of press agentry/publicity?

Accepted Answer

P.T. Barnum is associated with the first model of press agentry/publicity, which focuses on gaining attention for the client, often through sensationalism, without much concern for truth.

Question 2

Born in Madagascar in 1674, Joice Heth arrived in America in her youth and was a slave to one Augustine Washington, the father of George Washington. Heth was the first one to put clothes on the future father of America, and she basically raised the boy. In 1836, Heth was "161 years old," retained astonishingly good health, and enjoyed telling stories of the boy Washington. This story, the content of an advertisement for an attraction, is an example of which public relations model?

Accepted Answer

The story is an example of the press agentry/publicity model, which focuses on gaining attention and interest for a person, product, or event, often without much concern for truth or accuracy. The exaggerated age of Joice Heth and her connection to George Washington were likely used to attract public interest and attendance, fitting the characteristics of this model.

Question 3

Who dropped out of Harvard and became the person may refer to as the founder of public relations?

Accepted Answer

Ivy Ledbetter Lee is considered a founder of modern public relations. Unlike Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, who dropped out of Harvard and are known for their contributions to technology and social media, respectively, Lee's work was specifically in the field of public relations. Robert E. Lee, on the other hand, was a Confederate general during the American Civil War and not related to the field of public relations.

Question 4

Publicly held companies, which are organizations that offer shares for trading in stock exchanges, ____________ to file certain reports and to make public certain information that may affect investors' decisions.

Accepted Answer

Publicly held companies are legally required to file certain reports and make public certain information that could influence investors' decisions, ensuring transparency and protecting investors.

Question 5

McDonald's released its quarterly report accurately and on time, although it had a bad quarter and lost money. In the public information model, this is an example of ____________.

Accepted Answer

In the public information model, McDonald's releasing its quarterly report accurately and on time, despite having a bad quarter and losing money, is an example of material information. This is because the information is significant to investors and can influence their decision-making regarding the company's stock.

Question 6

In early 2008, more than 200 members of the group Improv Everywhere froze in place for five minutes in the middle of Grand Central Station. The organizers worked social networks and even mainstream media to maximize coverage, and the perfectly choreographed performance drew the attention of onlookers, generating more than 30 million YouTube hits. This is an example of which public relations model?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In early 2008, more than 200 members...

Question 7

Marnie, a public relations practitioner, monitors surveys, e-mail responses, Twitter comments, usability studies, and focus groups to gauge the success of her efforts. This research strategy is an example of ____________.

Accepted Answer

Marnie's strategy of monitoring various forms of feedback and interaction is a method of understanding and gauging the public's response to her public relations efforts. This approach is a standard practice in public relations to better understand and serve the target audience or publics, hence it is an example of how organizations get to know their publics.

Question 8

Robert, an executive at Ford Motors, is given the task of finding a solution to the growing concern over automobile safety. He contracted with a PR practitioner, Jason, who counseled him to launch a safety campaign including safety researchers, engineers, and law enforcement. In response, Ford changed its vehicle design following feedback from its publics. The relationship between Ford and its publics is ____________.

Accepted Answer

The relationship is symmetrical because Ford engaged in two-way communication with its publics, taking their feedback into account and making changes based on that feedback, indicating a balanced exchange of information and influence.

Question 9

Lame and Russel highlighted evidence of public relations as early as ____________.

Accepted Answer

Lame and Russel highlighted evidence of public relations activities as far back as the first century, indicating that the practice of managing information between an organization and the public has ancient roots.

Question 10

Harvard College began fundraising campaigns as early as 1641, when college representatives were sent to England to emphasize how the college was educating ____________ as part of a pitch for donations.

Accepted Answer

Harvard College's early fundraising campaigns included efforts to educate Native American Indians, which was part of their pitch for donations when representatives were sent to England. This was in line with the college's broader mission at the time, which included education as a tool for Christianization and cultural assimilation.

Question 11

Communicators working in admissions at colleges and universities are among the most enthusiastic adopters of ____________ for public relations work.

Accepted Answer

Social media is widely used by college and university admissions departments for public relations efforts, as it allows them to reach a broad audience, including potential students, in a direct and engaging manner.

Question 12

In the eighteenth century when James Oglethorpe, in an effort to promote the settlement of Savannah, leveraged the endorsement of the Archbishop of Canterbury, his PR motivation was to garner ____________.

Accepted Answer

Oglethorpe sought the endorsement of the Archbishop of Canterbury to lend legitimacy to the settlement of Savannah, as the Archbishop's support would signal to potential settlers and supporters that the endeavor was reputable and worthy of their participation.

Question 13

Mary Ellen, a PR executive at a Fortune 500 company, is tasked by her client to stop the practice of spraying oranges with a dangerous insecticide. She enlists the services of Google and Reddit to publish an online petition to gather signatures against this harmful practice. This is an example of ____________.

Accepted Answer

Agitation refers to the act of stirring up public concern or interest in a particular issue, often to prompt change or action, which is what Mary Ellen is doing by gathering signatures against the insecticide practice.

Question 14

Journalist Brian wrote an article for the Washington Post about a congressman in such a way that it gave the impression he was the congressman's campaign manager. The editor called Brian into his office and directed him to rewrite the article from a more ____________ viewpoint.

Accepted Answer

Objective viewpoint is required for journalistic integrity, ensuring the article is fair and unbiased, unlike the impression of being a campaign manager.

Question 15

Edward Bernays actively endorsed and promoted causes and people, an approach that clearly distinguished public relations from ____________.

Accepted Answer

Edward Bernays, often considered the father of public relations, distinguished public relations from journalism by focusing on actively promoting and endorsing causes and people, rather than simply reporting or presenting facts as journalism does.

Question 16

While Grunig and Hunt posited four "models" of public relations, Van Ruler developed ______ to classify public relations practitioners, such as the "town crier" who is mostly seeking to be heard in the marketplace with little concern for listening to others outside of his organization.

Accepted Answer

Van Ruler developed "typologies" to classify public relations practitioners, offering a more nuanced understanding of the roles and approaches within the field, including the "town crier" as one such typology.

Question 17

Propaganda, attention-getting and less-than-accurate information (if not downright lies) are hallmarks of the _____________ model of public relations.

Accepted Answer

The press agentry/publicity model of public relations focuses on gaining attention for the client, often using exaggerated, sensationalized, or less-than-accurate information to do so. This model is less concerned with truth and accuracy and more with generating publicity.

Question 18

Jeff works for a local concert venue and promotes music performances. He constantly pushes out videos, photos, quotes, and links to media coverage through social media about artists who will be performing at his venue. He finds, though, that no matter how much content he puts out, few people are liking or commenting on his posts. Though Jeff is working hard, his approach illustrates ___________.

Accepted Answer

Jeff's situation illustrates diminishing returns, meaning that despite his increased effort in promoting music performances through various content forms, the additional input (effort and content) is not resulting in a proportional increase in engagement (likes or comments). This concept reflects a point where the level of benefits gained is less than the amount of energy invested.

Question 19

In June of 2018, IHOP went to great lengths to stand out on social media by __________.

Accepted Answer

IHOP garnered significant attention on social media by teasing a name change to IHOb, indicating a temporary shift in focus from pancakes to burgers, which was a marketing strategy rather than an actual rebranding.

Question 20

Which PR practitioner is most deeply associated with the Public Information Model of public relations?

Accepted Answer

Ivy Ledbetter Lee is most deeply associated with the Public Information Model of public relations, as he emphasized the importance of providing accurate and timely information to the public and is considered a pioneer in shaping public relations into a professional field.

Quiz 2: Public Relations Models Through the Ages