This course examines the role of public relations in shaping media output both within media organisations themselves and in relation to the external impact of PR on the media. The field of public relations has grown dramatically in the past 20 years and this has had profound implications for the media and other institutions that rely on the media to disseminate knowledge. This course will investigate the rise of public relations and its links with global media institutions from historical perspectives and in relation to the contemporary media landscape. It will offer a critical examination of the role of PR in the mediation of power as well as the role of public relations in a range of media arenas. You will be encouraged to reflect critically and theoretically on the function of PR in relation to: the role of the media in political communication, media policy, celebrity culture, film marketing, alternative media, media campaigning, and new media technologies. You will be offered the opportunity to plan PR campaigns and reflect on their role in the knowledge economy. This combination will provide you with the opportunity to examine the context in which PR practice takes place and to develop the knowledge and skills needed to work ethically in PR at an international level.

Recent graduates have been employed as: Communications Officers for NGOs Events Officers Self-employed PR consultants