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 twenty 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 both 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 as well as developing the knowledge and skills to work ethically in PR at an international level. Aims * To provide students with an advanced knowledge of the relevant theories of public relations which explain and debate its significance. * To provide students with an advanced knowledge of the history of the role of public relations in the media. * To provide students with an advanced understanding of the functioning of public relations in the contemporary media. * To provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake advanced scholarly research in the field of media and public relations. * To enable students to reflect critically on public relations practices within media organisations and to reflect intellectually on their PR practice. * To enable students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for the ethical development of their careers in Media PR.

Graduates can go on to become PR practitioners in private and voluntary organisations such as: press and broadcasting organisations, advertising, NGOs, independent media organisations, campaigning organisations and political organisations. At Brunel we provide many opportunities and experiences within your degree programme and beyond – work-based learning, professional support services, volunteering, mentoring, sports, arts, clubs, societies, and much, much more – and we encourage you to make the most of them, so that you can make the most of yourself. » More about Employability