In semester one team lecturers and guests will deliver a programme of lectures and seminars examining real-world PR operations, professionals who deliver real-world PR. Lectures and seminars will also focus on the experiences of media professionals - reporters, sub-editors, editors and radio and TV producers - who work with PR operators and the materials and experience they provide for the media. Lectures will provide a detailed portrait of working in PR and the seminars will reinforce, elaborate and inform knowledge and understanding of these operations from practical and theoretical perspectives. Students will identify and negotiate with appropriate PR professionals to set up a route to conduct a detailed case study. The case study must be a thorough examination, picking up on best-practice examples and weaknesses and linking these to theoretical, academic and practical perspectives including: excellence theory, crisis management, the marketing mix with particular attention to digital operations including the web, mobile technology and in-house TV, budgets, staff management, planning and internal communications, the psychology of PR, critical considerations of PR, sponsorship, campaigns and projects. The overall study must provide an illuminating snapshot of the matrix of modern PR activities and considerations.

In semester two team lecturers and guests will deliver a programme of lectures and seminars providing an in-depth examination of:
key people in the games industry
key franchises and organisations in the games industry
key games magazines
key games news and reviews websites
newspaper games coverage
making games industry connections
games events and how to get press passes
how to gain employment in games industry media.

Semester 1
12 x lectures (1 hour) - total 12 hours
12 x seminars (1 hour) - total 12 hours

Semester 2
12 x lectures (1 hour) - total 12 hours
12 x seminars (1 hour) - total 12 hours

Key Information Set:
16% scheduled learning and teaching activities
84% guided independent learning

Harcup, T. (2009) Journalism : principles and practice (2nd edition). London: Sage
Hobsbawm, J. (2010) Where the Truth Lies: Morality and Trust in PR and Journalism (2nd edition). London: Atlantic
Moloney, K. (2006) Rethinking PR: The spin and the substance. London: Routledge
Theaker, A. (2008) The Public Relations Handbook (3rd edition). London: Taylor and Francis
Wiilings Press Guide 2014 (2013) volumes 1 (UK), 2 (Europe), 3 (World). London: Cision

Campaign magazine and website
Press Gazette website
PR Week magazine and website
Games franchises websites
Games industry trade magazines and websites
Consumer games magazines
Games news and reviews websites
Newspaper games coverage

University library: with 24/7 access during assessment periods, for books, journals and electronic resources.

Blackboard: 24/7 access online, for course information, notes, links to publications and updates.

Wi-fi throughout the campus.

The media centre for editing suites and studios and free loans of all equipment including audio kit, video and stills cameras.

At the end of semester one:
a 3,000-word report consisting of a case study of a real-world PR operation appropriate to your specialist area of study, requiring close contact with and examination of the responsible organisation, including description and evaluation, illustrated by evidence, of their output, both self-controlled and produced (i.e. online, in print, events, campaigns and projects) and through relationships with the media (i.e. press packs, press releases, formal media meetings and one-to-one contact).
50% of the overall module grade [Learning outcomes 1-5]

At the end of semester two:
four analytical and comparative profiles, each 750 words, of
a. a print games magazine
b. a games news and reviews website
c. a key individual in the games industry,
d. a game franchise.
50% of the overall module grade [Learning outcomes 2, 4, 6, 7]

Key Information Set:
100% coursework