A team of lecturers and guests will deliver a programme of lectures and seminars examining real-world Sports PR operations, professionals who deliver real-world Sports 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 Sports PR operators and the materials and experience they provide for the media. Lectures will provide a detailed portrait of working in Sports 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 Sports PR professionals to set up 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 Sports PR; critical considerations of Sports PR; sponsorship, campaigns and projects. The overall study must provide an illuminating snapshot of the matrix of modern Sports PR activities and considerations.

A 3,000 word report consisting of a case study of a real-world Sports 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). 100% of the overall module grade [Learning outcomes 1-5]

Key Information Set:
100% Course work

University library: 24/7 access, for books, journals (PR Week and www.prweek.com a recommended window to the industry) and electronic resources including access to www.cipr.co.uk the industry-standard and professional portal for PR practitioners.

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

The Media Centre: Editing suites and studios and free loans of all equipment including audio kit, video and stills cameras.

Hobsbawm, J. (2007) Where the Truth Lies: Morality and Trust in PR and Journalism. Atlantic
Hopwood (2010) Sport Public Relations and Communication. Butterworth-Heinemann
Moloney, K. (2006) Rethinking PR: The spin and the substance. Routledge
Morris & Goldsworthy (2012) PR Today. Palgrave MacMillan
Tench&Yeomans (2009) Exploring Public Relations and Communication (2nd ed). Prentice Hall
Theaker, A. (2012) The Public Relations Handbook (4th ed). Routledge

1. DEMONSTRATE DETAILED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF REAL-WORLD SPORTS PR [Knowledge & Understanding]

2. DEMONSTRATE PERSISTENCE, TACT AND AWARENESS IN OBTAINING INFORMATION [Enquiry]

3. EVALUATE AND ANALYSE A SPORTS PR OPERATION FROM PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
[Analysis]

4. COMMUNICATE FINDINGS ACCURATELY, CONCISELY, LOGICALLY AND THOROUGHLY
[Communication]

5. DEMONSTRATE A CRITICAL AND PERCEPTIVE CONSIDERATION OF SPORTS PR'S POTENTIAL AND CONSTRAINTS
[Reflection]

13 x lectures (1 hour) - total 13 hours
To introduce, outline and examine real-world Sports PR.



13 x seminars (1 hour) - total 13 hours

To consider and discuss Sports PR practice in negotiation with theoretical texts and formulate case-study plans.

Total 26 hours.



Directed study and independent learning focused on in the student's own time - total 12
4 hours



Overall time commitment - 150 hours

What really goes on in a professional Sports PR department? This module builds on Level 4’s Sports PR in Practice and takes all of that theory and practical knowledge into the real world. You will critically analyse the work going on in Sports PR via lectures, workshops and seminars, culminating in your own visit to a Sports PR department to report back on what you’ve seen and learned.