Public Relations Writing
36 hours Face to Face + Blended + Swinburne Online
One Semester or equivalent
Hawthorn, Online
Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
Overview
This unit introduces students to the key concepts and basic skills required of public relations writers, within contemporary public relations practice. It also aims to help build confidence in writing; so it is introductory and developmental.
Requisites
Prerequisites
MDA10001
Introduction to Media StudiesAND
MDA10018 Content Creator Lab OR JOU10007 Media Content Creation
Concurrent prerequisites
COM10007
Professional Communication PracticeOR
PUB20002 Public Relations Theory and Practice
OR
PUB10001 Introduction to Public Relations Theory and Practice
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
03-November-2025
08-February-2026
08-February-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-November-2025
Census date
28-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-January-2026
Results released date
03-March-2026
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
02-March-2026
31-May-2026
31-May-2026
Last self-enrolment date
15-March-2026
Census date
31-March-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
21-April-2026
Results released date
07-July-2026
Teaching Period 2
Location
Online
Start and end dates
06-July-2026
04-October-2026
04-October-2026
Last self-enrolment date
19-July-2026
Census date
04-August-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
25-August-2026
Results released date
27-October-2026
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Demonstrate basic writing skills with ability to adapt and apply these to public relations writing
- Critically analyse public relations writing examples
- Consider and apply appropriate communication and persuasion theories to public relations writing for specific publics
- Systematically plan for effective public relations writing
- Apply appropriate research methods, legal and ethical considerations to public relations writing
- Demonstrate how to build and maintain relationships with media, including how to identify, research, develop, and circulate news-worthy and feature-worthy copy
- Evaluate the importance of online media, including ‘social media’, to public relations writing.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Lecture | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Specified Activities Various | 3.00 | 12 weeks | 36 |
| Unspecified Activities Various | 6.50 | 12 weeks | 78 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Swinburne Online
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 12.50 | 12 weeks | 150 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class Exercises | Individual | 25% | 2,7 |
| Test | Individual | 30% | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 |
| Written Assignment | Group | 45% | 1,2,3,5,6 |
Content
- Controlled and uncontrolled media
- Researching to write
- The news release (including the social media news release)
- Writing a PR campaign / program
- Features, newsletters, brochures, blogs, Q&A fact sheets
- Production and design layout
- Promotional copywriting
- Speeches and presentations
- Writing for online publics (including social media)
- Writing for annual reports
- Writing for internal publics
- Writing under fire: issue and crisis communication
- Writing and culture, ethics and the law
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.