Overview

This unit introduces students to the strategic importance to organisations of the public relations related disciplines of issues, crisis and risk communication and to explore how they can be implemented in a range of public relations contexts.

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Formulate and articulate the differences between issues, crisis and risk communication
  • Critically analyse the importance of these disciplines to organisations’ strategic goal-setting
  • Analyse key principles from case studies and apply to practice-related concerns
  • Prepare plans for issues, crisis and risk communication appropriate to a variety of public relations scenarios

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Lecture
1.00 12 weeks 12
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Tutorial
1.00 12 weeks 12
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Various
4.00 12 weeks 48
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning
6.50 12 weeks 78
TOTAL150

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Readings
3.00 12 weeks 36
Online Contact (Phasing out)
Online Learning Activities
3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning
6.50 12 weeks 78
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentGroup 40% 1,2,3,4 
PortfolioIndividual 30% 1,2,3,4 
TestIndividual 30% 1,2,3,4 

Content

  • Concepts - issues, crisis and risk
  • Relationship between issues, crisis and risk communication and organisational reputation
  • The nature of the issue life cycle; issues communication planning
  • Examination of public participation, activists and activism
  • Sources of crises
  • Development of a crisis plan
  • Role of media in issue, crisis and risk communication
  • Role of risk communication in risk management
  • Risk perception
  • Communication of complex, scientific and technical information
  • Examination of issues, crisis and risk communication practice through case studies

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.