BUS 300 Public Relations
Dr. Tenielle Buchanan
October 30, 2022
BUS300 PR Plan Part 1 Outline
Your paper should have a section with the bolded headers below. Ensure you have a section that discusses each of these:
Name of organization
The United States-based publication Rolling Stone magazine is a news magazine that covers articles on current events relating to music, contemporary culture, and politics. Jann Wenner and Ralph J. Gleason laid the groundwork for the establishment of the organization in 1967 in the city of San Francisco, California. The first thing that brought the organization to public attention was its publication of news regarding rock music and politics. The company’s objective and purpose are to produce great material that sheds light on the culture of modern time and to tell extraordinary tales.
However, the primary focus of the corporation is on publishing quality news for its clients (Rolling Stone, 2018). The purpose is to make it easy for people to receive their news coverage in any format they like, be it print, video, social media, internet, or events. This includes providing in-depth interview sessions, album reviews, political analysis, and award-winning reporting. As per Dinsdale (2019), Rolling Stone is a well-known magazine that has over 670,000 paid memberships and has a target readership of young adults who are getting closer to their Middle Ages. The occurrence that led to the organization receiving unfavorable publicity is the topic of discussion in this paper.
Negative Publicity
The event that caused Rolling Stone Magazine to receive negative publicity and become embroiled in a scandal occurred when the publication was served with a defamation lawsuit in 2016. This came about because one of the magazine’s authors had written an article in 2014 about a brutal rape that took place at the University of Virginia that the magazine later published, despite the fact that it was proven to be inaccurate (Shapiro, 2016). Nicole Eramo, a former assistant dean at the University of Virginia, filed a lawsuit against Rolling Stone magazine for publishing an article that she claimed defamed her by portraying her as uninterested to the plight of sexual assault survivors. Eramo argued in court that the article misrepresented her. The reporter was judged to be liable for labeling the former dean by publishing false material, which caused the organization to spend large costs in the resolution in the form of compensation to the plaintiff. The jury came to this conclusion after hearing testimony from all sides of the case.
The audience would lose trust in the news the magazine provided as they began to have doubts about the veracity of the material they disclosed to the public, which would result in bad publicity for the magazine. This incident tarnished the institution, which would have an impact on their ability to continue publishing news since their media reports created skepticism. Additionally, no one wished to be affiliated with the institution due to the bad reputation it had developed after having lost the defamation lawsuit that was filed against it. The public had many questions regarding the veracity of the news pieces that the publication had published as a result of their claim that gang rape was untrue. It became challenging to believe that the magazine was a reliable source of accurate news.
Specific Goals
One of the goals that I would create for the campaign to help combat the negative publicity from the Rolling Stone scandal is to focus on improving safety and respect in media coverage. This goal should include measures to ensure that reporters adhere to responsible journalistic practices and to create a more ethical culture within the magazine’s staff. This could be achieved through training for reporters and editorial staff on ethical standards, as well as education about the importance of fact-checking and double-checking sources. Furthermore, I would strive to create a system of accountability for reporters and editors within the organization, by creating an ombudsman position and instituting stronger consequences for unethical behavior.
The second goal I would develop for this campaign is to foster better relationships with communities in order to enhance the trustworthiness and transparency of Rolling Stone magazine. This would involve developing communication strategies and channels to work with local communities, student groups, and other organizations in order to ensure that the magazine is aware of the impact of its reporting and keeps their grievances and concerns in mind when crafting stories. This could also involve creating improved outreach methods, like online forums and surveys, to better understand the needs and perspectives of readers.
The third goal I would develop for this campaign is to emphasize the good works of Rolling Stone magazine and its staff. This goal should include highlighting the positive impact that the magazine has had on different communities and promoting the efforts of its journalists. Through this goal, I would strive to provide a more balanced portrait of the magazine and its staff and to promote the good work that it does.
Steps
In order to achieve my goals for this campaign, I will take a number of steps. First, in order to improve safety and respect in media coverage, I will create an ethics manual that outlines the ethical standards for reporters and editors within the organization, including guidelines on fact-checking, obtaining permission from sources, and other related issues. I will also institute stronger consequences for unethical behavior, such as suspension or termination, and create an ombudsman position to provide an additional layer of accountability. Second, in order to foster better relationships with communities, I will create communication strategies and channels to work with local communities, student groups, and other organizations. This could include developing online forums and surveys to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and perspectives, as well as hosting events to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to creating quality journalism and open dialogue. Third, in order to emphasize the good works of Rolling Stone magazine and its staff, I will create content that showcases their positive impact on different communities. This could include creating videos and articles that highlight the magazine’s accomplishments and creating a presence on social media platforms to engage with the general public and further the goal of improving their reputation.
Six Ethical Values
A public relations professional’s conduct during a crisis should be guided by the six guiding ethical principles of “honesty, fairness, advocacy, independence, loyalty, and expertise.” For a public relations practitioner to be trustworthy, they must treat their clients and the public with the utmost respect and always tell the truth. In order to protect the organization’s reputation, I must be honest in the information I provide to the public. Fairness entails treating others fairly and taking into account their viewpoints. That means I have to respect the citizenry’s right to express their opinions and my clients’ freedom to voice their opinions, even if I disagree with them, as I work to change the public’s impression of the magazine.
When advocating on behalf of a client, a PR professional must operate in the public interest by zealously defending that client’s position (“The Arthur W. Page Center,” n.d). In this scenario, the correct thing to do would be to offer Rolling Stone a voice in the public discourse about what transpired and to persuade the public to give the magazine another chance to fix its mistakes, just as they should have done for their client. To be really independent, a lawyer must be able to offer their clients impartial advice. To be loyal means to be devoted to the people we speak for while also fulfilling our obligation to the general public. Expertise as a core principle necessitates those public relations practitioners seek out and responsibly apply specialized skills and knowledge to serve the requirements of their clients as well as the public interest.
The internal shareholders who will be impacted by my actions are the investors, whose investment results in the magazine will depend on how the public reacts to the situation. If the campaign succeeds in convincing the audience to trust the magazine, the publication will be able to re-establish its stability. The staff will also be impacted, as they run the risk of losing their employment and income if the public reacts poorly and the magazine’s performance declines. The general public is one of the external shareholders who will be influenced by the decisions I make; due to the effect the result will have on their confidence in the magazine to offer trustworthy news.
Evaluation Plan
In order to evaluate the success of the campaign, I will create an evaluation plan that will measure both quantitative and qualitative outcomes. To measure the quantitative outcomes, I will track the number of ethical journalism training sessions and workshops completed, the number of new partnerships and collaborations established, and the number of positive media stories generated about Rolling Stone magazine. Additionally, I will track the number of people who have responded positively to the campaign, both through direct feedback or on social media platforms.
To measure the qualitative outcomes, I will use surveys and interviews to assess the impact of the campaign. Surveys will be sent to individuals involved in the campaign, as well as members of the general public and Rolling Stone’s readership, to get a measure of how successful the campaign was in changing public perception and rebuilding trust and credibility in the magazine. I will also conduct interviews with community leaders, academics, and media professionals to get a better sense of what impact the campaign has had. This data will then be used to assess the overall success of the campaign and determine whether or not it achieved its goals.
Conclusion
The defamation litigation had a huge influence on the image of Rolling Stone magazine, causing severe damage to the firm’s operation. Internal and external shareholders were harmed by the unfavorable public opinion emanating from the case. Therefore, it became imperative for the organization to hire a public relations expert to assist in restoring its credibility. Explaining what occurred to the public, accepting responsibility for what occurred, and reassuring the public that it will not occur again is one approach for the institution to convince the public that it deserves a chance to demonstrate that it has more favorable than negative attributes. It is vital to keep monitoring the effect of the efforts that have been made in order to determine what additional steps might be taken to attain the intended outcome. If the procedures outlined above are successfully performed, it is likely that Rolling Stone magazine will be able to recover from the damage done to its reputation.
Sources
- Dinsdale, J. (2019). Magazine Comparison: XXL and Rolling Stones. https://sites.psu.edu/jboylesummerdays/2019/07/26/magazine-comparison-xxl-and-rolling-stones/
- Rolling Stone (2018). Welcome to the New Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rolling-stone-magazine-website-redesign-relaunch-666820/
- Shapiro, R. T. (2016). The jury finds reporter Rolling Stone responsible for defaming U-Va. dean with gang rape story. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/jury-finds-reporter-rolling-stone-responsible-for-defaming-u-va-dean-with-gang-rape-story/2016/11/04/aaf407fa-a1e8-11e6-a44d-cc2898cfab06_story.html
- The Arthur W. Page Center (n.d). The PRSA Code of Ethics. https://www.pagecentertraining.psu.edu/public-relations-ethics/professional-codes-of-ethics/lesson-2-tbd-waiting-on-edits/features-of-the-prsa-code-of-ethics/
