New Page Center ethics module connects the many areas of activism within PR

March 30, 2023

By Cerrena Lewis, Page Center intern

The Page Center recently launched an addition to its online Public Relations Ethics Training program. The module, "Parallels Among Public Interest Communication, Cause Communication and Activism," is part of a new series of scholar-made modules that focus on activism.

Module developer Corey Hickerson, professor at James Madison University, said students who complete the module will learn how to apply public relations skills and theories they've heard about in class to a variety of organizations.

"These ideas are important public relations concerns that can help all practitioners become better practitioners," Hickerson said. "These are not new ideas. The Page Principles address these. Yet, I think multiple recent crises have brought forward the need for public interest communication."

Module developer and professor at Auburn University Brigitta Brunner said, “Students should expect to interact with new ideas and concepts — they might even come across terms with which they are unfamiliar. We hope the content will inspire them to find new ways to use their PR knowledge and skills.” 

Topics in the module include cause-related marketing, advocacy and youth activism. The scholars said they were inspired to create the module, because many students and even some public relations practioners are not well versed in activism and how it pertains to public relations.

“I have found teaching these topics to be an eye-opening experience," Brunner said. "My students often come to the first class not knowing what to expect, but by the end were quite inspired to know public relations could be used to better society. “

Students using this module will gain a broader understanding of public relations and how important it can be to public causes. This type of learning pushes students beyond the technician role to becoming strategists and managers.

The module includes two case studies on recent situations involving activism: Stacey Abrams and Fair Fight Action (lesson 1) and youth activist Marley Dias (lesson 2).

The first case study discusses voting rights activist Stacey Abrams and Fair Fight Action. Abrams created the organization after ending her 2018 gubernatorial campaign. The organization is especially concerned about voter suppression that targets young people and people of color. In the case study, students can read about the origins of voter suppression and how FFA plans to overturn suppression laws.

In the second case study, students learn about Marley Dias. Dias created a social media campaign to diversify reading lists for kids who might look different. This social media campaign’s goal was to collect and distribute 1,000 books with Black girl protagonists that she would donate to libraries around the country.

To learn more and to access the course, visit: pagecentertraining.psu.edu.

The Page Center’s ethics training modules include 14 public relations-based modules covering ethics in public relations, ethical decision making and many more important topics. The modules provide professors and students with a free way to incorporate hands-on public relations learning into the classroom. Thousands of students have already completed the module with positive results and feedback from students and instructors.