Is a picture worth a thousand words? Using films and television shows to teach public relations

• Published in: Public relations review 2014-09, Vol.40 (3), p.585-594
• Main Authors: Hutton, James G., Mak, A.K.Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Instructional technology; Motion pictures; Movies; Pedagogy; Public relations; Studies; Television; Television programs
• ISSN: 0363-8111; 1873-4537
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.03.003

•An international study found TV and films are used extensively in teaching PR.•Study focuses on pedagogical use of films rather than image of PR practitioners.•Films enhance student interest, attention, realism and empathy.•PR topics best suited to illustrating with film are crisis, ethics and media relations.•Research opportunities include the use of films in teaching online courses. While a number of studies have looked at the image of public relations practitioners as portrayed in films and other media, few if any of those studies have focused primarily on the pedagogical perspective of using films. Therefore, a benchmark international survey of public relations educators was undertaken to answer questions about how (or whether) to use films as a teaching tool. Among other things, the findings of the study shed light on how often PR instructors use films in the classroom; the value that films provide; why some professors decline to use them; which specific films and television shows are being used; and guidelines for utilizing movies and television programs as an effective pedagogical technique.