PRSA APR COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔4 Types of publics - ✔✔All-issue publics (active) Apathetic publics (inattentive and
inactive) Single-issue publics(active on a limited number of issues) Hot-issue publics
(respond and become active after being exposed to the issue)
✔✔Opinion - ✔✔A view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular
(Easiest to change)-(Mind thoughts)
✔✔Belief - ✔✔Belief: a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in
some person or thing. (Trust-Faith)
✔✔Attitude - ✔✔Attitude: a) a mental position with regard to a fact or state; b) a feeling
or emotion toward a fact or state (predisposition -emotions or feeling)
✔✔Value - ✔✔Something intrinsically valuable or desirable; something esteemed.
(Hardest to Change)-(Valuable)
✔✔Lippmann's Barriers to Communication - ✔✔1. Artificial Censorship (deliberate) 2.
Limitations of social Contact 3. Meager time available to pay attention to public affairs 4.
Distortion b/c of events must be compressed
✔✔PRSA Code of Ethics Professional Values (HEFAIL) - ✔✔Honesty, Expertise,
Fairness, Advocacy, Independence, Loyalty
✔✔6 Provisions (ethics) - ✔✔1. Free flow of information 2. Fair Competition 3. Disclose
Information 4. Confidentiality 5. Conflict of interest 6. Public Trust in Profession Think
Free, Fair, Disclose, Protect Confidential, Conflict of interest, Trust
✔✔4 Torts of Privacy - ✔✔1. Intrusion 2. Disclosure of personal fact 3. False light 4.
Appropriation (name or likeness) Think-FLDIA
, ✔✔Elements for burden of proof that libel exsists - ✔✔WRITTEN-1. Defamation 2.
Publication of defamatory communication 3. Identification of plantiff 4. Retraction 5.
Fault (negligence) -Think-bad rep-publish it, identify person, take it back, it ain't my fault
✔✔Burden of proof - ✔✔Responsibility in a libel case
✔✔Defamation - ✔✔An intentional false communication that injures another's reputation
or good name.
✔✔Defense in Iibel (SSTOP) - ✔✔1. Summary judgment (insufficient evidence) 2.
Statute of limitations (1-3yrs) 3. Truth 4. Privilege 5. Opinion Defenses
✔✔Slander- - ✔✔any defamation that is spoken and heard.-Think Slander=Spoken
✔✔SMART - ✔✔"Specific
✔✔Measurable - ✔✔
✔✔Audience specific -tailored message for your specific audience Realistic - make the
objectives challenging but achievable - ✔✔
✔✔Timed - always put a time limit so there is a clear finishing point" - ✔✔
✔✔Diffusion Theory - ✔✔We are creatures of habit and do not like change. The process
explains 1. how people adopt or reject change, ideas, or products. 2. Why major
changes is not accomplished in a brief time 3. Why it cannot be accomplished though
news media alone. 4. Emphasizes why channels of interpersonal communication are
the MOST EFFECTIVE. Opinion leaders are a key component of gaining acceptance to
new ideas.
✔✔Goals - ✔✔The means to express the end points towards which effort is directed.
They are broad, relatively abstract and may be difficult to quantify ("Our goal is to
increase our share of the marketplace for [our product].")
✔✔Objectives - ✔✔Subsets of goals and should be expressed in concrete, measurable
terms. ("Our objective is to increase our share of the market in the largest city in this
State for [our product] by 15% by the end of the next financial year.") An objective is
something that can be documented; it's factual and observable.
✔✔5 Stages of Diffusion - ✔✔1. Awareness-individual becomes aware of it 2. Interest-
develops interest 3. Evaluation- Asks others for feed back 4. Trial: uses a sample,
attends a rally etc. 5. Adoption-Mnemonic- "And I Earned The Accreditation"
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔4 Types of publics - ✔✔All-issue publics (active) Apathetic publics (inattentive and
inactive) Single-issue publics(active on a limited number of issues) Hot-issue publics
(respond and become active after being exposed to the issue)
✔✔Opinion - ✔✔A view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular
(Easiest to change)-(Mind thoughts)
✔✔Belief - ✔✔Belief: a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in
some person or thing. (Trust-Faith)
✔✔Attitude - ✔✔Attitude: a) a mental position with regard to a fact or state; b) a feeling
or emotion toward a fact or state (predisposition -emotions or feeling)
✔✔Value - ✔✔Something intrinsically valuable or desirable; something esteemed.
(Hardest to Change)-(Valuable)
✔✔Lippmann's Barriers to Communication - ✔✔1. Artificial Censorship (deliberate) 2.
Limitations of social Contact 3. Meager time available to pay attention to public affairs 4.
Distortion b/c of events must be compressed
✔✔PRSA Code of Ethics Professional Values (HEFAIL) - ✔✔Honesty, Expertise,
Fairness, Advocacy, Independence, Loyalty
✔✔6 Provisions (ethics) - ✔✔1. Free flow of information 2. Fair Competition 3. Disclose
Information 4. Confidentiality 5. Conflict of interest 6. Public Trust in Profession Think
Free, Fair, Disclose, Protect Confidential, Conflict of interest, Trust
✔✔4 Torts of Privacy - ✔✔1. Intrusion 2. Disclosure of personal fact 3. False light 4.
Appropriation (name or likeness) Think-FLDIA
, ✔✔Elements for burden of proof that libel exsists - ✔✔WRITTEN-1. Defamation 2.
Publication of defamatory communication 3. Identification of plantiff 4. Retraction 5.
Fault (negligence) -Think-bad rep-publish it, identify person, take it back, it ain't my fault
✔✔Burden of proof - ✔✔Responsibility in a libel case
✔✔Defamation - ✔✔An intentional false communication that injures another's reputation
or good name.
✔✔Defense in Iibel (SSTOP) - ✔✔1. Summary judgment (insufficient evidence) 2.
Statute of limitations (1-3yrs) 3. Truth 4. Privilege 5. Opinion Defenses
✔✔Slander- - ✔✔any defamation that is spoken and heard.-Think Slander=Spoken
✔✔SMART - ✔✔"Specific
✔✔Measurable - ✔✔
✔✔Audience specific -tailored message for your specific audience Realistic - make the
objectives challenging but achievable - ✔✔
✔✔Timed - always put a time limit so there is a clear finishing point" - ✔✔
✔✔Diffusion Theory - ✔✔We are creatures of habit and do not like change. The process
explains 1. how people adopt or reject change, ideas, or products. 2. Why major
changes is not accomplished in a brief time 3. Why it cannot be accomplished though
news media alone. 4. Emphasizes why channels of interpersonal communication are
the MOST EFFECTIVE. Opinion leaders are a key component of gaining acceptance to
new ideas.
✔✔Goals - ✔✔The means to express the end points towards which effort is directed.
They are broad, relatively abstract and may be difficult to quantify ("Our goal is to
increase our share of the marketplace for [our product].")
✔✔Objectives - ✔✔Subsets of goals and should be expressed in concrete, measurable
terms. ("Our objective is to increase our share of the market in the largest city in this
State for [our product] by 15% by the end of the next financial year.") An objective is
something that can be documented; it's factual and observable.
✔✔5 Stages of Diffusion - ✔✔1. Awareness-individual becomes aware of it 2. Interest-
develops interest 3. Evaluation- Asks others for feed back 4. Trial: uses a sample,
attends a rally etc. 5. Adoption-Mnemonic- "And I Earned The Accreditation"
