Chapter 1. LaunchPad for Media and Culture 11e

Public Relations Activity
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You must read each slide, and complete any questions on the slide, in sequence.

Author Names:

Christopher R. Martin and Bettina Fabos

Activity Objective:

Students will work in small groups to develop a PR plan to address one of the major PR difficulties facing the NFL today.

Let’s get started! Click the forward and backward arrows to navigate through the slides. You may also click the above outline button to skip to certain slides.

Public Relations for America’s Most Popular Television Sport

Each football season, the NFL consistently delivers the largest television audiences on a weekly basis. Once a year, the NFL generates American television’s largest audience of the year with the Super Bowl.

Yet television ratings are slipping for the NFL, and although NFL ratings declines are part of the overall trend in broadcast and cable television viewership, the NFL also has several public relations problems that could be eroding their audience in the short and long term. The three major public relations difficulties are 1) the NFL’s problem of domestic violence and sexual assault, 2) the research revelations about the danger of concussions and the high rate of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) for players, and 3) the divide in NFL fan responses to some players sitting down or taking a knee during the national anthem, in solidarity with Black Lives Matter (made into an even bigger conflict when President Trump blasted the players for doing so).1 On top of these problems, the relationship between the league and players (another important PR relationship) is not good.2

  1. See Patrick Coffee, “5 PR Experts Weigh in on NFL’s Attempt to ‘Combat Domestic Violence’,” Adweek, September 19, 2014, http://www.adweek.com/digital/5-pr-experts-weigh-in-on-nfls-new-project-to-combat-domestic-violence/; Dave Zirin, “New Concussion Report Calls the NFL’s Future Into Question,” Nation, July 26, 2017, https://www.thenation.com/article/new-concussion-report-calls-the-nfls-future-into-question/; and David Z. Morris, “A Donald Trump Boycott Wouldn’t Just Hurt the NFL,” Fortune, September 24, 2017, http://fortune.com/2017/09/24/donald-trump-nfl-boycott/.
  2. Richard Sherman. “Players’ POV: They're Gonna Use Us Up,” Players’ Tribune, September 29, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=dhxka5xmzjw.

Split into small groups, each group assigned to develop a public relations plan to address one of the above three problems above. The goal of the plan should be to address the assigned problem in a way that grows the NFL’s television audience and fan base and improves the relationship between the players and the league. All plans should be done an ethical manner, according to the PRSA Code of Ethics.

Use the box below to develop your plan.
Which kinds of games are most popular in your group?

Bring the PR plans back to the entire class to discuss. Is it possible for each plan to accomplish its goals, and to mesh well with the other suggested plans? Do any of the plans require the game to change in some way? Are there certain stakeholders who might be concerned or upset with the plans? Do the plans ensure a prosperous future for the NFL in the coming decade?

Use the box below to record your thoughts during the discussion.
Which kinds of games are most popular in your group?