Digitalization in Public Relations Education: A Comparison of Public Relations Programs At Universities in Turkey and USA

Year 2019, , 125 - 142, 11.02.2019

Emine Şardagı Mesude Canan Öztürk

https://doi.org/10.17680/erciyesiletisim.484903

Cited By: 3

Abstract

The widespread use of digital applications in communication has increased the need for
qualified human resources who know and use the applications. The growing tendency
towards digitization has made it necessary to adapt the content of education in universities.
The emergence of digitalization has brought new needs to the public relations field. For
this reason, the students who are educated in public relations should also respond to these
needs. This is only possible with lessons that will provide awareness of digitalization in
universities.
In this study, it is aimed to examine the existence of education for digitalization in the course
contents of the universities that given public relations education in Turkey and USA. In this
way, similarities and differences between the two countries were determined and compared
in public relations education. In the study, two lists selected to determine the universities
and data on course contents were collected on the web pages of universities. Descriptive
research design method was used in the study. The educational content of the universities
to be examined evaluated under the headings determined by the content analysis method.
According to the results, there is a difference between the numbers of digitally oriented
courses in both countries. The courses are left to the choice of students as elective courses.
Courses with digital content are mostly given to students in the third year. In both countries,
social media courses are offered to students more prioritized. In both countries, the
proportion of courses with digital content is higher in state universities. In order to be
able to take digital courses at universities in USA, students must be completed prerequisite
courses. But there is no such prerequisite in Turkey. 

Keywords

Digitalization, Education, Public Relations

Halkla İlişkiler Eğitiminde Dijitalleşme: Türkiye ve ABD’de Bulunan Üniversitelerdeki Halkla İlişkiler Programlarının Karşılaştırılması

Abstract

İletişimde dijital uygulamaların yaygınlaşması, uygulamaları bilen ve kullanan nitelikli insan
kaynağına ihtiyacı artırmıştır. Dijitalleşmeye yönelik artan eğilim üniversitelerdeki eğitim içeriğini
de buna uygun hale getirmeyi gerekli kılmıştır. Dijitalleşmenin ortaya çıkması halkla ilişkilerde yeni
ihtiyaçları beraberinde getirmiştir. Bu nedenle halkla ilişkiler eğitimi alan öğrencilerin de ortaya çıkan
bu ihtiyaçlara cevap vermesi gerekmektedir. Bunun yolu ise ancak üniversitelerde dijitalleşmeye
yönelik farkındalığı sağlayacak alınan derslerle mümkündür.
Bu çalışmada Türkiye ve ABD’de halkla ilişkiler eğitimi veren üniversitelerin derslerinde
dijitalleşmeye yönelik eğitimlerin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu sayede halkla ilişkiler eğitiminde
iki ülke arasındaki benzerlik ve farklılıklar ortaya çıkarılmaya çalışılmış ve karşılaştırma yapılmıştır.
Araştırmada üniversiteleri belirlemek için iki liste seçilmiş ve üniversitelerin web sayfalarında
ders içeriklerine yönelik veriler toplanmıştır. Çalışmada betimleyici araştırma tasarımı yöntemi
kullanılmıştır. İncelenen üniversitelerin eğitim içerikleri, içerik analizi yöntemi ile belirlenen başlıklar
altında değerlendirilmiştir.
Elde edilen sonuçlara göre her iki ülkede dijital odaklı verilen derslerin sayıları arasında farklılık
bulunmaktadır. Dersler seçmeli ders olarak öğrencinin tercihine bırakılmıştır. Dijital içerikli dersler
çoğunlukla üçüncü sınıfta öğrencilere verilmektedir. Sosyal medya dersleri daha ön planda öğrencilere
sunulmaktadır. Her iki ülkede devlet üniversitelerinde dijital içerikli derslerin oranı daha fazladır.
ABD’deki üniversitelerde dijital dersleri alabilmek için öğrencilerin önkoşul gerektiren dersleri
tamamlamaları gerekmektedir. Türkiye’de ise böyle bir ön koşul bulunmamaktadır.  

Keywords

Dijitalleşme, Eğitim, Halkla İlişkiler

References

• Alexander, D. M. (2016). What Digital Skills Are Required by Future Public Relations Practitioners And Can the Academy Deliver Them? PRism 13(1).
• Anderson, B. ve Swenson, R. (2013). What Should We Be Teaching Our Students About Digital PR? Collaborating with Top Industry Bloggers and PR Twitter Chat Professionals. Teaching Public Relations.
• Bruner, B.R., Zarkin,K. ve Yates, B.L. (2018). What Do Employers Want? What Should Faculty Teach? A Content Analysis of Entry-Level Employment Ads in Public Relations. Journal of Public Relations Education, 4(2).
• Diga, M. ve Kelleher, T. (2009). Social Media Use, Perceptions of Decision-Making Power, and Public Relations Roles. Public Relations Review, 35(4), 440-442.
• DiStaso, M. W., McCorkindale, T. ve Wright, D. K. (2011). How Public Relations Executives Perceive and Measure the Impact of Social Media in Their Organizations. Public Relations Review, 37(3), 325-328.
• Duhé, S.(2015). Review An Overview of New Media Research in Public Relations Journals From 1981 to 2014. Public Relations Review 41(2), 153-169.
• Erdoğan, İ.(2007). Pozitivist Metodoloji. Bilimsel Araştırma Tasarımı, İstatistiksel Yöntemler Analiz ve Yorum. 2. Baskı, Ankara: Erk yayınları.
• Eyrich, N., Padman, M. L. ve Sweetser, K. D. (2008). PR Practitioners’ Use of Social Media Tools and Communication Technology. Public relations review, 34(4), 412-414.
• Ewing, M.E., Kim, C.M., Kinsky,E.S., Moore ve S. Freberg, K. (2018). Teaching Digital and Social Media Analytics: Exploring Best Practices and Future Implications for Public Relations Pedagogy. Journal of Public Relations Education, 4(2).
• Gruning, James (2005). Halkla İlişkiler ve İletişim Yönetiminde Mükemmellik. İstanbul: Rota Yayınları.
• Khang, H., Ki, E. J. ve Ye, L. (2012). Social Media Research in Advertising, Communication, Marketing, and Public relations, 1997–2010. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 89(2), 279-298.
• Kim, C. ve Freberg, K. (2017). The State of Social Media Curriculum: Exploring Professional Expectations of Pedagogy and Practices to Equip the Next Generation of Professionals. Journal of Public Relations Education, 2(2).
• Kinsky, E. S., Freberg, K., Kim, C., Kushin, M. ve Ward, W. (2016). Hootsuite University: Equipping Academics and Future PR Professionals for Social Media Success. Journal of Public Relations Education 2(1), 1-18.
• Lee, N., Sha, B. L., Dozier, D. ve Sargent, P. (2015). The Role of New Public relations Practitioners as Social Media Experts. Public Relations Review, 41(3), 411-413.
• Neill, M. S. ve Schauster, E. (2015). Gaps in Advertising and Public Relations Education: Perspectives of Agency Leaders. Journal of Advertising Education, 19(2), 5–17.
• Quinn-Allan, D. (2010). Public Relations, Education, and Social Media: Issues for Professionalism in the Digital Age. Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal, 11(1), 41-55.
• Todd, V. (2009). PRSSA Faculty and Professional Advisors’ Perceptions of Public Relations Curriculum, Assessment of Students’ Learning, and Faculty Performance. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 64(1), 71-90.
• Yıldırım, A. ve Şimşek, H.(2016). Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri. (10. Baskı). Ankara: Seçkin Yayınevi.
• Wright, D. K. ve Hinson, M. D. (2008). How Blogs and Social Media are Changing Public Relations and the way it is Practiced. Public Relations Journal, 2(2).
• Wright, D. K. ve Hinson, M. D. (2014). An Updated Examination of Social and Emerging Media Use in Public Relations Practice: A Longitudinal Analysis Between 2006 and 2014. Public Relations Journa, 8(2).
• Wright, D. K. ve Hinson, M. D. (2017). Tracking How Social Media and Other Digital Media are Being Used in Public Relations Practice: A Twelve-Year Study. Public Relations Journal, 11(1), 1-31.
• Zerfass, A., Tench, R., Verhoeven, P., Verčič, D.ve Moreno, A. (2010). European Communication Monitor 2010: Status Quo and Challenges for Public Relations in Europe. Results of an Empirical Survey in 46 countries. Brussels: EDAD/ EUPRERA, Helios Media.
• Accenture Strategy Executive Research 2015 : Being digital Embrace the future of work and your people will embrace it with you . (Erişim: 22.10.2018). https:// www.accenture.com/t20160302T022554__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/PDF-9/ Accenture-Being-Digital-Workforce-2015-Report-V2.pdf
• Icco ve Onepoll . World PR Report 2017. (Erişim:5.11.2018). http://www.akospr.ru/ wp-content/uploads/2012/02/World-PR-Report-2017.pdf
• Grunig, J. E. (2009). Paradigms of Global Public Relations in an Age of Digitalisation. PRism6(2). (Erişim:5.11.2018). http://www.prismjournal.org/fileadmin/ Praxis/Files/globalPR/GRUNIG.pdf
• Global Communications Report 2017. ((Erişim: 2.11.2018). https://annenberg.usc. edu/sites/default/files/KOS_2017_GCP_April6.pdf
• Pilkington, A.(2013). Digital comms identified as top skills gap by PR Academy students https://www.prplace.com/blog/posts/2013/february/digital-commsidentified-as-top-skills-gap-by-pr-academy-students/ (Erişim: 02.11.2018).
• The Holmes Report: What Does The PR Professional Of The Future Look Like. (Erişim: 20.10.2018). http://www.holmesreport.com/research/article/what-doesthe-pr-professional-of-the-future-look-like).
• The Commission on Public Relations Education 2017 Report on Undergraduate Education Fast Forward Foundations +Future State. Educators + Practitioners. (Erişim: 12.10.2018). http://www.commissionpred.org/wp-content/ uploads/2018/04/report6-full.pdf
• Türkiye Halkla İlişkiler Derneği (Erişim: 12.09.2018) http://www.tuhid.org/yerliiletisim-fakulteleri.html
• Public Relations Society of America (Erişim:12.09.2018) http://prsa. vendorguides.com/?fbclid=IwAR16OMNYVlNmjbs1g1ba_ M8YuY81ksWbU4gq7SGUAtNDSQfcEizEg7re0R8