CODE | PPL5103 | |||||||||
TITLE | Communicating Government | |||||||||
UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | |||||||||
MQF LEVEL | 7 | |||||||||
ECTS CREDITS | 5 | |||||||||
DEPARTMENT | Policy, Politics and Governance | |||||||||
DESCRIPTION | This study-unit sheds light on the communication of Public Policy and its implications on the behaviour of Government. By making reference to case-studies, we explore the inherent need to communicate with the electorate and its significance in terms of acquiring legitimacy by the people. Governments have stepped up their efforts to invest in people who can communicate with flair and creativity. Each segment of the electorate is important, and each ought to be reached in any medium possible. This study-unit brings to the fore the issues in communicating government, namely: - Communicating policy from inception to implementation; - How dialogue is fostered between governor and governed; - Promoting public engagement as a two-way communication; - The dilemma between Government public relations and propaganda; - Engaging with the art of persuasion; - Deciphering ethical implications of communication strategies; - Assessing the effectiveness of communication efforts. Study-unit Aims: The aim of the study-unit are to reconcile theory with practice in this important function of Government. The Legislator is no longer solely responsible from implementing policy, but also in communicating it with the public. The latter function has acquired more importance with the advent of social networking. The main aim is therefore is to: - Explore theories and academic work that discuss the role of Governments in disseminating their function as legislators and consensus seekers; - Investigate (through case studies) how specific policies have been communicated and the underlying implications of such strategies; - Promote a deeper attention (through learning assignments) at the various nuances at stake, namely; public relations, propaganda, public understanding (active vs passive); and - Evaluation of communication strategies (e.g. "Gvern li Jisma' 2013-2014"). Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Get versed with key literature in the field and get acquainted with developing literature; - Apply theoretical frameworks to practical scenarios; - Interpret the methods (means) and goals (ends) of Communication Strategies employed by Governments; - Evaluate the delivery of various communication strategies and their effectiveness on public perception. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Grasp an appreciation of Communication / PR roles within Government; - Discern subtle / intentional aspects of government information; - Correlate the importance of communication with the policy-making cycle either as practitioners or as policy-makers at the place of work; - Make recommendations on Communication Strategies in Government campaigns. Main Text/s: - Smith, C. F. (2012), Writing Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Communicating in the Policy-Making Process, Oxford University Press. Supplementary text/s: - Berry, J. (2013), "Canadian public relations students’ interest in government communication: An exploratory study", Management Research Review, 36(5):528-544. - Gelders, D. et al. (2007), "Communication management in the public sector: Consequences for public communication about policy intentions", Government Information Quarterly 24, 326–337. - Gelders, D and Ihlen, O (2010), "Government communication about potential policies: Public relations, propaganda or both?", Public Relations Review, 36(1):59-62. - Gelders, D and Ihlen, O (2010), "Minding the gap: Applying a service marketing model into government policy communications", Government Information Quarterly, 27, 34–40. - Valentini, C and Nesti, G (2010), Public communication in the European Union: history, perspectives and challenges, Cambridge Scholars Publishing [Available at European Documentation Centre General (JF1525.C59 P83)]. - Lilleker, D.G. (2006), Key Concepts in Political Communication, SAGE. - Negrine, R. (2008), The Transformation of Political Communication - Continuities and changes in media and politics, Palgrave Macmillan. - Sanders, K. (2009), Communicating Politics in the Twenty-First Century, Palgrave Macmillan. - Singleton, A. (2014), The PR Masterclass: How to Develop a Public Relations Strategy That Works, John Wiley & Sons. - Walker, D. (1997), Public Relations in Local Government: Strategic Approaches to Better Communications, Pearson Education. |
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STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | |||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |