This unit pays special attention to the public relations industry in managing conflict and social change at different stages of modernity and contexts. The unit emphasises a socio-cultural understanding and analysis through a ‘critical public relations’ lens in order to understand ‘PR’ and its impacts, especially for marginalised groups. This assists students to analyse movements for social change and communication campaigns through a range of novel perspectives. This unit is for students from all disciplines to further develop their social and cultural awareness, in addition to enhancing influence skills in communication.

Summary of Learning: Discover how social, political and diplomatic environments have been disrupted and transformed by the power and influence of digital platforms. This course addresses how platforms have changed business models, political campaigns and international relations, as well as a deep exploration of the specifics of platforms and their audience and user cultures. It will examine the interplay between the media, society and power. The Learning Objective: 1. Develop an understanding of the specific ways that platforms have transformed media, social and political environments. 2. Develop an understanding of the specificity of social media platforms for content creation, distribution and user engagement. 3. Develop information literacy skills to understand the social, cultural, legal and ethical impacts of social media platforms and potential impacts and consequences for internal and external stakeholders.

In this unit, students seek to discover how social media can be used as a strategic communication tool. Students learn to create or enhance professional online profiles and learn which platforms are most effective in delivery a message to a target audience. This unit is for students from all disciplines to develop their understanding and management of social media in personal and professional contexts.