Public relations looks different inside a government ministry than it does inside a non-profit or a listed company, and a practitioner who only knows one version of it will struggle the moment they move between sectors. This course from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy introduces trainees to the field of public relations and communications management across those different types of groups, organisations, and settings, so the foundation they build actually travels.

The course helps trainees develop their assessment and creativity skills, using case studies and current situations as an important reference point for understanding professional practice. It works through the main stages of communication plans in detail, examines the relationship between theory and effective application, and reviews the ethical and risk issues that come up when practicing public relations. It also looks at how PR, done well, becomes reputation management — developing organisational, managerial, and brand contacts into a consistent, value-based approach aligned with the wider brand strategy.

This course is provided by the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy for professionals working in Public Relations, Marketing, Media, Management personnel and any individuals who have an interest in these areas.

How will participants benefit from the course?

After completing the program, participants will master the following aspects:

• Evaluate how PR theory actually plays out in practice across both commercial and public sectors.
• Compare the defining characteristics of PR practice across settings, including how it addresses sustainability issues.
• Apply creativity, problem-solving, and decision-making skills to real PR activities, not just textbook scenarios.
• Build basic PR plans that meet different corporate needs while respecting the audience's cultural and social context.
• Apply financial management basics, including costing and budgeting, to PR planning.
• Identify and analyze the ethical and risk issues that come with practicing public relations.

Course content:

• What Public Relations Actually Looks Like Across Sectors

  • How PR practice differs between companies, government agencies, advisory firms, and non-profits.
  • Why a PR approach that works in one sector can fall flat in another.

• How the PR Profession Got Here: History and Evolution

  • Tracing the development of the public relations system as a discipline.

• The Theory Behind the Practice

  • The theories and principles from PR, communication, and the social sciences that actually inform practice.

• Creativity, Problem-Solving and Decision-Making in PR

  • Building creativity and organisational skills into everyday PR work.
  • Problem-solving and decision-making, done individually and as part of a team.

• Researching, Planning and Delivering a Message That Works

  • Research, assessment, and evaluation as the foundation any PR plan should stand on.
  • Planning communication so the message actually reaches its audience, including through social media.

• Ethics, Risk and Crisis in PR Practice

  • Identifying and analysing the ethical issues that come up in PR practice.
  • Handling the risk issues, problems, and crises that are part of the job.