Madecraft

Public Relations Mistakes to Avoid

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Madecraft

Public Relations Mistakes to Avoid

Madecraft

Instructor: Madecraft

Included with Coursera PlusLearn more

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

5 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

5 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Build a PR pitch that's newsworthy, concise, and backed by verifiable facts.

  • Correspond with reporters honestly and manage crisis moments without damaging your credibility.

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Recently updated!

September 2026

Assessments

10 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer
Taught in English

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Strategic PR Strategies Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 7 modules in this course

Every misstep in your PR planning costs you credibility and coverage before a single pitch goes out. In this module, you'll pinpoint what actually counts as newsworthy, judge when your business is truly ready for PR, choose a spokesperson who represents you well, and build the habit of catching timely story opportunities before they pass you by.

What's included

5 videos2 readings2 assignments

Your pitch has seconds to earn a reporter's attention, and rambling, a wrong name, or empty buzzwords can lose it instantly. In this module, you'll tighten your pitch to what matters, get the small details right, back your claims with real supporting material, and let your own value do the talking instead of taking aim at a competitor.

What's included

5 videos3 readings2 assignments

Your best pitch can lose all its value if it goes to the wrong list, if a press release stands in for real relationship-building, or if your timing collides with bigger news. In this module, you'll personalize your outreach instead of mass-emailing, build real media relations that go beyond a press release, and time your announcement around the industry news cycle instead of against it.

What's included

3 videos1 reading1 assignment

Landing your story in a big-name publication means nothing if your customers never read it, and a reporter who feels burned by a mass pitch or a one-sided relationship won't cover you again. In this module, you'll evaluate whether a publication actually reaches your audience, handle a story that fits multiple reporters without damaging trust, and build the kind of ongoing reporter relationships that outlast any single pitch.

What's included

3 videos1 reading2 assignments

What you say to a reporter, and how you say it, can matter as much as the story itself: a slip you thought was off the record, a request that reads as controlling, or a flat "no comment" can do lasting damage. In this module, you'll gauge what's actually safe to share, request only fair corrections, follow up with real value instead of pressure, and respond to hard questions without shutting the conversation down.

What's included

4 videos2 readings1 assignment

An unethical claim, a tone-deaf crisis pitch, a story missing its human stakes, or a lead buried under backstory can all cost you the trust you're trying to build. In this module, you'll ground your claims in fact, respond to a crisis with genuine help instead of opportunism, connect your story to real human stakes, and lead with what actually matters instead of burying it.

What's included

4 videos2 readings1 assignment

Knowing the common PR mistakes to avoid means nothing if you can't apply that judgment to a real plan under pressure. In this module, you'll apply mistake-avoidance practices to build a complete PR plan and put it through a final assessment.

What's included

1 video1 assignment

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Instructor

Madecraft
Madecraft
133 Courses11,937 learners

Offered by

Madecraft

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¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.