COLUMBIA, S.C. (Feb. 16, 2021) — This week, the University of South Carolina’s (UofSC) Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Bateman Team launched its program to educate communities about participating in civil discourse online.
The initiative, called “On the Line,” is dedicated to teaching students and working professionals about the consequences of acting uncivilly online, especially when it comes to their reputations, careers and relationships. Through creating a social media movement, hosting “Civility Weeks,” designing a civility pledge and developing programming content for campus organizations, the Bateman Team hopes to give South Carolinians the tools they need to navigate discourse online.
“The importance of civility in this divisive time can’t be overstated,” said Contessa Davis, member of the team and president of the UofSC PRSSA chapter. “We hope that everybody can learn something from ‘On the Line’ and apply it to their everyday lives.”
The Bateman Case Study Competition is an annual competition hosted by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), in which PRSSA chapters across the nation develop strategic campaigns to achieve a goal set in place by a client. Bateman teams have a month to use their classroom and internship experiences to create and implement a full public relations campaign. This year PRSA itself is the client of the competition, with the organization tasking Bateman Teams to restore civility to public discourse.
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On the Line is an initiative created by the University of South Carolina Bateman Team. To learn more, follow On the Line on Instagram and Twitter or email onthelinesc@gmail.com.
