This document outlines the Teachapalooza VI Show and Share crisis simulation exercise for journalism and public relations students. The purpose was to give students hands-on experience covering and responding to a crisis. Journalism students practiced real-time reporting and distinguishing facts from rumors. Public relations students implemented a crisis plan, disseminated information, and worked with the media. Students created news coverage and crisis communication websites and podcasts which were reviewed by professionals. The event required extensive preparation but provided a fun, engaging learning experience for participants.

1. Teachapalooza VI Show and Share:
Crisis! Zombie Apocalypse
Exercise for MCO Students

2. Purpose depends on the course or courses
– Journalism students in MCO 2345 and MCO 3320:
• To practice real-time journalism; gathering, producing and editing
content
• To work with public relations practitioners
• To work with a team to direct and edit content creation
• To keep a community updated on a live event as it unfolds
• To ascertain the difference between fact and rumor
– Public relations students in MCO 4346:
• To work with a team to implement a crisis plan in real-time
• To work with media to disseminate appropriate and timely
information
• To practice working with a team to gather information during a crisis
• To ascertain the difference between fact and rumor
Overview and purpose

3. Exercise Expectations
News coverage—
a website that contains news stories and multimedia elements created by
MCO 3320 Digital Design and Editing and MCO 2345 Integrated Media
Reporting classes
Crisis communication—
a website from the perspective of the institution created by MCO 4346
Public Relations Campaigns and Programs class

4. News Coverage
• https://fauxrambler.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/rambler-staff-injured-by-zombies/
Student journalists attended press conferences throughout
the event and covered the event live. Above is a photo of
the final press conference where Zombie Task Force Leader
Michael Brown explains how the zombies were contained.

5. Crisis Communications
• https://crisiscommunicationmco4346.wordpress.com/
Public relations students hosted press
conferences throughout the event and kept
the campus community updated.

6. Debrief from pros
Photo left: Marjorie Herrera-Lewis, former reporter, Dallas
Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Photo above: At the lunch debrief with, far right to left, Bill
Lawrence of Lawrence and Associates, Marysol Gonzalez,
Univision; Rebecca Aguilar, freelance reporter; and Alice Rios,
formerly of KRLD radio. Additional comments from Drenda
Witt, formerly of JPS Health, rounded out the pro debriefing.

7. Debrief from students
• Podcasts from MCO 2345 and MCO 4346
• Individual podcasts could be 2 minutes or less
• Interview style podcasts could be 3 minutes or
less
• Counted as a daily grade
• Used to assist in planning for Fall 2016

8. Grading
• An all or nothing grade—you did it or you
didn’t
• Added grade (all or none) for a podcast of
their analysis of the event
• Upsides: Fun; entertaining for participants
and the pros who assisted
• Downsides: Lots of preparation to create;
something always happens; making sure
everyone is adequately prepared prior to
event can be challenging (something always
happens)

9. Tips
• Start early; very time-consuming to plan
• Get your administration on board
• Touch base with everyone frequently
• Plan your student training/classes leading up
to the event to get students prepared
• Create little “practice” sessions prior to
event
• Enlist lots of help from across campus
• Be flexible

10. Presentation at:
slideshare.net/klcolley
Day of the
event: Dr.
Eddy Lynton
and Dr. Cary
Adkinson
Criminal justice and sociology professors who provided the Zombie Task
Force.