NEW YORK – March 8, 2017 — Four DePaul University students will be awarded the Jack Koten Page Principles Case Study Award for their winning submission on Apple's privacy and security battle with the FBI following the San Bernardino shooting. This is the third year in a row that students from DePaul have taken top honors under academic advisor and university associate professor of public relations, Dr. Matt Ragas, who is also a member of Page Up.
The Case Study Competition in Corporate Communications, which is sponsored by the Arthur W. Page Society and the Institute for Public Relations (IPR), awards students whose original case studies best examine the practice of corporate communications in a business issue or crisis
This year's competition drew 86 entries from 35 schools across the country.
The winning case study, "Walking the 'Encryption Tightrope': Getting to the Core of Apple's Privacy and Security Battle with the FBI," was authored by Brooke Lichtman, Jaymie Polet, Bria Smith, Rubai Soni, all students at DePaul University's College of Communication in Chicago where they are pursuing a Master's in Public Relations and Advertising. Their study explores Apple's decision to protect consumers' privacy following the San Bernardino shooting, a decision that was met with praise and criticism by the public and other technology companies.
"Apple's response set a precedent and started an important dialogue across the business world about customer privacy and security," said Roger Bolton, president of the Arthur W. Page Society. "We are pleased to honor Brooke, Bria, Jaymie and Rubai with the Koten Award for their thoughtful work on this case study, which will be an important resource for PR and communications practitioners worldwide. Congratulations, as well, to all of the other winners for the exceptional quality of their entries."
The grand prize winners will be recognized at the Page Society's Spring Seminar on April 6 in New York City. In addition to the overall grand prize, the competition awards winners in the categories of Communications Schools and Business Schools. This year's winners represented the University of Notre Dame, University of Dayton, DePaul University, Brigham Young University and Bridgewater State University. To see all winning submissions, please visit: http://www.awpagesociety.com/study_competitions.
"This case presents many interesting facets about corporate communication and technology that will serve as a benchmark for the privacy argument for years to come. Like Arthur W. Page espoused during his career, this case represented the ideals of a corporation acting on behalf of the public's interest," said Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., President & CEO of the Institute for Public Relations.
This annual competition is judged by a panel composed of Page Society members and members of Page Up, a membership organization for senior-level communicators who have the potential to rise to a CCO or another Page Society eligible role.
"We recognize and appreciate the thoughtful discernment exercised by the judges," Bolton said. "This competition would not be possible without their generous donation of their time." The judges in this year's competition were:
As the first chairman of the Arthur W. Page Society, Jack Koten was among the founding members of the Society who extracted from Page's lifetime of work the set of defining values that we know today as the Page Principles. These Principles not only serve as criteria for this competition but also as a guide for Page members in their daily work. Jack personified the belief that businesses should operate honestly and honorably, and with unwavering integrity.
Upon his passing in 2014, Jack bequeathed funds to the Page Society that its Board of Trustees voted to use to fund in perpetuity the annual Case Study Competition grand prize, which that year was renamed the Jack Koten Page Principles Case Study Award.
The Arthur W. Page Society is a professional association for senior public relations and corporate communications executives who seek to enrich and strengthen their profession. Membership consists primarily of chief communications officers (CCOs) of Fortune 500 corporations, the CEOs of the world's largest public relations agencies, and leading academics from top business and communications schools. With close to 700 members in over 20 countries, the Page Society enables members to develop professional relationships with the most knowledgeable, influential and innovative global leaders in enterprise communications. Members also participate in producing thought leadership that is shaping the understanding of the value and role of corporate communications, and are able to take advantage of professional development opportunities for their staff. The Page Society is dedicated to strengthening the enterprise leadership role of the CCO. For more information, please visitwww.awpagesociety.com.