Public Communication Initiative
We provide workshops, consultations, and content creation to help faculty, staff, and students develop skills in adapting messages and information to various audiences in oral, visual, and mediated channels through the complementary arts of persuasion and storytelling.
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"UNLV Law students are required to teach free legal information classes on a number of difficult subjects to members of the public who are seeking information and access to justice. The students need to be engaging and able to make legal jargon understandable to their audience. We have seen an improvement in our students' abilities to make the information engaging and understandable thanks to the training they received from Professors Bloomfield and Easter. We now include their training in our orientation every semester."
Christine Smith, Associate Dean for Public Service, Compliance and Administration, William S. Boyd School of Law
The PCI is available for virtual and remote workshops, trainings, and consultations.
Contact the PCI at publiccomminitiative@unlv.edu for more information.
Topics of Expertise
- Adapting technical messages for public audiences
- Having difficult conversations - dialogue and civility
- How to tell compelling stories
- Writing for public audiences - social media, digital media, and print media
- Building persuasive arguments
- Oral and visual presentation skills
- Talking to media and doing interviews
"Dr. Bloomfield and the Public Communication Initiative (PCI) team worked with the City of Henderson’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Coalition to launch our Speak Easy communication series, aimed at better equipping employees for advocacy in the DE&I space. Dr. Bloomfield’s skill as an adaptive facilitator allowed her to quickly recognize and meet the needs of her audience through a variety of teaching methods and solicited feedback from program participants—resulting in very successful sessions. Through our partnership with the PCI team many City employees gained invaluable insight into how to better convey the importance of our purpose, and DE&I efforts in general, throughout our organization."
Mimi Merhi, Human Resources Programs Coordinator at City of Henderson
Workshop Rates
- Half day: 4 hours
- Whole day: 8 hours
- Weekly: 5 whole days
Under 35 participants
- 1-3 hours: $400/hour
- 4 hours: $1,280
- 8 hours: $2,400
- Weekly: $11,200
35-70 participants
- 1-3 hours: $600/hour
- 4 hours: $1,920
- 8 hours: $3,600
- Weekly: $16,800
70+ participants
- 1-3 hours: $800/hour
- 4 hours: $2,560
- 8 hours: $4,800
- Weekly: $22,400
Other Services
Consultations and Edits for Existing Work
Billed per working hour.
- Documents, op-eds, publications: $200/hour
- Grants: $200/hour
- Presentations: $200/hour
Content Creation
Billed per hour of content created.
- Videos and content for classes: $1000/hour
- Lectures (audio and audio-visual): $1000/hour
- Presentations: $1000/hour
"The Public Communications Initiative (PCI) has helped our department enhance students’ experience in our Emergency and Crisis Management Master’s program. The PCI faculty provide hands-on training to students focused on improving communication skills. Students learn to deliver more effective press briefings, community notifications, and to lead groups with complex structures, all of which are important aspects in an emergency management career."
Joel D. Lieberman, Ph.D., Chair of Department of Criminal Justice, Greenspun College of Urban Affairs
Research
The Public Communication Initiative conducts and collaborates on original research regarding public communication, communication strategies, and topics of interest to the local community. Current research initiatives include a climate survey with Governor Sisolak's office about Nevadans' opinions on climate change, strategies for communicating about vaccination safety, and scientists' perceptions of public understanding regarding nuclear energy.
Nevada Climate Survey
In 2020, more than 1,500 Nevadans commented on climate change and the environment in a statewide survey. We've captured their stories in an online story map.
Nuclear Energy
The PCI conducts research on scientific communication across a variety of disciplines. One major component of our research is the relationship between nuclear energy and the public. Click links below to learn more about our nuclear communication research and certificate program
Nuclear Communication Certificate
The Nuclear Communication Certificate is a five-module online course for nuclear experts to dive into how communication influences nuclear energy. The course provides an overview of theories and practical applications related to persuasion, the public, private, and technical spheres of argumentation, how to serve as a bridge between nuclear energy and public audiences, and how to navigate difficult conversations. Supported by peer-reviewed research and communication theory, the NCC is a toolbox of strategies for strengthening nuclear experts' communication skills.
"I had to give an acknowledgment speech after receiving a national award. Although I have experience and feel comfortable discussing my own research, I had never written nor presented this kind of talk before. The PCI helped me write an eloquent and personal acknowledgment speech in a very timely manner."
Arya Udry, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Geoscience, College of Sciences
Meet the Team
