Public Relations, Crisis Management, Defamation

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Joann Killeen, APR, Fellow PRSA, has over 35 years of experience and is one of the few court-qualified, public relations expert witnesses. She is Accredited in Public Relations (APR) and a Fellow PRSA, awarded by the Public Relations Society of America, one of the leading public relations professional organizations. She is one of 400 members in the PRSA College of Fellows. With a proven track record of success in corporate, agency, technology, government, franchisee, education and health care, Killeen is an accomplished public relations professional whose client campaigns have won awards by PRSA. Her extensive experience enables her to quickly assess client's communications needs and recommend tailored, cost-effective strategic solutions. Killeen served as the President and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America in 2002, where she led the organization to record financial success, a first in its 76-year history. She has has engaged by law firms to provide pre-trial consulting, expert reports, depositions and testified at trial in cases regarding breach of contract, non-disparagement agreements, defamation, slander, libel, copyright, reputational harm, crisis management, SEO, website content, franchising, social media, news distribution platforms, new media, influencers, professional standards for public relations, ethics, and branding. Killeen earned a B.A. in Journalism from California State University at Northridge (CSUN), Northridge, CA and holds a M.S. in Communications Management from Simmons University, Boston, Massachusetts. A noted expert in the field of public relations, Killeen teaches public relations courses in the UCLA Strategic Branding and Public Relations Program. Courses include Writing for Public Relations, Advanced Writing for Public Relations, Strategic Public Relations Management, Working with the Media, Careers in Public Relations, and Public Relations and Branding in Practice: Putting It All Together. A faculty member since 2003, Killeen serves on several department committees advancing the public relations program. Killeen has also taught as an adjunct in public relations at the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism including the graduate class "Critical Thinking and Crisis Management" and the undergraduate course "Uncontrolled Media." Additionally, she has taught introductory public relations courses at Loyola Marymount University and Whitworth University. CV and references available upon request.