Introduction to public relations writing

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Introduction to public relations writing

• JMC Dept.
• Abilene Christian University

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What do you most want to learn from this class?
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What do you most want to learn from this class?
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About the course blog and textbook Web site
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In the beginning lets look at Chapter 1
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Whats distinctive about PR writing?
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What is PR writing?

• PR writing isnt advertising- PR writings
  purpose is communication or persuasion, not
  sales- PR writing is factual- PR writing isnt
  hyped

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What is PR writing?

• Advertising hype to avoid
• New and improvedFirst everFirst
  annualRevolutionaryAmazing new product
  Buy your tickets now

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What is PR writing?

• PR writing isnt journalism- PR writing is not
  neutral or objective - PR writing is
  persuasive- PR writing is advocacy writing

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What is PR writing?

• Dennis Wilcox (author/professor)
• The goal is not only to accurately inform, but
  also to persuade and motivate.

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What is PR writing?

• Harold Burson
• (Founder/chairman, Burson-Marsteller)
• We are advocates . . . We are advocates of a
  particular point of view -- our clients or our
  employers point of view. And while we recognize
  that serving the public interest best serves our
  clients interest, we are not journalists.
  Thats not our job.

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What is PR writing?

• PR writing isnt fiction writing
• - PR writing is fact-based (non-fiction)- PR
  writing is typically brief, to the point
  (novelists need not apply), tightly written- PR
  writing is good writing in a hurry

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PR writing is targeted

• Employees
• The community
• Customers
• Prospects
• Stockholders
• Investment community (analysts)
• Is the news media an audience?

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Chapter 1 highlights

• What is meant by uncontrolled information?
• What are some examples of uncontrolled
  information?
• Why do PR people use uncontrolled media?

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Chapter 1 highlights

• What are some examples of controlled
  information in PR?
• Where do corporate blogs fit in this list?

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Chapter 1 highlights

• What are the common types of PR writing tools
  listed in the chapter?
• What is left off this list?(Hint Some newer
  tools have become popular since this book was
  published)

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Case study
Lets look at the variety of public relations
writing assignments from one of the most famous
Texas-based companies, ATT. How many of the
types of PR writing identified in Chapter 1 are
found on this companys Web site?Public
relations writers must be versatile, and able to
alter their writing style depending upon the
audience and situation.
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Careers in PR writing

• Most PR jobs involve some writing
• Governments, large corporations, universities
  hire writing specialists
• Freelance opportunities exist for experienced
  writers, editors

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Skills needed for careers in PR writing

• Appreciation for language, words
• Broad knowledge of the business and industry and
  current events
• Ability to work under deadlines
• Good multi-tasking and project management skills

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Skills needed for careers in PR writing (cont.)

• Research skills
• Interpersonal and team skills
• Write across many channels

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For the next class

• Read Chapter 2
• Expect exercise in class using the proofreading
  symbols in the AP Stylebook
• Read the Bivens Primer on Style and answer the
  questions in the post on the course Web site.
• Set up RSS feeds, e-mail alerts for your company
  and complete the company reports exercise.
• Browse through your assigned organizations Web
  site and become familiar with who they are and
  where their examples of PR writing are stored.