PART FOUR EXECUTION

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN PUBLIC RELATIONS WRITING

Public Relations Writing

 Communication includes effective writing and speaking  Writing is at the heart of public relations activities. Effective writing is needed before public relations techniques can be applied. 17-2

Fundamentals of Writing

 Knowledge of the basics  Differences in writing for the reader vs. the listener  Preparation is key —few are born— building skill and practice is necessary 17-3

Four-Part Formula for Writing  1. The idea must precede the expression  2. Don’t be afraid of the draft  3. Simplify, clarify, aim  4. Writing must be aimed at a particular audience 17-4

Reading Formulas

 Flesch Readability Formula  Developed by the late Rudolf Flesch  Flesch’s suggestions  Use contractions   Leave out the word

that

whenever possible Use pronouns  When referring to a noun, repeat the noun or use a pronoun   Brief clear sentences Cover one item per paragraph  Use language the reader understands 17-5

Flesch Suggestions contd.

  Remember the A’s Avoid: Big words   Extra words Clichés  Latin  And the B’s  Be: Active  Simple  Short  Organized  Convincing  Understandable 17-6

Readability Formulas contd.

 Gunning Fox Index  Developed by Robert Gunning  Measures reading ease in terms of the number of words and their difficulty, number of complete thoughts and average sentence length in a piece.

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Writing News Releases

 Use of the Inverted Pyramid  Make every word count  Lead is the first one to two paragraphs with the most important facts using the 5 W’s (who, what, why, when, where, and sometimes how)  Paragraphs written in descending order of importance. Selection and organization are important.

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Function of News Releases

 Historically used as the basic interpretive mechanism to let the audience know what the organization is doing.

 Could be a document of record to state an official position  Or to influence a publication to write favorably about material submitted and to stimulate coverage 17-9

News Release Form

 Must be well written  Follow the format  Localized  Newsworthy (think human interest stories)  Impact, oddity, conflict, known principal, proximity 17-10

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Dos Only 10% of all news releases are published Should reflect actual news AP (Associated Press) style 17-12

Format

 Spacing, Paper  Identification  Release Date  Margins, Length, Paragraphs  Slug Lines, Headlines  Boilerplates  Proofing/editing  Timing 17-13

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Internet News Releases

 Organizations regularly use releases to be included on online databases.

 Other sources include e-zines, Internet radio programs, bulletin boards, discussion groups, newsgroups, online services, and mailing lists.

 Use short paragraphs, sentences, frequent lists, bullets, dashes, and numbers. 17-15

Question…..

 What famous late celebrity comedian was first reported dead in 1998 but didn’t die until 2003?

 Hint: Thanks for the memories, he was a classic.

 Answer: Bob Hope 17-16

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Editing

 The rule of thumb for editing is self-edit first and rewrite Use active verbs Use sources for writing and editing support Be cognizant that editors will “slice and dice” 17-18

Exercise

 Write a news release lead about an up and-coming event taking place at your school. Remember to proof and edit your work.

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