PR Writing

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PR Writing

• Prof. Robinson
• Sections 3958/3725, Spring 2005
• Week 4 (January 26/27)

2
Announcements

• Due today memo MTV Fact sheet
• Wednesday is the last day to buy tickets for the
  PRSSA business etiquette dinner (Feb 2). See reps
  at the table downstairs.
• Whats in the news?

3
Business Writing

• Chapter 7

4
Introduction

• Business writing is PR writing
• Maintains a good, relevant and timely flow of
  information within an organization and with its
  external publics.
• This is the nuts and bolts of productive working
  relationships

5
E-mailadvantages disadvantages

• People pay attention
• Respond quickly
• Instantaneous
• Time management
• Interactive
• Portable
• Connect with peers
• Share timely information across boundaries

• Ease speed cause problems
• clarity accuracy
• More information to manage
• Harder to find what really needs attention
• Copied on tangents
• Unfocused messages
• Confused with speech

6
Memos

• Informal reminder of something important that has
  occurred or will occur
• Consider format (see text) and distribution route
• Types of memos
• Bulletin urgent info. brief, terse
• Essay discussion material conversational
• Informative detailed description formal
• Action describes planned actions response
• Summary detailed description report-like
• File addressed to file copy for records

7
Letters

• Letter format see assignment sheet later
• Reference materials typist JRanr, enclosures
  Enc., copies C, blind copies bc
• Letter types
• Information
• Solicitation
• Promotion
• Transmittal
• Cover
• Response public and private

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Reports and proposals

• Report summarizes information
• Proposal details a plan of action to be
  considered
• Similar format and appearance
• Letter of documentation or transmittal
• Front matter Executive summary
• Body introduction, body, conclusion
• References, bibliography appendixes

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Types of Writing

• From Scholes Comley (1989)
• The practice of writing (3rd edition)

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Types of writing

• 1. Writer-oriented Forms
• Expression (e.g. on love, art)
• Reflection (self as object)
• 2. Reader-oriented Forms
• Direction (guiding your reader)
• Persuasion (moving your reader)

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• 3. Topic-oriented Forms
• Narration (organizing time)
• Description (organizing space)
• Classification (organizing data)
• Argumentation (presenting a thesis)
• Analysis (taking things apart)
• Synthesis (putting things together)

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In-class Exercise
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Job search criteria

• Lets talk about work values
• Brainstorm what a search committee is looking for
• What goes into a job description and why you
  should address each point

14
Cover letter HW

• Complete a cover letter for one of the job
  positions on your assignment sheet (follow the
  cover letter guidelines on the assignment sheet)
• Homework bring a descriptive or persuasive
  slogan to class read chapter 8 work on client
  research