Writing For Public Relations, 2013

PR

Writing For Public RelationsRichard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at

the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Thursday, February 14, 13

What is public relations?






It depends on who you ask.




Ask Bill Gates... “If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.”




Ask Melanie Phillips...“It’s a package of trickery, economies with the truth,

manipulation of public credulity, bullying of journalists and favoritism.”




Ask Scott Cutlip...“It’s the management function that

maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends.”


So why all the confusion?




Two reasons.



An uncertain past.

An uncertain future.


The past.



Although shaping public opinion through mass communication was not a new concept prior to World War I, it became famously recognizable as propaganda during and after the war when emerging communicators like George Creel and Edward Bernays explained how they paired crowd psychology and psychoanalysis with journalism. It was Bernays who later coined the term ‘public relations,’ legitimizing it as a tool for government and corporate communication to sway the public.


The future.



Public relations is in a state of change fueled by the division of modern media, the rapid pace of technological innovation, the evolution and speed of content distribution, the convergence of multiple communication disciplines, and a prevailing incongruity to define the profession. Today, it risks losing much of the legitimacy it earned in recent decades as some continue to grab at tactical applications like social media or try to mimic strategic communication in practice.


Right now.



This class is designed to provide students with a perspective of how public relations has shifted away from propaganda through an evolution of concepts, principles, and ethics; how to apply strategic concepts to tactical assignments in developing public relations collateral and other material; and how to best prepare for the changes that are occurring in the field today as well as those anticipated in the future.


Two definitions.



PRSA, 2012.

First World Assembly Of Public Relations, 1978.


PRSA.



Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.


First World Assembly.



Public relations is the art and science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organizational leaders, and implementing programs of action which will serve both the organization and public interest.


A working definition.



Public relations is the art and science of developing and managing immediate to long-term programs that strengthen the relationships between the organization and various publics; researching trends within the environment where the organization or those publics exist; determining the impact that those trends or other events may have on the organization and those publics; and providing for an open communication exchange that ensures mutually beneficial and measurable outcomes for the organization and those publics.

Richard R. Becker, 2013


How will we do it?




Editing & Writing.



• The impact and cost of careless errors.• The misconception of spell check.• Editing techniques and editor’s marks.• The most common errors made daily.• Striving for clarity for your readership.• Writing with style and universal ideas.• Organizational elements and structure.

2


Media Relations.



• Defining news within an organization.• Understanding news release purpose.• The traditional news release format.• The evolution of the news release.• Alerts, statements, and distribution.• Measuring the effectiveness of a release.• Planning for long-term media relations.

3


Message Management.



• Creating a communication foundation.• Internal and external research concepts.• Defining the needs of various publics.• The impact of communication on publics.• Managing inquiries after the news is out.• Differences between reporters and bloggers.• Incorporating social media into the mix.

4


Communication Plans.



• The elements of a communication plan.• Developing organizational messages.• Employing strategic planning methods.• How communication impacts organizations.• Defining the intent of communication.• Tracking the response in real time.• Measuring the return on communication.

5


Real Time & Crisis.



• Communication during a crisis.• Simplifying the communication process.• Conducting a situational analysis.• Managing and minimizing bad news.• Identifying and responding to questions.• Collecting feedback and contingency plans.• Preparing or appearing as a spokesperson.

6


Ads & Public Service.



• Advertising with public relations.• Nine rules for effective advertising.• Writing for print, radio and television.• Determining the intent of advertising.• When advertising fails to communicate.• Writing online content and social media.• The convergence of modern communication.

7


Public Relations Ethics.



• Case studies in communication ethics.• Principles for ethical communication.• The dual role of every practitioner.• Understanding cultural sensitivities.• Hypothetical situations and exercises.• Establishing ethics within an organization.• Resolving conflict and accepting criticism.

8


Public Relations Trends.



• Connecting the course material.• Modeling for future communication.• Integrating communication for impact.• The allure of popularity and publicity.• Remaining confident without control.• Looking beyond current social media.• Practical and always present public relations.

9


Additional Resources.



working title


Richard R. Becker, ABC



Richard Becker (Rich) is a creative strategist, writer, entrepreneur, speaker, and accredited business communicator. He holds several executive and board positions, including president of Copywrite, Ink., a strategic communication firm with experience on more than 1,000 accounts. He has also taught writing, editing and social media at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for more than a decade and occasionally accepts invitations to address organizations as a guest speaker.

www.richardrbecker.com


http://www.richardrbecker.com

http://www.richardrbecker.com

Education

Writing For Public Relations, 2013