Writing for public relations

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ADV 225

Writing for

Public Relations:

Session 5

Alexandrea Thrubis, M.A.

Instructor

151 Comm Arts

E: thrubisa@msu.edu

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Today’s agenda

  • Opportunities
  • Internship
  • Scholarship
  • Writing Project 1
  • Review + common errors
  • Requests for Reconsideration of a Score
  • Writing Project 2
  • Brief recap + questions
  • Academic Honesty
  • Friendly reminder
  • Writing Tool #7
  • Media Relations
  • Anatomy of a News Release
  • Intro Writing Project #3
  • Activities 7 & 8

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Internship opportunity

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Scholarship opportunity

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What’s due?

  • Due TODAY
  • Quiz 3 (8 a.m.)
  • Writing Project 2 (7 p.m.)

  • Due by 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 14
  • Assignment 7 & 8

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Announcements

  • Writing Project 1
  • Still being edited and scored
  • Available through the same dropbox
  • Review comments and suggestions
  • How to read track changes
  • Use them to improve future writing projects

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Common Errors on WP #1

  • Remember the goal
  • Introduce Snow Triad, not lobby for the Olympics
  • Drive traffic to website and Facebook page
  • Use correct facts
  • Snow Triad – capitalized, spelled correctly
  • Use short sentences
  • Bullet points
  • Thoughts, not complete sentences
  • No punctuation
  • Don’t overuse – you also need to write sentences
  • DO NOT PLAGARIZE. EVER.
  • From the scenario brief or from the web

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Common Errors on WP #1

  • Incorrect use of commas
  • Underused, list of items (a, b, and c)
  • Complex/Compound sentences
  • Most of the time these can be separated into shorter sentences. (Use short sentences!)
  • Active voice, active verbs
  • Activate your verbs
  • More engaging
  • Incorrect info
  • Do not include Park Ranger PR (unless instructed otherwise)
  • Do not include Simpson’s information
  • Learn how to parse through lots of information and use what is necessary.

*

Requests for Reconsideration
of a Score

  • You are encouraged to track your projects and assignments from when you start them right through when they are returned
  • You are encouraged to carefully review edits, comments and scores
  • I am happy to answer questions about the process of scoring or editing at any time
  • If you feel a score is inaccurate or unfair, you must bring that concern to my attention within seven (7) consecutive days from the time the score is posted to D2L/returned to you.
  • In this case, Tuesday, February 13
  • You must provide specific examples of how you feel it was scored unfairly.
  • After seven days, scores will not be reconsidered.

Good-News Messages delivered as a Business Letter

REVIEW:

Writing Project #2:

Business Letter

*

ADV 225

SS18 Scenario:

Snow Triad

Alexandrea Thrubis M.A.

Instructor

Department of Advertising + Public Relations

Michigan State University

ADV 225
The Scenario

  • Fictional client and PR opportunities/challenges
  • Designed to result in writing exercises that mirror those undertaken at PR firms and departments
  • Just like real life, the client may or may not be something you are interested in
  • Preface: The Internet age
  • Most facts fictional
  • Some real
  • Produced for instructional purposes
  • Material produced in ADV 225 should not be represented as fact, published or uploaded to Internet without disclaimer

ADV 225
The Scenario

  • You work for a PR firm called Park Ranger Public Relations
  • Simpson has hired your firm to handle PR for the initiative
  • Your boss is Leslie Knope, APR

Leslie Knope, APR

ADV 225
The Scenario

  • More Olympic Sports Foundation (MOSF)
  • Homer Simpson, founder and president
  • Creates, plans, and promotes new Olympic-type sport competitions worldwide.
  • Credited with introducing new Olympic sports.
  • Hosted races and competitions for skeleton, rhythmic gymnastics, synchronized swimming and other such sports.

ADV 225
The Scenario

  • Snow Triad
  • A new take on a triathlon
  • Snowboard halfpipe
  • Aerial skiing
  • Figure skating
  • MOSF hosts Snow Triad amateur competitions in Park City, UT
  • Simpson wants this new sports to be adopted in the Olympics

ADV 225: Writing Project 2

  • Good-news message
  • Inform Sue Sylvester (President of the IOC) about the success of Snow Triad in Park City.
  • The goal of your letter is to secure a meeting with Sylvester to discuss the possibility of making Snow Triad an Olympic Sport for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
  • Use Good News Letter format to share Snow Triad’s success and ask for a meeting

Sue Sylvester President, IOC

Photo credit: http://www.slate.com/articles/video/video/2015/03/glee_s_sue_sylvester_jane_lynch_was_loved_for_her_offensive_one_liners_and.html

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ADV 225
Writing Project 2

  • Address your letter to Sylvester at the offices of the International Olympic Committee – 1000 Boardwalk Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48201.
  • Letter will be signed by Simpson
  • You are ghostwriting

*

  • Letter date
  • Use the due date for Writing Project 2 as the date for your letter.
  • Due date: February 7, 2018

Considerations:

Good-News Letter

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  • Four (4) paragraphs
  • Paragraph 1 (1-2 sentences)
  • Share the good news: introducing a successful new sport
  • Paragraph 2 (2-4 sentences)
  • Details supporting or explaining the good news: explain Snow Triad, MOSF and Simpson’s connection to both
  • Paragraph 3 (2-4 sentences)
  • What the good news means to Simpson: Why does Simpson want to share this information with Sylvester? Why would Snow Triad appeal to the IOC for the 2022 Olympics?
  • Paragraph 4 (1-2 sentences)
  • Closing: request a meeting

Considerations:

Good-News Letter

*

ADV 225
Writing Project 2

  • Successful letters will
  • Explain who Simpson is
  • Introduce MOSF
  • Explain Snow Triad
  • Talk about its success to date

  • Use AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)
  • Remember to focus on your audience – Sue Sylvester
  • WIIFM (what’s in it for me?)

ADV 225
Writing Project 2

  • Goals:
  • Introduce Simpson and his organization
  • Introduce Snow Triad to Sue Sylvester
  • Explain why this new sport is ready for the Olympics
  • Request a meeting with Sue to discuss adopting Snow Triad as an Olympic Sport

  • Questions?
  • Also available after class

ADV 225

Academic Honesty

Academic Honesty

  • Honesty and ethical behavior are hallmarks of academic activity
  • American society (and many others) place high value on the rights of individuals to profit from their words and ideas
  • Patents
  • Copyrights
  • Trademarks and Service Marks
  • Intellectual Property Rights

Academic Honesty
AKA Plagiarism

  • Academic Dishonesty or Plagiarism
  • Representing someone else’s ideas or words as if they were yours is dishonest, unethical and often is a crime

  • Plagiarism =

“ . . . the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results or words without giving appropriate credit.”

Source: White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on Misconduct in Research as cited by MSU’s Office of the Ombudsperson

^^ This is appropriate appropriation

Academic Honesty

  • Plagiarism
  • Can be done intentionally or unintentionally
  • Examples
  • Copying answers on a test
  • Copying someone else’s term paper
  • Submitting a paper written for another class as an assignment in this class
  • Submitting someone else’s term paper with your name on it
  • Submitting PART of someone else’s term paper as if it’s your own

Academic Honesty

  • Examples from ADV 225
  • Copying or borrowing from another student’s work and representing it as if it was yours and yours alone = NOT OK
  • Working together on a project and submitting exactly the same language as the other student
  • Borrowing exact language from an example, assignment prompt, or scenario brief
  • Using a news release (or something else) that was produced in a prior semester or by another person

  • Working together to improve your work/edit your work =OK

Academic Honesty

  • MSU has a strict policy – and strict expectations – for Academic Integrity
  • Examples
  • Copying
  • Note taking for pay
  • Doing someone else’s homework
  • Selling papers from prior semesters
  • Other actions can run afoul of the university’s policy on academic integrity
  • Do your homework!
  • Visit https://www.msu.edu/~ombud/academic-integrity/plagiarism-policy.html for info.

Academic Honesty

  • Penalties
  • Zero on a project or test
  • 0.0 for the class
  • Academic Dishonesty Report

  • Based on suspicion, as granted by MSU

Academic Honesty

  • Material that isn’t yours must be properly credited
  • APA style
  • MLA style
  • Journalistic style = “attribution”

Attribution

  • In Journalism: “the identification of the source of reported information.”
  • Substantiation by naming a source
  • What must be attributed:
  • Things that people say – quotes
  • Paraphrase – indirect quote
  • “Disputable facts” – disagreeable facts
  • Unsubstantiated facts
  • Facts that are not intuitively obvious

Attribution

  • When do you attribute?
  • Quotes
  • When you make generalizations
  • When you claim specific benefits, positions or state opinions
  • When you use subjective language
  • Generous
  • Large, immense, huge
  • Whenever a statement could cause someone to say “Prove it” or “Says who?”

Attribution

  • Quotes
  • Anything reported as something someone said must include that person’s name.
  • We draft them – but use them purposefully.
  • Direct Quotes
  • Represent something someone said exactly as they said it.
  • Enclosed between quote marks.

  • Indirect Quotes
  • Represent the spirit of something someone said, NOT exactly as they said it
  • John Clark, the prosecutor, said he is glad the case is resolved.
  • According to his agent, Sting made the donation on the condition …

ADV 225

Writing Tool #7:

The “em” dash

(the long dash)

To look professional!

Writing Tool #7:
em dashes

  • What are em dashes?
  • em dash can be used to replace other punctuation marks to set off or emphasize parts of a sentence
  • Commas
  • Parentheses

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Writing Tool #7:
em dashes

  • When to use em dashes

News release: In datelines and with —MORE— at the bottom of traditional news releases

To signal that words set off from the rest of the sentence are not essential – but still important

To emphasize part of a sentence

To insert important information into a sentence without disrupting the flow

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  • Why to use em dashes
  • Emphasis
  • Create white space
  • Horizontal form of punctuation
  • Enhance readability
  • Efficiency
  • Polished presentation
  • You need them in news releases

Writing Tool #7:
em dashes

*

  • For emphasis
  • To summarize

We will visit several Midwestern cities – Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis.

  • To clarify

The course bulletins – undergrad and grad – give details of our classes.

  • To contrast

This year’s conference was sparsely attended – unlike last year’s.

  • For effect or emphasis

We’re holding a golf outing in May – an ideal reward for the top salespeople.

Writing Tool #7:
em dashes

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  • In place of commas or parentheses
  • But be consistent!

Commas

Please mark the meeting dates, March 15 and 16, on your calendar.

Parentheses

Please mark the meeting dates (March 15 and 16) on your calendar.

Dashes

Please mark the meeting dates – March 15 and 16 – on your calendar.

Writing Tool #7:
em dashes

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  • To interject an aside without disrupting flow
  • Aside = information that is useful but not essential to meaning / nonessential information
  • Example:

The items we need to get started – markers, pens and paper – are located in the supply cabinet.

Writing Tool #7:
em dashes

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  • How to create the em dash
  • Mac: alt/option-shift-dash
  • PC: See instructions below
  • In word document, go to Insert tab, then click on Symbol on far right
  • Click on More Symbols, then Special Characters tab in pop-up box
  • Em Dash will be at top of list. Note the Shortcut Key listed by default
  • If you want to simplify Shortcut Key, make sure "Em Dash" is selected, then click "Shortcut Key..." button on bottom of box
  • Once new Shortcut is inserted in box, click Assign
  • Close out of all boxes

Writing Tool #7:
em dashes

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  • How to use
  • Put a space on either side
  • This allows word processor to break on either side of the em dash

Writing Tool #7:
em dashes

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  • Must be balanced
  • em dash on BOTH sides of inserted material

  • Do not mix punctuation
  • Use em dashes with em dashes and commas with commas

Correct:

We asked for two-day shipping – the same as usual – and the package still isn’t here.

NOT correct:

We asked for two-day shipping – the same as usual, and the package still isn’t here.

Writing Tool #7:
em dashes

*

ADV 225

Media Relations

Media Relations

  • Media relations
  • Building and maintaining relationships with journalists
  • Communicating with journalists
  • Journalist
  • Anyone who gathers and reports news to a defined audience
  • Credible
  • Has an audience; respected by audience; influence
  • Newspaper reporter
  • Broadcast reporter
  • Blogger, vlogger
  • “Citizen journalists”

Media Relations

  • The news media is a critical public for PR pros
  • PR professionals wind up managing media relations
  • Relationships help ensure fair, balanced and timely coverage
  • Effective media relations depends on effective written communication

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Media Relations

  • Effective media relations is based on the exchange of consistent and constant information. 
  • Reporters, columnists and editorial writers are the gatekeepers of information.
  • Not like buying an advertisement
  • You don’t fully control the message
  • The more information you provide them, the greater the opportunity for quality and fair coverage.

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Media Relations Tools

  • Typical media relations communication tools
  • News Release
  • Media or News Advisory
  • Pitch Letter
  • Fact Sheets
  • One-pager/Backgrounders
  • Techniques for sharing story ideas and information with journalists

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Media Relations

  • Two ways to be involved in news coverage

Proactive

  • News YOU want to share
  • Stories you purposely and strategically offer to journalists

Reactive/Responsive

  • News SOMEONE ELSE wants
  • When you become the subject of a news story you did not seek

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Media Relations

  • Our focus is proactive media relations
  • Strategically pursuing news coverage
  • Developing story ideas and purposely offering them to journalists
  • Success relies on

Having a story that can be told

Making it relevant to the journalist’s audience

Demonstrating newsworthiness

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Demonstrating Newsworthiness

  • Determined by the journalist
  • Elements to help
  • A visual element
  • Local impact
  • Controversy/conflict
  • Human interest, esp. kids and/or animals
  • How your story impacts people
  • Major financial commitment/loss to community
  • Maybe like introducing a new sport?
  • Accessibility
  • Timeliness (now or in future, not already covered)
  • Something NEW
  • Dignitaries or celebrities (high profile)
  • Piggyback onto a national/statewide story

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Media Relations tool

News Releases

(also Writing Project 3)

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News Releases

  • Basic PR tool
  • At Least Three Types

Announcement: straight news story

  • Most likely to generate coverage

Feature: Combination of information and entertainment

Hybrid: A combination of feature and announcement

  • Announcement = most common

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News Releases

  • Goal
  • Earn coverage with compelling reasons why the story is newsworthy
  • Reasons to issue a news release
  • Promote events
  • Announce innovations, changes, new products
  • New employees, clients, leaders
  • Advocacy: positioning, reaction
  • Respond to/feed an ongoing story
  • Manage crisis

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News Releases

  • Releases are strategic
  • They have a goal – to earn coverage
  • Suggest a story idea (& why their audience wants to see it)
  • They are sales documents for PR pros!
  • Prepared as “ready for publication”
  • Often not published as written
  • Methods of Distribution
  • Direct (email, mail, in person)
  • PR Wire Services
  • Websites
  • Social media
  • Pitching/follow-up
  • “Make it as easy as possible for media representatives to do their jobs” – Mickie Kennedy, ereleases.com

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News Releases: format

  • Rigid structure: “Ready for Publication”
  • Formatted and written like a summary news story:
  • Inverted pyramid writing formula
  • Most important to least important information
  • General summary lead
  • 5Ws and H
  • Quotations
  • AP Style (which is why we will learn it)
  • No need for journalists/editors to edit
  • News Voice
  • Style and tone of a news report; facts only
  • Attribution: “take the onus off the reporter”

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News Releases: FORMAT

  • Two pages max (target: 400-600 words)
  • Bolded headline
  • Single space
  • Subhead in italics
  • Single space
  • Body is plain font
  • Double spaced (or 1-1/2 spacing)
  • Reasonable font size
  • 1-inch margins
  • Be brief, concise and clear
  • Focus on why story is newsworthy
  • Follow AP Style

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Media Relations TOOLS

Anatomy of

Traditional News Releases

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Anatomy of the News Release

  • Identification of the source of the release
  • Release timing
  • Release date
  • Contact person
  • Headline and subhead
  • Dateline
  • Lead paragraph
  • Quotes
  • Page formatting
  • Closing symbol

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Anatomy of the News Release

  • Clearly identify the news release’s source.
  • rominent logo on top
  • Tell reporters when they can use the information.
  • Is it For Immediate Release?
  • Or Embargoed Until …
  • Only for product launches
  • Is there any reason to embargo this release?
  • Probably not.
  • Include the release date.
  • Date the release is distributed or
  • The date and time the information is embargoed until.

Anatomy of the News Release

  • Include the contact person.
  • Full name and phone number, email or social media.
  • Who should this be?
  • Include a headline and subhead
  • Subhead(s) are optional – but strongly recommended.
  • But a must for your assignment

1. Writing the Headline

  • A compelling headline is critical to success!
  • The headline is your first opportunity to “sell” your news. Don’t waste it.
  • Localize the headline, but don’t use the word “local.”

Emphasize the human impact.

Deliver an important message.

Keep it brief: use no more than 8 words.

Make sure you have a subject and a verb.

Make sure you express a complete thought.

Sentence case

Ending punctuation (like a period) is not needed

  • SEO and keywords

2. Writing the Subhead

  • Use a subhead to support the headline!
  • Headlines have severe word count restrictions.
  • Use subhead to support it.
  • Enhance the headline
  • Localize the subhead, but don’t use the word “local.”

State part of the news announcement or a supporting message.

Emphasize the human impact.

Use no more than 14 words.

Make sure you have a subject and a verb.

Make sure you express a complete thought.

Sentence case

Ending punctuation (like a period) is not needed.

  • SEO and keywords

Anatomy of the News Release

  • If relevant, include the dateline.
  • City and state the news is distributed from.
  • Where does this news come from?
  • Watch your style!

3. Writing the Lead

  • Write a general summary lead paragraph.
  • Keep it brief: 25 words maximum*
  • Count words in the entire paragraph – not just the first sentence.
  • Remember the goal of a news release:
  • To earn media coverage.
  • To give reporters information that is compelling enough to convince their editors that it deserves to be in their newspaper or on the newscast.
  • Who is the target audience for your news release?
  • Journalists

*differs from the information from the book

  • Most important paragraph.
  • Shorter is better.
  • Write in the active voice.
  • Focus on the human impact.
  • Put the news in your lead!
  • Answer all (or some) of 5 Ws and the H.

3. Writing the Lead (continued)

  • Answer all (or some) of 5 Ws and the H
  • WHO is part of your story?
  • WHAT are you announcing?
  • WHERE does it take place?
  • WHEN does it take place?
  • WHY is it being announced?
  • HOW will it work?
  • Q: Are all of these things relevant to the news?

3. Writing the Lead (continued)

  • Announcement releases announce something
  • Typically the same day as the release
  • So they are constructed in the past tense + future tense
  • “today announced”
  • MOSF announced today it will host the first ever professional Snow Triad competition in Park City, Utah
  • Exception: headline and subhead are in present tense

3. Writing the Lead (continued)

4. Writing Quotes

  • PR writers typically craft quotes for their customers.
  • They are “invented,” but used purposefully.
  • Make sure they are meaningful and compelling.
  • Make sure the quote fits the perspective of the person to whom you attribute it – make sure it sounds like something a person in that position would actually say.
  • Make sure your source approves the quote before you make it public!
  • But not for this project

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4. Writing Quotes (continued)

  • Use the quote to tell part of the story.
  • Put each quote in its own separate paragraph.
  • No lead-in sentences.
  • Releases are written in the style of a PRINT story, not a broadcast story.
  • Let the quote work for itself.
  • If your quote is the first time a person appears in your release, report their full name and credentials.
  • Ex. Homer Simpson, founder and president of MOSF
  • If it’s not the first time, then report their last name only.
  • In announcement releases, use said exclusively.
  • NOT stated, claimed, replied, exclaimed, responded, replied, declared or any other synonym.
  • Yes, be boring

4. Writing Quotes (continued)

  • Use one of these two formats for effective quotes.
  • “I enjoy working there,” Davis said. “I am getting lots of experience that will help me get a job after graduation.”

  • “I enjoy working there. I am getting lots of experience that will help me get a job after graduation,” Davis said.

4. Writing Quotes (continued)

  • WRONG ...
  • When asked about her new job, Davis said, “I enjoy working there. I am getting lots of experience that will help me get a job after graduation.”

  • Do NOT include the lead-in!
  • When asked about her new job, Davis said, “I enjoy working there. I am getting lots of experience that will help me get a job after graduation.”
  • Delete the part in orange

4. Writing Quotes (continued)

  • Protect your quotes!
  • Include information that is vital to the story, not “fluff.”
  • If the primary verb in your quote is “excited,” it qualifies as fluff.
  • (Honored is the same as excited.)
  • Instead, write a quote that tells reporters WHY the source is excited.
  • Which is more effective?

“We are excited to have David DeBiose join our medical staff.”

OR

“David DeBiose has an outstanding resume and has the determination, skill and experience to make our new department extremely successful.”

4. Writing Quotes (continued)

Anatomy of the News Release:
Formatting

  • If you go beyond one page, you need special formatting:

  • — MORE —
  • Centered at the bottom of page 1.
  • Em dashes on either side.
  • Make an em dash by holding the control key and hitting the minus sign on the number pad twice.
  • AND...
  • A slug at the top of page 2
  • Slug = abbreviated version of the headline
  • Allows readers to match the two pages if they become physically separated
  • Boilerplate
  • Limit research for journalist
  • Make it easy to cover your story!
  • Notify the reader of end of your release with a traditional symbol:
  • ###
  • —30—
  • —ORGANIZATION NAME—

Anatomy of the News Release:
Formatting

Introducing Writing Project #3

News Release

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ADV 225
The Scenario

  • You work for a PR firm called Park Ranger Public Relations
  • Simpson has hired your firm to handle PR for the initiative
  • Your boss is Leslie Knope, APR

Leslie Knope, APR

ADV 225
The Scenario

  • More Olympic Sports Foundation (MOSF)
  • Homer Simpson, founder and president
  • Creates, plans, and promotes new Olympic-type sport competitions worldwide.
  • Credited with introducing new Olympic sports.
  • Hosted races and competitions for skeleton, rhythmic gymnastics, synchronized swimming and other such sports.

ADV 225
The Scenario

  • Snow Triad
  • A new take on a triathlon
  • Snowboard halfpipe
  • Aerial skiing
  • Figure skating
  • MOSF hosts Snow Triad amateur competitions in Park City, UT
  • Simpson wants this new sports to be adopted in the Olympics

Writing Project 3

  • Your job:
  • Craft a news release to introduce Snow Triad to the news media

Writing Project 3

  • Successful releases will
  • Announce the 15th competition at Utah Olympic Park
  • explain who Simpson is and describe his organization
  • include key details about the event and the location. (Such details would be similar to those developed in your blog post and good-news letter + information about the specific location.)
  • include at least one quote each from Simpson and Sylvester
  • Promote the Facebook page and website

Writing Project 3

  • Goals:
  • Earn stories about Snow Triad
  • Demonstrate why this new sport is interesting
  • Newsworthiness
  • Show why it is interesting to host at Utah Olympic Park
  • Make it local!
  • Raise awareness of MOSF and Snow Triad, a rising sport
  • Drive traffic to the website and generate Facebook “likes”

ADV 225

Activities 7 and 8:

Preparing your News Release

Activities 7 & 8

  • Use the worksheets as a starting point for your news release to draft the content
  • Identify the source
  • Specify Release Timing, Release date, Contact person
  • Craft Headline and Subhead
  • Craft Lead Paragraph
  • Build in Quotes and Supporting Details
  • Craft a “Call to Action”
  • Compose in a News Voice
  • Attribute unsubstantiated facts
  • Ex. Simpson claims Iron Cross is the hardest race in the world.

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Activities 7 & 8

  • Complete Activities 7 and 8 outside of class.
  • Find the activities on D2L.
  • Complete as directed.
  • When finished, save the files and attach to the appropriate D2L dropbox.
  • You must complete and submit BOTH of these activities BEFORE you will be able to see the dropbox for WP3.

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Questions?

What’s due?

  • Due TODAY
  • Quiz 3 (8 a.m.)
  • Writing Project 2 (7 p.m.)

  • Due by 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 14
  • Assignment 7 & 8

Have a great week!

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