What is Writing for Public Relations

Introduction



There are 2 senses for Public Relations Writing



1 Literal

2 Professional senses





Writing Process



- Elements

- to be communicated

- target publics

- channels





Basic Communication



Sender (PR practitioner) -----> Message (channel/media) -----> receiver (publics)





Publics (wikipedia)



Publics targeting


A fundamental technique used in public relations is to identify the target audience, and to tailor every message to appeal to that audience. It can be a general, nationwide or worldwide audience, but it is more often a segment of a population. Marketers often refer to economy-driven "demographics," such as "black males 18-49," but in public relations an audience is more fluid, being whoever someone wants to reach. For example, recent political audiences include "soccer moms" and "NASCAR dads." There is also a psychographic grouping based on fitness level, eating preferences, "adrenaline junkies,"etc...


In addition to audiences, there are usually stakeholders, literally people who have a "stake" in a given issue. All audiences are stakeholders (or presumptive stakeholders), but not all stakeholders are audiences. For example, a charity commissions a PR agency to create an advertising campaign to raise money to find a cure for a disease. The charity and the people with the disease are stakeholders, but the audience is anyone who is likely to donate money.
Sometimes the interests of differing audiences and stakeholders common to a PR effort necessitate the creation of several distinct but still complementary messages. This is not always easy to do, and sometimes – especially in politics – a spokesperson or client says something to one audience that angers another audience or group of stakeholders.

Channels

- specified media - specified audience (eg employees - newsletter)

- mass media - for mass audience (eg magazine, books)

ROLE

PR Writers Role

1 - Well verse with all aspects of the organisation

2 - Well verse about the organisation's public

3 - Be able to determine the best channels to seperate the message

4 - Well verse in communication (tools)

GOAL

Communicators - to inform

Receivers - learn threats and opportunities, understand, accepting realities, decide

Communicators - to teach

Receivers - acquire skills and knowledge to functions effectively in the community, learn appropriate values, behaviours and role from acceptance in the community

Communicators - to persuade

Receivers - to reach decisions, to adopt appropriate values, behaviours and roles for acceptance in the community

Communicators - to please

Receivers - to enjoy, relax, entertained, to be distrated from problem

TOOLS for WRITERS

- Equipment (references eg dictionary, internet, notes, trends, professional periodicals)

- Research

RESEARCH

1 - Essential first stop to writing

2 A process of gathering, organising, presenting, updating and revising information

3 (i) Primary resources

(ii) Secondary resources

RESEARCH - Primary Sources

1 - Interviewing

Characteristics for interviewing

- research the subject

- research the person we are going to interview

- prepare list of questions

- use recorder and take notes (do not totally depend on memory)

- Ask to explain if not sure of answer

- Ask specific question to get specific answers

- Ask one questions at a time

Character of an interviewer

- warm and responsive

- to create a permissive atmosphere

- must not apply pressure

From this primary resources to this research

- focus from the interview

- Questionnaires

(until then)...