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.
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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
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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
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Reading Formulas
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Flesch Readability Formula
 Developed
by the late Rudolf Flesch
 Flesch’s suggestions
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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
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Flesch Suggestions contd.
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Remember the A’s
Avoid:
Big words
Extra words
Clichés
Latin
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And the B’s
Be:
Active
Simple
Short
Organized
Convincing
Understandable
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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.
17-7
Writing News Releases
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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)
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 Impact,
oddity, conflict, known principal,
proximity
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Dos
Only 10% of all news releases are
published
Should reflect actual news
AP (Associated Press) style
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Format
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Spacing, Paper
Identification
Release Date
Margins, Length, Paragraphs
Slug Lines, Headlines
Boilerplates
Proofing/editing
Timing
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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.
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17-15
Question…..

What famous late celebrity comedian was first
reported dead in 1998 but didn’t die until 2003?
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Hint: Thanks for the memories, he was a
classic.
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Answer: Bob Hope
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Editing
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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
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Write a news release lead about an upand-coming event taking place at your
school. Remember to proof and edit your
work.
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