ENGL 354 English for Public Relations Week 6

1. ENGL 354English for Public RelationsWeek 6 Lecturer: Kathryn Davies

2. http://www.polyu.edu.hk/dso/talks/20130326.html

3. Assessment Schedule • Presentations: will wrap up this week and next. • Assessment 2, Feature Article: Friday, March 29 (Week 8) • Assessment 3, Website Analysis: Monday, April 15 (Week 11) • Assessment 4, Press Conference: Week 14 & 15in lecture! ALSO: Monday tutorial, Week 7 (next week), please meet in CD301!!!!!

4. 1. The Writing Process 1.1 Analysis of Key Publics 1.2 Planning Sheet 1.3 Researching the Topic 2. Review Feature Article Types of Feature Articles 2.1. Biographical narrative 2.2 Personal Profile 2.3 Personal Interview 2.4 Organizational History 2.5 Organizational Profile 2.6 Backgrounder 3. Types of Feature Articles – Writing about Issues 3.1 How-to Article 3.2 Question-and-answer Feature Today’s Topics

5. How can you best approach a writing task in PR? The Writing Process

6. The Writing Process - Intro Who are my publics? What do they know about my organization or client? What do they think about this? What information will be interesting and useful to them? How can I best reach them? How can I inform and persuade them? ALSO: must focus on good writing itself! Quality writing takes time. Process needs revising and drafts.

7. Strategic Planning Writing tasks are often a part of a wider public relations campaign.  These develop objectives and strategic plans. Writer must work within this framework. Most important aspect: publics. Publics: the group of people who share a common bond or relationship with an organization. Affect your organization  publics  are affected by your organization General public  define your publics as specifically as possible. Students: graduate students? Entering students? Minority students? Commuters?

8. How can you identify & analyze your publics? Public relations audit: listing all the possible publics important to your audience. Then prioritize each and identify a few key publics you want to communicate with for this project.  Key publics: specific publics that you identify as being most important to your writing activity. Analyze the key publics so you can understand and emphasize with them  makes you more effective.

9. Analysis of Key Publics • Questions to think about: • What interests them? • What do they like/dislike? • What do they need or think they need? • Focus on their needs, not what information you want to provide them. • WIN: want, interests, needs. • Address their want, interests, needs, instead of your own.

10. Analysis of Key PublicsWhat motivates people? • Harold Lasswell’s 8 value categories: • Power • Wealth • Respect • Well-being • Affection • Skill • Rectitude (moral correctness) • Enlightenment  These things motivate most people. • Vance Packard’s 8 hidden persuaders: • Emotional security • Reassurance of self-worth • Ego gratification • Creative outlets • Love objects • Sense of power • Sense of roots • Immortality

11. Analysis of Key PublicsHierarchy of Needs (Maslow) • Principle of Prepotency – the lowest unfulfilled need will motivate behavior.

12. Analysis of Key PublicsAltruism Altruism (Al*tru*ism): noun 1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism). The task of PR writing may be to give readers an opportunity both to help others and exercise their altruistic needs.

13. Analysis of Key Publics When analyzing key publics, consider: • Positive and negative aspects (e.g. what they don’t want, too). • Listing and analysis of demographic and sociographic barriers. • Ethnic differences (between public and organization): language, culture, values, lifestyle, etc. • Grunig’ssituational theory: factors in the evolution of publics. 1.) The extent to which they are aware the problem exists; 2.) The extent to which they see themselves as either limited or free to act on the situation; 3.) the extent to which they recognize that they are involved in or affected by the situation.

14. Planning Sheet • Good writing  logical progression. • Good writing  evolves from a plan. • Planning is time well-spent! • Planning sheet: outline to guide the writer towards prepareing effective pieces of writing. • Focuses on: target publics, benefits, objectives and tone!

15. Planning Sheet8 Parts To pitch an idea: try to sell it, convince someone buy it. “Sales pitch.” 1.) Public relations situation: brief note on general scope of writing task. (e.g. CEO’s banquet for retired employees) 2.) Key publics: List 1 to 3 key publics that you’ll address. Write a brief analysis: identify their major characteristics, note their wants, interests, and needs. 3.) News pitch: brief statement that sums up the main newsworthy message. 1 sentence (140 characters) pitch! 4.) Benefit statement: What one thing do you want your readers to remember? Think about what your organization offers your key publics. How the organization satisfies the public’s wants, interests, and needs.

16. Planning Sheet8 Parts 5.) Tone of message: How do you want the readers to feel? Humor vs. fear? Dispassionate & objective vs. emotions and logical approaches. 6.) Intended outcomes: Draw on the objectives of the overall PR campaign. Note the outcomes that you intend to achieve. 7.) Action statement: Provide specific ways to facilitate the next step for your readers. What follow-up actions will you invite your readers to take? 8.) Readability range: indicate the grade-level of your key public. (Level of technical knowledge, etc.)

17. Planning Sheet Example: • Public relations situation: promotional campaign to attract more customers for Teeny Tykes Day Care Center. • Analysis of key publics: • 1.) Families with no at-home parent(s): • Quality day care • Safety for child • Stimulating environment • Comfort of knowledge that work schedule not detrimental to child’s development. • 2.) Families with at-home parents: • Occasional time away from child • Opportunity for child to socialize with other children. • News pitch: Teeny Tykes invites parents to day care open house to see how children thrive in a safe environment fostering social skills and emotional growth. • Benefit Statement: Teeny Tykes can assure members of the key public that it can provide quality day care for their children, with emphasis on safety, socialization, and emotional and intellectual development. Teeny Tykes can provide parents with certification reports and testimonials from other parents. • Tone of message: Communication with potential new client families should be positive, encouraging. It should be child centered, demonstrating that although the parent will pay the bill, the center considers the child to be the primary customer. • Intended Outcomes: • To increase parents’ understanding of the range of programs and services available; • To instill confidence that Teeny Tykes would be a good environment for their children; • To encourage and facilitate enrollment in Teeny Tykes. • Action Statement: Inviting parents to open house and driving traffic to Teeny Tykes website. • Readability range: A grade level of 9-11 would make this information accessible to key publics.

18. Researching the Topic • Good writers know more about the topic than they write. • You must gather enough information to make a reasonable judgment of the topic. • Three types: • Casual • Secondary • Primary

19. Researching the TopicCasual Research • Think about the situation, ask around. • Interviews: • Informal • Formal / intensive • Interview tips: • Write out questions beforehand. • Establish rapport • Discuss the background of your research • Distinguish between FACT questions and OPINION questions. • Look for questions to help gain information about why this is interesting to your intended audience. • Rely on open-ended questions

20. Researching the TopicSecondary Research • Gathering information that is already available, such as through: • Organizational files • Organization archives • Libraries • Government materials • Online resources – use credible, known sources (e.g. http://www.reuters.com/); be careful with wiki sites! • Professional materials – national and local organizations have information for PR writers and are willing to share particularly when it serves their organizational purposes.

21. Researching the TopicPrimary Research • Primary/formal research – generating new data, collected for specific project. • Examples: • Surveys, content analyses, focus groups. • Usually done within the scope of the PR campaign, not just for writing tasks.

22. 9 Steps to Effective Writing 1.) Plan what you want to write. 2.) Research the needed information 3.) Organize your writing. 4.) Write and print the first draft. 5.) Review your planning sheet and revise the first draft. 6.) Polish the language in the second draft and print this. 7.) Proofread this draft for language mechanics. 8.) Get the necessary approvals. 9.) Publish your writing in it’s final form.

23. 5. Types of Press Releases Announcement release: Event release: present information about something that will be happening soon. Logistical details (time, place, directions). Personnel release: promotions and personnel changes. Often management-level positions, well-known people. Focus: who. Progress release: developments within organizations. Often relate to local interests. Program release: new services of interest. Often non-profit org. Product release: about new products, etc. Maybe for trade publications. Bad-news release: plant closing, program cutbacks, corporate takeovers. Crisis release: deal directly, swiftly, accurate with crisis, which is major, unfortunately, sudden and unpredicted event. Financial release: intended for news venues and people with financial interest. Might have specialized knowledge.

24. Communications in PR Feature Article – Part 2

25. What is a Feature Article? Feature articles can be informative, entertaining, persuasive or they may simply satisfy the reader's curiosity about a particular topic. A feature article may provide more information about an important issue, offer an opinion about current affairs or simply present a personal or humorous perspective on modern day life. Unlike news reports which can quickly go out of date, feature articles have a more general focus and do not go out of date after a few days. Feature writers are often regular contributors who have particular expertise or interest in their subject or topic. Article writers go beyond just the facts on the surface and add colour, detail, background and personal comment. The appeal of feature articles is usually the personal perspective on offer.

26. Language Background FIELD - the social action: ‘what is actually taking place’.  Refers to what is happening, to the nature of the social action that is taking place: what is it that the participants are engaged in, in which language figures as some essential component TENOR - the role structure: ‘who is taking part’.  Refers to who is taking part, to the nature of the Participants, including permanent and temporary relationships of one kind or another, both the types of speech role that they are taking on the dialogue and the whole cluster of socially significant relationships in which they are involved MODE - the symbolic organization: ‘what role language is playing’.  Refers to what part language is playing, what is it that the Participants are expecting language to do for them in the situation: the symbolic organisation of the text, the status that it has, and its function in the context, including the channel (is it spoken or written, or some combination of the two?)

27. Whereas the ‘most objective’ extract presents the event as a fact, the other two extracts include nonfactual comments on the event in increasing levels of explicitness. The ‘objective’ text is written by a news reporter who is expected merely record facts. The most ‘subjective’ texts suggest their writers presumed the right to signal their personal presence, and thus establish a more personal relationship with their readers. This means that the tenor, the practical relationship between writer and reader, changes from ‘informing the reader about facts’ to ‘persuading the reader to accept a viewpoint’. informing

28. Review Feature Article FA can be subjective and are a tool for persuading the public. Press Releases focus on presenting more objective information (facts). FA give an organization an opportunity to personalize information, or add soul to it. For Public Relations purposes, they can appear in/on: company websites (e.g. in a “news” section), monthly or weekly newsletters, in-trade magazines, blogs, social media sites.

29. Review Feature Article FA don’t use the “inverted pyramid” structure of Press Releases  You have to choose the best style depending upon the task or story (e.g. follow a chronological order if you’re presenting a biography.) You can and should use colorful language: descriptive adjectives, superlatives, etc. Use personal words: you, us, we

30. Review Feature Article Overall structure: Lead: grab the reader’s interest/attention. Nut graf: transition between lead and rest of the story. Content, information, story…(using personal words) Kicker

31. Review of Feature ArticleStructure (Wilcox, 2009) • Overall structure: • The headline: • 20 words or less • Use name of organization or product if it is well-known • Information headlines: give crux of story • “Travel Tips: Travel insurance Offers Peace of Mind on Family Vacations.” • Play-on-words headline: uses alliteration, or rhyme, raises curiosity: • “Work and Money Problems Are One Big Headache.” (Tylenol) • “Knight of the Road Spends Night on the Road.” (Trucking Association)

32. Review of Feature ArticleStructure (Wilcox, 2009) • Lead: tells basic facts in a nutshell. • Attract the attention of your reader. • Brief and concise. • Usually 30 words. • Body:no constraints for structure (you use your creativity to develop it!). Include some of the following: • Direct quotes from people, • Concrete examples and illustrations, • Basic statistics or research findings, • Descriptive words that paint mental pictures, • Information presented in an entertaining way.

33. Review of Feature ArticleStructure (Wilcox, 2009) Summary: sometimes most important part! Brief, complete, clear. Core message to leave the reader. Add sources for more informtation here! One last point: photos and graphics!

34. Types of Feature Articles • Writing about people: • Biographical narrative • Personal profile • Personal interview • Writing about organizations: • Organizational history • Organizational profile • Backgrounder • Writing about issues: • How-to Article • Question-and-answer feature • Case study • Information digest

35. Types of FA: Biographical Narrative Straightforward account of a person’s work history, accomplishments, education, etc. They provide info that can be a supplement to press releases, advance info for speaking engagements, background for award presentations, or event fliers. Factual info can be found in a bio sheet on PR files. Presents background information about a person involved in news-related activity. They can either be presented comprehensively, in chronological order, or focus on only one aspect of person (e.g. professional).

36. Types of FA: Biographical Narrative Sara Taylor – Biographical Sketch Sara Taylor is the author of three award-winning books. Unrelenting Pain received the 1999 Elizabeth Gumme Award from the Midwestern Coalition on Domestic Violence. Lay the Blame Softly was cited by the Library Association of the Soutwest as the 2003 Best Read in the self-help category. The Secret of the Enchanted Tulip received the 2010 Alyssa Award for Children’s Literature. Taylor is currently editing a book of poetry due to be published next January. Prior to her career as a novelist, Taylor served as public education director for the Southwestern Alliance Against Domestic Violence. Her work received awards from the National Alliance Against Domestic Violence and the Public Relations Association of the Southwest. She also worked as a reporter with the Deansville (Ariz.) Bugle Newspaper. She received the 1993 award for investigative reporting from the Arizona Journalism Association and a citation from the Southwest Civil Rights League. Taylor is a 1985 graduate of Oakview University, where she received a bachelor of arts degree in communication arts.

37. Types of FA: Biographical Narrative First talks about most famous awards received. Then chronological descending order. Includes information about: her professional achievements (awards for her books), professional background, education. Could be used for: sidebar story, could become part of a news release (with the news preceding it), a blog entry, part of a series of staff biographies, or a hyperlink from a Web article about an organization and its employees.

38. Types of FA: Personal Profile Goes beyond biographical narrative. Provides information about a person (established figure: celebrity, organizational executive). Interest is personality more than accomplishments. Biographical narrative: information the person has provided. Personal profile: about what other people say about the subject or from interviews.

39. Types of FA: Personal Profile Sara Taylor: Her Gentle Obsession Most people are content to pursue one career. Sara Taylor has found success in three. The 1985 graduate of Oakview University was a soul in search of expression even as a student majoring in communication arts and working on the college newspaper. “The focal décor in my dorm room was this huge poster that said ‘Express Yourself,’” recalls Taylor. “That’s been a gentle obsession for me.” When Taylor is in a reflective mood, she sees the post as a metaphor of her life’s work, which has taken her through various roles: journalist, activist, lobbyist, social worker, novelist, poet. Her first job was as a police reporter with the Deansvielle (Ariz.) BugleNewspaper. Her triumph there came when she was assigned to cover a local bank robbery. … Taylor currently is editing Voices Beyond the Abyss, a book of poetry written by victims who have reclaimed their lives after abuse. “I still have that old dorm poster,” said Taylor. “The paper is wrinkled, but the message is still fresh. As long as we’re alive, we’ve all got to find ways to express ourselves. That’s why I’m still pursuing my gentle obsession.”

40. Types of FA: Personal Interview • Interviews: best tool for writing about what a person knows. • The writer asks the person to comment on what has, is, or will be happening and to explain what the writer has already discovered in background research. • Quotes are an important aspect of the personal interview. • PR writers have a certain degree of freedom to work with quotes. Don’t delete actual material they say, but you can delete “uhh” or “whatdoyoucallit” phrases. You can thoughtfully arrange the quotes. Keep in mind though: accuracy, honesty, fairness, and ethical considerations are important.

41. Types of FA: Personal Interview Two ways of presenting a Personal Interview: • Narrative feature: story based on interviews; draws on the feature-writing skills of the PR practitioner. • Interview notes: near-verbatim transcripts in a question-and-answer format. • Usually begins with brief biographical sketch. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19923566

42. Types of FA: Personal Interview • How to prepare a planning sheet: • Identify: key publics, their wants, interests and needs. • Identify your objectives. • Identify relevant questions to ask the subject. • Follow this with research on the subject of the interview. • Read the person’s biography. • Review any articles or books written about the person.

43. Types of FA: Organizational History • Presents a narrative on the beginnings and development of the organization. • It’s important for explaining what an organization does or stands for. • May include a: • Mission statement: indicates the purpose that an organization perceives for itself. • Vision statement: what the organization hopes to achieve. • You have to research your organization’s past and put it in a form that is interesting and useful. • Should include: factual basis, offer names, dates, and other specific information

44. Types of FA: Organizational Profileor Corporate Backgrounders • Includes an organizations: • History, • Overview of the organization’s mission or purpose, • Operating practices and philosophy, • Achievements • Can be more technical for the field, or meant to untangle readers unfamiliar with some technical terms/info. • Flexible styles acceptable. • Approach: outline your topic.

45. Types of FA: Organizational Profileor Corporate Backgrounders Chartered in 1947, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the world’s largest and foremost organization of public relations professionals. PRSA provides professional development, sets standards of excellence and upholds principles of ethics for its members and, more broadly, the multi-billion-dollar global public relations profession. We also advocate for greater understanding and adoption of public relations services, and act as one of the industry’s leading voices on the important business and professional issues of our time. PRSA is a community of more than 21,000 public relations and communications professionals across the United States, from recent college graduates to the leaders of the world’s largest multinational firms. Our members represent nearly every practice area and professional and academic setting within the public relations field. In addition, there are more than 10,000 students who are members of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at colleges and universities here and abroad.

46. Types of FA: Organizational Profileor Corporate Backgrounders • Includes: • Background information about organization.  1947 • Explains what they do and what they stand for.  sentences 2-3 • Gives details about the organization.  21,000 professionals, etc.

47. Types of FA: Backgrounder Factual piece Provides a backdrop to a produce or service. Explains the context of a situation affecting the organization. May include technical info. PR writers: must plan this well.

48. Writing about Issues • The media is more likely to pick up an article with a strong consumer approach. • Information that is: significant, local, balanced, and timely. • Examine meaningful problems and suggest practical solutions. • Writers should attribute information about the organization matter-of-factly, without excessive self-serving promotionalism. • Give readers useful information or advice without being overt commercialism. • Focus on benefits rather than the organization.

49. Consumer-interest Articles Tips: Write informally and personally to the reader. Use “you” words. But be less free with “we” words to avoid sounding preachy or promotional. Emphasize what can be accomplished instead of what can’t. Consider source credibility. The most persuasive source is an organization similar to your key public that has successfully resolved this problem. The reader might not have a background in this problem. Don’t overestimate the reader’s knowledge.

50. Types of FA: Issues • Four types : • How-to Article • Question-and-answer • Case studies • Information Digests.