Public Relations

Session 4
Writing
DR. PRIYANKA DASGUPTA
Fundamentals of Writing

 Idea must precede the expression; must satisfy four criteria

1. Must relate to the reader
2. Must engage the reader’s attention
3. Must concern the reader
4. Must be in the reader’s interest
 Don’t be afraid of the draft
 Simplify, clarify, explain
 Aim at a particular audience
The News Release

 Most important PR writing vehicle

 States an organization’s official position
 Influence a publication to write favorably about the content
discussed
 Must have news value
The News Release – format &
style
 Use the correct release language
 Write a summary paragraph
 Include city, date
 Craft your first paragraph- 5Ws and H
 Should be typed and double-spaced
 Identification
 Use gender-neutral language
 Should not be more than 2 pages
The Biography

 Recounts pertinent facts about a particular individual

 Organizations keep a bio of all top officers
 Straight bios or narrative bios
 Straight bio lists factual information in descending order
 Narrative style is more informal; makes the individual come alive
Biography
David Rockefeller, an international
businessman and philanthropist,
became chairman of the board of
directors and chief executive officer
of the Chase Manhattan Bank in
New York on March 1, 1969.
During his career with Chase
Manhattan, Rockefeller gained a
worldwide reputation as a leading
banker and spokesman for the
business community. He
spearheaded the bank’s expansion
internationally and helped the bank
play a significant role as a corporate
citizen.
David Rockefeller, who has been
described as a man possessed of a
“peculiar blend of enterprise, prudence,
knowledge and dedication,” is the
world’s premier business statesman.
His mother was Abby Aldrich, daughter
of Nelson Aldrich. She had met John
Rockefeller, when he was an
undergraduate student at Brown
University.
John Rockefeller was anxious not be
spoiled by his wealth and therefore put
them on strict allowances. The
household atmosphere was deeply
religious, with one of the children
reading the Bible each morning before
breakfast.
The Backgrounder

 Background pieces offer additional information

 Assist the journalist in writing the story
 Can be written in a news release or a descriptive style
 Subject matter dictates style
News Release vs Descriptive Style
The original Swensen’s Ice Cream
Shoppe was established in 1948 by
Earle Swensen in San Francisco.
In 1963, Swensen licensed the
company’s predecessor, See Us-
Freeze, Inc., to use Swensen’s trade
names, trade secrets, recipes, and
methods of operation as the basis for
Swensen’s franchise system. The
license agreement was modified in
June 1975 and permits the company
to use the licensed property and
franchise Swensen’s shops in all
areas of the world except the city of
SFO.
The man was an African American, a 24
year old student in a professional school
in Illinois. One day in 1904, he came to
James Rice, an eminent Chicago
cardiologist with symptoms Rice had
never seen before. The patient had
shortness of breath, palpitation,
jaundice and cough. Blood smears
showed many odd-shaped cells, but
what arrested the eye was the presence
of numerous sickle-shaped cells.
Rice kept the patient under observation
for many years. He did not suspect that
he was looking at a disease that
afflicted millions of people, including
thousands of blacks in America.
The Feature
 Features the D-E-E style (description, explanation, evaluation)
 Describe the existing situation
In Texas on business last week, Susan Binion took a day off and drove with her
sister-in-law to South Island to relax. As the car got closer to the island’s famed
beaches, relaxation receded. “Guys started rolling down their car windows
hollering stuff at us,” said Susan Binion, a 37-year-old mother of three. “I looked
at my sister-in-law and said, ‘I wonder if this is spring break.’”

 Explains how a situation, trend or event came to be

In the dark days before MTV, spring break was confined to only a few resort
areas such as Fort Lauderdale. Indeed for many college students, FL was
synonymous with spring break- an association that the city grew to view as a
tourist detraction. To erase this image, the city imposed strict drinking laws.
Other spring break towns followed, forcing the college scene to disperse.
The Feature

 Evaluates the meaning, focuses on the future

A spokesman for the city insists that Clearwater isn’t a spring break site- but
John Rice is one of the many regular tourists who begs to differ. “There’s not
much beach a lot of people,” says Mr. Rice, 40, who visits his in-laws there
once a year. But in spite of that, he says, “It’s really exciting to be reliving
the old days, even though you don’t look like a college student anymore.”
The Pitch Letter

 Intended to interest the reporter/editor

 Has a catchy lead; direct and to the point
 Example- New York Covenant House letter
Covenant House pitch letter
Please read what I have to tell you.
Children are being sold.
Their bodies and spirits are being corrupted.
They are forced into a life of abuse and degradation.
Where?
India? Uganda? Peru?
No!
Right here in New York, the Big Apple, Fun City.
Covenant House began as a response to the needs of these children of
the streets. Will you join me in helping to carry out this work?