Becoming a Public Relations Writer

By Ronald D. Smith

Third edition: 2008. Routledge/Taylor & Francis
464 pages. ISBN 0-8058-4260-8

Colleges & universities using this book

Becoming a Public Relations Writer is a textbook for college and university students and a self-study guide for practitioners.

Part 1: Principles of Effective Writing
deals with principles of effective writing, useful in all disciplines

Chapter 1: Writing ... and What It Means to You
introduces various approaches to public relations writing and offers a premise central to this book: That you are a competent writer on the threshold of transforming competence into excellence (creative and functional writing)

Chapter 2: Effective Writing
provides a review of writing fundamentals and puts some writing practices into the context of public relations (standard usage, simple writing, meaningful language)

Chapter 3: Communication and Persuasion
provides a quick tour through the theories and research findings associated with communication and persuasion (theories, communication, persuasion, lessons)

Chapter 4: The Writing Process
addresses the planning and research aspects of public relations writing (planning sheets, research, media directories, writing process)

Part 2: Public Relations Writing Through Journalistic Media
focuses on news as the bridge an organization can build to its various publics

Chapter 5: News and the Public Relations Writer
explores the concept of news and offers insights into the relationship between journalists and public relations practitioners (defining news, finding and generating news, defamation, privacy)

Chapter 6: Writing News Releases
introduces the news release as the basic instrument for communicating with publics through the news media (fact sheet, news release, writing, localizing)

Chapter 7: Working With the Media
further explores news releases and alternative formats for media releases, and offers insights into relationships with journalists (dissemination, common errors, captions, advisories)

Chapter 8: Writing for Broadcast
focuses on ways an organization can communicate through radio and television news (broadcast news release, actuality, video news release)

Chapter 10: Organizational Features
deals with various writing opportunities with a feature approach (narrative, profile, history, backgrounder, Q&A, case study, service article, digest)

Chapter 10: Advocacy and Opinion
looks at various opportunities for opinion writing in public relations contexts (position statement, letters to the editor, guest editorials, op-ed commentaries, issue advisory, corporate speech)

Part 3: Public Relations Writing Through Organizational Media
takes you through a variety of writing formats and environments that provide an internal or controlled approach.

Chapter 11: Fliers and Brochures
explores writing and producing internal public relations media (flier, brochure, multicultural audiences)

Chapter 12: Newsletters
focuses on writing and copyediting for organizational publications (varieties and types, writing, corporate report, editing, intellectual property)

Chapter 13: Direct Mail Appeals
provides an in-depth look at writing appeal letters for financial and other kinds of support

Chapter 14: Public Relations Advertising
looks at strategy and writing approaches for various kinds of advertising media used for public relations purposes (creativity, public service advertising, advocacy advertising)

Chapter 15: Speeches and Interviews
explores the role of spoken communication within public relations (planning, speech writing, interviews)

Part 4: Pulling It All Together
is the wrap up that pulls together the various writing styles presented in this book as part of an integrated communication package.

Chapter 16: Information Kits
deals with packaging various writing formats into effective information kits, including media kits (samples, recycling information)

Chapter 17: Writing for News Conferences
explores how the various public relations writing formats are useful in implementing news conferences

Appendices
This book includes five appendices relevant both as help while you work through this course and as future reference materials.

Appendix A is a Common Sense Stylebook for Public Relations Writers that incorporates themes from the Associated Press Stylebook and offers alternatives when writing for non-public media.

Appendix B charts copyediting symbols useful for any writing situation.

Appendix C looks at public relations as a career and presents information on cover letters and resumes.

Appendix D provides a guide to several public relations organizations that can help graduates with professional contacts.

Appendix E features codes of professional ethics of major public relations organizations

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