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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2000
Writing and Presentation Skills
Chapter 10
Public Relations:
A Values-Driven Approach
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2000
A Context for Public Relations Writing
• Journalists write to inform.
• Advertisers write to persuade.
• Public relations practitioners write to build relationships.– Public relations writing usually is a tactic in a
relationship-building plan.
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The Writing Process
Credibility
Research
Organization
Writing
Revision
Macroediting
Distribution
Microediting
Approval
Evaluation
Communication with Supervisors a
nd/or Clients
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The Writing Process Stage One: Credibility
• Aristotle and ethos
• The importance of values
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The Writing Process Stage Two: Research• What is my purpose in writing?
• Who is my targeted public?
• What are the values and interests of my targeted public in this situation?
• What message should I send?
• What information supports my message?
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The Writing Process Stage Three: Organization
• Organization draws readers’ attention to the message and the supporting information.
• Writers should use a formal or informal outline.
• News stories often use the inverted pyramid organization.
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The Writing Process Stage Four: Writing
• Strategies for getting started:
– Because of your outline, you can begin at any
point.
– Just start writing; you can revise later.
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The Writing Process Stage Five: Revision
• Set your document aside for as long as possible.– Avoid the “euphoria of creation.”
• Imagine a reader leaning over your shoulder and asking pertinent questions.
• Test each sentence against the document’s goal.
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The Writing Process Stage Six: Macroediting
• Is the message clear?
• Does the document answer the important elements of who, what, when, where, why, and how?
• Is the document fair to all concerned?
• Does the document have any unproven claims?
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The Writing Process Stage Six: Macroediting
• Are the main points in a logical order?
• Does one paragraph lead gracefully to the next?
• Is the format correct?
• Does the format assist the meaning?
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The Writing Process Stage Seven: Microediting
• Check the document sentence by sentence.
• Edit backward by sentences, starting with the last sentence.
• Double-check all names, titles, numbers, and all other facts.
• Double-check grammar, including spelling and punctuation.
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The Writing Process Stage Eight: Approval
• Seek your supervisor’s advice on who
should review the document before
distribution.
• Follow a well-documented approvals
system.
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The Writing Process Stage Nine: Distribution• Distribution differs from document to
document.• As more distribution channels become
electronic, writers assume more responsibility for distribution.
• Writers may wish to confirm that distribution occurred as planned.
• The channels of distribution should be those preferred by the targeted public(s).
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The Writing Process Stage Ten: Evaluation
• Evaluation actually occurs throughout the writing process.
• Was the document received through channels preferred by the targeted public(s)?
• Did the document achieve its purpose as a public relations tactic?
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Writing for the Ear
• Remember that the speaker has to breathe.
• Limit each sentence to one idea.
• Use concrete words and images.
• Use precise nouns and verbs.
• Challenge every word in every sentence.
• Spell out big numbers, and give phonetic spellings for hard to pronounce words.
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Writing for the Ear
• Use traditional syntax (word order).
• Link sentences and paragraphs with clear transitions.
• Attribute direct quotations at the beginning of a sentence.
• Introduce important points with general, descriptive sentences.
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Writing for the Ear
• Gracefully repeat main points.
• Avoid closing with “in conclusion.”
• Break any of these “writing for the ear”
rules if doing so will help the listener.
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The Process of Presentations
• Research
• Planning
• Communication
• Evaluation
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Researching a Presentation
• Research the targeted public.– What values and interests unite its members?– What do they hope to learn from your
presentation?– Who are the decision makers and opinion
leaders?
• Research the “when, where, how, and how long” aspects of your presentation.
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Planning a Presentation
• Plan to be yourself.
• Plan a message that combines the values and interests of the targeted public with your goal in speaking.
• Plan the presentation for the requested length.
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Planning a Presentation
• Outline the presentation.
• Memorize the beginning, ending, and any
important anecdotes.
• Practice! Practice! Practice!
- Then practice some more!
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Planning a Presentation
• Using visual aids
– Visual aids can
• increase audience learning by 200 percent;
• increase audience retention of main points by 38
percent; and
• reduce explanation time by 40 percent.
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Planning a Presentation
• Planning for problems– Have a second copy of your script or outline
easily accessible.– Have backup projection systems for visual aids.– Ship materials well in advance -- or carry them
yourself.– Trouble-shoot your presentation technology
one hour before the presentation.
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Making a Presentation
• Maintain eye contact.– Identify decision makers and opinion leaders
for extra eye contract.
• Avoid beginning with a joke.
• When possible, close by asking for questions.
• Follow the “75 percent rule.”
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