adpr3850 / exam 2 / uga clementson

Role of Research in PR Writing

- Allows for an understanding of the process of communication

- Increases engagement

5Ws & H

- Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How

- Providing this information up front gives readers the critical info needed for them to continue reading

Norms of Effective Writing

- SUCCESs Principles

- Clear, to the point, straightforward/simple, no blabbering

Effective Message Tactics

- Use the right channel for your audience

- Make the message simple

- Talk with public

Harold Lasswell

- Inspired the 5Ws & H

"Who says what to whom through what channel with what effect"

Wilbur Schramm

- Creator of Schramm's Model of Mass Communication

Schramm's Model of Mass Communication

- Circular motion

- Sender and receiver continually share ideas

- Message encoded by transmitter; decoded by receiver

- Message sent through medium where: interference, noise, and zone of communication happen

Concept of Noise

- Unplanned factors that affect the communication process

Multi Pronged Tactical Approach

- PR Campaign that reinforces messaging

- Two-way symmetrical communication

- Fights external noise

SUCCESs Principles (Chip and Dan Heath)

- Simple
- Unexpected
- Concrete
- Credible
- Emotional
- Storytelling
-BONUS: Strategic

Curse of Knowledge

- "Major writing pitfall" - Steven Pinker (Harvard linguist)

- Cognitive bias that readers must fight to overcome

- Assuming others have the same understanding

Solution to Curse of Knowledge

- Empathize with reader

- Show early drafts to reader

- Conversation writing style

AP Style

- Used for news releases

- Important for serious consideration

- Bob Lewis emphasized AP Style

- Ex Date in AP Style: Feb. 27

Media Relations Writing

- Advanced forms of PR Writing

- Speeches, Articles, Papers, and Reports

- Require background research, persuasion, and credibility

Media Relations: E-mail

- Subject Line: Title/Headline of Release

- Organization Name/Date

- Headline and subhead

- Lede (Lead): First sentence or paragraph of release

- Second Paragraph

- Summary Paragraph (Boilerplate)

〜250 words

Blogs

- Author's personal POV

- Builds authenticity and relationships with readers

- Connects to social channels

- Welcomes comments

- Tracked with analytics

Microblogs

- Shorter, more frequent post

- Well-maintained social media account allows for microblogging

Search Engine Optimization

- Using Keywords, Headlines, Titles, and Meta Tags to help users find you online

Fact Sheet

- News Release companion

- Headline and dateline

- 5Ws & H Outline

- Clear reference tool for specific information

- End with summary paragraph

Backgrounder

- Story behind story

- Appeal to readers interests

- Allows for more in-depth story

- "Reference" piece, client fact-checked and approved

Pitch Letter

- Short email communicating its value

- Grab readers attention

- Persuade gatekeeper of its newsworthy value

- Personalized

- Highlights interest to gatekeeper's audience

News Features

- "Soft News"

- Timeless

- Behind-the-scenes perspective

- Creative

- Go beyond the facts

Op-Eds

- Opinion Editorial, originating in NYT

- Outside expert on topic

- Well argued and defended

- Gives credibility to organization, author, and issue

- Provocative and insightful perspective

PR Feature Stories

- Narrative; characters, setting, and plot

- Descriptive; 1,000-2,000 words

- Positive ending that satisfies reader

3 Essential Elements of Narratives

1. Tell your audience what you are about to tell them

2. Tell them

3. Tell them what you have told them

Speechwriting

- Challenging art form

- Know the speech's purpose and audience

Media Kit

- Content needed by journalists

- Hard news release

- Soft feature

- Fact sheet

- Background article

- Bio sheet

- Photo-Op sheet

- Photos

Cord Cutting

- Growing trend of canceling cable subscriptions and moving towards more affordable internet based providers (netflix, hulu, roku)

Social Media Influence (Pew Research Center)

- Increase in audience and time spent on social media, and less time spent on traditional media or physical publications

Generational Difference in Media Industry

- Shift from baby boomers to millennials

Dustin Supa's Points on Media Relations

- Strategic not tactical

- Every organization has different goals

- Relationship is key
not a means to an end

- Defined by the use of tools to achieve goals, not the tools themselves

Fake News

- Publishing articles that aren't based on research, facts, or data

Pitching

- Proposing story ideas to reporters to seek news coverage

- Summarize story and explain its relevance to news outlet

Gatekeeper

- Person who controls media and decides if a story should be publicized

- Important to appeal to them

- Typically an editor or producer

Spokesperson

- Group's representative to the public

- Handles media and speaks on company's behalf

Bloggers/Influencers

- Important tool for outreach to audience instead of reporters

- Often overlooked

Kurt Lewin

- Coined the term Gatekeeper in 1947

Agenda Setting

- Using media coverage to shape public opinion

- Tells audience what to think and what is important

Framing

- Altering the way stories are told by media

- Tells audience how to think

Impressions

- Measures impact of story and audience/viewers reached

Advertising Value Equivalence (AVE)

- Abandoned theory that measured impact based on relative cost of purchasing space or airtime

Key Message Visibility

- Utilizes online monitoring services to measure impact of message

- Observable and more trustworthy than other measures

Excellence Theory

- Most well-known theory of international PR

- Same core principles of PR globally, but specific application in different settings

Ethical Issues for PR practitioners

- Paid-for news coverage

- Common in developing countries, rare in US

Trade Journals

- Mainstream media trades journals for hiring reporters

Measuring Tone of News Coverage

- AVE & Impressions

- Positive, Negative, or Neutral analysis of tone

- Key message visibility

Spokespeople Paradox

- We need them for crises

- They often hurt business in crises

Problems with Spokespeople

- They can botch crisis responses and make scandals worse

- Public loses trust in companies when spokespeople are responsible for their statements

Contradiction of Spokespeople

- They want to share their organizations "story" but also want to say as little as possible

Reducing Counterarguments

- Using facts (nonnarratives) as opposed to storytelling is much more effective in increasing purchase power and reducing negative word of mouth

Characteristics of Social Media

- Unrestricted converging of data

- Ever changing

- Engaging

- Requires constant monitoring

- Dialogue

- Content

Advantages of Social Media

- PR professionals can speak directly with audience

- No interference from gatekeeper

- Use of social media in a crisis is essential

Challenges of Social Media

- Cyberattacks

- Made PR a 24/7 job

- Content must be screened and organized

- Increased workload and stress

- Misrepresented issues can spark viral outrage

Social Media Writing

- Write to individuals

- Share content with public

- Praise others

- Ask real questions

- Blogging, Microblogging, and SEO

Social Media Platforms

- Linkedin: Professional connection tool for individuals and companies

- TikTok: Allows brands to connect with younger audiences in a personal way

- Twitter: Crisis management for companies and public commentary

- Facebook: Large network with less quality engagement to others

Social Network Theory

- Examines web interrelations of people and organizations

- Size vs Quality of networks

- Connections to people

- Network diffusion of viral messages

- Complexity; simple spreads faster

Relevance of Telegraph to Social Media

- First quick, long distance method of communication

- Allowed for spreading news easily

Social Media Management

- Strongest driver of growth

- Increased demand for content creation

- Different messages for different platforms

Building Credibility and Trustworthiness

- Personal interactions

- Welcoming language

- Expertise on content and appearance

Google Analytics

- Tool for measuring online impact and evaluating social media channels

Rachel H Job

- Digital social content at Coca-Cola

Rachel H Advice

- Network with your peers

Rachel H Daily Activities

- Focus on content strategy

- Get content to right audience

- Bring content to life

Rachel H Favorite Project

- Topo Chico Hard Seltzer launch

Rachel H Regret

- Dropping Spanish minor

Rachel H Club

- Creative Consultants

- Worked with CFA

How to Avoid Creativity Burnout

- Surround yourself with good people

- Play off each others ideas

Most Important Thing

- Internships and experience

Interview Tips

- Know about company

- Bring your own ideas

- Interview 2x a year, even when you aren't looking for a job

What year did Rachel H graduate?

- 2013

What was Rachel H's major?

- Originally Marketing, but switched to PR