Effective Writing Skills in Public Relations Writing Essay

Abstract

Written public relations communication is important in contemporary society since it incorporates comprehensive, but simple skills that present information in the most appropriate way to a targeted reader. Thus, this reflective treatise reflects on the comparison of public relations writings in order to identify effective public relations writing skills and identify the metamorphosis of written public relations communication over the last decades. Besides, the paper target to identify the impacts of technological advancement on written communication and the role of timing and targeting messages as a means of evaluating the accuracy, fairness, style, and writing skills. These skills are applied in the analysis of effective public relations communication, as presented in scripts to broadcast news stories I produced. In addition, the treatise identifies a public relations communication problem and develops a solution based on five forms of public relations communication. In the conclusive segment, the paper focuses on general issues that surround the practice of public relations exercise.

Comparison of public relations writings

Public relations writing differs in terms of the writing style, length, format, and target audience. The writing style is mainly influenced by the nature of the information and the targeted audience. Same as writing style, the length of a public relations writing is determined by the nature of the message in terms of content, and the need for an in-depth explanation. Often format for public relations messages assumes the same simple, accurate, and attractive form capable of drawing attention and keeping the targeted reader interested through the reading (Foster, 2008). Therefore, it is essential to reflect on the application of the above concepts in the following scripts to broadcast news stories I produced: Marine Week Boston CMC Visit, Osper Gunny, Newtok, Alaska Relocation, Remembering Belleau Wood, Sgt Jackson Saxophone Feature, and the Lioness: CPL. Jennifer Parcell.

These features prominently target the general audience interested in grasping basic concepts on social events in society. Applying more or less same timing and messaging approach, my writings are done in the same style. Besides, I wrote them in simple language through the Lioness CPL. Jennifer Parcell‘s article is more detailed. As a matter of fact, it is the longest. Though the article Osper Gunny is terse and was properly format it and it can keep the attention of a reader due to the aspects of proper but simple grammar and simple style. Reflectively, these writing have catchy messages, especially for audiences across the age groups, since the analysis is presented in easy to understand format.

Effective Writing Skills in Public Relations Writing

Good writing skills in public relations writing revolve on the aspects of clarity and use of simple English that can be understood by the targeted audience. Therefore, unnecessary rigidity on the adherence to grammar rules is but a myth since the aim of the whole process is to communicate in a way best understood by a target audience. Clarity is the first and most important ingredient to effective communication in writing. As a matter of fact, it secures the attention of the reader and keeps the reader interested in the topic of discussion. Therefore, the aim should be directed towards brevity, which is of the essence in communicating to a diverse audience. Moreover, lengthy, complicated constructions and unwieldy sentences are an instant communication barrier since they infringe concepts effectively. Unwieldy sentences also bore a reader. Brevity enables a reader to grasp the communicative idea within the shortest time possible without having to strain unnecessarily. According to Foster (2008):

Likewise, unnecessary long words, complex sentences, and lengthy paragraphs confuse the reader. Double negatives, needless jargon, faulty or misplaced punctuation, and constant repetition of words and ideas can all lead to nonsensical, hard to follow the text. And that means that the reader quickly loses interest in the face of endless waffle. Plain English, written in a simple and straightforward way, is the recipe for clarity in expression. More than that, it is the basis of good style. (p. 167)

A good written public relations document should be concise, unambiguous, and clear. “Whether the piece is for publication in a newspaper or periodical or for a brochure or leaflet, it should be written so that it grips the reader from start to finish” (Foster, 2008). Using plain language in addition to short sentences reduces the complexity of terminology and help to forge a reader-writer relationship of mutual understanding. Thus, a paragraph should not consist of more than five sentences though an intentional long paragraph may spice up the written work and activates then the reader’s curiosity.

Besides, the occasional and exceptional long or very short paragraph will give balance, class, and color to the piece. However, a writer is at liberty to use longer sentences, especially in expertise writing and explaining complex phenomena. When this is done, a comprehensive explanation should accompany the piece as a remedy for preserving clarity and affirming the communicative idea. Caution should be observed when this style is used since most readers are likely to “tire and skip the copy you have tried so hard to get right in terms of style and fact” (Foster, 2008).

Good writing skills in public relations writing exercise should be keen on integrating tautology. Basically, a tautology is the concept of expressing writing freedom by using a single sentence comprising of the word(s) having the same meaning. For instance, ‘new innovation’ and ‘free gift.’ “Repetition is seldom, if ever, desirable unless it is used deliberately for dramatic effect, perhaps for a speech or article” (Foster, 2008). Besides, sentence structure and grammar determines the clarity of a piece. It is of the essence for me to look out for active verbs, adverbs, nouns, and pronouns that conforms to and is appropriate in a composition. It is healthy and advisable to adopt the active voice, which stresses on the action of the doer. For instance, it would be appropriate for me to write ‘ABC Company wants fresh graduates for this position’ instead of ‘Fresh graduates are wanted for this position in ABC Company.’ When creating official documents, it is advisable to avoid confusing phrases and foreign words. Although it is a fact some phrases or words have on perfect English equivalent, excessive use of the same may actually turn the reader off when they think “I am showing off” (Hutton, 1999).

The key to success in communication via a written piece is directly proportional to editing and proofreading. It is important to polish the paper by re-reading the same more than once. The process should only stop when the writer is convinced the final draft is perfect and may not require further modification. Often, writers rush through writing and may not create ample time to recast on the piece. “Unless you are up against a tight deadline, there is usually time for another draft. And don’t think, ‘Oh well, there is still time to look at it again at the proof stage.’ This is fatal and can lead to mistakes” (Hutton, 1999) in writing and editing a public relations document.

In summary, good writing skills in public relations writing should function on being brief, avoiding excessive repetition, and cutting out verbiage. It is important to use short and simple words that selectively take the position of the doer first through the use of active verbs. Moreover, it is essential to kill wasted words and redundancy by avoiding ambiguous phrases and foreign expressions that are not understood by the targeted reader. Generally, it is important to adopt active revision when the document is in progress and when completed as a remedy for the composition of a tight and pruned piece. However, these skills are largely determined by a writing style adopted and the nature of the targeted reader in terms of educational level, profession, intention, and environment (Grunig & Hunt, 1984).

Metamorphosis of Written Public Relations Communication in the US

Written public relations communication in America has evolved into the advance system it is currently. A series of evolution has occurred in the practice of maturity development and definition of the desirable characteristics of comprehensive and properly written pieces meant to entice the reader while at the same time offer an alternative communication channel best understood by a targeted audience. According to Hutton (1999), “public relations communication via written media has evolved through history from the public being fooled, to the public being damned, to the public being manipulated, to the public being informed, and finally to the public being involved or accommodated”(Hutton, 1999).

Besides, Grunig and Hunt (1984), in their theory of written public relations communication theory, suggests that over the last two decades, the evolution of this concept has adopted four models which explain the current format and accepted forms of written public relation communication style. The four models reflect on a single war encoding and decoding of information as perceived by a writer and a reader. The models also dwell on the importance of research to bridge the gap between an encoder and decoder in order to expand the one-way channel into multiple, simplified, and desirable communication skills understood as was intended. The ‘two-way symmetric communication model’ was intended for the purpose of improving clarity via the use of simple, short, and properly punctuated sentences to minimize ambiguity and misinterpretation (Grunig and Hunt, 1984).

The feminine world view adopted the latter approach in pushing the order of the day into a symmetric and excellent world view characterized by the creation of press agency to create a three-dimensional notion of written public relations communication as a function of image, initiative, and interest. Thus, “while a given public relations function can cover a range of territory on each dimension, it is usually possible to locate an organization’s general orientation along each dimension” (Hutton, 1999). Reflectively, the approach then shifted to a six-way model comprising of persuasion, advocacy, public information, relationship management, managing critical relationships, and cause inspired public relationships. These aspects focused on crusading and advocating for compliance with the need to communicate and be understood through writing. The domain of this line of thought was to create a comprehensive paradigm shift from the usual grammatically correct and conservative means of written communication, which made the process of passing out ideas boring and very confirmative (Grunig & Hunt, 1984).

The above recommendations were made and passed during the first World Assembly of Public Relations Association, which was held in the city of Mexico in 1978. Their endorsement of the six-way model made it very popular and relevant even in the present time. The six-way model was inclusive of the critical perspective, the systems perspective, and the rhetorical perspective, which created meaning to other concepts such as ad brevity and authenticity. Lubbe and Puth (1994) assert that it is important to understand structural and system perspectives in order to determine metamorphosis and historical steps in the public relations field. Reflectively, I opine that the focal perspective of the systematic approach is wider in range of perspectives it supports than the structural perspective. Specifically, the systematic approach captures economic and social development goals as a function of public relations exercise. On the other hand, a structural perspective dwells on professionalism and issues affecting the same in the delivery of information. Specifically, it is comprised of professionalism aspects such as to conduct, ethics, and accreditation (Lubbe and Puth, 1994).

As a matter of fact, I found out that most literature on general public relations exercise dwells on post-1986 Mexico City meeting resolutions. These resolutions adopted an interactive relationship between the structural perspectives and that of the systematic perspectives to create a universally accepted practicing environment.

Impact of technological advancement on written communication

The revolutionary transformation has been experienced in the field of public relations communication following a series of technological advancements. The print media has developed into an efficient and reliable media of public relations following the invention of electronic books, newspapers, digital documents, and brochures. As a matter of fact, incorporation of technology in communication has become a necessity as the world steadily embrace the need for efficiency and reliable when exchanging information (Seitel, 1992). However, this comes with positive and negative impacts. Technology has improved the speed of communication through the invention of electronic print media such as e-documents, e-newspapers, and online reference materials. Besides, mass production of print adverts and notices has become affordable and faster.

Technology has made modifications and beautification through stencil easy. At present, a unique effect can be created just by modifying some parts of the written text to create special effects and highlight a point. In addition, online editors and translator software have made proofreading and editing of a communicative material almost perfect (Seitel, 1992). The instant messaging service presents a written message in the most efficient and fastest way possible. Thus, public relations communication has been liberated to reach clients without having to maintain physical contact necessarily. However, in my opinion, technology has limited creativity since modern software has the ability to literally do any assignment as long as it is programmed to do so. Luck of creativity has slowed down humanistic progress despite the growth of the technological spheres (Zawawi & Johnston, 2009).

Roles of timing and targeting messages

The major intention of communication is to ensure that the targeted audience encodes the information within the shortest time possible and with minimal ambiguity to create overall effectiveness (Zawawi & Johnston, 2009). In written public relations communication, timing facilitates optimal gain from intended purpose since proper timing will ensure that the targeted reader gets the information on time and identify with the situation when the same is still relevant. On the other hand, targeting messages are necessary for the design of a communicative process that is void of complexity and ambiguity. Messages that are designed to target a particular class of readers will create the overall effect of proactive response since the reader is likely to identify him/herself with the message.

Evaluation for accuracy, clarity, fairness, style, and writing skills

Accuracy, clarity, fairness, style, and other writing skills are essential in the determination of an effectively written public relations piece. Often, length, content, and presentation determine success, in terms of perception on the side of a reader, of a piece of a written document or a communicative advert. Therefore, it is essential to reflect on the application of the above concepts in the following scripts to broadcast news stories I produced: Marine Week Boston CMC Visit, Osper Gunny, Newtok, Alaska Relocation, Remembering Belleau Wood, Sgt Jackson Saxophone Feature, and the Lioness: CPL. Jennifer Parcell. The Lioness: Cpl. Jennifer Parcell reports on the feminist approach view on war. The writing is very detailed and presents accurate reflection. That is why it is a bit longer. Since the issue of discussion requires expertise view, I opine that it poses a deep reflective content and is presented scientifically with a simple touch in language.

On the other hand, The Marine Week Boston CMC Visit is short, though, and very clear in terms of expression. I did take the time to proofread it and correct grammar mistakes and made the words as simple as possible. Content coverage is good, and the general topic coverage is encouraging. The presentation is attractive and can hold a reader interested for a longer time. The other writings are very accurate and point directly towards a conceptualized idea. Words used in discussion are simple and free of ambiguity. Reflectively, I applied the concept of brevity at its best in briefly introducing a concept from with a simplified explanation follows. These writings appreciate the need for simplicity in style and accuracy in the language used. As stated by Foster (2008):

It is essential for everyone in PR and communication to have an appropriate citation of style so that the reader, or receiver of the message, is on the side of the sender from the outset…but two essential requirements are for identity and response which are hallmarks of successful communicative results that are tangible. (p. 124)

Problem and solution incorporating five forms of public relations

The recent indiscriminate shooting of sixteen Afghan civilians by an American soldier had created a hostile ground for Americans living in Afghanistan and the diplomatic community. In fact, it has become a ‘public relations disaster’ as reported by most media houses. The unfortunate incident has become an acid test to the Obama administration and experts in the public relations industry. This latest public relations huddle is projected to directly affect the social, political, and social relationship between these nations who depend on each other economically. As posted on NBS’ new debate, the effect of the massacre is likely to trigger the inactive anti-America backlash by Afghans who feel their space is threatened by a foreign agency. On the other hand, the United States of America has to keep things on the check and assist the unstable region to get back on its feet. As Abawi Atai, an NBS New reporter puts it, “Obviously people here very fearful as to what’s going to happen next, what protests will come about throughout different parts of Afghanistan, and how the Taliban are going to use this to their advantage”(Abawi, 2012). How should the American government respond to this?

In my opinion, the government should appreciate the essence of stress management in its military barracks. Before each mission, the government should carry out a thorough psychological assessment besides physical fitness before assigning a battalion in a foreign land. Moreover, the recruitment process should be systematic, and a qualified public relations expert should be consulted, especially on image creation and maintenance. The government should then send a sincere apology message to the people of Afghanistan and exercise justice, bypassing the responsible solder to a fair public trial. In addition, the expert American community living in Afghanistan should be trained social interaction and keeping in touch with neighbors. This is likely to quell down tension, especially when this relationship is kept cordial and proactive. Through sharing of activities, a permanent and sincere alliance is within reach as the government monitors further situational development.

Conclusively, public relations communication becomes effective when the message is encoded by a target audience, as was expected. In order to make the process effective, the message to be passed down should be clear, simple, and properly formatted so as to minimize cases of ambiguity and disinterest as presented in my scripts to broadcast news stories I produced. It is necessary to maintain brevity and attractiveness of the message since the success of a public relations exercise largely depends on perception and response from the targeted decoders. The process has evolved from a single channel to a two-way channel of passing message and monitoring response. Reflectively, technological advancement has positively influenced the effectiveness and accuracy of the message directed to the public. This is due to the fact that the process has been simplified and made faster by the invention of electronic media. Generally, aspects of public relations communication skills function simultaneously.

References

Abawi, A. (2012). Afghanistan Massacre a Public Relations Problem. NBS News, p. 3.

Foster, J. (2008). Effective Writing Skills for Public Relations. New York: Kogan Page Publishers.

Grunig, J., & Hunt, T. (1984). Managing Public Relations. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Hutton, P. (1999). Phil Sheridan and His Army. Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press.

Lubbe, B., & Puth, G. (1994). Public Relations in South Africa: A Management Reader. Cape Town: Heinemann.

Seitel, F. (1992). The practice of public relations. Delhi: Macmillan Publications.

Zawawi, C., & Johnston, J. (2009). Public Relations: Theory and Practice. Alabama: Allen & Unwin.