Why is writing skill the fundamental core competency of the communication/public relations professional?
A question for my summer session 2010 PR Writing students
July 24, 2010 by Les Potter
Posted in Writing | Tagged Public Relations Writing, Teaching Communication/PR | 16 Comments
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About Les Potter
Lester R. Potter, MBA, ABC, IABC Fellow, is a Senior Lecturer in the PR Track, Mass Comm. department, of Towson University, Maryland. He is "ABD" (all but dissertation) for a doctorate in Instructional Technology at Towson. He began his academic career in 2004. Previously, Potter was president of Les Potter Incorporated, an international consulting firm he founded in 1998. Prior to that, he held various integrated marketing communication management positions with for profit and nonprofit organizations. Email Les at lpotter@towson.eduPages
Without writing skills, where would we be? In order to reach publics, audiences, or even family members, amazing writing skills are necessary. Since the beginning of time, writing has been a way to share our voice with others. It’s most importantly the best way of creating an understanding among one other. Since writing begins as an expression, it should be understandable to one’s self in order to reach others effectively. As PR professionals, writing is our ultimate weapon. Its the tool we must go to all wars of persuading, building, and creating understanding of situations. Without a sharp blade of a sharp mind, our goals as PR professionals fade. Therefore, it’s important to be an expertise in the usage of words that are scanned by eyes everyday, because without it, our work becomes gibberish, unrecognizable to all.
Writing skill is a fundamental core competency of the public relations profession because it is your job to convey clear, concise messages that meet the objectives of what you are trying to inform or persuade your publics. As a public relations professional you will be writing whatever is needed whether it be a news release, a backgrounder, a radio or television spot, or a speech, but no matter what you are expected to write, being able to write well will make your message easy to understand, and will help get the desired effect on the intended audience. Furthermore, being able to write well can enable you to take a subject that could be truly boring, or very complex, and turn it into something that is fascinating, or something that anyone can understand. Finally, being a skilled writer will also help you relay the information about your message to a larger audience because more people will respond to someone who has written a concise, well thought out, and planned message about a subject, and will in turn want to either learn more from you, or pass along your information to others. Being able to convey messages as clearly and concisely as possible while meeting your objectives of your intended audience will be essential in any written work you may come across, which is why being a skilled writer is absolutely important in the public relations profession.
Public relations deals with influencing public opinion and much of that influencing is done so through written messages. A public relations professional has to be able to write well to know exactly what to say to be able to get through to their publics. The public relations professional many times has to write specifically for a target audience, so they need to know exactly what to say and how to say it through a certain understanding of not only the audience but also an understanding of writing. Public relations professionals should know that when they are writing, they are representing their entire company. This concept alone should be enough for a PR practitioner to be able to write well: to look professional and gain credibility. Additionally, clear writing skills become essential when trying to convey a point. A direct, well-worded message is much more effective and will prevent confusion in the future. Because people read and interpret things differently, a simple, candid message is the easiest way to ensure your message is conveyed to both the public as well as other employees in your company. If trying to maintain a company’s brand image, the wording and images you use can help to establish and strengthen the public’s image of this brand.
As a communication/public relations professional, it is part of the job description to promote a favorable image of a company, person, or product. In addition, a favorable relationship and understanding between the client and its publics must be created. In order to accomplish these tasks successfully, communication must take place. The word about the client must be spread through various outlets, usually leading to a written piece. Whether it is a news release, a newsletter, or a television broadcast, the message that the communication/public relations professional is trying to get across must first be composed in words before the message can be spread. Thus, a professional in this field must be able to create clear concise messages that are interesting, informational, and sometimes even persuasive. The act of developing these written messages that will potentially influence public opinion is an art form. Similar to creating a work of art, the composition of these pieces requires skill and creativity from the writer. It is absolutely essential that someone in this profession is able to communicate and translate messages onto paper. Referring back to the art analogy, a lack of writing skills would be like a painter with a beautiful vision in his head but no paint to put on his canvas. In the communication/public relations field, there is no client or public that wants to see a blank canvas: writing skill truly is the fundamental core competency of the profession.
The skill of great professional writing is very important to any professional, especially a public relations professional. Great writing provides credibility of the writer in the eyes of the audience. Credibility is important to any aspect of the business world. Without credibility, your audience may not listen to the message you are trying to clearly get across. If you misspell words, use incorrect grammar, etc., there is no way you can be credible to your audience. Misspelled words, incorrect grammar, etc., can also lead to your audience believing you are unintelligent and/or unknowledgeable. Audiences need to have the feeling that the person they are listening to is knowledgeable on the subject and in general. Credibility and knowledge…important for a public relations professional to have and can be destroyed by poor writing skills. Imagine opening up the newspaper and reading the front page news. Imagine words misspelled, incorrect grammar, and the message being jumbled. No one would be able to really believe or even understand the news that is trying to be portrayed. The same idea applies for a news/press release written by a public relations professional. If the writing is poor on a news/press release, the company and message may not seem credible, knowledgeable, or intellectual. Great writing skills are also important to a public relations professional because it ensures that the message gets across to the audience. If the writing skills of a public relations professional are poor, the reader may not be able to fully understand the message. Since public relations involves building mutually beneficial relationships, it is pertinent that they not confuse the other party. The messages of public relations writer need to be clear and concise. Clear and concise is the result of strong writing skills. Without strong writing skills, a public relations professional would not be able to do his/her job to the best of his/her ability.
Writing is one of the most important skills a public relations practitioner can have. There are numerous reasons why it is important for a practitioner to be a good writer. You want to be able to get your news or message out in an appropriate way. The two main ways to go about writing for public relations are to inform and to persuade.
When writing to inform, it is important to keep the piece balanced and unbiased. The purpose of the piece is to let the reader know about something newsworthy. You should stick to the facts and not spin it in any way. Along with that, you do not want your point of view to come across in the piece. This is where good writing skills come into play. A good writer will be able to produce a piece that gives only the facts, in the most practical way.
Persuasive writing is when you use emotions to get the reaction you want. When writing a persuasive piece, you must do it in a way that will relate easily to the audience. You are trying to get them to act a certain way or change their point of view. Therefore, you must connect with them through your writing. Knowing what audience you are trying to appeal to will help when deciding how to write your piece. For example, if it’s a friendly audience you want to use emotional appeal. If it is an undecided audience, you want to use a rational appeal with solid evidence as support. If it is a neutral audience, you should use attention getting devices. If the audience is undecided, you must try to convince them.
There are two main strategies you can use when writing persuasive pieces. Compliance strategies are used to gain agreement through ways other than argument. The three types of compliance strategies are sanction, appeal, and command. Argument strategies are carried out by opposing the other viewpoint. The two types of argument strategies are reasoned argument and emotional appeal.
Along with knowing the best way to get your message out, you must also be able to write different types of pieces. Each type has a different set of guidelines you should follow to make it as effective as possible. For example, when you write a news release for print, you can make it more detailed. However, you want to save most of the detail for the backgrounder that will go along with the news release. The lead of the news release must have a hook or angle that entices the reader, as well as answering the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Moreover, when writing for broadcast media, you must be able to write for the eye and the ear. You must make your ideas as simple and concise as possible.
Being a skilled writer is very important to the field of public relations. Sticking to your piece’s purpose in a professional, yet entertaining way, will entice readers. Conveying your message in a clear, simple manner will keep them coming back for more.
A good writing skill is to a public relations professional as artistic talent is to an artist. If an artist has no talent they will not be able to work professionally in the art industry. Writing skills are a necessary requirement and essential to be successful in public relations. A publication with a beautiful design, perfect format, and a great message are all lost if the content of the piece is written poorly. The way you write dictates the intent and purpose of the written piece and determines if the message will be received by your target audience. Good writing skills are the tool a public relations professional needs to communicate effectively with the public. As my Professor Les Potter would say, “A writer in public relations needs to be able to take complex ideas and boil them down to their essence.” A target audience wants nothing more than to look at a clean and simple publication with immediate understanding of the overall message.
Writing is an element in public relations that either you have the ability or you don’t. Wise Kurt specifically addressed the need for good writing skills in the following statement, “Writing is one of the foundations of a successful public relations practitioner and the ability to communicate messages clearly and concisely is one of their differentiating skills.” The opportunity to have your news releases or press kits picked up by the media is greater if the pieces are well-written. Good writing skills allow you to create an informative or persuasive message that will influence public opinion. When working in the public relations industry, it will be your writing skills that will determine your future and create the reputation needed to be a success in this industry. Thomas H. Bivens stated, “Public relations is, after all, communication, and the basic form of communication is still the written word.” In the end, achievement in the public relations field is measured by your ability to write.
If you were to ask what is public relations, the word communication is common in the definition. Thomas Bivins stated, “Public relations is communication, and the basic form of communication is still the written word”. If the basic form of communication is the written word, then in order to effectively communicate with the public having the skill to write is essential. In order to get a message across to an audience, one has to be able to organize and write clearly. If the message is unclear or loaded with unnecessary information, the audience tends to lose interest and not comprehend the message. Without the skill of writing, a public relations practitioner would not effectively be able do their job. There are many documents in which a practitioner may need to create within their career in order to relay a message to an audience. A news release, an annual report, a brochure, a flyer, and a television or radio spot are all examples of when being able to write well is vital to their career. Without having writing skills, a public relations practitioner would not be able to communicate successfully with their audience. Before you can run, you must be able to walk. To a practitioner, writing is like walking. You must be able to master the walk before you can run.
Good writing = sound thinking.
Very well put, Ron. Thanks.
The written word is the cornerstone of every aspect of the public relations profession. Whether you’re prepping a news release or about to step on stage to give a speech, all things derive from some sort of written beginning that ultimately ends in a professional finished product.
When starting to prepare a press kit, the first thing you must do is research to ensure you have all the information you need and won’t get blindsided by any journalists that have new information you were not aware of. Proper organization of this information is key to being able to categorize it in terms of what needs to be in the news release, backgrounder, or fact sheet. Writing a good outline is an important channel to delivering a professional finished product. Once you’ve finished the meat of this press kit it is important to polish the piece by perfecting the format and correcting any spelling or grammatical mistakes. You may have all the information necessary for your target audience, but if it is unorganized or looks unprofessional the press kit may be dismissed all together. A good piece must not only provide information, but must guide you from introduction to conclusion. This is yet another example of entities other than just information as being important to a good publication. You may believe the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, but a product that doesn’t look professional may result in an image and reputation that lacks professional credentials.
The same essentially holds weight with speeches and web based publications. In this age of technological innovation and evolution, the old and sacred art of the written word remains the backbone of the public relations profession.
Before one can call themselves a public relations professional, a mastery of writing must be had. The entire profession builds upon the ability to communicate through a series of mediums, all of which require the practitioner to write effectively.
The art of writing is quite basic in nature, however good writing requires years of practice, and a creative touch. The public relations professional’s job is to bring complex information to the public and make it easy to understand. The writer must also take into account their specific audience and create copy that appeals to their needs. Appealing copy must not only contain the information the reader needs but be presented in a way that catches the attention of the audience, which ultimately determines if the message is received. A competent writer has the ability to turn a somewhat dull set of facts into an entertaining piece for readers.
Anyone can write but it takes a creative individual to prompt the audience to want to read their work. Writing is one of our most valuable tools. It allows the author to send out a message, while being present with the reader. Writing is unique because it allows humans to convey a specific message or feelings that may be too complex or uncomfortable for conversation.
A good writer is always honing their skills through practice and feedback. A true professional can recognize the abundance of creative works all around and grow through others writing. Although our world is ever changing there will always be a need for writing, making the skill invaluable to a public relations professional.
Public relations is about getting your message across in the most concise, clear, and understandable way. The message should come across clearly not only for the well educated person, but also for your average, every-day citizen. Without proper wording, grammar, and process of thought, your message might be misunderstood. Not only that, but people will not take your message seriously because they will think that the writer is not well educated. The public will not take your message seriously if your message is full of spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, run-on sentences, etc. As a Public Relations professional, it is imperative that you mold and craft your message into something that people will be interested in and understand. The point of a proper PR message is to get your point across as well as have the desired effect on your intended. If you treat your writing skill as a core competency, you can turn any boring or unimaginative article into a piece of writing that is creative and a joy to read. It is important to be a master of the English language and a word craftsman. Outside of the box thinking as well as proper and professional writing skill is what the best writers in the world possess.
Not only is writing the core skill to being a public relations professional, but great writing gives you that step ahead of anyone else.
After being around for over 100 years this industry has built up this competitive edge of skill, perseverance, talent, but on top of all that the main criteria to have in this business is writing. It determines whether or not clients, publics, and other major corporations will see your piece. Great writing will take you from the bottom to the top. It helps inform, persuade, and entertain whoever your target audience is. Learning to write concise and clear without all that fluff but still conveying your message is why there is a public relations industry. It is the basic form of communication between people that has been around since the beginning of time.
If a PR professional is able to write, that’s great, but if they are able to write great, then they have the tool that will take them above and beyond in this industry. Writing separates us from the rest, and it allows us to succeed in our daily lives as PR professionals. Without great writing, we are just another industry trying to make our way.
Writing is the most crucial skill communication and public relations professionals must have for multiple reasons. First, the message one is trying to convey must be presented in a clear and comprehendible form. The purpose of public relations writing is to inform and persuade. Neither one of these tactics can be achieved without the ability to properly express the intended message.
Next, writing establishes credibility and loyalty among publics. If you are to expect your audience to be moved by what you are presenting to them your writing must be up to par in terms of correctness and quality. You are more likely to achieve your objectives of informing and persuasion if your message is strong, clear and above all correct.
Last, a public relations writer must have a strong background in writing because of the various expectations that accompany the profession. A competent PR writer must have the ability to write for many purposes, strategies, mediums, and styles and formats. Such a variety of expectations demands that communications and PR professionals must have a strong core background in writing.
Being in the public relations field, writing is a skill that is crucial when communicating to your publics. Most purposes of a public relations piece is to inform or persuade, which you cannot properly do if the message you are trying to convey is unclear or misunderstood. Being able to write clear and concise pieces guarantees that your audience is not misinterpreting your information. When writing these pieces, you are most often representing someone other than yourself. The ability to write well benefits your organization or individual because people tend to believe things that are well written and can be taken seriously. It comes across as more professional. In the public relations field, writing is how most of your messages are received, through press release, blogs, backgrounders, and so on. Writing these pieces well brings credibility to your organization, yourself, or the individual you are writing for.
Personally I believe having a strong skill in writing only benefits you in the long run. Employers as well as your audiences will see your level or professionalism and may be incline to read what is written. Writing well is always a good way to gain credibility for yourself.