Public Relations for Dummies

One of my favorite classes during my time at UCSB has got to be WRIT 107 P, also known as Writing for Public Relations. Not only did this class show me plenty about one of the areas of writing that I am most interested in, but it also made me a better writer in general and a more confident professional. But, if you are like most people, you might not know what public relations writing entails. Luckily for you, I do, and I am going to write some more about what I learned in this class.

For starters, I think it would be helpful to define the term public relations. Public relations is the “sum of opinions individuals and groups important to an organization have about the organization,” according to my professor. It is usually based on an organization’s relationships, whether they are real, virtual, or perceived. One interesting thing about public relations is that it it can act as both a noun and a verb; an organization not only does public relations but also has public relations.

Public relations is of ever-growing importance because it works as a strategic management tool that helps an organization repair, build, and fortify relationships with individuals and groups whose opinions of the organization matter. The way that the general public perceives organizations and the dynamic between the public and the organization all boils down to the type of public relations that the organization is manifesting.

Now, time to bust some common misconceptions about public relations. For one, it is important to note the fact that public relations is not merely about persuasion, it is not marketing, it needs to be a two-way dialogue between the organization and the public. Another thing that public relations is not, is propaganda (aka ‘hype’ or ‘spin’).

Public relations is not only about getting news media coverage either. There is much more to public relations than only that, including (but not limited to): event planning, media relations, internal communication, digital/new media, reputation management, community relations, and crisis communication.

Because public relations is so diverse, it can have many aims. Raising awareness, informing, explaining, advocating, persuading, encouraging, and winning consent are all included in this diverse list of public relations goals. As you might have noticed, the focus of public relations writing is often aimed at behavior. Whether it be motivating new behavior, reinforcing existing positive behavior, or changing negative behavior, public relations looks to change the behavior of those who have a relationship with the organization.

Another aspect of public relations that I found to be very interesting is the writing tools at disposal to help with a positive public relations campaign. The fact that there are so many ways to send out a message, alongside so many different mediums and recipients really drove home the fact that public relations is a diverse, ever-changing, and exciting career path.

One of my favorite pieces of public relations writing is the classic news press release. News releases are meant to, “provide facts, background and quotes reporters may or may not use in writing stories.” They are usually sent via email, and can be embargoed, which means that they are planned for specific release in the future.

Quick fun fact about news releases: the first ever was released in 1906 after a train wreck. The incident happened in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and upwards of fifty people were killed.

When it comes to writing a news release, certain aspects of it are similar to writing news articles. The “inverted pyramid” style is the most widely-employed format of writing news releases, it dictates that the most important information should be presented before anything else, with the following paragraphs giving additional facts and the least important information closing out the story.

Some quick tips to news release writing are to use concise sentences that are straightforward in conjunction with short paragraphs. The quotes should be meaningful and should add dimension to the story. Quotes that come from third parties are preferred because they are independent and thus are likely to be perceived as more credible and trustworthy.

Public relations has shown me the importance of a healthy relationship between an organization and those who have a relationship with it. It is not about getting the public to do something directly, but instead it looks to create a stronger relationship between the organization and others so that the organization is seen in a better light and is thus more likely to succeed. News releases are the bread and butter of public relations and have been a staple for more than a decade now, they are a quick way of letting people know that there is something newsworthy brewing.