Reading Summary Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 4

Chapter 1: Getting Organized for Writing

• Public relations - writing and distributing of messages in numerous formats across media channels and platforms
• Pr work has four components: research, planning, communication and evaluation 
• Pr writing is included in the communication component, only happens when extensive research and planning has been done to formulate goals for campaign
• Strategies - statements of direction 
• strategies are made through a list of tactics 
• Public relations writer - write news releases, formulate feature stories, contact the television show produced to make a pitch for a spokesperson to appear as a guest on that show
• Usually employed by company that is looking to communicate with their stakeholders or employees 
• Questions before writing should usually go along the lines of “How does this help the company achieve its objectives?” 
• Skills:
• Writing skill
• Research ability 
• Planning expertise 
• Problem solving ability 
• Business/ economics competence 
• Social media expertise 
• It is important that pr is up to date on media, always checking blogs, news outlets, electronic databases and search engines
• Outlining a purpose:
• What do we want the audience to do?
• Who is our target audience?
• What are our audience’s needs, concerns, and interests?
• What is our message
• What communication channel is most effective?
• Who is our most believable spokesperson?
• Word choice is super important. Using specific jargon for your audience is key 

Chapter 2: Becoming a Persuasive Writer 

• Aristotle sets down ideas of ethos, pathos and logos
• those ideas mean “source credibility”, “logical argument”, and “emotional appeal” 
• these ideas are still basis of persuasion writing today 
• Basic Elements of Communication
• Sender: organization that prepares and distributes messages
• Message: Important to decide key message, hone how you want the recipient to think, must be clearly expressed with understandable language for readers
• Channel: multiple channels to express message - mass media, websites, social media, brochures, newsletters, videos and events, the characteristics of the audience determine the best channel to use
• Receiver: most effective when tailored to specific audience, “group of publics”- customers, suppliers, employees, community leaders, investors —> each message to different groups require different language to be most effective 
• Theories 
• Media Uses and gratification: communication process is interactive 
• Vals model of lifestyles
• Survivors and sustainers:  low income families or people that consume inexpensive food and rarely go to restaurants
• Belongers: family orientated and traditional 
• Achievers: college educated professionals with high incomes 
• Used this model to appeal to each audience to raise turkey sales 
• Cognitive Dissonance: people will not believe a message contrary to their attitudes and formed opinions unless the communicator can present the info to make the receiver questions their beliefs
• 3 ways to do this: 1. Show that circumstances have changed 2. Provide the information of developments 3. Use a quote from respected person that supports the idea that the public trusts 
• Framing: people use certain facts to frame a story in order to generate maximum interest 
• Diffusion and adoption 
• 5 steps: 1. Awareness 2. Interest 3. Trial 4. Evaluation 5. Adoption 
• Public relations are most influential in awareness and interest
• Adoption process: 
• Relative advantage: Is this better than the product it replaces?
• Compatibility: Is this similar to my ever-changing values and needs?
• Complexity: Is it easy to use and understand?
• Trial-ability: Can you use this in a trial process?
• Observability: Are the results visible to others? 
• Hierarchy of Needs: basic human needs 
• Physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, ego needs, self-actualization needs 
• Factors of Persuasive Writing 
• Audience analysis
• Source credibility
• Appeal to self interest 
• Clarity of message
• Timing and context
• Symbols and slogans
• Semantics 
• Suggestions for actions 
• Content and structure 

Chapter 4: Working with Journalists and Bloggers 

• Reporters and editors spend a majority of their time processing information rather than gathering it 
• Study in 1973 shows that about 60 percent of front page stories in the New York Times and Washington Post were bureaucratic channels, official proceedings, new releases, and other planned events
• Public relations materials save money, time, and effort for the media
• PR reps are unpaid journalists- SJ Mercury editor says
• Public relations relies on media to efficiently distribute information and validate the credibility of the information 
• Earned media: the message has earned trust from media gatekeepers who publish the message as “news”
• Paid media: organizations buys space for message to be distributed in original format 
• Complaints about public relations from journalists
• poorly written material, distribution of information not relevant to a specific news outlet’s format or content, lack of access to the pr representative, receive items as a publicity kit but complaints are that these items are stupid, dull, and overdone, public relation’s business practices are relentless often not understand the word “no” which drives journalists crazy, and pr lacks getting to the point of a news release
• Complaints about journalists and bloggers from public relations
• constant flux of whether your client’s story will be used, journalists fail to contact organization for a comment, lack of preparation, they are bias, there is an advertising influence, journalists name call 
• Working with journalists
• Media interviews, news conferences, teleconferences and webcasts, media tours, previews and parties, press junkets- an all expense paid trip to visit a place, witness an event, or view a new product, editorial board meetings
• Media relations checklist on page 108-109 gives idea for how to deal with the media effectively 
• Crisis communication tests media relations. It is important to be a credible source of information for the media because pr is dealing with the reputation of company or a product that could be in danger