Article Reflection-Pillar 4 Pillar four of the Carroll University communication requirement is a piece that must demonstrate the ability

to develop and convey written messages effectively. To fulfill this pillar I selected multiple press release samples to showcase my ability to construct messages and communicate them successfully. These press releases were all assignments for the course COM208, Introduction to Public Relations which I took in the spring of 2013. I believe that these press releases reflect my adaptability to write for different scenarios and to direct these messages to all different communication mediums. Introduction to Public Relations was a course that first established the idea of why PR is essential to the world. News topics, coverage of press releases and a fictional crisis communication plan were the topics most emphasized. Every week we were assigned a hypothetical event in which a press release needed to be constructed. The overall goal was to adapt your writing skills to fit the important criteria that needs to be included in a press release. Press Releases are a common practice of the communications field and it is essential to know how to write them effectively. I wanted to include multiple releases to fit the pillar to show the variety of scenarios that were assigned to us and to further emphasize my ability to construct the messages and communicate with the intended audience. These artifacts have shown that I met the department goal because the releases were constructed messages that in real life are used to communicate successful messages. Press releases help direct news at reporters and anchors directly from the agency, proving to be critical documents in the PR field. I wanted to include multiple examples to fit this pillar as each one has a different scenario, in which I have demonstrated the ability to communicate successfully in all of them, not just one. Because writing press releases is something that I plan do more often in the

future, I wanted to include multiple in the portfolio so I can look back on the variety and try to improve as I progress. If I were to do this project again I would apply the skills that I learned in my internships about writing press releases to the ones I prepared for class. In my internship experiences I was taught a few key things in terms of grammar and organizational content that would help make my educational press releases appear more realistic. I would also make sure that they followed a traditional format in terms of what the release laid out looks like. This differs by firm or agency, but it was evident from my internships that each place has their own unique approach for the content placement. I have engaged in the art of press release writing because I have had much practice with them since I took COM208. I was grateful I took this class before having internship experience, because I had some idea of how to begin when I was told to draft a release on the job. My skills and abilities have grown the more I have practiced during my internship experience and I learn something new every time I write them. Overall, my knowledge on the topic has expanded because of my experience, but I am relieved that I had a solid foundation to build upon. My goal after college is to attain a career in the public relations field. Press release writing is a crucial aspect of this career path and I can envision myself having to write many more of them during the span of my career. This practice was an essential part in having me succeed in my experiences as an intern. I plan to take what Ive learned about press releases from my education and experiences as an intern thus far and applying them every day in the future during my job.