WRITING IN THE FIELD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Writing and its Role in the Public Relations

Northeastern University
ENGW 3306: Elena Shikalof

WRITING IN THE FIELD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

The advent of technology and social media channels has dictated

the ways in which people communicate. The field of public relations
had adapted to keep up with the times. In this profession, timing is
everything. Public relations professionals utilize a variety of strategies
and writing styles to sell a story for their clients, but making that story
relevant is what sets a great story apart from a good one. If a major
news story breaks and a public relations professional can find an angle
to fit their client into the story, the client is much more likely to earn
coverage. The goal of a public relations professional is to obtain as
much coverage in the news for their client as possible. More
importantly, the coverage should relay the companys messaging and
brand story.
Public relations professionals keep their fingers on the pulse by
constantly staying up to date with the news and devouring as many
magazines and journals as they have time to read. One such journal,
Public Relations Tactics, is designed specifically for the public relations
professional. The journal is written by people in the industry and shares
tips of the trade, as well as contributed pieces from high-level
executives and new PR professionals alike. The short and entertaining
articles provide insight to the industry and keep PR professionals up to
date.
Public relations can be found in every industry and in various
forms. PR professionals can work at an agency, in-house or as a

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consultant. I previously interned at a small agency that specialized in

technology and start-ups. I learned that I loved public relations, but I
want to work in a field that I find more relatable and exciting. Ideally, I
would like to work for an in house team for a music label or an athletic
brand. There is a clear diference between an in-house team and an
agency. Working in-house requires working within the company,
promoting and managing all aspects of that companys media
relations. Working at an agency entails having numerous clients in
diferent industries with various budgets and company sizes, requiring
more time and a wider network in many industries. A consultant works
the same as an agency would, but is usually a seasoned veteran that
provides more advice and strategy than traditional media relations.
Public relations lends itself to a variety of writing styles. Press
releases announce company news and product releases, are written
formally, and tend to follow a similar, standard format. Blog posts and
social media posts, depending on the client, are more informal and
inject some personality and humor into the brand. These channels can
also be used to interact with clients and build up a customer base.
Public relations professionals also pitch reporters. This process involves
researching previous work written by the reporter and drafting a pitch
personalized for the reporter. The pitch asks the reporter to write a
story including the clients brand or product. Ideally, the reporter will
write a story solely around the client, but a majority of the time, the

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client is just mentioned within the article. This kind of subtle

advertising establishes legitimacy for the brand and keeps them fresh
in the mind of their customers.
When searching for a relevant artifact within the public relations
field, I came across a broad spectrum of sources, from academic and
research articles, informational books, to trade journals. I chose a trade
journal over more academic, research-based publications because it is
what working professionals in the field read. Public Relations Tactics is
published through the well-respected Public Relations Society of
America, established in 1947. This organization hosts conferences,
seminars and connects various communities across the public relations
discipline. Public Relations Tactics is issued monthly and requires a
subscription.
It is obvious that public relations professionals designed Public
Relations Tactics with their peers in mind. The layout is made for quick
reading, since most PR pros do not have a lot of extra time to dedicate
to extraneous reading since they have so much news to keep up with
already. The articles are short and easy to skim through, with a variety
of interesting graphics and visuals that quickly break down information.
There are also snippets from social media, which keeps the journal
current and underscores the importance of staying relevant in in the
modern world. Tweets are included in a sidebar alongside articles.
Some sample tweets include: PRSACenTex Remember: Treat

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everything you say to a reporter or editor as if it is on the record.

#PRTip #PRSA and @TheGncDish #PRTIP: PR professionals set the
tone. Their professionalism, or lack thereof, can be diference if
someone supports your org or not.
Public Relations Tactics is written by numerous public relations
professionals and includes interviews and advice from seasoned public
relations veterans as well as those who are just starting their careers.
This mixture of experience makes the journal relatable to all levels of
experience and provides a variety of perspectives to create discourse
and diversity within the community. The journal also has a permanent
staf that contributes to the journal. The only information provided
about the staf writers is their twitter handle, so legitimacy is
established only if the reader already knows that they are permanent
writers or have read an issue before.
The language in the journal is informal and even humorous,
which helps to make the articles easy to read and accessible. In
Concrete Detail; Go From Blah To Brilliant In 15 Minutes Or Less, Ann
Wylie writes:
How can scanning old news headlines, getting a quick education from
Wikipedia or asking your BFF and research assistant Google a question
or two save a boring story? By helping you add concrete detail to your
message in 15 minutes or less. Here are some simple ways to
transform your story from meh to masterpiece all within a time
frame that should fit into even the busiest PR pros schedule.

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The informal style of writing makes the article easy to digest and livens
up what could be a dull piece. The piece also provides advice that can
improve the writing style of a less experience PR professional.
The goal of Public Relations Tactics is to report on trends in the
industry, comment on hot topics and deliver advice from top
executives and new professionals alike. The piece 2016 Trends: Video,
Work Messaging includes predictions as well as insight from a top
executive in the industry:
More brands such as Prudential, GE and Netflix are creating their own
podcasts. Prudentials 40/40 Vision four episode series focused on life
after the age of 40. The brand was drawn to the unedited, intimate
style of podcasting, Anna Papadopoulos, Prudentials vice president of
media, told Digiday. Forty year olds are the generation that has been
impacted the most and benefited the most from what is happening
culturally, so we wanted to talk about that.

The journal does include many graphics with interesting and

relevant stats. The sources for these graphics are listed right alongside
the graphics and are from reliable sources. The advertisements in the
journal are targeted towards public relations professionals and include
promotions from a variety of companies that are in the industry. Some
ads call for entries for awards, some for automated monitoring
services, among other helpful services.
Public relations professionals must excel at numerous forms and
styles of writing. PR pros also utilize a variety of strategies to earn their
clients coverage in the media as well as building brand awareness. A
journal written specifically for public relations professionals that shares

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techniques and strategies of the trade as well as career advice and

industry trends all in a compact and easily read format is ideal for the
busy public relations professional.

Authors Note: After finishing this draft, I would not necessarily include
this piece in my professional portfolio. While this paper gives a fine
overview of a specific journal as well as the type of writing required for
the PR profession, the type of writing required for this assignment is
not used in PR.

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References
Public Relations Tactics. Jan2016, Vol. 23 Issue 1

"What's New ." Public Relations Resources & PR Tools for

Communications Professionals: Public Relations Society of America
(PRSA). The Public Relations Society of America, Inc., n.d. Web. 31 Jan.
2016.