Author: Barbara Nixon

In my PR Writing courses that I’ve taught over the years, it seems as though the biggest struggle for the students is writing using Associated Press style.

To help combat this, I sought feedback from a variety of public relations practitioners and faculty members, trying to come up with a list of what PR writers REALLY need to know (cold, without even looking in the AP Stylebook) about AP Style. The most helpful advice came from colleagues on PR OpenMic, a new social network for PR students, faculty and practitioners. (See the individual responses I received in the PR OpenMic PR Writing Discussion Forum.)

The most important (and sometimes confusing) parts of AP Style for PR writers are:

• dates (especially when to abbreviate)
• addresses (especially when to abbreviate)
• names (when to use titles, etc.)
• numerals (when to spell out, when to use digits)
• datelines (which cities need to be identified with their states)

Many PR writers can also benefit from brushing up on standard grammar. My favorite site for general grammar advice is Mignon Fogarty’s Grammar Girl. Consider subscribing to Grammar Girl’s podcast through iTunes.

Additionally, I found several websites that help my students with AP Style: see http://del.icio.us/listeningmatters/APStyle.

In today’s PRCA 3330 PR Writing class, the students shared presentations they’d developed on a variety of top ten lists regarding working with the media. Below you will find their presentations:

For my PRCA 3330 Class

On Wednesday and Friday this week, we will not be meeting in our usual PRCA 3330 class, as I will be at the International Listening Association conference in Maine. Your assignment for the week, which will count as your attendance and participation for the week, is as follows:

• Sign up for an account at WordPress.com if you don’t already have one
• Create a public relations-themed blog by the end of the day on Tuesday, March 25. Add a comment here to let me know  what the name and address (URL) of your blog are
• Write at least two postings, again with something related to PR as the theme
• In each posting, offer at least two hyperlinks to relevant sites
• Comment on at least two of your classmates blogs; see http://del.icio.us/listeningmatters/PRCA3330blogs for a listing of them. This listing will be available by the end of the day on Wednesday, March 26

For my PRCA 3330 class

Find a PR-related blog, and read through several of the postings. Then add a comment to this message here at Public Relations Matters with your thoughts. Be sure to include:

• Name of the blog
• Website address of the blog
• Intended audience (if you can determine that)
• Your thoughts on the content of the blog 

If you need some ideas of what I mean by PR-related blogs, see my links: http://del.icio.us/listeningmatters/PR_blogs for a starting place. (Please don’t use one of these, but you can use one that is linked FROM one of these.)

“Public-relations specialists make flower arrangements of the facts, placing them so that the wilted and less attractive petals are hidden by sturdy blooms”
– Alan Harrington

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.”
– Daniel J. Boorstin
 
“All the president is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing, and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway.”
– Harry S Truman
 
“For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.”
– Richard Feynman