One way that nonprofit and government associations get the word out is through public service announcements.
For our PR Writing class, create a 30-second public service announcement or radio news release for your client. (If you have a nonprofit or gov’t client, write a PSA. If you have a for-profit client, write a radio news release.) Review the information in Chapter 9, especially pages 208-222 for tips on how to write.
Things to keep in mind:
Thirty seconds is not very long, approximately 75 words. You’ll need to get to the point quickly.
You’re writing information that will be spoken, not read silently. There’s a BIG difference between the two. Ask a friend or two to read your PSA or radio news release aloud. Edit and adjust as needed.
Write conversationally.
Use the same standard header that you have used on previous news release assignments (for contact information, etc.)
Feel free to write on the same topic as you have in previous releases, as long as the topic can fit this assignment.
A special installment of our monthly #ConnectChat will take place Tuesday, March 15, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. EST.
“Beyond the Basics: How to Make Social Media Really Work for You” will feature two special guests: Ellyn Angelotti, faculty member, digital trends and social media, The Poynter Institute, Poynter Online; and Barbara Nixon, professor of journalism and public relations, Southeastern University.
This is not your basic “Social Media 101” discussion. Ellyn and Barbara will share specific techniques on how to increase your audience and get real, measurable results.
Topics of Discussion:
Choosing what social media tools to use for your particular needs
Developing content
Using social media platforms to increase brand awareness
Getting more comments on your website or social media page
Getting existing followers or friends to interact with you and each other
Ellyn and Barbara will also discuss your particular challenges and guide you on how to find a resolution.
We’ll try to get to as many questions as we can. Of course, you can also ask your question live during the chat.
To help you keep track of the conversation, we will use the #connectchat hashtag. Please use that hashtag if you are tweeting a question to Ellyn or Barbara, or participating in the chat.
If you can’t make it to the chat, don’t worry — a transcript will be provided on ProfNet Connect by the end of the week.
About Ellyn Angelotti
Since joining The Poynter Institute in 2007, Ellyn Angelotti has helped Poynter explore the journalistic values and the legal challenges related to new technologies, especially social media. She also has helped create and develop Poynter’s use of interactive teaching tools like online chats and podcasts.
Angelotti regularly teaches journalists how to effectively use interactive tools as storytelling vehicles, and how using these tools changes the media landscape. In the summer of 2009 she traveled to South Africa to teach and research mobile storytelling. As a judge for national multimedia journalism contests, including the National Press Photographers Association Awards and E.W. Scripps National Journalism Awards, she has studied and taught about best practices in innovative storytelling.
Her current work is focused on the intersection of journalism, technology and the law. She is attending law school part-time at Stetson University College of Law.
Before coming to Poynter, Angelotti directed award-winning, nontraditional multimedia sports content at the Naples Daily News in Florida. There she created and produced two interactive vodcasts, “PrepZone” and “Blades Playbook,” which won the Newspaper Association of America’s Digital Edge Award for Most Innovative Multimedia Storytelling. While attending the University of Kansas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and journalism, she worked at the Lawrence Journal-World as multimedia journalist. There she helped launch two award-winning websites and weekly print products, “Game” and “The Lansing Current.”
About Barbara Nixon
Barbara Nixon teaches journalism and public relations at Southeastern University (both face-to-face and online). She also worked for several years in human resources for a Fortune 500 corporation. A Life Member and Past President of the International Listening Association, Barbara served in ILA board roles for more than a decade. She is completing her dissertation at Capella University, focusing on leadership development in volunteer organizations. Fascinated by social media, Barbara blogs at publicrelationsmatters.com and tweets as @BarbaraNixon.
Image Credit: "Exclamation Point (!)" by Gabriel Millos
As a public relations writer, one of the collateral pieces you are likely to be writing is a media advisory. A media advisory (or media alert) is designed to encourage a reporter to come and cover an event.
That said, with your client in mind, create a media advisory for an upcoming event. Though it’s ideal if this is for a real event, if your client does not have one planned in the near future, you can use your creativity to write about an imaginary event. (Be sure to let me know if it is not a real event.)
When structuring your media advisory, make it as simple as possible for the reporter to find the details. Keep these things in mind:
Use letterhead from your client for the media advisory (just like you would for a news release)
Include pertinent contact information (just like you would for a news release)
Write a catchy headline (just like you would for a news release)
Provide a brief opening paragraph with your story idea
Create headings including the 5 W’s & a P:
Who
What
Where
When
Photo Ops
Why (Tip: this one is perhaps the most important. This is where you will use your persuasive writing abilities to convince the reporter that the story is newsworthy. It should explain why the reporter should come, not why someone in the community should come, to the event.)
REMEMBER: This Media Advisory is written for a reporter, not a community member.
Check your syllabus for the due date for this assignment.
(NOTE: You can see many, many sample media advisories online by Googling “media advisory sample” or “media alert sample.” I cannot vouch for the content of all of them, but it would be good for you to see them to get a feel for how they look and read.)
This morning I had the opportunity participate as a leader in a Best Ideas session at Southeastern University. My topic was engaging students in large classes. Below you can see the slides.
Image Credit: "Montreal Twestival 2009 Cupcakes" by Clever Cupcakes
During Week Seven of our Spring Semester, I have the opportunity to attend the Social Fresh Conference in Tampa. (Thank you, HubSpot, for the free ticket that I won!)
So instead of class on Monday/Tuesday, spend some time learning on your own about using Twitter. Here are a few ways to learn. We’ll talk more about Twitter either right before or right after Spring Break (depending on which class you are in). Be sure to follow the directions in Step 4 so you “take attendance” for the class; you can send the required tweet/message anytime before midnight on Tuesday.
Step 1: Watch
If you haven’t seen it already, watch Twitter in Plain English, made by the folks at Common Craft:
Go to Twitter. Click Get Started, and sign up. I prefer it if you use some version of your first and last name as your Twitter ID. (Avoid putting numbers in your Twitter ID, or you may appear like a spammer.)
Upload a photo or avatar.
Write a brief (160-character or fewer) bio. It’s good to mention that you’re a PR student. Consider mentioning your university.
Send a tweet saying “I’m a student in @barbaranixon’s #COMM2322 /#COMM4333 / #COMM4633 /#SPC4350 class”. (Use the correct number for your class.) Be sure to include the #xxx1234 indicator, with no spaces between the hashtag (#), letters and numbers. It is by you sending this tweet that I will “take attendance” on Monday/Tuesday.
Step 5: Follow
Follow the people I recommend in my Starter Pack for PR Students list: — at least for the duration of this semester. I will also create lists for students in each of my classes (but I cannot do this until I have all your Twitter IDs.)
Additional Information
If you already have a Twitter account that you use primarily for social (not educational or professional) reasons, you may wish to create a fresh, new account for this class and professional reasons.
I find using the web interface for Twitter to be clunky. I prefer using TweetDeck, a free Adobe Air app that works great on PCs and Macs. TweetDeck makes it really easy to send URLs via Twitter, as it automatically shortens them for you.
I’ll occasionally post information on Twitter and use the hashtag for your class (#COMM2322, #COMM4333, #COMM4633 or #SPC4350).By using this hashtag, I’m indicating that I want students in this class to pay special attention to the tweet.
Image Credit: "Happy Valentine's Day" by Barbara B. Nixon
In honor of Valentine’s Day, my public relations classes spent some time looking through conversation hearts and discussing how PR is similar to some of the messages on the hearts. Here are a few things they came up with:
YOU RULE: We are the brave front for well-known people who want to be represented well. These people want others to think they rule. (Laurie Cobb)
YOU RULE: No matter what you want, it’s my job to deliver. (Laurie Cobb)
SEE YA!: We’re watching you! Actually, {social media monitoring] agencies are. But the bottom line is, whatever information you put out online, especially on social networking sites, is usually free game. (Chelsey Lynn)
MY HERO: You can follow your “idols” on Twitter. (Andrew Potter)
CUPCAKE: Because sometimes we need to sugar-coat things. (Rachel LaFlam)
HEY YOU!: Because we try to get the attention from reporters and the media. (Taylor Flumerfelt and Emily Meade)
HEY YOU!: You can meet new people online with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. (Melanie Shoults)
FIRST KISS: Because sometimes…it’s a little awkward.
BE MINE: When we put out a press release we want to have the media come to our event, party, show… etc. (Taylor Flumerfelt and Emily Meade)
DON’T TELL: PR sometimes covers up “dirty” details from the public’s eye.
DON’T TELL: Not telling is the opposite of a PR worker’s job. They are supposed to expose everything in the open. (Kyle Ashcraft, Matthew Weaver and Iva Pittman)
BE TRUE: It’s always better to be truthful about something, than to fabricate to promote your company.
BE TRUE: Public relations practitioners must be truthful in their work in order to be trusted in the business world as well as to make people respect their company. (Cody Marlow)
SOUL MATE: PR, the matchmaker between individuals and companies. Making the world a better place by connecting soul mates. (Sarah Allen)
HELLO: Because it is about making connections! (Rachel LaFlam)
NO WAY!: Each day is unpredictable and some days are simply unbelievable! (Whitney Gonzalez)
GET REAL: It’s always best to be honest, to uphold a reputation that people can trust. There is no better way to do that than to be real, or “Get Real.” (Mike Trivett)
GET REAL: Because being fake is unattractive. (Cress Bost)
U GO GIRL: Because in public relations the majority of public relation practitioners are of the female dominated group. Most of the people that are associated with public relations are females.
AWESOME: PR tends to spotlight sensational news type stories, or get people involved and engaged in a certain topic as to make it interesting to the reader, deeming it AWESOME! (Tara Schwartz)
Are there other conversation hearts you received today that have some sort of loose connection to the field of public relations? I’d love to see what you can come up with.
Three work samples (such as PDFs of news releases, brochures, newsletters, ads, etc.) — NOTE: If you have no client work yet, then substitute in at least two items from the Optional list below
Optional items to enhance your social media resume include:
A selection of photos you have taken, to show your photography skills. (You may wish to put these in a slideshow format using Picasa or PPT/ SlideShare.)
Plan, record, edit and create a 5-10 minute podcast about some aspect of the topic of public relations. Students will work either alone or in self-selected teams of two to three each.
If you are working alone, you just need to create this one podcast. If you are working as part of a team, create this one podcast AND provide a plan for creating at least four more podcasts; you’ll only record/create this one, however, for the assignment.
Podcasting Tips
Keep the podcast conversational. Use an outline of talking points; do not read from a script. Talk to the audience as “you” – as if you’re having a one-on-one conversation.
Establish a regular structure for your podcasts.
Unless you can edit your mistakes without the listener noticing, record your podcast in one take.
Show your own interest in the topic through your tone and by explaining why the content matters.
See Tiffany Gallicano’s additional tips that she provided to her University of Oregon students.
Structure
Introduction elements (in various order):
Theme music
The show’s name (include show number and date for subscribers)
The host’s name
Sponsors (if applicable)
Body of podcast
Create your own content. (You may wish to use one of your Topics of the Week or PR Connections as a starting point for ideas.)
OR, interview a PR professional
Potential close:
Respond to listeners’ questions and comments
Theme music
The show’s name
The host’s name
Next show
Special thanks
Farewell
Show Notes
Show notes are like a table of contents & credit for the podcast. Use them to tell listeners what you’re covering and provide time codes so that listeners can jump to a particular section. Show notes also help people find you on search engines. Also, for this assignment, the show notes are how I will know which role each team member performed. Donna Pappacosts provides tips on creating show notes.
NOTE: Many, many thanks to Tiffany Gallicano at University of Oregon, who gave me permission to use her assignment for my class. I have made only minor tweaks to her original assignment (which appears at her The PR Post blog.)
One way that nonprofit and government associations get the word out is through public service announcements.
