Chapter 4- the writing process Flashcards
Publics are?
People who are the focus of the communication that you are planning
groups of people who share a common bond or relationship with an organization
groups of people that can affect your organization and be affected by it
W.I.N.
wants, interests, needs (of public)
Value categories
Hidden persuaders
hierarchy of needs
Harold laswells eight motivators
Vance Packards eight veiled needs
Abraham Maslows five level pyramid
Value Categories – Harold Lasswell’s eight motivations
Power Wealth Respect Well-being Affection Skill Rectitude (moral correctness) Enlightenment
Hidden Persuaders – Vance Packard’s
Eight veiled needs
Emotional security Reassurance of self-worth Ego gratification Creative outlets Love objects Sense of power Sense of roots Immortality
Hierarchy of Needs – Abraham Maslow’s
five-level pyramid
..
Planning Sheet
A planning sheet is an outline of what you should think about to make your writing more effective Should consist of: PR situation Key publics New pitch Benefit statement Tone of message Intended outcomes Action statement Readability range
PR Situation
Begin the planning sheet with a brief note on the general scope of this particular writing activity.
Key Publics
if you list more than 3 – Write a different piece for each.
Write a brief analysis of each key public; identify major characteristics, wants interests and needs.
News Pitch
Brief statement that sums up the main newsworthy message that you are preparing to write about.
Benefit Statement
What is the one thing that you would like for your
key publics to remember
This needs to be clear in your own mind before you can convey the message to others
What value is your organization offering to the key publics
Provide clear statement of how the organization can satisfy the publics wants, interests and needs.
W.I.N.
Tone of Message
This is how you want your message to feel
Is humor or fear an appropriate appeal?
Weigh the pros and cons of using emotion vs. logic
Intended Outcomes
Taken pre-existing outcomes and drawing on them to to create specific messages
Should be very simple
Action Statement
Implementation of simple objectives for “intended Outcomes” section.
Indicate here what you will do to invite readers for follow-up action.
Research is simply a systematic way of gathering information about your topic
Good writers know more about a topic than they actually write
You need to research enough to make a reasonable judgment:
What to put in and what to leave out
What to quote and what to paraphrase
What to attribute and what is common knowledge
What to stress and what to present with less emphasis
Research is divided into three categories
Casual: An informal process of finding out what is already known. Think about the situation. Ask around
Secondary: Is conducted to find out what information is already available (Organizational Files, Archives, Libraries, Government material, Online resources, professional material)
Primary: This is research that generates new data collected specifically for a particular project. Usually occur with large PR campaigns rather than individual writing assignments.
Nine steps of effective writing
Plan what you want to write Research the needed information Organize your writing Write and print the first draft Review your planning sheet and revise draft Polish the language Proofread this draft Get necessary approvals Publish your writing
