FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS WRITING

- There are a number of communication tools that the public relations

practitioners use:
 to address the different public that they have
- The most commonly used tools:
 news releases,
 newsletters,
 memos,
 brochures,
 annual reports, and
 Public speeches.

- Different organizations may have different writing styles and formatting

procedures of these tools,
- So public relations writers should be flexible in adapting their writing skills.
1. News releases
- A news release is:
 a simple document
 whose purpose is the dissemination of information in ready-to-publish form.
- For building credibility,
 it is a fundamental,
 powerful and
 cost-effective public relations tool.
- Editors of print and broadcast media to whom news releases are sent:
 judge them on basis of news interest for their audience and timeliness, and in
some instances on their adaptability to the medium’s form.
- No payment is made to the publication or station
 if the material appears in print or on the air.
- If an organization or individual purchases space in a publication to present
its material:
 this is a paid advertisement and
 the purchaser controls the content.
- Releases should be prepared so that:
 the media can relay their news content to audiences easily,
 with confidence in their accuracy.
- Editors want the main facts states succinctly in the opening graph of release,
for quick recognition.
- A news release is:
 a purveyor of information,
 not an exercise in writing style,
 except in those cases of longer releases that are clearly intended to be feature
stories.
- The writer of a basic news release should leave the clever writing to staff
members of the media.
- A news release faces intense competition
 when it arrives on an editor’s desk against scores or even hundreds of other
releases.
- As they scan the releases editors make almost instant decisions, assigning
each release to one of three categories:
1. Obvious news.
o Copy that is certain to be used.
 2. Maybe.
 Stories possibly worth developing if a reporter has the time.
 A sharp news angle in a release may put it in the “obvious-news”
category instead of the risky “maybe” pile.
 Potentially good stories placed in the “maybe” pile
 face the danger of being thrown away after a second reading if
the key information is poorly developed.
3. Discard.
 Releases of insufficient interest to the receiving editor’s audience and
 those of marginal value that would require too much effort to develop.
 These go into the recycling box or the wastebasket.
- The road to publication can be difficult for a news release.
 Journalists and editors face an endless torrent of news releases and other
publicity submissions.
 Only some get read, and fewer yet are printed- either in their entirety or as a
content source for a larger article.
- Public relations officers need:
 to create news releases that capture editors' attention.
 High-impact news releases have three vital ingredients:
(1) pertinent and newsworthy content,
(2) proper formatting, and (3) well-targeted and timely distribution.

- News releases that are prepared according to the criteria described above:
 have the best chance of being accepted for publication,
 assuming that their content is newsworthy.
2. Memo
- A memo is a document typically used:
 for communication within an organization.
- Memos have a twofold purpose:
 they bring attention to problems and
 they solve problems.
- They accomplish their goals by informing the reader about new information
like:
 policy changes,
 price increases, or
 by persuading the reader to take an action,
o such as attend a meeting, or change a current production procedure.
- Regardless of the specific goal, memos are most effective:
 when they connect the purpose of the writer with the interests and needs of
the reader.
- Memos can be as formal as a business letter and used to present a report,
 However, the heading and overall tone make a memo different from a
business letter.
 Because public relations practitioners generally send memos
o to co-workers and colleagues,
- they do not have to include a formal salutation or closing remark.
Audience.
 Public relations practitioners need to choose the audience of the memo
wisely.
 The typical audience for a memo is co-workers and colleagues.
 However, in the age of downsizing, outsourcing, and teleconferencing,
o practitioners might also write memos to employees from other
organizations working on the project, or
o other departments within their organization.
- This is why knowing the audience is very important when writing a memo:
 For example, if the audiences are generally familiar with the writer of the
memo professionally and/or his/her role in the project,
o the writer does not need to provide a detailed background about the
purpose.
 If the audiences are new to the project,
o the writer need to provide detailed background information
o so that the audiences understand the situation and can provide
constructive feedback if desired.
- It is helpful, however, to inform readers about the context:
 For example, when writing memos, writers do not only write that a meeting
will take place by listing the date and time.
 They need to inform why the meeting is occurring in the first place.
 They also need to consider the audience's knowledge of the topic and
previous experience.
- Memos are most effectively used when sent to a small or to moderate
amount of people to communicate organization or job objectives.
Parts of a Memo
- Standard memos are divided into segments:
 to organize the information and
 to help achieve the writer's purpose.
Heading.
A memo's heading provides information about:
 who will receive the memo,
 who is sending the memo,
 the date, and
 the memo's subject.
This information may be bolded or highlighted in some way.
For example:
The heading segment follows this general format:
TO: (readers' names and job titles)
FROM: (your name and job title)
DATE: (complete and current date)
SUBJECT: (what the memo is about, highlighted in some way)
Opening.

- The purpose of a memo is usually found in the opening paragraph and

includes:
 the purpose of the memo,
 the context and problem, and
 the specific assignment or task.
- Before indulging the reader with details and the context,
 writers need to give the reader a brief overview of what the memo will be
about.
 Choosing how specific the introduction will be depend on the memo plan
style.
 The more direct the memo plan,
o the more explicit the introduction should be.
- Including the purpose of the memo,
 will help clarify the reason the audience should read this document.
 The introduction should be brief, and should be approximately the length of
a short paragraph.
Context.
- When writing memos, writers should provide a context for readers.
 The context is the event, circumstance, or background of the problem or the
issue.
 A paragraph or a few sentences might be enough to establish the background
and state the problem.
- Considering the following questions will help practitioners to tell their
readers why they are writing:
  Is your memo a result of a situation? For instance, "As a result of yesterday's
meeting..."
 Is your memo a reminder? For example, "The Proposal is due July 2."
- By providing context for their readers,
 practitioners can avoid being asked to provide that information later.
Discussion.
- The discussion segments are the longest portions of the memo,
 and are the parts in which the writer includes all the details that support
his/her ideas.
 It should begin with the most important information,
o such as key findings or recommendations.
o This part is usually written by starting with the most general
information and
o move to specific or supporting facts.
o (the same format should be used when including details: strongest to
weakest.)
 The discussion segments include:
o the supporting ideas,
o facts, and
o research that back up the argument in the memo.
 The writer should include strong points and evidence to persuade the reader
to follow his/her recommended actions.
 If this section is inadequate, the memo will not be as effective as it could be.
Summary.
- If your memo is longer than a page,
 you may want to include a separate summary segment.
  However, this section not necessary for short memos and
o should not take up a significant amount of space.
 This segment provides a brief statement of the key recommendations the
writer have reached.
 These will help readers understand the key points of the memo immediately.
Closing.
- After the reader has absorbed all of the information,
 the writer want to close with a courteous ending that states what action the
writer want his/her reader to take.
 It is important to consider
o how the reader will benefit from the desired actions and
o how the writer can make those actions easier.
 For example, "I will be glad to discuss this recommendation with you during
our Tuesday trip to the spa and follow through on any decisions you make."
Necessary Attachments.
- Memo writers need to document:
 their findings or
 provide detailed information whenever necessary.
- They can do this by:
 attaching lists,
 graphs,
 tables, etc. at the end of the memo.
Tone.
- Since public relation practitioners typically send memos to those working
within their own organization,
 they can use a more informal tone.
  For example, they might refer to their colleagues by their first names or use
humour.
 However, they always need to keep in mind that they still need to be
professional.
 They need to ask themselves how their readers would react to their memo.
Length.
- Memos are generally short, concise documents.
- However, writers may have to write longer memos,
 depending on their topic.
 For example, a memo might present the new guidelines for a specific office
task.
 Obviously, if the writer has over forty guidelines,
o the memo will be more than a page.
 Some memos might even introduce a short report.
o In this case, writers might include the report in the memo, or
o the memo might be a separate document, introducing the report.

Format.
- The format of a memo follows the general guidelines of business writing.
 A memo is usually a page or two long,
 should be single spaced and
 left justified.
 Instead of using indentations to show new paragraphs,
o skip a line between sentences.
 Business materials should be concise and easy to read.
- Readers can understand memos better:
  if it has headings for the summary and
 the discussion segments.
- Writing important points or details into,
 lists rather than paragraphs will make reading easier.
 This will draw the readers' attention to the section and
o help the audience remember the information better.
- The segments of the memo should be allocated in the following manner:
 Header: 1/8 of the memo
 Opening, Context and Task: 1/4 of the memo
 Summary, Discussion Segment: 1/2 of the memo
 Closing Segment, Necessary Attachments: 1/8 of the memo
- This is a suggested distribution of the material to make writing memos
easier:
 Not all memos will be the same and
 the structure can change as the writer see necessary.
- Different organizations may have different formatting procedures,
 so memo writers should be flexible in adapting their writing skills.
Format Guidelines
- Regardless of the style, memos generally have similar format characteristics,
unless otherwise specified by the organization.
- Listed below are some basic guidelines that can help create a memo:
 Memos have one-inch margins around the page and are on plain paper
 All lines of the memo begin at the left margin
 The text begins two spaces after the subject line
 The body of the memo is single-spaced, with two spaces between paragraphs
 Second-page headings are used, as in business letters
  The second page includes who the memo is to, the page number, and the
date
 The sender usually signs the memo using initials, first name, or complete
name
3. The Newsletter
 Designed as an informal publication,
o to deliver information to a target audience at regular intervals,
 Newsletters are used frequently by corporations,
o to communicate with employees and stockholders,
 by non-profit agencies and associations,
o to reach members and friends, and
 by sales organizations,
o to deliver information and personnel chitchat to representatives in the
field.
- Newsletters for internal audiences:
 typically report to employees on trends in their field of work
 forthcoming events,
 personnel changes and
 policy announcements within the organization,
 news from field offices,
 introduction of new products
 unusual achievements by employees,
 results of surveys, and
 new publications. T
- The goal is to make employees feel that they are informed about
company affairs right up to the minute.
 - A newsletter aimed at an outside audience members of an organization, or
both:
 may contain items about political trends that could affect the organization or
 field of interest, announcements of new programs and policies,
 brief human interest stories about personnel or recipients of organization
services,
 promotions and retirements-
 whatever news the editor believes of interest to readers that can be told
succinctly.
- On complicated stories,
 the newsletter should give the basic facts and
 indicate where readers can write or telephone for additional details.
- A newsletter is a brisk compilation of highlights and tidbits,
 not a place for contemplative essays or detailed professional discussion.
Guideline for Writing Newsletters
- A newsletter can be an important tool for different organizations,
 It can raise the profile of organizations;
 it can keep members or users of the organizations services informed of the
activities, and
 it can also help attract potential new customers or members.
- Because of this, it is essential that newsletter is one that people will want to
read,
 a newsletter that goes straight in the recycling bin is a waste of time and
money.
Here are some guidelines to follow to help produce an interesting and informative
newsletter:

1. Audience
Before starting to work on your newsletter, you should have a clear idea of:
 Who your readers are going to be (e.g. members, funders, service users etc)
 What your newsletter aims to do (e.g. attract more members/service users)
 How often it will be published
 How long it will be
2. Name
- Your newsletter should have a name,
 rather than just calling it “Newsletter”.
- Spend some time designing the masthead for your newsletter,
 as this is the first thing readers will see -and
 first impressions count!
 The masthead should be eye-catching (without being too over the top),
 and should give clear information about your organization.
- If you have a logo, include it in your masthead,
 Also consider including a short strap- line underneath the title,
o particularly if the name of your organization is not included in the
title.

3. Content
- Essentially, news breaks down into two forms:
 Preview: looks at events which are going to happen, or might happen.
Preview news is often speculative.
  Review: looks back at events which have just happened. Can also include
speculation about possible developments.

- What you decide to include in your newsletter depends upon who your
readers are,
 Remember that it must be topical- news is called ‘news’ for good reason.
 This is particularly important if your newsletter is only produced quarterly or
bi-annually (or even yearly!).
 Think about having an “angle” – this makes your newsletter different from
another news source, and could make someone want to read it.
- You should aim to have some regular features every issue,
 so that your readers have a reasonable idea what to expect.
 However, you should also ensure that there is a good balance between
familiarity and new features, to keep your readers interested.
4. Writing
 Make sure you have all your information in hand before you start.
 Decide what is essential,
o you don’t have to include everything!
o In particular, work out how much your readers already know about the
subject.
 If you include too much information that your readers already know,
o they won’t want to read it.
 Similarly, if your readers don’t know what you’re talking about,
o they won’t read the article.
The Six Ws.
- The 6 Ws form the essential checklist for news stories,
 Who,
  What,
 Where,
 When,
 How and
 Why
- Who and What must be covered in the introduction:
 It is not necessary for all six elements to appear in the introduction
 They should be covered elsewhere in the story.
 After the Six Ws, the most important element of the story is ‘SO
WHAT’.
- Following the tips listed below should help you write a clear, interesting
and informative article:
 Keep your sentences under control – no more than 15 – 20 words.
o Varying the sentence length makes the article more interesting to read.
 Use short words and familiar expressions.
 Use active rather than passive language.
 Avoid using unnecessary words
 Avoid jargon, wherever possible
 Don’t use clichés.
 Watch out for abbreviations –
o Don’t assume that your readers know what the abbreviation stands
for.
o Explain it in full the first time you use it.
 Using quotations can bring a story to life –
o but make sure you have permission from the quote first!
 - Finally, always check your article thoroughly for accuracy:
 Obvious mistakes are a guaranteed way to put people off from reading the
article.

Headlines.
- A good headline should grab your readers’ attention,
 and move them onto the article below it.

- The following guidelines will help you write snappy headlines:

 Keep it short. Ideally, no more than 5 – 7 words
 Try to use an active verb
 Link your headline to the first paragraph, so it tells readers what the article
is about
Commissioning articles
- If someone else is writing an article for your newsletter,
 make sure that you give them clear guidelines as to what you want from
them.
 A good way to do this is to complete an “Information for Contributors” form
for every article you commission.
- The advantage of this is that it appears more professional,
 and in turn, your contributor will hopefully put more time and effort into his
or her article.
5. Layout
- The appearance of your newsletter is crucial to getting people to read it,
 If it looks messy, it doesn’t matter what the content is like,
o very few people will read it.
Columns.
- Columns make your newsletter look more professional,
 and are easier to read.
 An odd number of columns makes the layout more dynamic –
o three is typical,
o and five is the most you can realistically fit on an A4 page.
 Once you’ve decided how many columns to use,
o you should use the same number on every page.
o Not every page should look the same –
o “breaking the grid” makes the page look more interesting.
Font.
- The font you use for your newsletter helps determine the impact it has.
 Arial is a fairly standard font,
 but when used on a whole page it can look very impenetrable.
 Century Gothic gives much more white space on the page,
o so is a good alternative.
o Times New Roman is another standard font,
 but it can look a little boring.
- Using different fonts in your newsletter can be helpful to make articles stand
out.
 However, you should limit the number of fonts to only two or three;
o otherwise the newsletter looks very messy.

Headlines.
- Headlines are central to the layout of your newsletter,
 as they indicate the hierarchy of the articles on the page.
- Where there is more than one headline on a page, the main headline should
be as big as possible,
 to ensure that the reader knows which story is most important and
 which one to read first.
- The exception to this rule is if you have a group of headlines relating to the
same theme,
 In this case, their size and lettering should be the same,
 and you should use a larger ‘Parent’ headline to group them together.

- You can make your headlines stand out in a number of ways:

 contrast (different type font from the rest of the article);
 size (usually larger than the article text); and
 position (on the page and in relation to each other) –
o however, make sure that you don’t have too much space in between
your headline and the text, as this can make the headline ‘float’ and is
too much effort to read.

- Ideally, your headlines should be at least three-quarters of the width of the

text below-
 if they are much shorter than that, it can look as though there is
something missing from the page.
 If your headline extends onto a second line, you should break the lines
into roughly equal length.
 If possible, the bottom line should be slightly shorter than the one(s)
above as this will encourage your reader to continue into the text.
 However, make sure you don’t have any ‘widowed’ bottom lines- that
is, just one or two short words on their own.
Paragraphs.
- Paragraphs help to break up an article, and can make what initially appears to be
an impenetrable mass of text much more readable.
- If you have a very long article, simply using paragraphs alone might not be
enough to break up the text.
- Consider using sub-headings or bold type to break up the article further, and to
highlight key points.

Illustrations.
- Illustrations can be used to break up a page full of text, and can make the
point better than lots of writing.
- However, think carefully before using illustrations-
 don’t use them just to fill up some empty space.
 In particular, don’t use clip art, unless it’s good quality, and
specifically illustrates an article.
- If you’re using illustrations in your newsletter, bear in mind the following
points:
 use photos if the newsletter is going to be professionally printed.
 if you’re using more than one illustration on a page, decide which one is the
most important and make it more prominent in size and position.
 don’t use pictures as background – it makes the text over it difficult to read.
 graphs, charts and diagrams are useful to include if they will help the reader
to understand the content of an article.
 hand-drawn or designed illustrations can help make your newsletter look
unique and improve the overall design of the newsletter. However, only
 include them if they are well drawn- otherwise it looks messy and
unprofessional.
Black and white or colour?
- A little bit of color can go a long way:
 Unless your newsletter is specifically aimed at children or young people,
 you should use color sparingly- black or dark colored text, with possibly
another colour for borders and another for your logo.
6. Distributing the newsletter
- Depending on your audiences,
 you can post your newsletter out, or
 can hand-deliver it.
- For example, if your readers are living in a small geographical area,
 delivering it by hand is probably the best way.
 If you have a mailing list already, this won’t be an issue at all.
4. Brochures and Handbooks
- Writing informational publications to fill innumerable needs is among the most
common duties of public relations practitioners.
- Some printed pieces are issued at stated intervals,
 such as quarterly reports to stockholders and college catalogues.
 The majority, however, are designed to last for indefinite periods, subject to
updating as required.
 Most of this material is distributed free,
o although price tags may be placed on more elaborate and expensive
items such as museum catalogs.
- Whatever their purpose,
 these publications share clearly defined writing requirements.
 Clarity is essential.
 Frequently the writer must explain technical material or simplify complex
issues for a reader who knows little about the topic.
- This calls for explanations that are:
 straightforward,
 shorn of jargon, and
 stated in terms of reference that a casual reader can comprehend quickly.
- Paired with clarity is conciseness,
 Informational writing should be tightly done;
 elaborate literary devices should be left to the fiction writer.
 The person who delivers information needs to pare excess verbiage from
sentences and paragraphs.
- Every brochure, handbook, or other form of printed information should be
organized,
 on a firm outline that moves the reader forward comfortably through
unfamiliar territory.
 Frequent subheads and typographical breaks are desirable.
 The writer often operates under budget restrictions that dictate the size of the
publication-
o perhaps a 4- page folder,
o perhaps a large format brochure of 30 pages consisting primarily of
illustrations with short blocks of type.
o Space limitations should be regarded as a challenge to the writer’s
skill at condensation.
 - The following are types of publications in this category that a public
relations writer is most frequently called upon to create.

Informational Brochures
- These describe:
 the purposes,
 policies, and functions of an organization.
- Tour-guide folders given out at museums are an example of this form.
Handbooks
- More elaborate than basic brochures, these usually include:
 policy statements,
 statistical information, and
 listings of significant facts about the issuing organization and its field of
operation.
- Handbooks often are designed for distribution:
 primarily to news media sources as handy references for a writer or
broadcaster in a hurry.
 Trade associations and large corporations are among the most frequent uses
of the handbook as a public relations tool.
Corporate Brochures for External Use
- Frequently aimed at specific audiences rather than at the general public,
 these may be such items as the inserts utility companies include with their
bills financial documents such as quarterly reports to stockholders and
 proxy statements for potential stock purchasers, owners’ manuals; and
teaching materials that help students learn about the issuing industries.
Corporate Broachers for Internal use
- To inform and train their employees,
 companies issue a broad range of brochures and handbooks.
- These may be distributed,
 at in-plant meetings or to individuals at work, or
 mailed to the employees’ homes.
- In simplest form, information sheets may be posted on company bulletin
boards.
 Readership of these boards is high;
 anything posted there will be noticed and probably will become a topic of
conversation on job.
Glossaries
- Trade associations and corporations in technical fields often issue,
 pamphlets defining terms,
 including jargon as well as
 standard words, commonly used in their work.
- Like handbooks, glossaries are distributed extensively to the news media,
 to help writers understand the special language and use it accurately.
 Glossaries sometimes are included in other corporate publications.
An oil industry glossary, for example, includes words and terms such as;
 desiccation,
 dispersant,
 huff-and-puff, and
 wrinkle chaser-
 o hardly the language that a non-specialist writer runs across in daily
life. (Huff-and-puff is descriptive of techniques to recover oil by
steam injection. A wrinkle chaser is a geologist.)
Basic points in Writing Brochures
- First impressions count,
 From the appearance you cut as you walk into the room,
 to the strength of your handshake,
 people monitor and register everything,
 whether consciously or unconsciously.
- And more importantly, they start to form judgements,
 In marketing terms, it’s often the brochure that is required to make the first
impression.
 Your brochures need to impress and engage the readers as soon as they pick
them up.
- That means they must be:
 clear and focused
 and should guide the readers, naturally, through your argument, or
 pitch, till they reach the end- and a specific call to action.
Clarify your objectives
- But what is the art of brochure writing?
 Firstly, anyone wondering how to write effective brochure copy must start
with a clear idea of what they want to articulate:
o a single, focused message or proposition.
 That might be to explain your company’s unique selling point, to
demonstrate your capabilities to a particular market sector, or to showcase a
key product.
 - Having identified the objective, it’s then time to consider how this will be of
interest to your readers. What will make the biggest impact on them?
- If your readers are financial directors or accountants, then you need to make
sure your message has a clear fiscal element: how will what you are offering
benefit the bottom line for their organisation?
Consider your audience
- A similarly focused message must be developed for each audience: indeed,
it’s often the case that different brochures should be produced by public
relations writers with different audiences in mind.
- Trying to encapsulate all the different target groups in the same piece of
collateral often leads to confusion, rather than clarity. The audience you’re
writing for also has a major impact on the tone and style your brochure
writing should adopt.
- Whilst every brochure can make use of effective titles, subtitles, boxes and
bullets to ensure that the copy is readable, the kind of language used when
talking to the executives of a large multinational will necessarily be different
from that used when targeting techies.
- Equally important to the choice of language is the type of organization and
the perception you want to create: a large financial institution is unlikely to
speak in the same excitable tones that a marketing company might adopt.
Develop a structure
- The next crucial element of effective brochure copywriting is a powerful
structure. The introduction has to create an immediate impact, convincing
the reader that time taken to study the brochure will be time well spent.
- It must illustrate how the brochure will be relevant to the reader
 by linking in with the kind of issues and challenges that their
organisations might be facing
  and also articulate the central message. Just what is it that your
company can do to improve their business?
- After this vital introductory section, it’s time to expand on the central
message. All the most effective brochures do so in a logical, compelling way
that makes it easy for the reader to follow the argument.
- That means not introducing too many points at once, and ensuring that all
potential benefits are linked in to the central message.
Establish a dialogue
- Finally, the brochure has to include a call to action.
 You’ve won the reader over: you’ve gained and maintained their
attention.
 Now they’re interested in your company, your products, or your
services. What do they do next?

- Sometimes it can be as simple as “contact us.” Sometimes you might want to

say that you will contact them.
- Or alternatively, invite them to find out more by requesting product
information sheets, visiting your website or registering for a seminar.
- That way, you can gain a better understanding of just how effective your
brochure is as a public relations tool- as well as establishing a dialogue with
your readers.
5. The Annual Report
- The principal purpose of the annual report is to tell the company’s story to a
multiplicity of audiences.
- Annual report is public relations document with a regulatory requirement.
- Indeed, preparation of a corporation’s annual report is a major function of a
company’s public relations department or counselling firm and is probably the
company’s most expensive written contact with its stockholders and the financial
community.
- Companies publish expensive and attractive annual reports for public relations
purposes. These include
(1) impressing current and potential stockholders that the company is well
managed and successful,
(2) encouraging potential investors to purchase stock, and
(3) using the annual report as a vehicle of recruiting new employees.
- In other words, annual reports help showcase the company’s accomplishments
and management philosophy.
- A corporate annual report is divided into two general sections:
1. Detailed financial information about the company’s condition and performance
during the past year.
- A consolidated balance sheet and management’s discussion of the financial
condition are essential elements. A letter from the corporation’s auditing firm
attesting to the validity of the figures is included, along with separate breakdowns
of certain financial aspects.
- The statistical material in this section is prepared by the financial department and
approved by top management. The material is coldly objective and must be
completely accurate, but some companies also use profusion of numbers that often
confuse everyone except specialists in accounting.
- Other relevant information about the corporation is published in this section for
reference. This may include lists of key executives and their salaries, names of
major stockholders, lists of plant sites, and major subsidiaries.
2. Management’s presentation of accomplishments during the past year, its goals
and outstanding problems.
- This material, appearing in the first portion of the report just after a one- page
summary of financial highlights, is designed to give a good impression of
management’s work.
- While the prose is restrained, use of striking colour photographs and other
graphics, often in full-page size, helps suggest corporate vigor and achievement.
- The centerpiece of this front section is a report to stockholders by the board
chairperson or the chief executive officer.
6. Speechwriting
- When companies have had a bad year financially, or have been involved in an
embarrassing episode, they frequently bury that fact in their annual reports, so that
only a close reading- not too common among ordinary stockholders- will disclose
it.
- Others discuss their troubles with refreshing candour.
- Annual reports also contain information about new projects, new acquisitions,
new products, and areas of corporate philanthropy.
- Many companies also comment on social responsibility efforts to hire more
minorities, promote more women, and deal with environmental issues.
- On occasion, a company breaks out of the usual mould with a creative approach.
As supplements to printed annual reports, but never as replacement for the
financial selection, some companies issue videotape annual reports for showing to
employees, stockholders, and financial groups.
- Teleconferencing an annual meeting is an increasingly common practice. But
evidence shows that although video basic information, comprehension is increased
if an executive is present to explain and field questions.
- Research has shown that recipients don’t “reread” video reports as they do
printed ones.
6. Speechwriting
- Public relations practitioners frequently are called on to write speeches for their
employers or clients.
- As speech writers, their role is a hidden one. They labor silently to produce the
words that may sparkle like champagne when poured forth by their employers
from the lecterns of convention halls.
- Speakers who utters a memorable phrase gets the credit, but some unknown
writer in a back office probably created it. There is nothing discreditable about this.
Speakers such as presidents or managers of organizations have more urgent tasks
than to think up catchy quotations.
- Although speechwriters rarely receive ego-building recognition, they find
personal satisfaction in creating competent speeches for someone else.
Speechwriting is a highly skilled craft.
- Some speakers prefer to work from notes rather than read a text. In that event, the
writer should prepare a full speech for the speaker to study then, reduce the main
elements of it to note cards arranged in proper sequence.
- Talking from notes increases the air of spontaneity, if the 'speaker' is experienced
and comfortable before an audience. It also magnifies the risk, however, that the
speaker will meander and lose control of the time.
- A written speech should reflect the personality and voice patterns of the speaker,
not those of the writer.
- Speeches come in many sizes and serve many purposes. The writer may be called
on to prepare a light 20- minute talk for the service, club luncheon circuit, a
provocative 10- minute statement to open a panel discussion, or a scholarly 45-
min lecture for delivery before a university audience.
- Possibly the assignment may be for "just a few remarks” to welcome, foreign
visitors on a plant tour. Or it could be for a hard-sell pitch to raise money for a
local charity campaign. Whatever the assignment may be, the speechwriter needs
to keep in mind the following basic points.
The Basic Points of Speechwriting
1. A speech should say something of lasting value.
- Even a talk intended to entertain, full of fluffy humour, should be built around a
significant point. A speech needs both content and style; without the former, the
latter is empty.
2. A speech should concentrate on one, or at most two main themes.
3. A speech needs facts.
- The information must be accurate. The writer’s skill as a researcher is put to the
test, to dig up information that will illustrate and emphasize talk intended to
entertain speaker makes a statement, the information in it should be verified
beyond any doubt.
4. The type of audience should influence the style and content of the speech.
- When a company celebrates its fiftieth anniversary with a reception and dinner
dance for its employees, they don’t want to hear the president drone on for 30
minutes about the corporate financial structure.
- The setting ca1ls for some joking a few nostalgic stories, references to some
individuals by name, words of appreciation for what the employee’s have
contributed, and a few upbeat words about the future, On the other hand, the
president may ask the writer for a speech about the company for delivery at a
meeting of security analysis.
- This is not the place for droll stories. The audience wants facts on which to base
investment decisions, not entertainment.
5. Clarity in speech writing is essential.
- If the listeners don't understand what the speaker is saying everyone's time is
wasted. This happens when the speech contains complicated sentences, technical
information that the speaker fails to explain in terms the audience can comprehend,
and excessive jargon or “inside" talk.
- The speechwriter's challenge is to simplify and classify the speaker's message
without destroying its significance.
- How does the practitioner organize and write the speech?
- A speech is built in blocks joined by transitions. The following pattern for assem-
bling the blocks provides an all-purpose outline on which most speeches can be
built:
1. Introduction (establishment of contact with audience).
2. Statement of main purpose of speech
3. Development of theme with examples, facts, and anecdotes. Enumeration of
points in 1,2,3 order is valuable here. It gives a sense of structure and
controlled use of time.
4. Statement of secondary theme, if there is one
5. Enunciation of principal point to which speaker has been building, the heart
of the speech
6. A pause at this plateau, with an anecdote or two. This is a soft place while
audience absorbs principal point just made
7. Restatement of theme in summary form.
8. Brief, brisk conclusion.
- This plan of speech organization is deductive; that is the central theme is
stated almost at the beginning and the points that follow support and
illustrate the theme.
- A less common type of organization is inductive. In it the speaker presents
points of information and arguments leading up to a statement of the
principal theme near the end of the speech.
Some Tips from Professionals
- Here are tips on writing from professional speechwriters:
 Read aloud the words you have written, to be certain that they sound natural
to the ear.
 Amid clauses that complicate sentences. Instead of writing, "John Williams
chairman of the State Highway Commission, said, etc.," eliminate the clause
by writing. "Chairman John Williams of the State Highway Department said,
etc."
 Use smooth transitions to move from one section of the speech to the next,
as in these examples: And while discussing the fine and of communications,
Japanese style. I would like to mention the role of the press." "Now I'd like
to move to a second major challenge facing us--crime."
 Use rhetorical questions. They provide change of pace and are a good device
to introduce new ideas. An example: "Is it too difficult to develop a
curriculum whereby students can be fully educated') I think not.
 Draw verbal pictures. Help the audience visualize scenes, colour, and
movement.
- Never let your speaker uses that bromide.
- Those involving racial and religious topics are likely to offend some
members of the audience. Don't use them.
- The light touch desired in a speech can be obtained by anecdotes or quips
that provoke a smile or a chuckle.