For this unit, I was asked to write samples of a fact sheet and a backgrounder. Before these assignments, I didn’t know that these two PR tools even existed so it was helpful to learn how these are utilized by PR professionals. Now I can pick up on how to professionally represent/present an organization to the public or specific source. Being able to clearly organize the history and issues of an organization is important when trying to get people to recognize the organization you are working for. Additionally, now I can pick up on the proper format for writing fact sheets and backgrounders. I would like to know how often these are used by PR professionals because it seems like a lot of companies are already well-known and those receiving fact sheets/backgrounders would already have information on the organization. This meets my expectations of what a PR professional does because it follows the professional and formal format/guidelines they have to follow. When presenting an organization, giving a fact sheet or backgrounder now seems essential to the job because then people will have accurate knowledge and information about the organization. I see this skillset helping in my career if I need to write press releases, media pitches, media advisories or really anything that would require sending out information. Having a fact sheet or backgrounder will help journalists and the public be unbiased about an organization. These two assignments proved to be some of the most useful to learn this far because I didn’t even know they were part of being a PR professional.
