PR WRITING: Chapter 5 Response

Chapter five continuous our journey in the four step process of public relations writing. This chapter talks about the step that comes after research which is planning and message design.

Takeaway 1: Early in the chapter there are four questions that I think are very helpful when thinking of real life situations and tasks that could be asked of a new PR professional. “1. Why am I writing this? 2. Who is my audience, and what do they know or think? 3. How will this piece be distributed and what form should it take? 4. What facts do I have, and what additional information do I need?” These questions would be so helpful if you did not have much information to go off of in the first place. They offer a good starting point and a direction that a person could head in.

Takeaway 2: The second thing that I felt was particularly important in this chapter was the overall idea of the planning outline. I have said before that I am the kind of person who like a lot of clarity and structure in instructions and this method offers a good go to outline if you are not given specific instructions.

Takeaway 3: my last takeaway is a specific feature of the planning outline. It is the WIN analysis of key publics. I think this step is essential in communicating the right message that will be the most successful and intrigue a desired outcome. It goes back to what we discussed last week about understanding your public.

This chapter made me think about PR writing in the sense that I am a planner in my personal life. Therefore, in writing it is essential to have a strategic plan for that as well.

I think the basis of the entire can be applicable to my current writing. Planning even if not in the format the book proposes is a part of writing.

I think this chapter will help me a lot for the future it has given a structure and a path to follow for planning.