PR 372W Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Present Tense, Doublespeak, Verb
The Basics of PR Writing Pt2
● Purpose of Your Writing
○ What do you want the audience to do?
○ Who is the target audience?
○ What are their needs, concerns, and interests?
○ Inform or persuade?
○ Most effective channel?
○ Believable spokesperson?
● Sentences
○ Should be clear and concise
○ Easy to understand
○ Variety of lengths
○ Average 15-17 words
○ Don’t use more words than necessary
● Paragraphs
○ Short, punchy paragraphs are better than long ones
■ Newspapers use 6-8 lines
■ Lead paragraphs sometimes 2-3 lines
○ Containing one basic, key idea
○ When the idea changes start a new paragraph
○ For online maybe even shorter needed
● Words
○ Grade level you use will depend on your audience
■ General public vs. well educated
■ Word length
○ But good writing is always simple
● Active Verbs & Voice
○ Verbs add vitality & vigor
○ Don’t bury the action in passive voice
○ Use active voice
● Present Tense
○ Present tense improves writing
○ In most PR writing, use present tense
● Third Person
○ First person = “I”
○ Second person = “you”
○ Third person = “he/she/it”
● Imagery
○ Don’t generalize
