Reference no: EM133483958 , Length: word count:1000
Public Relation
Activity - Outlining a Press Release
Overview
Press releases play a crucial role in communication and public relations because they are a primary tool to share news and information with the public and increase the visibility and credibility of an organization. As a result, organizations can use press releases to shape positive narratives and public perception. In this Week 3 activity you will focus on the effectiveness of clear and concise writing by creating an outline of a press release.
What's coming up:
This Week 3 activity will help you complete the assignment due in Week 5.
Week 3 Activity: Create an outline of a press release.
Use concepts from your textbook to complete a worksheet that will guide you in outlining a press release about a hypothetical event in the news.
Week 5 Assignment: Write a press release and describe how to evaluate its impact.
Use your outline from the Week 3 activity and feedback from your instructor to write a full, polished, professional press release, then develop a plan to evaluate it and determine if it was effective.
Download and look over the following activity worksheet:
Week 3 Activity Worksheet Outlining a Press Release.
Next, study the following media piece. In the first tab, carefully review the guidelines for writing a successful press release, and in the second tab read through the notes about the news event.
Constructing a Press Release.
Scenario
You are a new PR professional tasked with writing a press release about a (hypothetical) new tattooing program in a State prison. The Georgia Department of Corrections is piloting a legal, clean tattoo studio inside the Logandale, Georgia state prison facility. The tattoo studio will provide interested inmates with training on proper tattooing techniques and health and safety procedures.
Organizers hope the program will lead to:
Less recidivism by offering inmates new job skills.
Less transmission of disease caused by prevalent unsafe tattooing.
Instructions
After viewing the media piece, complete the provided "Outlining a Press Release" activity worksheet where you will winnow down the most important information about the new tattoo program to include in your press release outline.
In Part 1 of the worksheet, answer each question with at least 3 complete sentences, providing relevant and accurate information.
In Part 2 of the worksheet, follow the prompts to draft an outline of your press release.
Part 1: Things to consider before outlining your press release
1. Is the new prison program "newsworthy"? Why or why not?
2. Who is your target audience?
3. How can you tell the story so your audience relates to it? What's your story-telling strategy?
4. Which facts about the new program are most relevant to your audience? Why should readers care about this story?
5. Which details need to be in the lede paragraph to answer the six key questions?
6. In what ways can you consider ethics when writing your press release?
7. Which details from the list can you leave out of your press release?
8. Are any of the listed quotes important or interesting enough to be included in your press release? If so, which quote or quotes will you include and how will this support your story-telling strategy?
9. Are any of the images supplied by Millie Leon interesting enough to be included in your press release? If so, which image will you include and how will it support your story-telling strategy?
10. What are your goals for this press release? What will you try to achieve with your press release, and why?
Part 2: Outlining your press release
1. What catchy headline will you give your press release?
2. List the details, in order, that you will include in your lede paragraph.
3. List the details, in order, that you will include in the body of your press release.