Why Study Writing?

Good professional writing skills are the foundation of professional public relations practice.

Effective public relations writing involves more than an understanding of syntax (look it up). Beginning practitioners need to understand why professionals write the way they do, the context (Chapter 2) in which they are writing, and who they are writing for as well as the ability to adapt to the styles that are specific for different media. It involves accuracy (no spelling mistakes for example), clarity and brevity.  Writing for professional practice is more than this: it is about using language that journalists will recognise as news (Chapter 6) can be readily transformed into copy for broadcast and publication.

The shortened words, sentences, euphemisms, and US spelling commonly used for e-mail messages, blog sites or text messages to contact friends, or to describe holiday experiences, are inappropriate for professional communication. When you write material for a client’s website (Chapter 7), you’ll be expected to do it clearly, concisely and accurately. The shortened versions of words that make text messaging so easy and quick, spelling mistakes, the mis-use of apostrophes, convoluted sentences, and an inability to write in the style preferred by your client, will be regarded as poor professionalism.

That is why it is important to study writing and how practitioners use it to produce outcomes for clients.