3. Reading
Reading 19.1.
Notes
Have+object+infinitive
In American English this structure is used to talk about giving instructions or orders.
I’m ready to see Mr Smith. Have him come in, please.
The manager had everybody fill out a form.
(Michael Swan. “Have+object+verb form.” Practical English Usage. 2nd ed. 1996.)
Read the text.
The News Release
Basically, a news release is a simple document whose purpose is the dissemination of information in ready-to-publish form. Editors of print and broadcast media to whom news releases are sent judge them on the basis of news interest for their audience, timeliness, and in some instances their adaptability to the medium’s form. No payment is made to the publication or station if the material appears in print or on the air.
Releases should be prepared so that the media can relay their news content to audiences easily with confidence in their accuracy. Editors want the main facts stated succinctly in the opening paragraph of a release, for quick recognition. A news release is a purveyor of information, not an exercise in writing style, except in those cases of longer releases that are clearly intended to be feature stories. The writer of a basic news release should leave the clever writing to staff members of the media.
A news release faces intense competition when it arrives on an editor’s desk, against score or even hundreds of other releases. News releases that are prepared according to the criteria described below have the best chance of being accepted for publication, assuming that their content is newsworthy:
•Begin the news release with a tightly written summary lead and state the fundamentals – who, what, when, where, and why – early in the copy. The first sentence should state the most important point in the story. The opening paragraph should be three to five lines maximum.
•Be concise. Edit the copy to remove excess words and “puff” terminology. A competent editor would cut them out, anyway. Few news releases need to be more
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than two pages long; most can be written in a single page. A reporter may obtain additional details by telephoning numbers listed or sending an e-mail. Reporters also routinely access the organization’s website for additional background information.
•Caution: avoid clichés and fancy phrases. When editors receive a news release using such terms as “unique”, “revolutionary”, and “state-of-the-art”, they are likely to throw it away.
•Never use excessively technical language in a release for a general audience. The objective is communication, not confusion.
•Send out a press release offering a free booklet, report, or other useful information. It is important to offer something that will induce response.
•Be absolutely certain that every fact and title in the release is correct and that every name is spelled properly. Check the copy closely for grammatical errors. In a news release announcing a Mexican cruise, distributed nationally in the USA, Cunard lines mistakenly listed the 800 telephone number of a San Francisco optical company instead of its own. The optical company received more than two thousand calls in the first week; its phone lines were tied up and it had to assign personnel to redirect the
calls. Cunard compensated for its blunder by giving the optical proprietor and his wife a free cruise to Europe.
For protection against errors and misunderstandings, a public relations counselor is wise to have the client initial a file copy of each news release before its distribution. In company public relations departments, similar initialing by a superior is desirable and in some cases mandatory.
Those who issue news releases should welcome follow-up inquiries from reporters and be able to provide additional information. Often reporters complain that the public relations personnel aren’t available or don’t promptly return phone calls. To counter this complaint, many public relations people make it a point on news releases to list contact numbers that are direct lines to a real person instead of voicemail or an answering machine. In addition, many practitioners provide cellular and home phone numbers so that they can be reached after regular business hours.
News releases should be conveyed to the media in a timely and effective manner and they should be addressed to recipients by name whenever possible. Releases may be sent in a broadside manner to large numbers of recipients, in an approach called macrodistribution, or to a carefully selected target media sources, in the microdistribution technique.
(Wilcox, Dennis L., et al. Essentials of Public Relations. New York: Longman., 2001. P. 381-385)
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Say whether the statement is true or false. Correct the statement if it is false:
1.A company news release will be evaluated by editor on the amount of advertising the company buys.
2.Clever writing is what makes news releases acceptable to media gatekeepers.
3.The most important information in a news release should be located in the lead.
4.A news release should have a lot of details.
5.It’s always best to use the professional terminology while writing a news release.
6.Having a client or a superior initial a news release before it is issued is done to demonstrate how much work the writer has accomplished.
7.Public relations professionals include their home phone numbers in a news release.
8.Macro-distribution refers to a newspaper’s widespread circulation.
Match words from each column to make word combinations. Then check your answers in the text.
1. |
appear |
a) |
for publication |
2. |
be accepted |
b) |
in print |
3. |
obtain |
c) |
response |
4. |
induce |
d) |
a news release |
5. |
issue |
e) |
additional details |
Find the word or phrase in the text which means the same as:
1.spreading out of facts
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
2.provider of knowledge or facts
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
3.a special story or article in a print publication that goes in detail about concepts and ideas of specific market interest
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
4.important or interesting enough to be reported in newspapers, on the radio, or on television
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
5.short, with no unnecessary words
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
6.words and phrases someone says or writes in order to advertise or praise something in public
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
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7.any letter, telephone call, or personal call subsequent to a contact or communication intended to continue or to further evaluate the earlier contact
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
8.a reporter who gets a news release
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Reading 19.2.
Read the text:
Written Tools of Public Relations
The Factsheet
A factsheet is essentially a quick-reference tool for reporters: it summarizes the key points about an event, a product, or a company to help reporters get a quick grasp or overview.
Although factsheets are distributed by public relations personnel to the same media as news releases are, and somewhat resemble releases physically, they are in outline form instead of in news story format.
The Media Advisory
A media advisory, also called a media alert, gives basic facts about an event, in the hope of attracting media coverage, and it also describes interview prospects as well as photo and video possibilities.
The Pitch Letter
The purpose of the pitch letter, an important tool in a public relations campaign, is to obtain coverage of an event in the print and electronic media.
A pitch letter to an editor or producer should be so brisk and bright that it will catch the recipient’s attention in the daily stack of mail. These letters offer the writer an opportunity to be clever, even offbeat, but they also must include the basic facts about an event or new product and offer reasons why the editor should assign someone to cover it.
The letter should be addressed personally to an individual, not merely to “Editor”. Although reporters and editors move and change positions frequently, they are nonetheless sensitive about receiving mail directed to their predecessor.
The Press Kit
A press kit is often prepared when a company announces a new product or sponsors a major event; frequently elaborate, it gives media representatives a thorough background and provides information in various formats. Press kits may be sent to the media or distributed at a news conference.
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The basic format consists of a large folder cover with pockets inside that contain news releases, factsheets, backgrounders (background articles), collateral company materials, black-and- white publicity photos, color slides, testimonials, and even article reprints. The folder usually is visually attractive, incorporating graphic design and color.
Typical of such press kits is one prepared by Levi Strauss & Co. The public relations objective was to publicize the results of a national survey about the fashion and lifestyle tastes of college students. The survey, conducted on 25 campuses among 7700 undergraduates, was called the Levi’s 501 Report.
This kit contained (1) four news releases, (2) a factsheet on Levi’s 501 jeans, (3) a backgrounder on the statistical findings of the survey, and (4) a sampling of fashion publicity photos of college-age models wearing, of course, jeans. A special press kit cover and letterhead also were designed.
The cost to write, produce, and distribute the press kit was $20,000. The cost of the survey was $25,000. The package was distributed to fashion editors at the top 500 newspapers around the United States, the news services, college media news services, and radio syndicates. Within three months, 345 articles appeared.
Brochures and handbooks
Every brochure, handbook, or other form of printed information should be organized on a firm outline that moves the reader toward comfortably through unfamiliar territory. Frequent subheads and typographical breaks are desirable. Clarity and conciseness are essential. Frequently the writer must explain technical material or simplify complex issues for a reader who knows little about the topic.
Informational brochures describe the purposes, policies, and functions of an organization. Handbooks are more elaborate than basic brochures and usually include policy statements, statistical information, and listings of significant facts about the issuing organization and its field of operation. Handbooks often are designed for distribution primarily to news media sources as handy references for a writer or broadcaster in a hurry.
The Annual Report
Companies publish expensive and attractive annual reports for public relations purposes. These include (1) impressing current and potential stockholders that the company is well managed and successful, (2) encouraging potential investors to purchase stock, and (3) using the annual report as a vehicle for recruiting new employees.
A corporate annual report is divided into two general sections:
1.Detailed financial information about the company’s condition and performance during the past year. A consolidated balance sheet and management’s discussion of the financial
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