mass comm, public relations & doubts..?

Question

i love the idea of mass communication and all and i have to say that im truly interested in majoring on public relations but theres only one thing thats bothering me. I feel quite inconfident about my writings. Im not exactly gifted with such talent so i was just wondering if thats important? Do i need to be a good writer in order to be succesful? And i really mean to be succesful in the field of public relations?

Answer 1

Good writing is definitely a plus, but there are so many facets to public relations. It really depends on your interests. If you're thinking about going into event planning or crisis communication, you may not have to worry as much about writing. Also, keep in mind, that no one becomes a great writer over night. If you recognize now that writing is your weak point, start working on it. Buy a grammar book and start studying it. Even professionals keep grammar books at their desks. I've worked in PR for two years and refer to grammar books all of the time. When you write something, print it and read it aloud. You'll be surprised at the mistakes you catch when you use that method. Also, have people proofread your work. Sometimes after staring at the same document for a while, everything begins to look uniform.

Additionally, another thing that will help in public relations is learning AP-style. This is another book you may want to purchase. In the meanwhile, just continue to practice your writing and it will get better. Don't let it discourage you.

Answer 2

In my opinion, good writing is the foundation of good public relations. The skill is essential, whether you are writing a press release, a pitch letter, a brochure or a website. There is also a difference between solid writing, and taking the time to care about grammar, punctuation and spelling. Appearance counts, and that's true in the written word as well. If you make the effort to capitalize and punctuate, it shows your reader that you will take the time to care about the promotion of their product, service or company. For example, I once received an e-mail from an applicant who asked me to follow-up "if U R interested." Such informality, even though it is common vernacular in today's e-mails, was such a turn-off for me that I didn't bother opening the resume attached.

Also, use spell-check but don't rely on it. Proofread and check over your writing. This takes time, but remember that to be successful in public relations, it's efficiency and efficacy that gets the job done well the first time.

My best advice to you is to read as much as you can. You will see what styles you enjoy reading and will learn to write in that style. Compelling writing -- not necessarily always the best, but compelling -- is the first step toward success in the field of public relations.

Good luck to you!