The document discusses key elements of writing and editing for public relations. It provides insights from experts such as Richard Becker, Don Gale, Ogilvy & Mather, and Ike Pigott on topics like accuracy, clarity, conciseness, and style. Becker emphasizes that great writing requires great editing to ensure the intended message is communicated effectively. The document offers tips for content, structure, and proofreading to create polished work.

1. On Writing And Editing.
Writing For Public Relations
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

2. Great Writing: Key Elements
Writing For Public Relations
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

3. Grammar
The road signs of language that help readers find out where they are going.
Focus
The ability to communicate one idea, one purpose, or one theme.
Simplicity
The human mind can only handle so many word-to-word relationships.
Organization
Organized writing flows, allowing readers to anticipate the next idea.
Style
It is the author’s personality. (In business writing, it’s the voice of the organization.)
Key Elements
from Don Gale
Don Gale, former vice president for news and public
affairs, Bonneville International Corporation.
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

4. Simple
State things as simply as you can and get to the point.
Natural
Be concise, but readable without cliches or vague modifiers.
Precise
Know the exact meaning of every word used and always choose the right word.
Organized
Always know where you are going, ensuring you are clear on the first reading.
Active
Use active words rather than passive words.
Key Elements
from Ogilvy & Mather
Ogilvy & Mather is one of the world’s largest advertising
agencies. These are five of their 20 principles of writing.
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

5. Physical
The physical aspect of writing is conveyed when you read it out loud.
Mental
The concept that introduces the evidence, and closes the argument.
Spiritual
Good writing informs. Great writing elevates.
Key Elements
from Ike Pigott
Ike Pigott is a veteran communicator who transitioned
from television news to corporate communications.
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

6. Accurate
Accuracy matters above all. If the information is wrong, nothing else matters.
Clear
Clarity is less about the writing than the decision to be understood.
Concise
Concise writing strives for maximum impact with minimum means.
Human
Great writing has always been about having a conversation with the reader.
Conspicuous
Commands attention to draw readers in without being garish or cliche.
Key Elements
from Richard Becker
Richard Becker is an accredited communicator and
president of Copywrite, Ink.
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

7. “Any fool can make history,
but it takes a genius to write it.”
— Oscar Wilde
Accuracy
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

8. • Medical practice found with no license.
The error was made because the intern mispronounced the name.
• Leeds links Internet and depression.
Three in seven publications report that the Internet causes depression, which is
unsupported by the study.
• Encyclopedia Britannica comes under fire.
Irish political party reveals inaccuracies in the account of the Irish Civil War.
Biased news release
questions scientific data.
Accuracy After CNBC runs the release
verbatim, other publications and
bloggers follow without fact
checking.
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

9. “The difficulty of literature is not to
write, but to write what you mean.”
— Robert Louis Stevenson
Clarity
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

10. • Wrong word usage tends to complicate.
Sometimes they relate to homonyms; sometimes to an overused thesaurus.
• Misplaced modifiers change the meaning.
Most commonly associated with the placement of a descriptor.
• Industry speak and semantics limit communication.
Public relations professionals are tasked with being translators.
Einstein on simultaneity.
If, for instance, I say, “That train
arrives here at 7 o’clock,” I
Clarity mean something like this: “The
pointing of the small hand of my
watch to 7 and the arrival of the
train are simultaneous events.”
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

11. “If you want me to give a two-hour
presentation, I am ready today. If you
want only a five-minute speech, it will
take me two weeks to prepare.”
— Mark Twain
Concise
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

12. • The world’s longest sentence was 13,955 words.
It was written by Jonathan Cole, beating William Faulkner and James Joyce.
• Economy of language means putting the reader first.
Use as many words as it takes to clearly communicate your point.
• The reality of a one-page news release.
Confining news to one page came about because of the “no news” release.
CBS vs. Visa case study.
Writing concise never means
short. When CBS and Visa
Concise released the same news, one
release was three times the
length and ten times the depth
of the other.
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

13. “The hardest thing in the world is
the writing of straight, honest prose
about human beings.”
— Ernest Hemingway
Human
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

14. • Lack of empathy during salmonella crisis.
Claims were made that regardless of tragedy, no law was broken.
• Top Super Bowl ads capture a sense of nostalgia.
The most effective ads recognized Americans want America to be great.
• Real life influencers are unseen, and not measurable.
Successful leaders transcend their personalities to align with community goals.
Wisdom from Polykoff.
The first female copywriter at
Human Foote, Cone & Belding said it
right: advertising “copy is a
direct conversation with the
consumer.”
credit: indigosociety
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

15. “Two people kissing
always look like fish.”
— Andy Warhol
Conspicuous
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

16. • There are no boring stories, only boring writers.
Readers have a hard time becoming passionate over passionless writing.
• Never mistake conspicuous writing for being “cool.”
Great writing never draws attention to itself. It opens a window in your mind.
• When nothing is conspicuous, any errors tend to be.
It became an issue for school board candidate who wanted to play an active “roll.”
Wisdom from Ogilvy.
Conspicuous A good advertisement is one
that sells the product without
drawing attention to itself.
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

17. “If you can change style, why stick with
one style? Style is a vanity because it
gives you product identification.”
— Norman Mailer
Style
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

18. • Style is nothing more than putting communication into an
acceptable form, whether it is a literary work, legislative bill, or
written communication.
Style
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

19. Basic English grammar textbook
Any number of basic grammar textbooks can teach you the rules of the road.
A collegiate dictionary
It is an abridged dictionary with precise definitions and first usage, and devoid of slang.
The Associated Press Stylebook
The foremost guide to newspaper style in the world.
The Chicago Manual of Style
The most widely used guide by the publishing industry in the United States.
The Elements of Style by Strunk & White
A prescriptive treatment for English grammar and usage.
Industry and organizational related guides
Style Many industries have specialized dictionaries, definitions, and terms.
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

20. “Great writing requires great editing.
Anything less isn’t worth reading.”
— Richard Becker
Editing
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

21. Content
Make sure you communicate your point and provide evidence to support it.
Structure
Introduce a point and conclude with it as it is appropriate for what you are writing.
Clarity
Define every important term, making sure that the meaning is clear for your readers.
Style
Consider what you are writing and whether it is meant to be formal, informal, etc.
Citation
Reread the work and cite all appropriate quotes, ideas, and passages.
Editing
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

22. Spelling
Read backwards, forcing yourself to look at every word.
Alliteration
Read slowly, out loud, so you can hear how words sound together.
Punctuation
Lightly circle each punctuation mark, allowing you to consider usage.
Processes
Writing is a learning process that asks that we look for things we do not know.
Application
Offer to proof other people’s work, which helps you learn what you don’t know.
Proofreading
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

23. “You say what you have to say.
But you have to learn how to say it
in such a way that the reader
can see what you mean.”
— Kurt Vonnegut
Advanced
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

24. Show vs. tell
The best writers do not assert. They allow readers to draw conclusions.
Passive vs. active
Let the subject take the action as opposed to the object.
Grammar school vs. communication
Paragraphs break at central ideas as opposed to being a perfect five sentences.
Transitions vs. bullets
Every paragraph needs to have a sentence that allows for a bridge to the next.
Pace vs. preach
Sentences do have a physical form that matches the speed in which we read them.
Says vs. said
Advanced Says is something we say all the time. Said is something we said once.
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

25. “I have known writers who paid no
damned attention whatever to the rules
of grammar and rhetoric and somehow
made the language behave for them.”
— Red Smith
Final Thoughts
Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

26. Richard R. Becker, ABC
President, Copywrite, Ink.
copywriteink.com
copywriteink.blogspot.com
702.341.7135
Writing For Public Relations
Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas