All in-class assignments are due at the start of the next class period unless otherwise noted.
| Week 1: Introduction, Hard News Leads | Week 2: No class, MLK Day; Organization |
| Week 3: Quotes and Attribution; Speeches and Meetings | Week 4: Speeches and Meetings, ctd.; Online writing |
| Week 5: Accuracy & Fairness; Transitions | Week 6: Interviewing & Research; Fake news (otherwise known as media literacy) |
| Week 7: Midterm; Narrative Writing | Week 8: Narrative Writing, ctd.; Social Media and News Organizations |
| Week 9: NO CLASS | Week 10: Spring break |
| Week 11: Public relations writing | Week 12: Promoting Academic Work; Online PR |
| Week 13: Social Media & PR; Other PR & Social Media Release | Week 14: Broadcast Writing; Broadcast & Online |
| Week 15: Broadcast & PR | Week 16: News & Numbers; Analytics |
Week 1 – Introduction; Hard news Leads
Jan. 12:
In class:
Readings: The rebirth of local news depends on us
In class:
Current issues in mass communication
The future of mass communication careers:
Do journalists need to establish a “brand”?: According to Poynter, not in the traditional sense. “Your “brand” is shaped in part by the audience you serve, engagement journalism experts say. Building a genuine connection with that audience helps establish authenticity, credibility and trust. What we’re really talking about in engagement journalism is building authentic relationships with communities through that consistent, values-driven work. And it’s not about personal branding, like in the traditional marketing sense. It’s about developing trust through transparency and expertise and genuine service to audience needs. But audience connection is only half of the equation. The other part of a journalist’s “brand” is the quality of their work and the reputation they build around it.”
Skills you should have:
In addition, what you learn is transferrable to non-media jobs. Even the City of Boston has a writing guide. And it’s not just mass communication careers that want strong writers.
Often, the mismatch results from applicants’ inadequate communication skills. In survey after survey, employers are complaining about job candidates’ inability to speak and to write clearly.
Source
Looking for jobs?:
Best bets for jobs: Poynter career board; ONA job board, Meojobs on Twitter/X, Journojobs on Twitter, Media job board, the hashtag #pubjobs, PR News job board, jobs for sports journalists, social media jobs here, Indiana Broadcast News Association jobs, LinkedIn broadcast jobs, well you get the idea!
Some mass media newsletters you should subscribe to
Why do I want you to know current events? South Carolina’s Miss Teen USA on why we Americans are geographically illiterate and Miss Utah on pay inequality
Jan. 14:
In class:
First, let’s talk about stylebook worksheets
Writing for the eye vs. writing for the ear
What is straight news/hard news? Let’s look at the two most common types of leads. And trite leads.
Make sure the news is in the lead: Meeting
5-7 word rule (backing into lead): Pedestrian struck
Something special: Car accident
Met about lead?: Debate
No specifics in the lead: Dining court changes
Delayed ID? New Lily CEO
News or Relevance?
What news for what audience?
What kind of lead is this? Clever or not?
What is a dateline?
Let’s try one together
Daily assignment 1: In-class exercise
Daily assignment 2: Find a newsletter that highlights the day’s events and subscribe to it (if you already subscribe to such a newsletter, you don’t have to subscribe to another). Here are your options: Daily Skimm, The Washington Post’s The 7, The AP’s The Morning Wire or The Afternoon Wire, Fox News First. Upload to Brightspace the name of the newsletter you chose.
Week 2: Organization
Jan. 19: No class, MLK Day
Jan. 21:
In class:
Spotlight on Research: Keep it short, says the AP (300 to 500 words). And that includes your paragraph length. Poynter research shows shorter paragraphs get twice the attention online. “In fact, readers are likely to skip even a single lengthy paragraph.” Their Eyetrack study recommends one to two sentences online.
Hard news articles are written so the the reader can stop reading at any time, and still come away with the whole story. This is very different from an essay, which presumes that the audience will stick around to the end, and can therefore build to a finish.
So let’s look at this organization
Spotlight on Research: Alternative story forms, such as bulleted lists and Q&As and FAQs, drew more attention and helped readers recall information better in both print and online editions. Source
Example Q&A format from J&C
Cliches are not just limited to the lead. How many can you find in this story?
Problems? Yes or no?
Jischke radio address
Why chronological order doesn’t work
A word about localization: Readers like stories that are local best. Good writers are always looking at how they can take a statewide, national or event international story and make it mean more to readers at home. Example: West Lafayette Grad Awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry
In class: simple story
Stylebook worksheet 1: A. Due class time Monday.
week 3: quotes & attribution; speeches & meetings
Jan. 26:
In class:
Attribution notes and in-class attribution exercise
Quote Tips
Quote usage exercise
The wrong way: Drop period, Grate faller, Shooting, Taking roll
The right way:
Electric car
Speaking of politician speak, what’s wrong with this quote? If you’re going to use a quote from a news release, it shouldn’t sound like PR speak.
Make sure a few aren’t representing the many!
And this?
In-class: quote exercise
Jan. 28:
In class:
You are answering the question: “What did they say specifically?” or “What did they do?”
Key speech/meeting story elements
The two most common speech format errors
Let’s practice
WordPress.com will be our content management system this semester. Most organizations now use some content management system or have online templates for writers.
In class: 1. You will create a WordPress site and upload the URL to Brightspace. 2. For this assignment, rewrite the leads of lecture series and Parks board to avoid a spoke/met or spoke about/met about lead and to put specifics news/themes in the lead. This will be done on WordPress. (Note in your title this is a class assignment) and the URL of the page submitted on Brightspace.
Stylebook worksheet 2: B&C. Due class time Monday.
Week 4: Speeches & Meetings, ctd.; online writing
Feb. 2:
Let’s finish reviewing our key speech/meeting story elements
So here we have a nice lead but what happens next? Remember, a majority of a speech story must be what the speaker said.
Why chronological order doesn’t work . When do we hear from the speaker? And remember that too much background too soon lead?
Speech story template
In-class assignment. Complete on WordPress and upload URL to Brightspace.
Feb. 4:
Assign: Online assignment
In class:
Spotlight on Research: According to the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2025, 76 percent of U.S. respondents get their news online, compared to 50 percent who watch the news on TV and 14 percent who still read printed news.
In addition to traditional media websites, many sources of news are now online only. “As newsrooms get smaller (and shrinking space), the range of non-journalistic players entering the information and news field is growing rapidly (Pew).” Like Politico. The Kaiser Family has Kaiser Health News. Now others, such as the Food and Environment Reporting Network with funding from nonprofit foundations are prominent players. A big use now is blogs used to fill the local news void: Example local news blog: Orleans Hub and Milburn, N.J. And the nonprofit and local independent news sites like, Mirror Indy, from FreePressIndiana.
Let’s look at guidelines for writing for online
Spotlight on Research: Newspapers can’t always wait to publish until the story is complete, says a study. “In many cases, (emeritus editor of The Columbian, Lou) Brancaccio argued, the paper does have the story, but the reporter is waiting until it is complete before publishing. ‘That’s old-school thinking,’ he said, leading him — and others — to encourage reporters to publish online when a story breaks, fleshing it out as further details emerge.”
Sometimes it’s about getting a version up quickly, then coming back and expanding it (notice good use of subheads). Up quickly; expand later. Even if we don’t have a lot of information. It’s especially important to get something up quickly online. We also get it up online quickly and then promote longer story in print version.
Or updating the article as you get more material:
Headlines online can be as important as your lead. On average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. This means that you will lose more people at the headline than anywhere else on the page. Writing your own online headlines and your own links.
In-class: Here is a Purdue Exponent story on a board of trustees meeting. What would a quick hit (6 to 7 paragraphs) have looked like? Use your news judgment to pick and choose information (remember, in a quick hit, you want to stick to just one or two ideas). You must include a headline and one hyperlink. And because it’s a QUICK hit, you must complete this in class. Publish your story to your WordPress when you finish and upload the URL to Brightspace for feedback purposes.
Stylebook worksheet 3: D. Due class time Monday.
Week 5: Accuracy and Fairness; Transitions
Feb. 9:
Accuracy and fairness:
A word about AI: The AP has set guidelines. It does use automated tools to produce quick write-ups around financial reports and minor sports leagues (Gannett, CNET among other paused programs to write stories using AI because of poor results that included errors and plagiarism).
Spotlight on Research: A study surveyed people to see if they could discern whether a tweet was written by another person or by GPT-3. The result? People couldn’t really do it. Study participants also had a harder time recognizing disinformation if it was written by the language model than if it was written by another person.
Pink slime is a form of AI. Example “pink slime” site: Metric Media and East Michigan News
The Trust in News Project found that public understanding of how journalism works is low. So let’s take a look at NPR’s reporting standards.
Cause when you are inaccurate, your message gets lost
How to avoid being inaccurate and unfair:
Check and re-check (especially names and numbers): I say to doublecheck all names and numbers .. every day. Why we doublecheck all numbers and names
Check grammar and spelling: In a study, researchers found that readers had to spend more time reading articles that had errors than those with no errors. More importantly, they found that readers retained less information from articles that contained errors than error-free articles.
Both sides: Some issues don’t have two sides (drunk driving, etc.) but many do.
Avoid giving a platform to unfounded claims or unqualified sources:
Spotlight on Research: Journalists in the United States differ markedly from the general public in their views of “bothsidesism” – whether journalists should always strive to give equal coverage to all sides of an issue – according to a Pew Research Center study. A little more than half of the journalists surveyed (55%) say that every side does not always deserve equal coverage in the news. By contrast, 22% of Americans overall say the same, whereas about three-quarters (76%) say journalists should always strive to give all sides equal coverage. While some feel that equal coverage is always necessary to allow the public to be equally informed about multiple sides of an argument, those who disagree argue that people making false statements or unsupported conjectures do not warrant as much attention as those making factual statements with solid supporting evidence.
Source choice: So in this story, the sole source was the former DHS secretary from the Trump administration. Would this source be unbiased about Biden’s policies?
Watch your adjectives, descriptions: Yes, even adjectives can result in a correction!
Avoid gender, etc., bias: The rule, if you wouldn’t describe a man that way …. and The New York Times gets criticized
Avoid opinion: Opinion and editorializing can make a story inaccurate. But what is the difference between editorializing and factual analysis?
Objectivity certainly has its pitfalls — and just because a news outlet has a viewpoint, that doesn’t make its coverage inferior. But those who see objectivity as a barrier to truth-telling are misunderstanding its requirements. It does not prevent journalists from making judgments about the news; it simply asks that those judgments be based on dispassionate analysis.
Journalistic objectivity
So that’s why this lead is not opinion: It is a polarizing issue. It will roll back abortion rights. These words are factual interpretations of the relevance. Now, we can’t say if this is good or bad. That would be opinion.
Getting news out too fast: Without verification from appropriate sources
Sample correction policies: The Associated Press
Spotlight on Research: Once you make a mistake, it’s not always easy to convince readers that you did:
A 2021 study found: Countering misinformation can reduce belief in the moment, but corrective messages quickly fade from memory. Source
Accuracy and fairness assignment
Feb. 11:
In class:
Remember simple transitions
Using the rule of eliminating the direct quote to judge the transition: example of exercise and then what happens (where’s the beef?)
Stylebook worksheet 4: E&F. Due class time Monday.
Week 6: Interviewing and Research; Fake News
Feb. 16:
Readings: Government’s historic role as trusted information source is under threat
Interviewing:
Interviewing and note-taking basics
Research:
AI is now a force in research, thanks to Google:
But it’s having some issues with accuracy, plagiarism and fabrication:
You can use AI but be you’d need to verify it. Perplexity has a decent reputation for verified research citations.
And Google made it harder for AI:
Why we do our research ahead of time.
Spotlight on Research: “As digital natives, today’s college graduates may be whizzes at social media and communications technologies. But when it comes to gathering information through more traditional methods — making phone calls, sifting through annual reports, combing databases — some employers say that their young employees fall short. The tendency to pluck the quickest nugget from Wikipedia or present the first Google entry may not serve recent college hires well in the workplace. Yet the National Association of Colleges and Employers notes that “obtaining and processing information” now ranks among the top five qualities recruiters look for in job candidates.” Source
We use research to:
1. Prepare (what’s on the agenda for the next Lafayette City Council meeting?)
2. Find background information.
3. Find support (numbers, expert sources, real people, organizations). It’s important to recognize when you need support, and what kind of support you need. So you can’t just say “Americans waste lots of food.” You need exact numbers.
4. Verify information (from reliable sources). Here’s why we don’t rely JUST on what is provided at an event.
Normally, I recommend .gov as the most reliable extension. But since January 2025, some information has been removed from .gov websites (reproductiverights.gov, climate change information, vaccine information) or scrubbed from the site.
Other departments’ information has been politicized.
And some information is not reliable:
For this reason, I can no longer say that all .gov sites are reliable. You will need to use the same judgment with .gov sites as you do when trying to figure out if the information on a .com or a .org site is reliable.
A reminder that search engines like Google index only a small fraction of the internet, so it’s always good to know where to look. Use Wikipedia only as a starting point.
Spotlight on Research: Nearly 40% of Gen Z members (born from 1997 to 2012, according to the Pew Research Center) prefer TikTok for online searches, according to internal data from Google, which was first reported by TechCrunch. Gen Z tends to search for lighter topics on TikTok – things like recipes, fashion tips and bar recommendations. Meanwhile, they leave heavier topics – like those related to COVID or election information – to Google.
EVALUATING THE INFORMATION FOUND
Check out these research and evalution tips. So in addition to things like currency, sources cited, partisan language, links, professionalism, reputation, etc., Google if you don’t know the source. Example: let’s compare the Media Research Center to Kaiser Family Foundation.
Checking Web domain names — Whois. And here’s why: www.martinlutherking.org
My other first stops include Journalist’s Toolbox.
In class assignment: Remember, we use research to find support for our articles. With a partner, identify what SPECIFIC support (statistics, experts, interviews, background, information) is missing from: Trustees financial aid. (So you can’t just say it’s missing stats. You have to make a list of specific stats, ie the number of dog owners in WL, etc.). Then you must find (or try to find) the answers from original sources. What about suggested hyperlinks for the stories?
Assignment:
Let’s go on a scavenger hunt (This assignment is worth 3 in-class assignments and will be graded, no automatic A for doing it, DUE DATE IS Class time March 11 via Brightspace)
Feb. 18:
In class:
misinformation, fact checks, fake news (updated): The term misinformation refers to false information shared about a particular topic that could be mistaken as truth. It can include honest mistakes, exaggerations, and misunderstandings of facts, as well as disinformation, which refers to misinformation created and spread intentionally as a way to mislead or confuse. Do not label as fake news specific or individual news items that are disputed. If fake news is used in a quote, push for specifics about what is meant. Alternative wording includes false reports, erroneous reports, unverified reports, questionable reports, disputed reports or false reporting, depending on the context. When using either term, be specific in describing what is false and back up that description with facts. Avoid amplifying the false claim.
What the AP Stylebook says
What it is:
Fake news has one definition: it’s not true at all.
It spreads quickly:
It’s harmful:
In Arizona, some conservatives claimed a photo of math teachers in Halloween costumes was mocking Charlie Kirk’s death. The school had to increase security because of death threats to the teachers.
Gallup annual poll on trust in mass media: Americans continue to register record-low trust in the mass media, with a record low 28% expressing a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in the media to report the news “fully, accurately and fairly,” down from last year’s 31%.
Spotlight on Research: Americans think the media is pushing an agenda. Three in four people (70%) worry that owners of media companies are influencing coverage (see recent accusation about CBS news). They also suspect that inaccuracies in reporting are purposeful, with 52% believing that reporters misrepresent the facts, and 28% believing reporters make them up entirely. Source
Fake news is not just for politics:
And now of course, we have to worry about falling for AI generated fake news
It’s Unethical:
All news organizations have a code of ethics that outlines activities by journalists.
Combatting misinformation:
Spotlight on Research: A study from the Stanford History Education Group shows that 2020’s first-time voters often struggled to sort fact from fiction despite their technical prowess on smartphones and social media. The researchers found that most sophomores, juniors and seniors were easily fooled by misinformation, even when they were given the time and resources to fact-check the material.
META (Facebook and Instagram) announced it was eliminating fact-checking in favor of community notes system like X. Here is what they did before (and will still do outside the U.S.) So now there is really no policing social media for false information. And according to analysis conducted by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), 73% of notes related to political topics are never shown, despite them providing valuable context. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t fact check:
Always:
1. Check the source (who’s behind the information). A Pew Study found 44% of people never do this. (How to find out who is behind a Facebook political ad.)
So for example, here’s a post from X, formerly known as Twitter. What happens when we try to find out about the person posting:
2. Check the evidence (beware if there is no source cited) and the sources cited
3. What are other trustworthy sources saying? Are other news organization reporting it? What about sites like factcheck.org?
4. Read the article (make sure it’s not taken out of context)
5. Beware informational sites that try to sell your something
6. Look for questionable photos and quotes (does it sound like something the person would say?) Screenshots are particularly problematic and something you should be wary of. Photos, too. Always use a reverse image look to verify. And now, AI is making fake photos easy.
7. Use click restraint. Instead of immediately clicking the first thing they see, fact checkers restrain themselves. They scan to check out their options first and then make informed decisions about which websites to visit first.
8. Beware confirmation bias: the tendency of people to favor information that confirms or strengthens their beliefs or values and is difficult to dislodge once affirmed.
But pointing out the error doesn’t always work:
Spotlight on Research: The first scientific, data-based study of Americans’ exposure to fake news found that fact-checking websites like Snopes or PolitiFact are failing to reach fake news readers. The study’s authors found that literally none of people who read a fake news article read the corresponding de-bunk from a fact checking site.
Spotlight on Research: It’s no use simply telling people they have their facts wrong. To be more effective at correcting misinformation in news accounts and intentionally misleading “fake news,” you need to provide a detailed counter-message with new information — and get your audience to help develop a new narrative. Source
Bias vs. Fake News:
We don’t have the freedom of press in other countries to say what we are thinking. That does not mean we are not without bias. The Media Bias chart
Carty suggests that journalists aim for fairness, accuracy and balance in their reporting, rather than the nebulous objectivity ideal.
When should you just stop covering a person or reporting an issue as legitimate? And it’s up to you to “label” questionable information:
In class: Let’s remember three main things to check: 1. Who is behind the information 2. What is the evidence? 3. What are others saying? Check out the validity of:
This post:
This Facebook post:
This X post:
This Facebook post
This Instagram post?
And this tweet by Elon Musk:
Stylebook worksheet 5: G-K. Due class time Monday.
Week 7: midterm; narrative writing
Feb. 23: MIDTERM
Feb. 25:
Online readings: News feature leads
In class:
In class: Anecdotal lead notes
Spotlight on research: Studies show readers prefer feature-style writing and are persuaded more by it.
Even on Instagram captions a narrative lead is used to pull readers to a story, to get readers to want to go to that link in bio by sharing a narrative lead.
Examples from the Exponent: Roommate conflict and finals routine
Focusing:
You need to focus non-hard news stories. Often, that narrative lead helps.
In class assignment: Anecdotal leads
Stylebook worksheet: L&M. Due Monday.
Week 8 — Narrative writing, ctd.; Social media and News organizations
March 2:
In class:
The Washington Post has a new narrative series called Deep Reads if you are interested in strong narrative writing and reporting
A narrative format allows more freedom (in some instances) to experiment in writing styles. It can also be used in PR writing as well.
Notice how quotes play a huge role in narrative writing
In-class assignment. Let’s do it on WordPress and upload the URL to Brightspace. (Make a note after your headline this is a class assignment)
March 4:
In class:
Social media and the newsroom:
“A Post journalist’s use of social media must not harm the editorial integrity or journalistic reputation of The Post.” Respect “our collective responsibility to protect that integrity and reputation,” the paper’s brass reminded staffers.
Spotlight on Research: Americans who get news on social media are not only less engaged with the news, but are also less knowledgeable about current events. Source
(Here is Ramona)
My favorite use of X, formerly Twitter:
1.How news organizations use social media
Spotlight on Research: More than half (57 percent) stated that social media was the first choice of communication with the public – it affords journalists a unique method of communication with their audience. However, social media plays a minor role in communicating with other stakeholder groups, and here journalists resort to other established forms of communication such as email, telephone or face to face communication Source
2. Writing for social media notes
The best: The Washington Post X, formerly Twitter.
In class assignments: 1) Your news organization has written a news article. Now using this information, write an Instagram caption for this image on your news organization’s Instagram account. You are giving me enough of the story so I understand, but telling me in a smaller space. You need at least 80-100 words. You are NOT using the exact wording as the story. 2). Let’s come up with an X post that promotes (and directs) readers to the article. Be creative. Don’t simply repeat the headline. Really write. Think about it. Try out different things. Creative wording is key here so it doesn’t read like something from a bulleted list. (If you don’t have a X, formerly Twitter, you can use fake generators or tweetgen). Take a screenshot (don’t send out) and upload that to Brightspace.
Stylebook worksheet 7: N&O is Monday, 11:30 a.m.
Week 9 — No class
March 9: No class but stylebook worksheet 7 is due by 11:30 a.m. today
March 11: No class but your scavenger hunt is due by class time
Week 10 — Spring break
March 16 and March 18
Week 11 — public relations writing
March 23:
In class:
“Public relations is the art of crafting and delivering messages that inform and/or persuade the public, and get people to change opinions or take action, to benefit an organization, company or cause.”
“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
The news release: a written document prepared for the media (and now the regular public) that announces something newsworthy. A good news release shares most of the same attributes as a good news story. It’s not different language, remember that.
Spotlight on Research: “Groundbreaking, disruptor, unique, and revolutionary. These are some of the words journalists see in press releases or media pitches that make them cringe. Why This Matters for PR: Comms teams should ensure they’re easing off on the hyperbole and be candid in their press releases and media outreach.” Source
Your goal: write a strong news release that the media uses
Here’s one from the AP on your favorite book.
Spotlight on Research: Journalists are always on the lookout for a good story, and press releases remain one of their top resources for finding stories, according to Cision’s 2025 State of the Media Report. In addition to naming press releases as the most useful resource for getting content ideas ideas, 72% of journalists still cite press releases as the most useful resource PR teams can offer (paired with multimedia, impact increases significantly). Approaching a journalist with a good press release that is relevant to their audience is also a great way to build key media relationships that can lead to more earned media coverage down the line
Muck Rack also found that the 31% of journalists who operate independently opens new avenues for partnerships for companies. Writers who control their own editorial calendars “might be more receptive to longer-term content partnerships, exclusive access arrangements or collaborative storytelling approaches that traditional newsroom ethics might prohibit.”
Spotlight on Research: Cision explicitly asked journalists how PR pros could make their lives easier. The top answers: Understand their audience and what they find relevant, provide them with data and expert resources when they need them; and stop spamming them. 86% say they will immediately reject a pitch not aligned with their beat or audience so tailoring outreach is important.
Why we do it:
It’s where the “news” is. And remember, “news” has lots of definitions.
Why PR pros still need traditional media
There is a trust issue:
Spotlight on Research: Twenty percent of journalists listed “lack of staffing” as the biggest challenge facing journalism, and 38% said “keeping up” was their biggest challenge. “If strategic communicators focus on how to support journalists by offering resources, identifying supporting proof points and connecting reporters with experts, they can build collaborative and mutually beneficial partnerships.” Source
A news release + social media gets your information out to everyone fast
Having interesting news is key, too.
In addition, many news organizations are embedding the actual release as part of a story.
Epic news release fails:
That time Chevy published a whole news release in emojis. Not everybody liked it.
From the House Judiciary Committee;
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Imagine being the person who made this mistake:
Writing the news release:
Spotlight on Research: News releases written following AP style stand a great chace of being picked up by media (Newsom & Carrell) (Lorenz & Vivian).
Sample news release format. So what formatting issues do we notice here.
Let’s look at some situations:
Red Cross release (what’s missing here) and subsequent story in JC (what work did the reporter have to do to make this a story?) and the end result
Chicken King and story
In class: Let’s look at this oldie but goodie, and this one that arrived at the J&C
March 25:
In-class:
A new issue is digital attribution: “Some newsrooms struggling with fewer resources and more pressure to publish frequently use this PR material verbatim, and without attribution. That fits the definition of plagiarism, but raises a key question: Is it plagiarism if the original source consents to the republication and finds attribution unnecessary?”
In an informal poll, Poynter asked whether it’s OK for journalists to use press releases in their stories. Of more than 1,300 respondents, 20 percent said it’s OK to use them without attribution, and only 3 percent called this practice “plagiarism.” The majority said it’s fine to use press releases in stories if they’re attributed.
(The Public Relations Society of America says using a press release without attribution isn’t plagiarism.) “PRSA views the issuance of a news release as giving implicit consent to re-use and publish the news release’s content.” That said, the PRSA did add, “Attribution is recommended, for example, when a direct quote is re-used, or facts and figures are cited.”
The White House got blasted for doing this.
“Knowing how reporters are taught to deal with news releases will help you write better releases.”
How reporters use news releases
Reporters were asked, what’s the first thing you look for:
When a reporter pretty much rewrites a news release . Take this release, and the resulting article in the Exponent. It can come down to whether you have the staff or time. The Purdue Exponent simply used this Purdue news service article. The more a news release from Purdue resembles a news article, the easier it is to use.
News releases can come from anywhere and be successful if worthy. Anything can be “news” to someone
Spotlight on Research: You had me at hello: 79 percent of journalists said the subject line impacts their interest in reading an email press release. “The subject line should simply reflect the spirit and focus of the release in a manner that helps journalists keep their flooded email inboxes organized. Getting creative or cute with a subject line isn’t the answer.” Source
In class assignment: Use this information to construct an e-release to the local newspaper. Email it to me (as if I was the local newspaper). Then upload a Word version to Brightspace for grading purposes.
Week 12 — Online Pr; promoting academic work
March 30:
Assign News Service major assignment
The online news release:
What should you include in an online news release?
The online newsroom:
The online newsroom is more than just a repository for news releases.
“The results of the previous two PRWeek/PR Newswire media surveys have shown that reporters continue to take on more work with fewer resources. A simple thing that communications professionals can do to make their job easier is to create an online newsroom that allows them to quickly and efficiently find the information that they need on your website. ”
Source
In class assignment: Write a simple, online news release from this material as if you were going to post it to a page with articles like this, on your blog with the notation AFTER your headline this is a class assignment. Your news release must include two hyperlinks (and what else do you think it should include after today’s class?). Post it on your WordPress and upload the URL to Brightspace.
April 1:
“Corporate reporters” are people “who work inside the company and produce media like articles, news releases, blog posts, videos, webinars and more.”
State of the News Media: “In digital news, the overlap between public relations and news noted in last year’s State of the News Media report became even more pronounced. One of the greatest areas of revenue experimentation now involves website content that is paid for by commercial advertisers – but often written by journalists on staff – and placed on a news publishers’ page in a way that sometimes makes it indistinguishable from a news story. Following the lead of early adapters like The Atlantic and Mashable, native advertising, as it is called by the industry, caught on rapidly. Source
Here’s an example of native advertising in Mashable
Brands are realizing, to a degree, that if they truly want to be publishers they can’t just have people churning out corporate boilerplate. They’re loosening the reins a bit in a bid to attract actual reporters.
Sometimes the results are labeled “stories” or “articles” to invoke the objectivity of media, but, it is PR or marketing. For example, it’s the job of Purdue News Service to highlight the work its researchers are doing (in everyday language) with the hopes it brings the university publicity.
Purdue will put out a release (a news service article) and hope that the media pick it up.
In fact, REI swapped its catalog for a magazine and blog, Uncommon Path.
Writing the academic research news service story/release
JC use of academic research release from Purdue.
Here’s another example. Gannett uses an AI program called Expresso to rewrite these news releases from Purdue.
This is the goal of academic writing: We want to attract mainstream media and show the benefit of what we found in interesting, simple terms they can share. It helps if you can highlight the practical application.
Purdue is even using video to let the professors explain their research themselves
In class assignment: Use this brief information to write a news article for Purdue News Service. (Yes, it will be short. Focus on getting your lead and lead back up (explanation) right, and highlighting its practical use.) Post it on your WordPress and upload the URL to Brightspace.
Stylebook worksheet 8: P. Due class time Monday.
Week 13: Social media & PR; Other PR
April 6:
When your head of security becomes your social media manager during a pandemic (such publicity)
And when your social media gets you national earned media:
PR uses of social media
Let’s look at individual mediums
Remember our Tips to Remember
So there’s informative, which is to the point
Some examples of how it should be done from news organizations and Chipotle: creative wording, that don’t tell us everything, play on words, or just uses humor
In class: You run Bike World’s social media. Let’s say you are updating Bike World’s Twitter/X and Facebook pages. Come up with a CREATIVE tweet or Facebook post (no credit for “Come to our clinics” or “Are you concerned about bike safety?” or “Do you want to have fun?” type posts) to promote your Bike World safety clinics. You can simply upload to Brightspace a screen capture of the tweet/post or post so you don’t actually have to send out fakes.
April 8:
In class:
It’s not just news releases or social media. Think also about other types
In class: Using Canva, create an informational flyer for bike safety that Bike World might distribute to promote its clinics.
Stylebook worksheet 9: Q,R & S. Due class time Monday.
Week 14 — Broadcast writing; broadcast & online
April 13:
Readings: Newscript.com
In class:
This frustrated anchor is everyone who’s had to read a story not written for the ear on air.
Watch a television newscast nowadays, and it feels like an alien is speaking to you. Verbs are in the false present tense. Linking verbs are eliminated. Clichés like “lucky to be alive” and “out of the woods” infect copy like a virus. It’s been said that to show someone respect, you should speak their language. Yet, as we ask a viewer to watch our product, we don’t speak theirs. Instead, we talk to them in a style only people in TV news use, convinced it’s urgent and important.
Jeff Butera is the primary evening news anchor at WZVN-TV in Fort Myers, Florida, and the author of “Write Like You Talk: A Guide To Broadcast News Writing.”
Spotlight on Research: A report from the Knight Foundation shows that local TV news needs to change how they present news to reach younger audiences. “Local TV news has a big opportunity and is better positioned than other media to survive. But doing what it’s always done won’t get it there.”
Spotlight on Research: About 60% of Americas get news from television sometimes. About a third of Americans prefer to get their news from TV.
“Too many on-air reporters and anchors are deficient not only in basic grammar but in common sense and knowledge, and it shows in how they write:” CBS News writer
“What many of our people forget is that the writing and the spoken words draw attention to the pictures,” says S. Peter Neumann of WEAR-TV in Pensacola, Florida. “Without that, the communications process with the viewer will not take place.”
Yes, you still have to worry about grammar in TV/Radio. And yes, you still have to be accurate.
Spotlight on Research: It’s important to make sure you write that broadcast story at the right length, so the presenter doesn’t have to rush to get it all in. In a recent study, news that was is delivered too slowly fails to gain a listener’s attention while if the news is delivered too quickly, “the listener is incapable of maintaining and processing the incoming information.”
The broadcast tease (or headline) (think of it as a headline for the ears)
Sample sample WLFI-TV script (errors and all )
Sample story script over one day. There are programs to format scripts.
In-class exercises: You are an intern at WLFI. You have been asked to write 60 word MAXIMUM broadcast stories (remember you have to count, don’t rely on Word count. I want you to actually put your word count under your stories) and teases for the following news releases to be read on air by the anchor: Donation and new app.
April 15:
Due: News Service Story major assignment
Online broadcast tips
Broadcast sites: WBAA gives you the option of words or sound online. NPR does a good job rewriting for the eye.
In class: Write both a broadcast version (to be read, 60 words) and an online version for your news station’s website of an article from these notes. (This will be an online news story NOT a news release). Your online version must include two hyperlinks. Post the online version to your WordPress.com (with the notation this is a class assignment) and your broadcast version below it. Upload the link to the appropriate assignment tab on Brightspace.
Stylebook worksheet 10: T. Due class time Monday
Week 15 — Broadcast & PR
April 20:
In class:
There are PR companies who focus on audio news releases
Make sure you offer both a print/online and broadcast version of your release. And often include an “actuality.”
In class assignment: Take the homeless shelter story and rewrite it as a broadcast news release from the Coalition for the Homeless. (You have about 100-150 words and remember you have to count). (Think broadcast news story format but we will still need news release formatting) Remember to think about both the news for the journalist AND the so-what for your organization.
April 22:
In class:
PSA vs. Broadcast News Release
Video and audio PSAs (just so you have an idea):
Classic PSAs (this one I remember) and more Classic PSAs.
*Alama Drafthouse does a great job with its creative PSAs: Kevin Bacon and Phone use
*Sandy Hook parents PSA
*Funny “The Office” PSAs or a real Stars Wars PSA. PSA in sports. Controversial Australian PSA.
Written PSAs:
Help from WREK radio station in Atlanta.
Contact public service director at station: Find out what PSA length the station prefers (15 or 30 seconds (60 to 70 words); format (single or double-spaced); how it should be submitted (usually an online form or email); how much advance notice the station needs; and any other information required. Some TV and radio stations also offer PSA submission details on their websites. Sometimes you will need a cover letter.
| Example: Sample radio PSA script Public Service Announcement Use: IMMEDIATE (you can also request an Air Date here) Time: 30 seconds Agency: Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Title: “Day of Compassion” Contact: Jane Natt, PR director, 555-1212, natt@pr.org Fifteen years ago, most people thought it couldn’t happen to them. Today we know better. AIDS has taken more than 320,000 lives nationwide. It could happen to someone you love. Turn on your radio or TV on June 20th and experience a Day of Compassion. It could save lives. Be aware. Be safe. Be compassionate. ### |
Profit and nonprofit can join together: Cause marketing is the partnership between for-profit and nonprofit organizations to raise awareness and donations for a specific cause. It’s also an opportunity for organizations to connect with consumers who might not normally interact with their brand.
Social media has become a popular place for PSA action. The words at the bottom of this graphic were used for a PSA.
In class: Let’s use Canva to create a graphic PSA for social media about an issue (not this leash issue, another issue you think of) as if you were writing from the Loving Hearts Animal Shelter here in town. Come up with your own catchphrase, too (so no Adopt Don’t Shop, etc.). You might have to do additional research for your PSA. You can use Google images, etc. as needed.
Stylebook worksheet 11: U-Z. Due class time Monday.
Week 16: news & Numbers; Analytics
April 27:
In class:
In class: Let’s put up a quick hit from this poll. Upload the URL to Brightspace.
April 29:
The WSJ made a concerted effort over the past year to train its staff in digital analytics so that everyone knows more about its audience, according to Vivyan Tran, deputy editor for audience and analytics. Reporters and editors now ask questions about who stakeholders are and why readers might care about a story to clarify the reporting and also narrow an audience.
Source
Spotlight on Research: Are news organizations focused on the wrong analytics? News organizations seeking to measure their websites’ success typically have focused on two metrics: pageviews and time spent on the site. A new study shows that the most important factor in trying to get people to pay for news is reader regularity. Source
Five thousand pageviews counts as a win, while less than 2,000 begs three questions: Were we late to the story or in getting it posted online? Was the headline lame? Did we bring something new to whatever was happening?
LATimes
“This update involves refining some of our core ranking systems to help us better understand if webpages are unhelpful, have a poor user experience or feel like they were created for search engines instead of people. This could include sites created primarily to match very specific search queries.”
Google is always updating its algorithm and you need to keep up
In class assignment: Answer these questions using the Demo account (try here if this doesn’t work). (cheat sheet of Google analytics terms). You MUST INCLUDE on what page you found your answer (ie on User, Demographics).
COM252: Writing for the Mass Media 
