Preface -- Part 1: PR Writing: Role And Responsibility -- Chapter 1: Public relations and the writer -- Defining public relations -- Analyzing, predicting and counseling -- Advertising, publicity and PR -- Two-way street -- Publics, channels and the role of the writer -- Public in public relations -- Priority publics -- Channels -- Role of the writer -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Chapter 2: Ethical and legal responsibilities of the PR writer -- Core values and personal/professional behavior -- Dynamics -- Values -- Influence of personal standards -- Educating -- Refusing -- Requesting reassignment -- Taking the assignment -- Influence of organization and industry standards -- Perceptions -- Organizational culture and values -- Automatic responses -- What happens when you aren't told? -- Influence of public relation standards of practice -- Accuracy -- Honesty, truth and fairness -- False or misleading information -- Influence of laws and regulations -- Negative laws -- Contracts -- Commercial free speech -- Libel laws and privacy issues -- Copyrights and other rights -- Government regulators -- Influence of primary publics -- Shared values -- Adversarial groups -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Chapter 3: Persuasion -- Opinion formation and change -- Opinion, attitude and belief -- Models of attitude formation and message recipients -- Nature of persuasion -- Aspects of persuasion -- Rokeach's value hierarchy -- Steps in the persuasion process -- Typology of steps in persuasion -- Persuasion and logic -- Expectations -- Experience -- Perceptions -- Connections -- Values -- Persuasion and communication -- Source -- Message -- Medium -- Public -- Effect -- Alternative theory -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Part 2: Preparing To Write -- Chapter 4: Research for the public relations writer -- Research in public relations -- Two basic types of research -- Planning for research -- Categories of research for the PR writer -- Research for storage and retrieval -- Sources for PR writers and researchers -- Secondary sources for research -- Primary sources for research -- Verifying -- Communication audits -- Research using social media -- Skepticism-a requisite for all research -- Questions to ask -- Answers prompt questions -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Chapter 5: Public relations planning process -- 1: Review, revise and affirm the mission statement -- 2: Examine the present situation -- Kinds of information -- 3: Analyze the data -- 4: Prepare forecasts -- 5: Write statements of objectives -- 6: Prepare statements of goals -- Example 1 -- Example 2 -- 7: Develop strategies -- 8: Define, prioritize and analyze publics -- Demographics -- Psychographics and lifestyles -- Prioritizing publics -- 9: Prepare message strategies and statements -- Simplicity -- Adaptability -- Applicability -- Durability -- 10: Develop media strategy/mix -- Attending -- Persuasiveness -- Credibility -- Timing -- Effective reach -- Strategic use of media -- Repetition -- 11: Develop schedule, assign responsibilities and establish budget -- 12: Devise monitoring and measurement systems and procedures -- Control -- Coordination -- Tactical implementation -- Monitoring and evaluation -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Part 3: Writing Principles -- Chapter 6: Writing to clarify and simplify the complex: style and content -- Message, public, medium -- Message -- Public -- Medium -- Style -- Readability/listenability -- Naturalness -- Variety -- Euphony -- Human interest -- Trite expressions -- Eliminating bias -- Quotes -- Internet language use -- Content: Simplifying the complex -- Know your subject -- Use plain English -- Take one step at a time -- Make the central points clear -- Explain the unfamiliar with the familiar -- Make the message accessible -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Chapter 7: Grammar, spelling and punctuation -- Ambiguity and grammar -- That versus which -- Subject-verb agreement -- Myths of grammar -- Split infinitives -- Sentence-ending prepositions -- Usage manuals -- Verbs -- Emotive and cognitive meaning -- Spelling -- Word choice and meaning -- Punctuation -- Global English? -- Always check -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Part 4: Writing For Traditional Media And Social Media -- Chapter 8: Writing for social media and converged traditional media -- Social media -- Writing for social media -- Uses of social media -- Writing for "traditional" media -- News releases -- Who gets news releases? -- What is news? -- Writing news releases -- Approach -- Writing style -- Electronic transmission of releases -- Types of releases -- Government regulations -- News for broadcasting -- Facts, sights and sounds -- Announcements and specials events -- News conferences -- Crises -- Talk shows -- News on call -- News releases -- VNRs -- Broadcast writing style -- Physical preparation -- Structural considerations -- Supplying pictures and sound -- Digital delivery and use -- Conclusions -- Exercises.

Chapter 9: Media kits, media pitches, backgrounders and position papers -- Media kits -- Media kits for special events -- Media credentials -- Materials for media rooms-crises and special events -- Media pitches -- Be prepared and be persistent -- Backgrounders and position papers -- Backgrounders -- Position papers -- Format -- Special uses -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Part 5: Writing For Select Publics -- Chapter 10: Message design concepts -- Creative process -- Symbols -- Type -- Logos -- Color -- Photographs and art -- Infographics -- Sound and motion -- Radio and other audio -- Television, video, film and the internet -- Qualities of good message design -- Clear creative concept -- Getting and holding attention -- Understanding publics -- Good organization -- Visual principles -- Balance -- Visual weight -- Horizontal and vertical lines -- Contrast -- Movement -- Harmony -- Unity -- Proportion -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Chapter 11: Email, memos and letters -- Email -- Formats and content -- Style -- Memos -- Memo formats -- Classifications of memos -- Factors affecting the use of memos -- Letters -- Business letter format -- Types of letters -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Chapter 12: Reports and proposals -- Reports and proposals compared -- Organization of reports and proposals -- Readability and applicability -- Annual reports -- Clarity versus accuracy -- Planning the report --Writing the report -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Chapter 13: Writing advertising copy -- Advertising as a persuasive force -- Appeal -- Positioning -- Behavior -- Basic guidelines for writing advertising copy -- Purpose -- Objective facts -- Publics -- Media -- Creative approach -- Visualization -- Language -- Repetition -- Public service announcements -- Writing advertising copy for electronic media-television, radio, online -- Copywriting for TV -- Copywriting for radio -- Online PSAs -- Broadcast production relationships -- Copywriting for print media -- Attention -- Interest -- Desire -- Credibility -- Action -- Copywriting for newspapers -- Copywriting for magazines -- Copywriting for web pages -- Copywriting for direct response and direct advertising -- Copywriting for out-of-home media -- Copywriting for sales promotion -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Chapter 14: Newsletters -- Criteria for successful newsletters -- Filling unmet needs -- Uniqueness -- Distribution -- Knowledge and skills -- Frequency -- Format -- Types and functions of newsletters -- Employee and member newsletters -- Special-interest subscriber newsletters -- Technical and content considerations -- Reporting and writing for newsletters -- Reporting -- Writing tips for newsletters -- Fitting newsletter copy and design -- Writing and designing newsletters on desktop systems -- Expediting editorial matter -- Designing -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Chapter 15: Brochures -- Purpose -- Persuade -- Inform and educate -- Concept -- Purpose and object -- Giving shape to information -- Rules -- Accuracy -- Active voice -- Style -- Tone -- Visuals -- Designing brochures -- Format -- Using computer templates -- Type -- Paper -- White space -- Color -- Reproduction -- Letterpress -- Offset -- Gravure -- Distribution -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Chapter 16: Magazines -- Topics -- Employee publications -- Association publications -- Trade and industry publications -- Corporate publications for the public -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Chapter 17: Speeches, presentations and other orally delivered messages -- Speeches -- Types of speeches -- Planning -- Paring and timing -- Persuading -- Mechanics of organization -- Style -- Setting the stage and writing the finale -- Presentation scripts -- Differences and similarities -- Types of presentations -- Planning -- Development -- Matching words and sights -- Computer advantages/disadvantages -- Older types of presentation aids -- Other speech/presentations occasions -- Media interviews -- News conferences -- Evaluations -- Conclusions -- Exercises -- Part 6: Writing In Turbulent Times -- Chapter 18: Crisis communication -- Planning for crisis situations -- Corporate information -- Handling the crisis -- Conclusions -- Exercise -- Appendix A: Readability formulas -- Flesch's reading ease and human interest formulas -- Gunning's fog index -- Dale-Chall formula -- ELF --- Other readability tests -- Software programs -- Appendix B: Copyfitting -- Sizing copy -- Sample copyfitting problems -- Broadcast copy -- Radio -- Television -- Appendix C: Answer to AP style exercises -- Notes -- Selected bibliography -- Index.