How PR Pros Can Write (and Think) Like Journalists

PR pros have always battled to catch reporters’ attention and secure media coverage As newsrooms keep on shrinking, the fight gets even tougher. PR pros must pitch stories that reporters care about. In their press releases and email pitches, PR people must write to indirectly appeal to publications’ readers, if they want their stories to grab headlines. What’s the secret sauce? Colleen Newvine, product manager of The AP Stylebook, reveals what it’s like to have your press reviewed by all the editors of the Stylebook—how you can write well enough to survive that kind of sign off.

Key Takeaways:

• Avoid common AP style errors
• Cut out jargon, extraneous capitalization and exclamation points and get to the heart of your news
• Write tight, compelling copy reporters can grab and go with–with little re-writing or editing
• Think like journalists to find out if your story is newsworthy
• Tell a story that’s either unique enough to stand out or part of a larger trend