Writing for the Media

by Adrian Wheeler

Overview

This is a media writing guide for PR people. The media use one per cent of the material PR people send them. What can we do to increase the hit-rate of the stories we write on behalf of our clients or employers? We need to know exactly what the media want and what they don't want. We should be able to write material according to the rules and conventions which the media themselves observe. We ought to know how to compose, present and lay out stories in a manner which saves the media time and earns their approval. We can enhance our pick-up if we know how to produce good media photography, video and infographics. We must know how to pitch a story professionally. This Guide is an A to Z of media writing for anyone working in PR who wants to get better results.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787566149
Publisher:	Emerald Publishing Limited
Publication date:	01/14/2019
Series:	PRCA Practice Guides Series
Pages:	120
Product dimensions:	5.12(w) x 7.75(h) x (d)

About the Author

Adrian Wheeler was a reporter on a weekly newspaper before joining a City PR firm. He co-founded Sterling Public Relations which was acquired by Grey Advertising, where Wheeler became CEO of GCI UK and chairman of GCI Europe. He was chairman of the PRCA in 1999-2000 and chairman of the CIPR's Professional Practices Committee in 2008-2012. In 2010 he was awarded the Sir Stephen Tallents Medal. He is the author of Purchasing Public Relations for the PRCA and editor of Best Business Advice. He works as a crisis communications consultant, as a non-executive with four public relations agencies, and as a PR and media trainer.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Francis Ingham 
Introduction 
Good media writing - the business case 
The ROI – media messages 
The media writing challenge: editorial choice 
B2B and B2C – what’s the difference? 
How journalists write 
The journalist’s PR challenge 
Journalists’ rules 
Researching a story 
Interview tips 


Composition: 
Headlines and leads 
Format, structure 
Short-form and long-form 
The human factor and illustrations 
Media language 
Enemies of clarity 
Style 
Quotations 
Self-editing  


What the media want and don’t want 
What the media say they want and don’t want 
Story ingredients: the Trevor Morris system 
Writing for screens: advice from Steve Dunne 
Pitching a story to the media 
Making a soft story stronger 
Distribution: the PESO model 


Appendix 
Advice from journalists and editors 
Good media relations – five top tips 
Books about the media and media writing 
Improving your media writing 
A selection of journalism terms 
Media story platforms 
Putting it into practice (exercises) 
 Media quotes about the media

Editorial Reviews

‘There’s no shortage of “how to write” advice out there, and Amazon is awash with “how to do PR” books. Most are prolix statements of the obvious, or self-deluding and unsupported opinions about the client’s importance and the journalist’s hunger for content. Which is why it’s a real pleasure to be able to recommend this genuinely useful, genuinely valuable and thankfully succinct collection of sound pointers and practical rules, hard-won over the years and honed in the real world.’

Dennis Jarrett

‘For an editor, it's hard work when PR people send in copy that needs re-writing. On the other hand, material composed according to certain “rules of journalism” puts a smile on my face. If you want to make people like me smile, this book will tell you all you need to know and nothing you don't.’

Sarah Edworthy

‘At a time when journalists are becoming fewer in number, are being asked to do more and are under huge pressure to produce it faster, it is more important than ever for PR specialists to be able to write media material that journalists can work with. Long-time PR executive and doyen of the UK’s PR industry Adrian Wheeler leads by example, producing a well-written and highly engaging book that lays out the case for better writing in media material, and then in a clear, informative, entertaining and often witty way, sets about teaching the reader how best to achieve it.’

Nicholas Watson

‘This is a witty, simple-to-follow must-read for everyone with an interest in our industry - whether they are keen to grasp the basics or veteran communicators. The book provides valuable insights into the formulation of media copy and the techniques of good media writing. The author both inspires readers and challenges them to think and communicate differently.’

Souha Khairallah MPRCA

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