Dry, But Necessary, PR Writer’s Textbook Was Useful In Tackling The Digital Age

“The motto for public relations personnel within a company and those at an agency representing a client is: NO SURPRISES.”

I’m not going to sugarcoat you, here; “The Public Relations Writer’s Handbook: The Digital Age” was a slog of a road. But I mean, hell, you make the decision to read a textbook, you kind of know what you’re getting yourself into, amirite?

Merry Aronson, Don Spetner and Carol Ames collaborated on this work back in 2007, and obviously seven years in this arena is akin to dog years. But still, there was a lot covered in here that was quite useful, particularly to someone (me) who has public relations as just one aspect of many bundled within his ridiculous ever-changing job description.

“One factor that has not changed with the advent of the digital age is good writing, which remains at the core of effective public relations.”

Among the intriguing topics covered included the impact of SEO on headline writing, media fragmentation, treatments, letters of commission, and successful (and not) pitch-making. The trio also tackled editorial considerations, the Associated Press Daybook, speechwriting, multimedia, how not to use PowerPoint, broadcast writing and even press-event logistics, among other lively and contentious areas.

The book also delved into blogging policies, official statements, anticipating needs in a crisis and what should constitute a PR program. Throughout, the authors did a commendable job of mixing in useful statistics and citing relevant studies to bolster their recommendations. I found the chapter recaps, in particular, quite handy; and I even found only one egregious grammatical error, which speaks to the credibility of the work.

As a communications professional in my current role, I don’t anticipate having to incorporate or navigate through many of the issues brought up. However, it’s somewhat comforting to know that should such necessities arise, “The Public Relations Writer’s Handbook” sits nearby on the shelf.

And even in the event that it resides there collecting dust for many years, I know that wouldn’t be the worst thing—and still would justify the time spent hammering my way through this useful resource.

“Effective public relations writing forms the core of nimble, innovative marketing made possible by digital technology.”