August 2017 
President's Report
Improve Your Writing. It Matters!
Writing is one of the most important parts of a successful public relations campaign.
Unfortunately, it’s being lost in our world of texting and tweeting. Nonetheless, people with the skills to write a wide range of content – from bylines and features to blog posts and pitches – are invaluable to their internal teams and business partners.
And no matter how well you write, there’s always room for improvement. For that reason, I’ve taken the liberty to borrow some writing tips from a recent post in the PR Fish Bowl:
Open with a strong, compelling lead. When writing any type of PR copy, your first step should be coming up with an engaging lead that grabs the reader’s attention. A good lead will set up your copy in a way that doesn’t overwhelm a reader but provides just enough insight to make them want to continue. We strive for brevity, unlike this overly wordy version. So devote some time and attention to your lead and make sure you get it right – it can make or break your piece.
Read your copy aloud. You can spend hours editing and proofreading your copy but still manage to overlook grammar mistakes, run-on sentences and awkward phrases. While many public relations writers often skip this step, reading your copy out loud before submitting to your editor or client is a helpful way to catch any errors that you might have missed. Following this step will help you avoid gaffes like these.
Say more with less. Sometimes, PR bylines and articles come with strict word counts. That’s why writers often feel the need to add unnecessary words to their copy. Instead, try tightening up the copy to give it a clean, natural flow and make it easier to read. Some things to look for include empty phrases and words that don’t add any value to the piece, simpler ways to get your points across, and wordy sentences.
Immerse yourself in written content. The best writers are usually the ones who are obsessed with the written word and love to read. Reading content from other writers is a simple way to help you improve the way you write. Whether you prefer books, magazines, newspapers or any type of online content, any type of reading is a great way to expand your vocabulary and enhance your overall writing skills.
Eliminate passive voice. If you’ve ever submitted copy to an editor, you know that use of the “passive voice” is one of their biggest pet peeves. Passive voice – “The Phillies were beaten by the Mets” conveys much less than active voice – “The Mets beat the Phillies.” It’s good practice to use active voice throughout your copy to make it cleaner and less wordy.
Let your copy ‘breathe’. Reading the same thing over and over again can cause you to miss mistakes. Try stepping away from your copy for a few hours, or even a day, and coming back to it with a fresh mindset. This strategy can help you spot any extra words that don’t belong and allow you to trim and tighten up your copy.
Keep writing. The last tip to help better your PR writing is an obvious one, but it’s just as important as the others: practice. From driving a car to learning a sport to perfecting an instrument, the more you do something, the better you’ll get at it. And writing is no exception. No matter how much advice or feedback you get, repetition is the easiest and most efficient way to improve your copy.
Certainly tight deadlines and crisis responses may not always allow you time to carefully examine your writing and make edits, but other projects can lend opportunities for self-scrutiny. Make the most of those opportunities to improve your writing, and ultimately, your effectiveness as a professional.
Delia A. Taylor, APR
Recent News
Pictured from left: Southeast Regional Vice President of the National School Public Relations Association John Gaston, Taylor Media Services consultant Angela deGravelles, Taylor Media Services owner Delia Taylor, Ascension Public Schools Public Information Officer Jackie Tisdell, and Ascension Public Schools Superintendent David Alexander.
PRAL Baton Rouge Chapter President Delia A. Taylor, APR, and PRAL member Angela DeGravelles were recently awarded the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) highest honor, the Gold Medallion Award, at its national conference on July 12, 2017, for their strategic planning and implementation of the Ascension Public School System’s successful 2016 bond election communication campaign, "Growing at the Pace of Excellence."
The Ascension School campaign was one of only 11 winning entries from across the country to win NSPRA's highest honor this year, and it is the only recipient from Louisiana to achieve this distinction.
On April 9, 2016, 80 percent of Ascension Parish residents voted in favor to extend a 15.08 millage to generate $120 million in bonds to fund four new schools and facility improvements district- wide. This was the culmination of a comprehensive communications plan executed by the district's public information office in consultation with Taylor and DeGravelles. The two professional public relations professionals have worked with the school district since 2003 through Taylor’s firm, Taylor Media Services, to manage communication issues.
Components of the 206 campaign included community meetings, presentations to government and business groups, a comprehensive video, mailers, strategic signage, social media and grassroots outreach. The winning entry outlined the campaign’s research efforts and identification of target audiences, implementation of strategies, and evaluation of its success.
Next Meeting
Public Rumlations: How Earned Media = Sweet Success
Two Worthwhile Events in One Night
First, Cane Land Distilling Company Marketing and Communications Director Angie Ray will give a tour of Cane Land to show how master distiller Jonny Ver Planck takes pure sugar cane juice from Alma Plantation and turns it into a sweet spirit called rhum. (Note, it's not rum. That's made with molasses.) Ray will also talk about how she used only earned and social media to promote Cane Land before its grand opening with much success.
Second, USA Today Network Reporter Greg Hilburn and WAFB News Anchor Cheryl Mercedes will clink glasses and speak with you one-on-one about what they look for when a PR professional is pitching them a story.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 17 at Cane Land Distilling, 760 St. Phillip St. in Baton Rouge with the tour starting at 6:15 p.m.
Registration is limited to the first 25, so register now!
Calendar of Events
Join PRAL and PRSA for CoffeePRess
Have you ever needed to get your message to a Louisiana audience? Or, is making national news via USA Today on your To Do List? If so, join us for coffee on Tuesday, August 22 with Greg Hilburn of the Monroe News-Star.
When in Baton Rouge, Greg can be found hanging around the Capitol where he serves as bureau chief and covers politics for what we know as the Gannett family of newspapers. Today it’s the USA Today Network.
The USA Today Network covers 92 media markets, allowing content from these local markets to be spread nationally. The goal of the USA Today Network is to create a “singular news network that connects with local communities in profound ways, where local stories feed national news, and national news connects with local relevance.”
CoffeePRess is an informal gathering of communications professionals who enjoy discussing timely news issues – with a heaping of gossip – over a cup of coffee. The robust conversation lasts about an hour.
Because CoffeePRess is conversational in nature, attendance is limited to the first 15 people to respond.
The event is free. Coffee & breakfast available for purchase.
Why You Need an APR Behind Your Name
A Free Open House Webcast is scheduled for Tuesday, August 22 at 2:00 p.m.
The Open House will provide opportunities to ask questions about the APR Examination Process, and hear from PR Professionals who have recently passed the APR Examination. Michael Henry, Technical Facilitator for the APR Online Study Course will demonstrate how the successful online curriculum works. APR is a mark of distinction for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession, its ethical practice and who are selected based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective, and sound professional judgment.
Reservations for the open house may be made by visiting this site: www.Online2Learn.net/APR/
The Online Study Course is self-paced, including ten modules focused on the KSAs — Knowledge Skills and Abilities — required to pass the APR Examination. In addition, participants may join free weekly webcasts, hosted by APR Facilitators. APR Facilitators review participant work, provide feedback and study strategies in an informal and effective learning experience. The first session starts Tuesday, August 29 and runs through November, 2017.
Member Spotlight
Alisha D. Prather
Harris Deville & Associates
Alisha helps thought leaders and organizations analyze and translate complex ideas into effective messages for diverse audiences. She brings proven communication strategies to practice for clients relying on nearly 25 years of experience in public affairs, strategic/crisis communications, issues management, media, and policy analysis across government, political, academic and nonprofit sectors. She spent more than a decade in Washington, DC directing communications for Members of Congress, influential Congressional coalitions, and for the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology. She also directed communications and marketing for world leaders in science and research, including LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center and the Galveston National Laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch. A native of Crowley, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University and a Master of Science degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in public relations and how did you overcome it?
I was a young congressional staffer working on Capitol Hill when the events of 9/11/2001 transpired. Looking back on that day and the weeks that followed, much of the specifics blur but what is clear all these years later is that the chain of events that day set forth radically changed my approach to crisis communication. So many friends were impacted directly that day; lives forever altered. As a young communications professional faced with accurately and consistently informing others on an international incident in the public spotlight, I learned that all news is personal to someone. We share a collective responsibility as communicators to tell a story quickly and accurately, but we also bear a responsibility for empathy and for understanding the unique needs of those who hear our stories. Much like the adage “all politics is local,” 9/11 taught me that every story we tell impacts someone personally, and that it’s the professionalism, cool heads, and empathy we a bring to bear as communicators that help us communicate accurately through any challenge and truly impact the message.
You have $1,000,000 that you must spend on yourself. What are your first three purchases?
- Establish college funds for my nieces and nephews
- Make a really large donation to my favorite charity
- Travel (everywhere…like Johnny Cash)
In a bizarre accident, you’ve been blessed with a super power of your choice?
**Mind Reading**
What’s your most useful skill? Listening
What are your three favorite foods?
- An onion tarte from my favorite bakery in Paris
- A perfectly grilled medium rare steak
- Pizza (any style and every topping)
You can be transported backward or forward in time--where are you going and what year?
Two options – both back in time and set in Washington, DC. Transport me to either January 20,1961 or August 28, 1963 to hear some of the greatest speeches from some of the greatest American communicators – President John F. Kennedy at his inauguration or Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. I’d want to be standing on the national mall to hear, see and feel the richness of those days.
What’s the greatest business lesson you’ve ever learned and from whom? Trust your gut. Followed closely by the truism: we have only once chance to make a first impression.
What personal quality do you value the most about yourself? I call it like I see it, but I like to think that I can pull off frankness with diplomacy and a Southern flair.
Your house is on fire—what items do you go back in for? Family photos and keepsakes – they are irreplaceable.
You can have a five hour conversation with any person, living or dead. Who? Sticking with the great communicators theme – Walter Cronkite. He brought empathy, trust and honor to journalism.
Picnic, tailgate or friends over for dinner? Friends over for dinner.
Where do you hope to be in ten years and what will you be doing? Not sure what I’ll be doing, but I hope to still be telling stories that matter to audiences willing to listen.
Greatest accomplishment? Building more than one communications shop and team from the ground up. I’m proudest when others succeed in telling their stories.
If you could learn anything, what would it be? To speak Chinese….or play guitar like the Edge from U2.
What are your top five apps? Facebook, OpenTable, Currency Exchange Calculator, Reddit, AP News
You can come back as a person, animal or thing? Animal
Who are your heroes? My aunt. She was a class act who taught me lessons about life and professionalism, which stick with me to this day.
Give us some words to live by. “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” - Winston Churchill
What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy day? Binge watch House of Cards or West Wing.
What would you like people to know about you that they probably don’t? I’ll drop everything for a friend in need.