Welcome to Public Relations Writing, Week 5

      Today's lesson deals with pitching stories to the media. It's some of the most important PR writing you will ever do, and also some of the most creative.

      Pitch letters are less formally structured than writing a press release, which gives you more freedom in your public relations writing. We will continue to write press releases throughout the semester, of course, but it's nice to get a break from the rigors of press release structure, to concentrate on something else for a while.

      As you read this, we are reviewing your product release assignment, and will return it with comments soon. Your rewrites are not due back on any specific date, so long as they arrive by the 13th week. I would suggest that you do NOT rewrite them right away. It will be better for you if you have the experience of a few more releases -- during which you will work out the kinks in your writing style -- before you begin to rewrite. Otherwise you may find yourself writing more drafts than are really necessary.

      By the time you're reading this, you should already have completed the following assignments:

      • "Natgo" product release
      • "Natgo" Message Planner
      • "Evita" press release
      • "Evita" Message Planner
      • "From the Heart" press release
      • "From the Heart" Message Planner
      • "From the Heart" Media Alert

      That's in addition to a number of other items:

      • Online Student Basic Skills test
      • Distance Education Survey
      • two letters discussing the "From the Heart" program
      • analysis of a news story from the Chicago Tribune
      • another news analysis of an article which you found, which you believe to be generated from a press release

      If you have fallen behind in your assignments, let me urge you once again to consider dropping from this course. It will not get easier. Not everyone is suited to an online course, and there's no shame in reconsidering whether this is right for you. Better you should drop it now, before the consequences become more onerous, than struggle and fail.

      Go to Lesson Five
      You can always return to past lessons, if you need to. Click on Lessons at left, and then on the lesson you want.      		  

      Keep up the good work,


      Alton Miller

      altonmiller@mail.com