Reflection of my learning in PR Writing and Techniques

This semester, I have greatly enhanced my writing skills, which has strengthened my approach to developing PR strategies. Working on assignments that simulated real-world PR tasks has equipped me with the tools and knowledge I need to succeed as a PR specialist.

In this course, I was able to try out a variety of writing projects, which helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses so I can improve even further. I gained valuable knowledge on writing news releases, feature articles, blog posts, and developing creative briefs. While writing has always been one of my stronger skills, this class has also helped me grow my creative side. I created social media graphics, developed a creative calendar, collaborated with teammates to create a podcast, and brainstormed ways to catch the target audience's attention through my writing. Throughout my three years at this university, this class helped me reassure myself that I am studying exactly what I love and has given me insight into what my future will look like. I am excited for what lies ahead.

Previously, I took a journalism class that taught me the importance of Associated Press Style writing, and I was glad that I was able to use that skill in this class as well, as I know it will be useful throughout my career. I challenged myself to better strategize my work using methods such as the Martini method for clearer formatting. In the past, I would simply write what I thought would be good for the clients and stakeholders, without considering the actual intricacies of having a well-developed writing assignment. By writing a creative brief for my news release, I was able to plan the tone, key points and intended audience. This helped me write more clearly and concisely so readers would not get lost in the document.

Additionally, I hadn't fully realized all the pre-work that had to be planned for posting on social media. Creating a strategic message planner, taught me the importance of scheduling posts, selecting the right app for each post and tailoring content within the social media apps. This experience showed how each job is unique and how it needs to be customized. Overall, I have gained valuable insight on how not to rush my work, and understanding the significance of each step before it goes live, to demonstrate transparency and professionalism within my writing.

The news release assignment was among the most valuable projects for me in this class. I learned how to craft a compelling narrative and format for readers to follow and understand. Reading different documents to point out the most important information and stay within the word count also helped me understand the true work of what it takes to write a clean and polished news release.

My favorite assignment in this class was the feature article, as it helped me write more professionally and gain experience writing about someone else. I learned how to prepare for an interview and also develop questions for my interviewee. Digging deeper with each question allowed me to get as much information as possible. This experience will be a great asset for me since I would love to work in a corporate PR, where effective communication and professional conversation are essential. I learned that the more information you gather, the better, which helped me brainstorm and highlight the special moments I thought would go great into the article. Formatting the feature article was something new to me, but it helped me gain experience on how it should be done to form a well-developed story.

Even though these projects were designed as if we had real clients and worked for a PR agency, I was able to step in the role of a real PR Specialist and envision myself completing these tasks as real assignments. I developed time-management skills, learned to meet deadlines, wrote first drafts and creative briefs before final submission and most importantly, learned how to communicate with an audience throughout my writing.

Overall, taking this course has given me valuable insight into becoming an exceptional PR specialist and shown me the hard work and dedication that goes into professional PR work.