Jo Smyth

Debunking Public Relations - the terminology explained

Want to venture into the world of PR - either to use a PR company or if you are thinking of it as a career? Well, here is a useful guide to the terminology which just might help get you through a meeting or an interview.

Advertising   Paid for by a business to be submitted and published

Advertorial   Similar to advertising but it looks like a piece of editorial

Bills    The day's headlines on the board (or bill board) outside a newsagents   

Brief (or nib or even fudge) Small item of news, one paragraph only, in a newspaper

By-line    Carried on a story, to identify who wrote it

Brand    Your company's name and its identity - more than just its logo

CIPR    Chartered Insitute of Public Relations

Copy    The words that make up a piece of writing

Corporate communications The company's messages (such as press releases) to the outside world

Crisis Management  Coping when the proverbial hits the fan (a bad news story perhaps)

Damage limitation  Same as crisis management

Deadline   Final time by which a story has to be written   

Doorstepping   Coloquial term for reporters hanging around someone's dorostep to get their story

Edit    Altering copy to improve, and often shorten, it

Editor    The person in charge of overall content of the editorial side

Editorial   Stories, features, letters, sport - anything not paid for   

Ezine    Electronically generated and distributed newsletter

Feature    Longer than a news story, more in depth, not necessarily topical

Features editor   The person in charge of the features pages

Freelance   Someone who works for him or herself and sells stories or gets commissions

Integrated campaign  Using a variety of media i.e. TV, radio, press, online, outdoor and direct mail

Journalist   Can be a reporter, news editor, sub-editor or editor

News Editor   The person in charge of the news content

News hook or angle  Most interesting part of you story, which will grab the reader's attention

Newsletter   Updates sent out by businesses - good way of keeping in touch with clients

Optimised press release  Press release that is both optimised for search engine results and released online

PR    Public relations

PRO    Public relations officer

Press pack (or media pack) Pre-packaged set of information or promotional materials to be distributed to the media

Press officer   Person usually working in a company's PR or communications department

Press release   Short piece of copy submitted for publications

Proofread   Read through carefully, to check spelling, punctuation and grammar

Proposal   Idea for a PR campaign

Reader offer   Offer or competition for newspapers/magazine readers - good way of promoting a product

Reporter   Writes the news

Sell-in    Term given to attempts to interest a publication in carrying a story or feature

Splash    The front page lead

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

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