COMM 337: Agenda

1. COMM 337: Agenda

2. Nuts and bolts stuff • Plagiarism • Lifting text and our field. • My notations and grading • Comments on first assignment • Persuasion and theory • Framing • Diffusion • Uses and gratifications • Exercise

3. Persuasion and theories • Media relations • Press releases • Media kits • Online press releases • Changing role for PR practitioners • Writing for new media

4. COMM 337: Academic Integrity

5. COMM 337 “

6. COMM 337 "Standards of academic conduct are set forth in the University's Academic Integrity Code. By registering, you have acknowledged your awareness of the Academic Integrity Code, and you are obliged to become familiar with your rights and responsibilities as defined by the Code. Violations of the Academic Integrity Code will not be treated lightly, and disciplinary action will be taken should such violations occur. Please see me if you have any questions about the academic violations described in the Code in general or as they relate to particular requirements for this course."

7. COMM 337 What does it mean? • All work must be exclusively your own. • All work must be unique to this course. • You may not lift text from any source. • You must process information and recast it in your own words, even phrases and short sentences.

8. COMM 337 Two areas of confusion • Lifting text • Occurs in the workplace • The use of quotes • Quotes must be verbatim • We cannot change quotes without permission of the speaker

9. COMM 337 In an essay concerning sweatshop labor in Pakistan, a student wrote: No two negotiations for the sale of a child are alike, but all are founded on the pretense that the parties involved have the best interests of the child at heart. [...] On a very hot morning in the Punjab village of Wasan Pura, a carpet master, Sadique, describes to a brick worker named Mizra, the advantages his son will enjoy as an apprentice weaver. "Nadeem is bright and ambitious ..." The true author, Jonathan Silvers, had written in Atlantic Monthly: No two negotiations for the sale of a child are alike, but all are founded on the pretense that the parties involved have the best interests of the child at heart. [...] On this sweltering morning in the Punjab village of Wasan Pura, a carpet master, Sadique, is describing for a thirty-year-old brick worker named Mizra the advantages his son will enjoy as an apprentice weaver. "I've admired your boy for several months," Sadique says. "Nadeem is bright and ambitious ..."

10. COMM 337 • End

11. COMM 337: My notations

12. My notations

14. My notations

15. My notations

16. My notations

17. My notations

18. Everything counts

19. My notations

20. Cut all extra words

21. My notations

22. COMM 337: Assignment 1 Writing comments Is Sunday a better due date?

23. COMM 337 • I move quickly • A conversation • Main points • Format • Leads • Beginning of writing tips • We will often rewrite. (Not for #1)

24. Letterhead • Embargo • Headline • Subheadings • (Subheads) • Dateline • ### • Contact info • Cell • IM • Skype • Twitter

26. COMM 337 • Format of a press release • Who are we writing for? • How long should it be? • One page? • Titles – What makes a good title? • SEO and keywords • Online • Links to accompanying material • “Evergreen” • Dates in the text.

27. COMM 337 • Leads • Short and direct • 25 words or less • Favor the active voice • Subject-verb is your workhorse • Beware of red flags of bad writing • Long sentences • Long clauses • Too many commas

28. COMM 337 • Dateline • Time element • Strategic thinking • Name • “Highest membership grade”

29. COMM 337 • Length • Time element • Comma use

30. COMM 337 • Dateline • Commas • Time element • Length

31. COMM 337 • Active voice

32. COMM 337 • Write simply • Simple words. Simple sentence construction. • Example: • “He joined the faculty staff at American University in 1995 where his roles have progressed from vice chair to chair of the biology department, to associate professor.” • “He joined the faculty at American University in 1995 and has served as vice chair and chair of the biology department.”

33. COMM 337 • Cut all extra words • Don’t state the obvious • Remember your audience • Journalists • Others??

34. COMM 337 • Examples: • Huegle is a valued faculty member and has received both the Tau Beta Pi Outstanding Faculty Award and the Distinguished Teaching Award from the University. • Throughout his time at American University, Huegle has been an active faculty member. • A spokesperson for the association said, “Huegle has been commended specifically for his effective leadership of multidisciplinary research.” • We always name a spokesperson. Journalists need names.

35. COMM 337 • Don’t adopt jargon • “Its mission is to advance scientific and technological excellence across all disciplines, and the public’s understanding of science and technology.” • “A fellow is the highest rank recognized by AAAS. Fellows were chosen for their efforts to advance science or foster applications that have been deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.”

36. COMM 337 • Parallelism • Phrase to phrase, sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph • “He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1987 and holds a doctorate in biology from Columbia University.” • “He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a doctorate in biology from Columbia University.”

37. COMM 337 Writing – parallelism and logic Parallelism • Not parallel • “He received his bachelor’s degree in 1980 and in 1990 earned his doctorate.” • Parallel • “He received a bachelor’s degree in 1980 and a doctorate in 1990.”

38. COMM 337 Parallelism • Not parallel • “A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1987, and he also received his doctorate from Columbia University in 1993.” • Parallel • “A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1987, and a graduate of Columbia University in 1993.” • Better: “He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1987 and his doctorate from Columbia University in 1993.” • (Note the introductory clause.)

39. COMM 337 • Issues • Do not capitalize common noun academic degrees (history and psychology, but English and French) • Capitalization in titles: “He served as Department Chair.” • Subject-verb agreement • “The association” is a singular noun. • “The AAAS chose its new fellows … “

40. COMM 337 • BA is incorrect style • Ph.D. is not preferred style • We do not use “Dr.” with people who hold doctorates. • Cut the word “currently.” • Spelling • Time element • “This year, he received a Distinguished Teaching Award.” • “Huegle lives in Bethesda, Md., with …”

41. COMM 337: Framing

49. End