SUBJECT OUTLINE58214 Media Writing and Production

Subject coordinatorJannet PendletonPhone: 9514 2753Room: CB02.07.043 Email: Jannet.Pendleton@uts.edu.au

Teaching staffJannet PendletonPhone: 9514 2753Room: CB02.07.043 Email: Jannet.Pendleton@uts.edu.au

Karyn Lemon Email: Karyn.Lemon@uts.edu.au

Jacqueline Moran Email: Jacqueline.Moran@uts.edu.au

Subject descriptionStudents develop knowledge and practice in writing and producing materials such as media releases, featurearticles, newsletters, brochures, speeches, profiles, websites and print, and online production. The requirements ofdifferent genre and styles of public communication writing are explored together with issues rhetoric and persuasionin public relations. Students enhance their skills in writing, design production and the application of these skills to theinternet. Student work integrates theories and principles of effective public communication with technical skills in theirfields of focus.

Subject objectivesAt the completion of this subject, students are expected to be able to:

write effectively in a given context a.Identify writing styles suited to different communication products and publics b.explain the qualities required to produce written communication products that are of a professional standard c.research background material for writing d.edit a publication self reflectively and criticallye.

Contribution to course aims and graduate attributesThis subject makes a major contribution to students capacity to apply their knowledge and skills in writing for avariety of media to communicate effectively and think analytically. It also makes a minor contribution to thestudent capacity to work collaboratively and evaluate their own work.

Teaching and learning strategiesTeaching and learning in this subject will be a blend of face to face classes and production workshops. Assignmentswill be individual however there is provision for group editing tasks where students evaluate and give feedback oneach others work. Face to face classes will incorporate a range of teaching and learning strategies including shortpresentations, discussion and reflection. Workshops will assist students to develop technical skills in writing and

Course area UTS: Arts and Social Sciences

Delivery Autumn 2012; City

Credit points 8cp

Requisite(s) 58117 Principles of Public Relations OR 58128 Strategic Public Relations These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. There are also course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Result type Grade, no marks

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presentations, discussion and reflection. Workshops will assist students to develop technical skills in writing andproduction. Student work produced during the subject will be published in an online publication accessible tostudents in the public communication major.

ContentPrinciples of writing for specific purposes and publics, and for spoken and written language Using research to write for specific purposes and publics purposes Writing products for public communication – feature articles, speeches, reports, web content, Writing for communication within an organisation Introduction to editing Rhetoric and persuasion in public relations Ethics and public relations writing

ProgramWeek/Session Dates Description

1 28 Feb Introduction: role of PR writing, ethical and legal responsibilities of pr writing.Ch. 1 &3 Smith 2012; Treadwell Ch 3

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in class rooms

2 6 Mar Principles of effective writing: grammar, spelling and styleCh.2 Smith 2012

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in computer lab.

3 13 Mar The writing process: analysis of public, planning researching the topicCh 4 Smith 2012

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in computer lab.

4 20 Mar Writing speeches Ch 18 Smith 2012

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in computer lab.

5 27 Mar Newsletter and magazine stories Ch 11 Smith 2012; Ch 5 Tanner, Kasinger & Richardson 2009Assignment 2 – first short writing product due

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in computer lab.

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6 3 Apr Persuasion and communication Ch3 Smith 2012First draft Assignment 1 due

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in computer lab.

7 10 Apr Individual interviews and group writing workshop

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in classrooms

8 17 Apr Study BreakNon-Teaching Week

9 1 May Editing essentials. Design influences on PR writing Ch 13 Smith 2012; Treadwell Ch 7Assignment 1 due

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in computer lab.

10 8 May Writing for the web: differences between web and other mediums. Ch 14 Smith 2012; Ch 7 Mahoney 2008Assignment 2 – second short writing product due

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in computer lab.

11 15 May Organisational writing: Writing newsletters, brochures and annual reportsCh 13, 15 Smith 2012

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in computer lab.

12 22 May Working with the mediaCh 9, 10 Smith 2012

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in computer lab.

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13 29 May Individual interviews and group writing workshop

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in classrooms

14 5 June Informal presentations of publications. Review.

Assignment 3: Editing for an online publication due

Notes:

Tutorial will be held in classrooms

AssessmentAssessment item 1: Writing ProductsObjective(s): a, b, c, d

Weighting: 45% (40% writing, 5% editing)

Due: First draft Week 6Final Week 9

Task: For this assignment students will be required to write a 1000 word speech or a 1000 word article.The article should be suitable for publication in either the Weekend Australian Magazine or theSydney Morning Herald Goodweekend. These writing products will be accompanied by a minimum1000 word rationale justifying the style and structure in relation to the publics.

Furtherinformation:

Students will be placed in an editing group for this component of the assignment. They will edit thepartner’s speech or article for punctuation and grammar, spelling, style, structure and layout.

Criteria: Suitability of style and structure for identified publics. Suitability of material for the communication medium Creativity of approach Depth of research Strength of rationale Accuracy of referencing Relevance of sources used Clarity of expression

Assessment item 2: Short writing productsObjective(s): a, b, c

Weighting: 35%

Due: Week 5 and Week 10

Task: Students will write two pieces of 500-750 words each suitable for publication in an online

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Task: Students will write two pieces of 500-750 words each suitable for publication in an onlinenewsletter. Each piece needs to represent a different type of article. Articles may be in the form ofa profile, review, opinion piece or general interest article.

The articles should be accompanied by a brief explanation (one or two paragraphs) of the type ofarticle, intended publication and likely audience.

Furtherinformation:

Students will select one of these articles to be submitted to editorial groups for publication inAssignment 3.

Criteria: Suitability of style and structure for identified publics. Suitability of material for the communication medium Evidence of research Creativity of writing style Clarity of expression

Assessment item 3: Editing for an online publicationObjective(s): c, e, f

Weighting: 20%

Due: Week 14

Task: Students will work in teams to select articles from the bank of student work created during thesemester for presentation in an online publication. Editing includes item selection, sourcing images,deciding the appropriate layout, headline captions. Specification for the target online publicationswill be supplied in tutorials.

Criteria: Aptness of item selection Aptness of style for the medium Accuracy of copy editing Suitability of selection for target public Creativity in presentation

Minimum requirementsAttendance is important in this subject because it is based on a collaborative approach which involves essentialworkshopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor. An attendance roll will be taken at eachclass. Where possible, students should advise the tutor in a timely manner if they are unable to attend. Students who fail to attend 85% of classes may be refused to have their final assessment item assessed (see Rule3.8).

Required textsSmith, R. D. 2012, Becoming a public relations writer: a writing workbook for emerging and established media, 4thEd., Routledge, NY.

ReferencesBrett, R. 2007, Law and ethics for professional communicators, LexisNexis Butterworths, Sydney.

Carroll, B., 2009, Writing for Digital Media, Routledge; NP.

Garrand, T. P. 2006, Writing for multimedia and the Web : a practical guide to content development for interactivemedia , Elsevier Focal Press; Boston.

Mahoney, J. 2008, Public Relations writing in Australia, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

Pfau, M. & Wan, H-H 2006, Persuasion: an intrinsic function of public relations, in C Botan & V Hazleton (eds).

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Public Relations Theory II, Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah.

Skerlep, A. 2001, Re-evaluating the role of rhetoric in public relations theory and in strategies of corporate discourse,Journal of Communication Management, 6(2): 176-87.

Smith, R. D., 2008, Becoming a public relations writer: a writing process workbook for the profession, Routledge,New York.

Smith,R. D. 2003, Becoming a public relations writer: a writing process workbook for the profession, LawrenceErlbaum Associates, Inc, Mahawah, N.J.

Surma, A. 2005, Public and professional writing: ethics, imagination and rhetoric, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.

Tanner, S. Kasinger, M., Richardson, N. 2009, Feature writing: telling the story, Oxford University press, Melbourne.

Treadwell, D. & Treadwell, J.B. 2005, Public Relations Writing: principles in practice, Sage Publications Inc,Thousand Oaks, CAL.

Van Waes, L., Leijten, M., Neuwirth, C. M., 2006, Writing and digital media, Elsevier; Amsterdam

Whitaker, W. R., Ramsey, J. E., Smith, R. D., 2000, Mediawriting: print, broadcast, and public relations, Longman,New York.

Wilber, R. Miller, R. 2003, Modern media writing, Thomson/Wadsworth; Belmont, CA

Wilcox, D. L. 2009, Public relations writing and media techniques, Allyn & Bacon/Pearson Education; Boston

Wilcox, D.L. 2009, Public relations: strategies and tactics, Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, Boston.

Yopp, J. J. 2002, Reaching audiences : a guide to media writing, Allyn and Bacon; Boston.

DisclaimerThis outline was generated on the date indicated in the footer. Minor changes may have been made subsequent tothis date.

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