After grading my students' final projects (media kits), one thing was clear-- there was still a misunderstanding of what makes a news release newsworthy. Now, this is something I see as fairly common for the PR-inclined. They are drawn to publicity and and promotion, not so much news. This is why the news release becomes something that can be difficult to master.
While my students are in a journalism program and learn the fundamentals of news (they even said on a end-of-class survey that they felt like they had a good idea of what news is), there seems to be a disconnect when it comes to creating newsworthy releases. I'm wondering what's going on here. In an age where news and entertainment are often blurred, how do I best communicate to my students what is news? I go over in class with them what news values are and even do examples of different releases that do and don't fit those criteria. What else would be helpful?
Next semester I teach writing for public relations, I think I am going to make them find a news article each week and ask them how PR was involved in creating that story. But is that too broad? Some news happens without any assistance from PR types. Open to suggestions.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
It Takes a Semester (Or Don't Judge a Class by Its Complaining)
I know my Writing for PR class is hard. It's probably the hardest class I teach, even though it's only a 200-level class. There are several reasons for this. First is the workload. Students write-- a lot. At least one thing a week, usually more. They also re-write. You aren't going to learn how to write if you rarely do it. Second, I believe you can't really learn how to write well unless you see what you are doing wrong, so papers get bled on with red ink and grades are not inflated for "learning." It's either acceptable for the professional world or it isn't. This can be very discouraging for students who are "good" writers, especially in comparison to most of their mediocre to poor high school peers who made them look amazing a couple years ago. Third, I am a stickler for fairness and doing things right. This includes a pretty strictly enforced no late work policy. Deadlines are deadlines, otherwise I would just make it due "whenever you want."
All of this is usually met with grumbles throughout the semester. Students who are used to doing school work last minute, crammed in between social activities and work commitments, and receiving a good grade hit a brick wall in my class. I KNOW rushed, cobbled together work. I have done this work myself as a student, so I know what it looks like. I also know that this work will get shoved right back at you if you try to give this to your boss (and end up with a million edits like my first press releases did at my first internship). Don't try to act like this is your best. I know it's not.
But this semester I have been met with a surprising amount of excuses, complaints and unlearned lessons. This class in particular has been difficult. The class meets very early (for me too!) and for awkward amounts of time. Only 50 minutes, three days a week at 8:30 a.m. The book was also new and I was sick for about two months of it. To accommodate these variables, I even halted class during the middle of the semester to take one-on-ones with students because I felt like they weren't progressing like my former class had. This still did not keep the chronic (mostly) shoddy work from coming in. It also just makes me feel like I am being mean... all the time. And that gets tiring.
This partly gives me fear that I as a teacher am doing something wrong. Somehow I have run aground. I am not connecting with them for some reason. They are not enjoying this work. I've discouraged them far too much. It also made me wonder (dread) what my feedback would be for this class (the forms they fill out to score me as a teacher matter more than they should in my mind sometimes). Eek!
And then today happens. It was our last class, where all the students turn in their big final project-- a media kit they created for a real-life client. I like this project for them because they have a tangible object that is professionally put together that they can be proud of and use as a portfolio piece. Students also enjoy using their PR skills to actually help someone (which is often why they want to do PR). I had them go around the room and each say one thing they were proud of accomplishing in the class this semester. It's always good to recognize that you've gotten better--you aren't in the same place you started, even if you dragged your feet along the way.
Most students commented on how they now understand formatting and that they've improved as writers. It made me smile. My favorite quote, however, was, "Everyone says how much they hate this class in the beginning. And I knew that. I hated it in the beginning too, but I really grew to appreciate it." And that's all I needed. Later, a student who had been absent in class to turn in work sheepishly gave me his VERY late final in the office. He told me that he had slept in, but that is no excuse and he understands the consequences. Well, that was the cherry on top.
It takes a semester, but they eventually learn and your instincts are usually right-- you can't let them think everything they do can be turned in whenever, however, whatever. They finally understand they aren't entitled to that A (or easy B). The world doesn't bend to you because you've taken on too much, because your printer broke, because you slept in... because life happens. You've got to be willing to accept that before you can demand grace. And if you hold your ground to make them learn these lessons, in the end they do get it and appreciate it.
All of this is usually met with grumbles throughout the semester. Students who are used to doing school work last minute, crammed in between social activities and work commitments, and receiving a good grade hit a brick wall in my class. I KNOW rushed, cobbled together work. I have done this work myself as a student, so I know what it looks like. I also know that this work will get shoved right back at you if you try to give this to your boss (and end up with a million edits like my first press releases did at my first internship). Don't try to act like this is your best. I know it's not.
But this semester I have been met with a surprising amount of excuses, complaints and unlearned lessons. This class in particular has been difficult. The class meets very early (for me too!) and for awkward amounts of time. Only 50 minutes, three days a week at 8:30 a.m. The book was also new and I was sick for about two months of it. To accommodate these variables, I even halted class during the middle of the semester to take one-on-ones with students because I felt like they weren't progressing like my former class had. This still did not keep the chronic (mostly) shoddy work from coming in. It also just makes me feel like I am being mean... all the time. And that gets tiring.
This partly gives me fear that I as a teacher am doing something wrong. Somehow I have run aground. I am not connecting with them for some reason. They are not enjoying this work. I've discouraged them far too much. It also made me wonder (dread) what my feedback would be for this class (the forms they fill out to score me as a teacher matter more than they should in my mind sometimes). Eek!
And then today happens. It was our last class, where all the students turn in their big final project-- a media kit they created for a real-life client. I like this project for them because they have a tangible object that is professionally put together that they can be proud of and use as a portfolio piece. Students also enjoy using their PR skills to actually help someone (which is often why they want to do PR). I had them go around the room and each say one thing they were proud of accomplishing in the class this semester. It's always good to recognize that you've gotten better--you aren't in the same place you started, even if you dragged your feet along the way.
Most students commented on how they now understand formatting and that they've improved as writers. It made me smile. My favorite quote, however, was, "Everyone says how much they hate this class in the beginning. And I knew that. I hated it in the beginning too, but I really grew to appreciate it." And that's all I needed. Later, a student who had been absent in class to turn in work sheepishly gave me his VERY late final in the office. He told me that he had slept in, but that is no excuse and he understands the consequences. Well, that was the cherry on top.
It takes a semester, but they eventually learn and your instincts are usually right-- you can't let them think everything they do can be turned in whenever, however, whatever. They finally understand they aren't entitled to that A (or easy B). The world doesn't bend to you because you've taken on too much, because your printer broke, because you slept in... because life happens. You've got to be willing to accept that before you can demand grace. And if you hold your ground to make them learn these lessons, in the end they do get it and appreciate it.
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