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14 WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

12. Explain the following:

1. Mixing long and short sentences improves the rhythm.

2. Writing that goes on and on without a pause is hard on the reader.

3. Every writer should aim to be read.

4. Scientific writing, too, is loaded with esoteric words.

13. Comment on the following statements. Do you agree with them?

1. Sentences should be clear and concise. Longer sentences may often be necessary, but a good test is to go back over the material and see how many sentences can be cut down.

2. Don't try to show off your knowledge by using long, complicated words.

3. Educators, for example, often seem to like elaborate expressions.

14. Develop the following statements:

1. Your writing must fit your audience.

2. You must watch sentence and paragraph length.

3. Word length and word choice are always important.

4. Simplicity and correct style must be a constant concern.

5. Everything you write should start with an outline.

UNIT

_THREE

Errors to avoid

Errors in your writing will brand you as careless, unprofessional, and inconsiderate of your audience. Errors also call into question the credibility of the entire message. Professional writing requires attention to detail and repeated review of your draft to catch all potential errors.

Spelling

Credibility is sacrificed when spelling errors appear in public relations materials. For example, one news release for a company that manufactured a spellchecking pro­gram for a word processor included the nonwords "tradmark" and "publishere".

Gobbledygook and Jargon

"Gobbledygook" consists of ponderous words and phrases that obscure simple ideas. For example, to the user of gobbledygook, things don't get "finished", they get "finalized". Events didn't happen "then", they happened "at that point in time". The child isn't "failing" but rather is "motivationally deprived".