Course Review Part 3: Key Documents in Public Relations

 Course Review Part 3: Key Documents in Public Relations

Document Type	Purpose	Target Audience	Structure & Key Features	Tone & Language	Examples of Typical Content
House Organ	To inform, engage, and align internal stakeholders with the organization's values, news, and achievements.	Employees, managers, internal stakeholders	- Regular sections: editor’s note, employee highlights, project updates, HR announcements - Company branding and visuals - May include photos, interviews, and success stories	Friendly, professional, and motivational	“Meet our new team members” “Results from the annual staff survey” “Upcoming training opportunities”
Brochure	To promote a product, service, project, or event through persuasive messaging and appealing design.	Prospective clients, customers, investors, event attendees	- Cover: brand, slogan, image - Inside: key features, benefits, testimonials, contact info - Call to Action (CTA) at the end	Persuasive, promotional, concise	“Discover our all-inclusive service packages” “Why partner with GreenTech Solutions?”
Press Release	To announce something newsworthy to the media in a clear and objective format.	Journalists, bloggers, media outlets	- Headline - Lead paragraph (5Ws + H) - Body paragraphs (background & quotes) - Boilerplate (about the company) - Media contact details	Factual, neutral, professional	“GreenWave Launches Coastal Cleanup Initiative” “New CEO Appointed at GlobalCom”
Corporate Letter	To handle official, formal communication between an organization and external stakeholders.	Clients, suppliers, government entities, corporate partners	- Company letterhead - Date and addresses - Salutation - Clear body paragraphs - Formal closing and signature	Courteous, formal, precise	“We are writing to confirm the receipt of your application…” “We appreciate your continued partnership…”
Formal PR Letter	To respond or initiate contact on public-facing matters, including invitations, complaints, agreements, or proposals.	General public, organizations, media, clients	- Similar to a corporate letter - Often includes persuasive or problem-solving language - May be printed or emailed	Clear, structured, persuasive or apologetic depending on purpose	“We are pleased to invite you to…” “We regret any inconvenience caused by…”
Circular	To inform quickly and efficiently, usually within the organization, about updates, decisions, or instructions.	Staff, departments, internal teams	- Brief and to the point - Subject or header line - One to three short paragraphs - May be printed or posted digitally	Neutral, informative, sometimes directive	“Reminder: Submit expense reports by June 5” “The office will close early this Friday at 2 p.m.”
Instructional Guide	To provide clear, step-by-step instructions on performing a process, task, or operation.	Employees, users, clients	- Title and brief introduction - Numbered or bulleted steps - Use of imperatives (“Click”, “Open”, “Check”) - Visuals or diagrams if necessary

 

Tips for Writing PR Documents

• Match tone and register to the audience (formal, informative, persuasive).
• Keep the structure clear and predictable for easier comprehension.
• Always include relevant details: contact info, dates, names, objectives.
• In press releases and brochures, prioritize clarity and visual appeal.
• For internal documents, balance formality with approachability.

 

Questionniare: 

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=m99TarUuTUi7cXO8ROnWgT_kYXJGJaFHgfweQScL3jBUNFg1QjdBVk42OVJFR0lIWldYOUJISlNQMyQlQCNjPTEu

Course Review Part 2: Word formation and Acronyms

📝 Summary Chart – Part 2: Word Formation and Acronyms in PR

Category	Explanation	Examples	Application in PR
Prefixes	Added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning	re- (redo), pre- (prelaunch), un- (unpaid), dis- (disagree)	Used to describe project phases (pre-event, rebranding)
Suffixes	Added to the end of a word to form a new word class or change meaning	-ment (development), -tion (promotion), -ive (effective), -ly (quickly)	Forms nouns and adjectives for campaigns (improvement, persuasive)
Compound words	Two words combined to form a new one	newsletter, feedback, pressroom, stakeholder	Common in internal communication and marketing
Conversion (Zero Derivation)	Changing a word's class without adding an affix	update (noun → verb), email (noun ↔ verb), report (verb ↔ noun)	Allows flexibility in headlines and bullet points
Clipping	Shortening a longer word into a simpler form	info (information), ad (advertisement), promo (promotion)	Informal usage in blogs and slogans
Blending	Combining parts of two words to create a new one	webinar (web + seminar), infographic (information + graphic)	Used for innovation and tech-based services
Acronyms	First letters of words used as a new word (pronounced as a word)	PR (Public Relations), CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), CEO	Essential in corporate, internal, and external communication
Initialisms	First letters of words pronounced individually	ROI (Return on Investment), HR (Human Resources), R&D (Research & Development)	Widely used in strategy documents and reports
Abbreviations	Shortened form of a word or phrase	dept. (department), approx. (approximately), info (information)	Used in internal memos and quick communication
Buzzwords in PR	Trendy or field-specific words that carry persuasive or professional value	engagement, reach, branding, optimization, synergy	Improve tone and audience engagement in campaigns and reports

✅ Tips for Students

• Use prefixes and suffixes to adapt word forms for different functions (e.g., noun → verb, adjective → noun).
• Incorporate acronyms and buzzwords appropriately in professional documents like press releases, brochures, and memos.
• Avoid overuse of informal blends or clipped words unless the context allows (e.g., a social media post).
• Be consistent with capitalisation of acronyms (e.g., always write PR, not pr).

  

Word Building Exercise:

https://www.grammarbank.com/word-formation-exercise-7.html

📝 Summary Chart – Common Prefixes in Public Relations Writing

Prefix	Meaning	Example Word(s)	Function / Use in PR Writing
re-	Again, back	rebrand, rewrite, relaunch	Used for repeated or updated strategies and relaunches
pre-	Before	prelaunch, prewrite, preplan	Refers to pre-event planning, pre-campaign analysis
un-	Not, opposite of	unprofessional, unresponsive	Describes negative qualities in services or tone
in- / im-	Not, into	ineffective, impossible, inaccurate	Used in evaluation of outcomes or service delivery
dis-	Opposite of, reverse	disconnect, disagree, disapprove	Describes problems in communication or reputation
co-	Together, jointly	cooperate, coorganize, coworking	Highlights teamwork, collaboration, and partnerships
over-	Too much, excessive	overcommunicate, overreact	Warns about overuse or exaggerated tone in communication
under-	Too little, beneath	underestimate, underperform	Used in campaign or team performance analysis
non-	Absence or lack of	nonverbal, nonprofit, nonspecific	Defines types of organizations or communication styles
mis-	Wrong, badly	miscommunicate, mislead	Refers to misunderstandings in media or stakeholder messaging

✅ Tips for Students

• Prefixes change the meaning of the word and can indicate time, negation, intensity, or cooperation.
• Use them to clarify tone, intent, and strategic descriptions in all PR formats—from brochures to press releases.
• Be consistent and accurate—mislead is not the same as disagree, and unprofessional is stronger than incomplete.

📝 Common Suffixes in Public Relations Writing

Suffix	Meaning	Example Word(s)	Word Function Change	Function / Use in PR Writing
-ment	Action or result of	development, engagement, improvement	Verb → Noun	Describes stages or outcomes in project and campaign planning
-tion / -sion	Act or process	promotion, communication, persuasion	Verb → Noun	Refers to strategic actions in media and branding
-ive	Having the quality of	effective, persuasive, responsive	Verb/Noun → Adjective	Adds descriptive power to PR tone, tools, or message types
-al	Relating to	professional, promotional, internal	Noun/Verb → Adjective	Used to classify documents, tone, or message objectives
-ly	In the manner of (adverb)	quickly, clearly, strategically	Adjective → Adverb	Describes how actions are performed (e.g., in guides or instructions)
-able / -ible	Capable of being	adaptable, credible, noticeable	Verb → Adjective	Highlights qualities and standards in branding or communication style
-ness	State, condition, or quality	awareness, effectiveness, readiness	Adjective → Noun	Expresses abstract campaign goals or outcome indicators
-er / -or	One who does	manager, communicator, editor	Verb → Noun (agent)	Names roles or professionals in a PR department
-ance / -ence	State or quality	importance, influence, audience	Verb/Adjective → Noun	Identifies target groups or abstract concepts
-ity	Quality or condition	visibility, credibility, neutrality	Adjective → Noun	Common in performance or tone evaluations

✅ Student Tips

• Look at the root word before and after adding the suffix to understand the shift in function (noun, verb, adjective, adverb).
• Use noun-forming suffixes like -ment, -tion, -ness for reporting and strategy writing.
• Use adjective-forming suffixes like -ive, -al, -able to describe tools, styles, and campaigns.
• Use -ly suffixes when writing clear instructions or process descriptions.

Word Formation Exercise:

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/advanced/cae-041-word-formation-exercise.php

Exercise of acronyms and abbreviations:

https://wordwall.net/es/resource/94341824

Course Review Part 1: Punctuation and Writing Rules

 📝 Punctuation and Writing Rules Summary Chart – Part 1

Detailed Rules	Correct Usage Example(s)
Capitalisation - Capitalise proper nouns: names of people, departments, organizations, countries, and brands. - Capitalise titles when they appear before a name (e.g., Marketing Director Jane Smith), but use lowercase after a name (Jane Smith, marketing director). - Capitalise official documents, months, days of the week, and acronyms (e.g., PR, CEO). - Always capitalise the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.	✔ We met with the Human Resources Director. ✔ The event was held on Friday in Paris. ✔ The CEO will attend the board meeting.
Comma(,)  Use to separate items in a list. - Place after introductory words/phrases (e.g., However, As a result). - Set off non-essential information (clauses or phrases that can be removed without changing the main meaning). - Avoid comma splices: don’t join two independent clauses with a comma alone.	✔ The brochure, which includes the updated schedule, was printed last week. ✔ Yes, we will publish the press release tomorrow. ✔ We invited journalists, sponsors, and clients.
Colon(:) - Use after a complete sentence to introduce a list, quotation, explanation, or subtitle. - Avoid using after incomplete sentences. - No capitalisation after a colon unless what follows is a full sentence or a proper noun. Semicolon(;)	✔ The following people were invited: journalists, stakeholders, and investors. ✔ There is one goal: increase brand awareness.
- Use to connect two related independent clauses without a conjunction. - Use in complex lists where items include internal commas (to avoid confusion). - Shows a stronger break than a comma but not as final as a period.	✔ The campaign was a success; the client was satisfied. ✔ The team includes Jane, Director of PR; Tom, Head of Media; and Alice, Social Media Manager.
Dash (—) - Emphasises additional information, interruptions, or shifts in tone. - Typically used in informal or emphatic writing. - Do not confuse with hyphens (-).	✔ The report — although delayed — was well received. ✔ We chose three partners — UrbanClean, EcoWave, and PureLife.
Parentheses () - Insert explanatory, background, or non-essential information. - Can be replaced by commas or dashes depending on formality and tone. - The sentence must make sense without the parenthetical content.	✔ The new policy (approved last week) takes effect Monday. ✔ Our partners (see Appendix A) include regional brands.
Italics - Used to emphasize words or phrases. - Indicate titles of publications, newsletters, brochures, newspapers, and online campaigns. - Avoid overuse: use only when needed for clarity or emphasis.	✔ Our latest brochure is titled Greener Tomorrow.<br>✔ The article appeared in The Marketing Journal.
Quotation Marks (" ") - Enclose direct speech, quotations, or titles of short works (articles, blog posts, chapters). - Periods and commas usually go inside closing quotation marks in American English. - Use single quotation marks for a quote within a quote.	✔ The spokesperson said, "This campaign is a milestone for us." ✔ He called it "an urgent matter."

✅ Tips for Students

• Always proofread for mechanics — incorrect punctuation undermines professional credibility.
• Follow consistency: If you italicize publication titles, do so throughout the document.
• Choose dashes or parentheses based on tone: dashes for emphasis, parentheses for subtle clarification.
• When in doubt, simplify sentence structure rather than overusing punctuation.

Practice: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=m99TarUuTUi7cXO8ROnWgT_kYXJGJaFHgfweQScL3jBUM1E1OVZCTUFPT0RUSUNaVzFESEEzQUZCTiQlQCNjPTEu