Writing for Public Relations

  Read for Dec. 4: In “Band of Brothers,” an excellent HBO series about a real Army company and their true experiences in World War II, made about 25 years ago, Lt. Nixon is depressed when he gets a letter from his wife. Serving in the U.S. Army during WWII, you might think Nixon would crave a letter from home, but this is a “Dear John” letter—slang for what today would be a dump text. Mrs. Nixon was writing to say she had met someone else and was filing divorce papers. In an era of instant communication, your ability to craft a compelling letter or email is still a key PR tool. Your text is mostly about “direct mail,” a kind of advertising that centers on a letter. The text is pretty complete in its description, and it is a good chapter rich in quiz question terms, so make sure you read Chapter 5. That kind of letter and direct mail package is still used a lot, particularly in the nonprofit world where fund raising is a key. However, I think one of the key letters a PR person