PRK 3661 Professional Copywriting
PRK 3661 Professional Copywriting
Successful PR- and marketing communications professionals must understand the principles of good written communication. Poor writing skills diminish organizational credibility, internally and externally, especially for the person who has developed the text. Good texts, have a foundation of proper research, analysis and planning. Text design stems from such skills, adjusted to genre, model reader and goals. A text must be both well-written and correctly written, according to the respective standards and rules of the language used.
Skills acquired in this course will prove to be useful and transferable to all jobs and positions where communication skills are prerequisites.
- Mastery of all phases of the writing process, from the idea and research to final proofreading
- Enabling individual orientation in an ever-changing landscape of genres
- Understand how text is perceived by different kinds of readers
- Identifying genre-specific conventions
- Creating genre-conforming texts
- Good language (according to Norwegian Standard)
- Identifying the model reader
- Finding, creating and targeting material
- Enhancing an organization's credibility through good texts
- A clear understanding of the ethical issues confronting writers
- Good ethical judgment
- Reflect on the organization's internal and external parameters
Written communication in business
To give business a voice
- The starting point for the company's voice
- Who is responsible for providing, developing and maintaining the company's voice?
- Review of relevant rhetorical, linguistic and other epistemological techniques
- How to choose the formats that best suit the business
Written and general media relations
- The press release
- The background paper
- Chronicle, and readers letters to the editor
- E-mail correspondence with a journalist (the written interview)
- Speeches
Written communication for internal audiences
- Internal newspapers
- Intranet
- Joint letters to employees (electronically or on paper)
- Bulletins
- Internal presentations
Direct follow-up via
- Individuals, organizations and other pressure groups
- Governmental bodies, letters to the editor, blog comments, etc.
- Recorded statements of hearings
Special occasions
- Crises, conflicts, restructuring and other situations that require special care
- Stock exchange announcements, profit warnings
Law and Ethics
- Legislation must be taken into account when writing
- Editorial responsibility and adherence to ethical guidelines
The course will primarily consist of lectures and emphasize on writing practice by students. The course may also include role-playing as a way to understand media relations. Students are expected to bring their PC's (or Macs) to class. The compact course is organized in seminars which go for 6 hours per day for one week.
The lectures are mandatory, and require 70 % attendance and active participation. The lecturer will record and report attendance to the course responsible. Assigning groups is at the lecturer’s discretion.
Higher Education Entrance Qualification.
Courses in PR, and Applied Rhetorics.
| Exam category | Weight | Invigilation | Duration | Grouping | Comment exam |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Exam code: PRK36611 Grading scale: ECTS Grading rules: Internal examiner with external supervisor Resit: Examination when next scheduled course | 100 | No | 1 Semester(s) | Individual | Grades are based on following activities and weighing: Throughout the course, students will develop several papers, and must choose three papers for a portfolio that will be subjected to grading. The portfolio counts for 100 % of the final grade. |
| Activity | Duration | Comment |
|---|---|---|
Teaching | 36 Hour(s) | |
Group work / Assignments | 56 Hour(s) | Peer review. |
Student's own work with learning resources | 82 Hour(s) | Self study/home work - writing assignments |
Examination | 26 Hour(s) |
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 7,5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 200 hours.