1 COMM 337: Agenda

Writing  Plagiarism  AP Style  Finding the focus Public Communication  Socialization to PR  Media theories Framing Agenda setting Diffusion of innovations  Persuasion  Media relations  New media  Speechwriting 2

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5 COMM 337 – Agenda setting What is agenda setting? Who sets the agenda? How?

6 COMM 337 – Diffusion theory What is diffusion?

7 COMM 337 – Diffusion theory What is diffusion? Relative advantage Compatibility Complexity Trialability Observability

8 COMM 337 – Diffusion theory Keurig coffee system Android smart phone Metric system iPad

9 COMM 337: Focus

10 COMM 337  Finding focus Sounds easy, but a continuous struggle. We must know what news is. We must know our audience.  i.e. quotes; unnamed sources  Lack of focus Sign of cluttered thinking. Sign of stenography.  How not to summarize a speech.

11 COMM 337  Journalists are good at this.  Focus answers the question “So What?” Or, “Why is this important?” “What is most unusual or newsworthy?” Always ask yourself: “What is most interesting about this information?” Think of your audience.

12 COMM 337  Focus changes depending on: Who we represent. Our audience. Timeliness of the information. Among other things …

13 COMM 337  Four facts Today the Nobel Prize in economics was announced. An American University professor, John Smith, won the prize. He studies the stock market and proposes investors should band together to fire CEOs. He said last month the Nobel Prize was “worthless” (and now he has won it).

14 COMM 337  Imagine you are writing the press release for American University. What is your focus?  Today the Nobel Prize in economics was announced.  An American University professor, John Smith, won the prize.  He studies the stock market and proposes investors should band together to fire CEOs  He said last month the prize was “worthless.”

15 COMM 337  For the American University press office. Proximity (It’s American University!) Timeliness (It happened today!)

16 COMM 337  For the American University press office. Proximity (It’s American University!) Timeliness (It happened today!) An professor at American University was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics today.

17 COMM 337 Rewrite the lead for a press release three months later. An economics professor at American University was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics today.

18 COMM 337 Rewrite the lead for a press release three months later. An economics professor at American University has been awarded the Nobel Prize in economics.

19 COMM 337  Imagine you are writing the press release for U.S. Chamber of Commerce. What is your focus?  Today the Nobel Prize in economics was announced.  An American University professor, John Smith, won the prize.  He studies the stock market and proposes investors should band together to fire CEOs  He said last month the prize was “worthless.”

20 COMM 337  For the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He studies the stock market and proposes investors should band together to fire CEOs. Timeliness (It happened today!)

21 COMM 337  For the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He studies the stock market and proposes investors should band together to fire CEOs. Timeliness (It happened today!) A scholar who proposes firing all CEOs was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics today.

22 COMM 337  For The New York Times. He said last month the prize was “worthless.” Timeliness

23 COMM 337  For The New York Times. He said last month the prize was “worthless.” Timeliness A scholar who said last month the Nobel Prize in economics was “worthless” today won the prize.

24 COMM 337  For an association of economists. The Nobel Prize in economics was given today to an economist whose research urges greater activism in stockholders. Focusing on the research

25 COMM 337: Publics

26 COMM 337  What is the focus of the assignment? Draft a lead. Consider the press conference. Tell me an audience you might appeal to, and how you would appeal to them.

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