Vocational Field Article Summary

In "Public-Relations Professionals Hire Freelance Writers for a Host of Lucrative Assignments," Robert Bly states that PR writing is four times more profitable than journalism. The writer, who is called a ghostwriter, is paid more money per article and the writer will not spend a lot of time on their writing assignments. Ghostwriting is a unique term to describe a writer who gets no credit for their work. The ghostwriter isn't known to the company's editor. This writer is hired by a corporation or nonprofit agency. The majority of the PR work is done for trade and consumer magazines. There are seven types of PR writing: press releases, case studies, speeches, newsletters, how-to, selection guides, and consumer-awareness guides.

Bly contrasted the difference between public-relations and journalism to prove his point. He states that conventional journalism takes more time than public-relations writing. He gave a great explanation. In journalism, the writer is expected to do all the research and write the article. In contrast, the PR writer's job is simplified. The client who hires you will supply you with all the information to do your work. Another example to back up his point is that in journalism, the writer has to interview many people for one story. This is very time consuming. In PR writing, the client will give you access to SM E's, subject-matter experts, if additional information is needed for the article. SME's are told by the client to work with you; therefore, getting additional information will not be frustrating.

This article was interesting to me because I enjoy writing. Writing is my passion. After I graduate from Northwest-Shoals Community College, I will have an Associate of Arts degree in General Liberal Arts. From there, I will attend Roosevelt University, in Chicago, to pursue a Bachelor of Professional Studies degree in Communications. The area I want to focus on is public-relations. I learned a little more about the profession after I read this article. I am impressed that most companies don't use people from within their organization to do their PR work. When I first read the term, 'ghostwriter,' I immediately assumed that it was talking about writing stories on the paranormal.

An example that comes to mind about ghostwriting, are letters I get on occasion from Roosevelt University alumni members. It makes sense that a ghostwriter writes the letter for that person. For example, I have received letters from Anne Roosevelt (President Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt's granddaughter), Roosevelt's president, Chuck Middleton, Congresswoman Melissa Bean and alumni who own well known companies. Last month, I received a letter from an executive who works with Quaker Oats. It makes sense why their signature is electronically signed too. I am sure that other new enrolled students have received the same letter. The only difference is, my name was printed on the envelope and letter.

These days, companies are doing everything that they can to cut costs. The cost of printing, paper and postage is not cheap. To achieve this, marketers are sending their newsletters out by email. Most colleges have stopped printing catalogs. Instead, you can access the entire catalog on the school's website. Many companies have done away with paper employment applications since they can utilize the cost-efficient way of accessing the applicant's information they submitted on the company's website.

I would recommend this article to anybody who needs brief information on how companies handle the bulk of their writing communications. Electronic marketing is the profession to choose for writers who have the passion I have for the art of putting words together that make a lasting impression on the reader. This article has inspired me to do more research in this line of work and how I can continue to improve my writing skills.