Copy

Copy is written text that will be printed. It may be informative or persuasive in nature. It can be used in reference to articles that will appear in newspapers or magazines. It can also refer to the text of advertising.

In the context of public relations, copy may take many forms. These include press releases, fact sheets, backgrounders, brochures, newsletters, reports, speeches, position papers, and press statements. When writing copy, public relations practitioners must be mindful of the interests of the organizations they represent as well as the needs of their publics.

Public relations writers must understand the organization and its purpose for communication and know the public for whom the piece is written to write good copy. To do this, the practitioner must be certain that the copy answers all pertinent questions while emphasizing the points the organization believes to be most important. To write copy well, one must possess an intimate knowledge of spelling, grammar, punctuation, appropriate capitalization, appropriate abbreviations, and language usage. In addition, good copy is accurate, brief, and clear. It is important for a writer to be accurate because mass audiences tend to believe what they see and read in the media.

Practitioners are ethically bound to disseminate only that information that is factual and correct; many also find that their credibility and reputation depend upon it. Most writers are limited to a certain amount of space, as measured by column inches or pages, and therefore must learn the merits of brevity.

Last, clarity is an important goal because it helps mass audiences to understand the writer's intent. Copy usually follows a particular stylebook, whether that of the organization or a commonly used one such as The Associated Press Stylebook. Stylebooks beget consistency by establishing rules for items such as correct word usage, weights, measures, capitalization, titles, and abbreviations. Stylebooks should not inhibit creativity, but rather enhance readability via consistency.

Well-prepared copy adheres to the elements of news value such as timeliness, consequence, [Page 201]prominence, and proximity. Many public relations practitioners follow the inverted pyramid style in their writing as do journalists. When using the method, copy is presented with the most important information first and additional information in descending order. This style is followed in the hopes that it will grab an editor's attention and the piece will be published. In addition, it ensures that the most important information is not cut if space is limited. Editing and rewriting are integral parts of the writing process and help writers to meet the goals of providing factual information that is brief and clear while adhering to stylebook rules.