02-23 November 2021 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
CPD credits: 5-20
WORDS AT WORK – November 2021
The way we write has evolved, the way we read has changed and the way we use language has altered for good. Shifts and subtleties in the way we interact with the written word challenge traditional approaches. To help meet the challenge, PRINZ is launching Words at Work with weekly professional development sessions throughout November.
Each session is designed to build your confidence as a writer, help you find the right words to tell stories that engage your communities. Take one session – or take them all. Mix and match sessions to rethink, refresh and renew your writing skills.
Words at Work will be presented online via Zoom in four sessions. All sessions are limited to 12 participants. Small course numbers allow for tailored content and quality interaction between the facilitator and participants.
SESSION 1: 2nd November 2021, 9:30 am to 12:00 pm Words at Work – Core Storytelling for Public Relations SOLD OUT
SESSION 2: 9th November 2021, 9:30 am to 12:00 pm Words at Work – News Writing for Now Registrations are now closed for session 2.
SESSION 3: 16th November 2021, 9:30 am to 12:00 pm Words at Work – Writing for The Web Registrations are now closed for session 3
SESSION 4: 23rd November 2021, 9:30 am to 12:00 pm Words at Work – Speechwriting (9 slots only) Registrations are now closed for session 4
NOVEMBER 2nd 2021
WORDS AT WORK – CORE STORYTELLING FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS.
You may be able to write up a storm – but can you tell a story? More importantly, do you understand your story and how it builds reputation, develops relationships and enhances understanding? This session covers the fundamentals of storytelling, from finding your story to choosing the right words, the right tone and the right style so you can connect with your readers. Online, practical and an opportunity to refresh your approach to writing, this session is designed to get you off the blank page and bring your story to life.
Key content
- What’s the story – how to get to the heart of what’s going on
- Engage readers with your first five words
- Season with style – how to adapt your tone and style at speed and still make sense
- Interest and intrigue – how to keep your readers with you to the end
- Chop and change – how to keep your copy concise and your ideas clear
NOVEMBER 9th 2021
WORDS AT WORK – NEWS WRITING FOR NOW
Short, sharp and straight to the point. Smarten up your news copy and find the right words to engage your readers – whether you are working on a media relations programme or distributing your news direct to your community. Online, practical and a chance to refresh your approach to news writing, this session is designed to get you off the blank page and move you closer to a front page.
Key content
- Make sure it’s news – understanding what makes a news story
- Structure and length
- The art of the edit
- Headline hacks
- News scents and snacks
- Fake or fact? Managing accuracy and timing
NOVEMBER 16th 2021
WORDS AT WORK – WRITING FOR THE WEB
The way we write has evolved, the way we read has changed and the way we use language has altered for good. We want pictures and video first and we’re more likely to see our stories peppered with emoji rather than perfectly punctuated prose. How then should we write for the web? For social channels? For direct messages? Can we compete with the new generation of copywriters driven by artificial intelligence? This session is designed to show you how to weave words for the web, write for your user and create content that gets found. Online, practical and a chance to refresh your approach to writing for the web, this session is designed to get you off the blank page and connect you with your users.
Key content
- Informavores – understanding user needs and behaviors
- Content conundrums – finding the right words for the right place
- Social structures – developing style and tone, care and consideration across the networks
- Full of character – meeting the challenge of the very short story
- Search me – developing content that finds your user (even when they didn’t know that’s what they needed)
NOVEMBER 23rd 2021
WORDS AT WORK – SPEECHWRITING
The spoken word is powerful. It persuades. It motivates. It changes hearts and stimulates minds. But before we speak, we need to write, whether we are preparing a speech or weaving threads of thought together for a video presentation. This session develops your speechwriting skills, looks at the language of persuasion and influence and delves into structure and scripting. Online, practical and a chance to develop your persuasive writing and influence skills, this session is designed to help you move from notes to nuance.
Key content
- The language of persuasion – ethics, logic and emotion
- Move me – understanding what your listener needs to hear
- Strength and circumstance – finding the right words for the right moment
- Structure and form – the rules to follow and the rules to break
- Stand and deliver – building confidence, influencing styles
Learning outcomes
- Developed understanding of different writing styles
- Review and understanding of basic principles
- Developed understanding of structure, speed and clarity
- Improved understanding of varying channel demands
Who should attend?
Sessions are designed for anyone who wants to refresh and improve their writing skills in our rapidly changing world of words.
Presenter
Catherine Arrow, LPRINZ, FCIPR, Founding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner
Catherine Arrow is an international public relations consultant and educator. She heads PR Knowledge Hub Ltd, a learning and development centre for public relations and communication professionals delivering online and face-to-face training.
A PRINZ Life member, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and a Founding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner, Catherine has served the public relations profession for many years contributing at national and global levels. She is a former Secretary of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, serving on the board from 2008 – 2015.
Alongside her own consultancy work, she lectures, writes and speaks about public relations. Her career has spanned both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and, in 2012, she was presented with the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand President’s Award for exemplary contribution to the profession.
This course content aligns with the communication capabilities section of the Global Capability Framework with particular emphasis on this summary:
Communication Capabilities
- To align communication strategies with organizational purpose and values
- To identify and address communication problems proactively
- To conduct formative and evaluative research to underpin communication strategies and tactics
- To communicate effectively across a full range of platforms and technologies.
This course has a minimum number requirement, so please book early to ensure the course is not cancelled.
The ticket prices are GST inclusive. Please be aware of PRINZ payment and cancellation policy.
Sessions can be bought individually or as a pack of four. Please select your ticket carefully as numbers are limited to 12 per session. Session 4, Speechwriting has a strict 9 person capacity.