CIPR

Hill & Knowlton corporate and healthcare chairman Stuart Smith reviews the latest installment from author and popular Profile columnist, John Foster.

Effective writing for Public Relations is an excellent basic guide to core writing and wider communications skills for PR professionals. Rather refreshingly it is not called 'Writing 2.0' or 'Beyond Words'. John Foster takes the reader on a succinct tour through the fundamentals of good writing and grammar. Writing styles and language are constantly evolving, and this book gives an insight into the current trends and the most effective ways to use them.

Words are the foundation all PR activities. It is refreshing to see a guide that emphasises the importance of the accurate and correct use of language, including its nuances, style and grammar in all communications activities. The book covers all aspects of the written word, from drafting press releases to writing for the web, and is a useful tool for those new to the profession and more experienced practitioners.

Each chapter is concise and gives practical, real life examples. The extensive sections covering grammar act as a good reminder of the basics that so many seem to forget. The 'at a glance' fact boxes also provide a good summary at the end of each section.

The book goes on to cover readability, avoiding jargon and clichés and the importance of proofing. In many ways proofreading is becoming a lost art. It is extremely difficult to proof read a document on screen. There is no replacement for printing a document and marking it up properly. Therefore the guide to the standard symbols that we should all use to ensure a document is properly proofed is essential reading.

While the book focuses on the written word, it also covers the principles of the spoken word and presentation skills.

John Foster has successfully captured the basic principles of grammar, style, tone and language that a PR professional needs to follow to ensure effective, concise and consistent communication. This is a practical, 'hands on' guide that provides a basic 'tool kit' for navigating the intricacies of the English language and its application to the world today.

Finally, this book is for anyone reading this review who thinks that spell checking a document is the same as proof reading it.

Effective Writing Skills for Public Relations, by John Foster FCIPR, is published by Kogan Page, www.koganpage.com/index.php