Writing feature articles and opinion pieces

Abstract

The opportunity to place articles in the print media can come from the media themselves, or it may be a matter of you taking the initiative. Sometimes newspapers will want an authoritative figure to write on an issue which concerns their readers, and you may want to seize this opportunity to state your organization’s case. At other times, you may be the one making the call. As a Public Relations (PR) person employed by an organization, you are the nearest thing they have to a journalist. Your writing skills will therefore be in demand when it comes to putting together articles for the print media. You are also the person best placed to negotiate with the media.

If you leaf through newspapers and magazines you will often find articles “written” by politicians, business leaders, even heads of NGOs. They have these people’s names on them, and some-times their photos, but who do you think actually writes them, and makes all the arrangements for them to appear? Yes, writing articles for the print media is another thing you can be called upon to do.