Tom, it is particularly interesting to me how Gen Y approaches writing, and I think (hope) we have some great future leaders in PR out there.

Aditi, yes, reading is a great way to hone one’s style. Kudos.

Gail, thanks so much, happy client comments are wonderful to receive!

If you’re pitching media, you need to give the reporter or editor something that LOOKS like a story (including additional sources, stats, perhaps a photo element), but if the writing does not communicate the ultimate story idea very well, then you have very little chance of placement for your hours of work.

I do hope Gen Y workers don’t forget the importance of writing. In this digital age, they are very proficient on-line and in researching just about anything, but I do worry that the quality of writing will suffer.

Many a times my friends ( who somehow think my job is cool) ask what it takes to be a PR professional, the only thing I point out is the need to be able to write well, everything else is easily mastered, its no rocket science to be able to keep in touch, to respond to mails in a timely manner, to pick up the phone and inform, to coordinate visit media visits as & when required etc etc, of course it is no rocket science to write well either, but that needs practice. I found reading the newspaper and serious fiction very useful while developing mine, to whatever level I am now. Some PR people, not in agencies but corporates do not write well, they are overtly dependant on agencies, who honestly do a fabulous job of dissemination but sometimes due to limited exposure to products/subjects are unable to capture the full essence of what needs to be described.

I must however say, I think a writer (not a PR manager) also has a different eye, her interpretations of mundane, day to day or even exotic stimulus is different from everyone else’s, it is that slightly variant opinion, expressed in eloquent/unique language creates the magic of a great novel.

Writing is the most important, if not the only pre-requisite of becoming a good PR professional.