Description:
Concise, precise, and compelling language is vital to getting your message out there. This assignment compiles material that a communications officer or political candidate could use in a media appearance. You will boil down some of your research into brief soundbites that can get your message across to an audience that is not necessarily familiar with the topic.
Approach:
Choose one of your annotations and use the summary you wrote. Spend some time tinkering with the summary to make sure that your language is precise and your sentences relatively short and easy to read. Then, write out some talking points. Focus on active sentence construction. Your sentences should be assertive and confident. Then come up with 2-3 catchphrases. Key word there is “catchy.” Try out some alliteration, think carefully about rhythm and length, and maybe rhyme. Consult Luntz’s Words That Work and the article, “Frank Luntz, the GOP’s message master, calls for climate action,” for tips. Take special note of his “words to use and words to lose” recommendations. Can you make similar choices and recommendations?
Format:
You should fit all three of these on one single-spaced page, 12-point Times New Roman font. You should be able to hand this document, cold, to a Public Relations Manager, and they should be able to confidently stand in front of a camera with only this sheet for reference. Specifically, the document should include:
Summary – One paragraph, 4-6 sentences.
Talking Points – Sentences in bullet point format, 250 words maximum
Slogans – 2-3 catchphrases
Example:
Summary of “Apocalypse Becomes the New Normal”
Paul Krugman’s editorial emphasizes the distinction between “causation” and “relation” with regard to climate change and catastrophic weather events. News media has been reluctant to connect climate change to such catastrophes because of the complex and multiple causes of weather. Krugman explains that climate change does not directly cause individual catastrophes but instead makes them more likely, and more extreme. Krugman acknowledges that the Democratic party platform and an increasing number of voters recognize the role of climate change and favor immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, along with other initiatives. It is important, therefore, for the media to report directly and honestly about climate change, and for political candidates to use current catastrophes to support bold action.
Sample Talking Point
Fire, floods, and heat waves are and will be the new normal until we have the courage to do what is necessary to address climate change.
America will take the lead in greening the global economy.
Sample Slogan (from Luntz)
Green careers, here and now!
Talking Points Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Summary, Talking Points and Catchphrases
Distills salient points of chosen essay down to talking points that use active sentence construction and precision to make them compelling and informative.
Summary provides comprehensive and concise overview of the aspects of the chosen article that are important to contextualizing the talking points and catch phrases.
5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Target Audience
Consistently written or presented in a tone and style appropriate to the intended audience. Rhetorical choices are appropriate to the purpose and occasion for which student is writing.
5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Grammar, Mechanics, Spelling, Citation, etc.
Exceptional command of relevant conventions of professional dialect and other surface features of text. Accurate citation format.
5 pts
Total Points: 15
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