Advanced Writing, Public Relations

Excercise Number 1: Press release

You're a communication intern at MeritCare Medical Center in Fargo. One afternoon just as you're ready to take off for Chubs Pub, the director of communication blows in. "Quick!" she says. "We need a press release on this right now!"

What's it all about, you ask? Here's what she tells you:

"Well, the thing is this. We had this meeting, I just came from a meeting. We met this afternoon, oh, two hours I guess, and boy, some pretty important decisions were made. In fact, we were introduced to the new CEO!

"Yeah, I knew something was up, but sometimes it's the comm people who find out last. Anyway, the board of directors met and stuff, and I guess they decided on this woman to replace our retiring Steph. Dr. Steph O. Scope said he'll retire at the end of the year, as everyone already knows.

"So this new person's name is Dee Livery. She's from Minneapolis, was director of finance at Abbott Northwestern Hospital there. For a long time, I guess, 10 years experience! Trained as a pediatrician. That's pretty good for us. She's going to be coming on board next month, and Steph will show her the ropes before leaving. Dee seems like a really nice lady, blonde, youngish-looking, husband is also a physician, 2 kids. She's 41, too, so she's got a lot of years left here at MeritCare.

"I was so jealous when I heard she graduated from University of Macalester in Minneapolis, undergraduate degree in finance. I always wanted to go there, but could only afford NDSU. She went to med school at the U of M after that. University of Minnesota, I mean, of course.”

Well, you know if you whip this press release out quickly, you can still make it to Chubs, so you get cracking! (Remember to use standard release format.)