NOTICE WRITING
Introduction
Notices are a means of formal communication
targetted at a particular person or a group of
persons. It is like a news item informing such person
or persons of some important event. This can be an
invitation to a meeting, an announcement of any
event, to issue certain instructions or to make
appeals.
Format
Since notices are a formal document it should follow a
structure or a format. Different formats used by different
people/organizations can show some variations. But it is
ideal to follow a somewhat similar format for ease of
understanding and uniformity. Let us look at the most
used format of notices.
1. Name of Issuing Organization /Authority: Right at
the very top, you print the name of the person or
company that is issuing the said notices. This will help
the reader to identify the notices as important or
unimportant to him.
2. Title: When writing notices we mention a title
“NOTICE” at the top. This helps draw attention to the
document. Notices are generally posted at a public
place or published in newspapers. It is important that
they do not get lost in a sea of information. So a bold
title clearly mentioned helps draw the attention.
3. Date: After the tile to the left-hand side we print the
date on which the notices have been published. Since
this is a formal document date is an important aspect
of it since these documents stay on record.
4. Heading: Then we move on to an appropriate heading
to the notices. This heading should make abundantly
clear the purpose of the notices.
5. Body: After the heading, we write the brief and to the
point body of the notice. The main content of the
notice features in the body.
6. Writer’s Name: At the end of the notices we write the
name and designation of the notice-writer. The notices
have to also be signed by the same person to lend it
authority and validity.
Content
Notices should cover some important points that are to be
communicated to the readers. Let us summarize the five
points that the content of the notice will cover, the five
W’s:
1. What: What is the notice about? The notice should be
clear about what is going to happen (event), or what
has already happened (occasion). This is the crux of the
message and should be written clearly. There should
not be any ambiguity.
2. Where: If the notice is about an event, then the
location of such an event must be written clearly. The
venue or the location are important details, so make
sure to include this in the notice.
3. When: This is the time and the date of the event or
meeting. If possible the duration of the event should
also be mentioned to people can schedule their time
accordingly.
4. Who: This will be who the notice is addressed to. Who
all are supposed to adhere to the notice should be
clearly mentioned to avoid confusion.
5. Whom: And final detail should be whom to contact or
get in touch with. This mentions who the appropriate
authority is to contact.