As public relations professions advance toward new media platforms, one traditional tool--the backgrounder/position paper (more technically termed white paper) remains a compelling vehicle to impart enduring professional competencies. Moreover, the skills requisite to produce a white paper can be deployed in a variety of new and traditional media platforms. In a media landscape where the message is increasingly being shaped by external voices, the ability to persuasively articulate and visualize one's position is paramount. Concurrently, the need to bridge classroom activities and workplace skills is a critical objective of professional writing courses. Research on popular pedagogical tools for aligning academic and workplace writing skills, such as case studies and client projects, suggests these methods may fail to enhance student consideration of their writing audiences or facilitate student writing beyond merely "displaying their knowledge to the instructor." White paper assignments offer a pedagogical tool to address shortcomings such as these. Originating as a government vehicle for policy stance dissemination, white papers are well-reasoned, visually appealing documents that resemble research papers but are actually strategically crafted to marshal support for an idea. Shoring the divide between academic and professional, the skills that go into crafting a white paper empower students with tangible evidence of their professional marketability. This article describes a series of activity based learning assignments designed to guide students through each stage of white paper production, while honing specific skill objectives. A list of references and suggested readings is included. (Contains 1 table and 1 footnote.)