A press, or news, release is a statement issued to the media to announce a range of news items, including events, awards, or new products or services, in order to generate feature news stories. In light of their aim, press releases, sometimes called submissions, need to be two things: accurate and interesting.
Journalists receive truckloads of press releases every day and therefore have standards as to what they expect to be included in each release.
The best way to tackle the fearsome press release is by answering the most basic questions every journalist asks when covering a story:
Who - What - Where - When - Why
Once you've got all of that information nailed down, you're ready to begin drafting your release.
The Headline
The headline is your chance to grab the attention of the journalist - remember, with press releases, you only get one shot. Encapsulate the content of your release in one sharp, concise, and catchy sentence. Bold and center your headline on the page.
The Body
Begin with the date and city in which the news item originated; this can be done in point form.
Now, pull together your "who - what - where - when - why" into short, consistent sentences that describes in brief detail what your press release is about.
Use the third paragraph to give your submission a personal touch here - expose the 'human interest' side of your news item. Why will people care? Who will be affected? Explain in further detail why your item is newsworthy. Make it engaging and make it catchy. If it's appealing, a journalist will bite.
Finally, don't forget to include your contact information. The contact info you include should be specific to each press release, and should include the following:
Company name
Media department's name and contact person (if applicable)
Business address Telephone & fax numbers with proper country/city codes and extension numbers
Mobile phone number
Email addresses
Website address
Time of availability for contact
Final Tips
Use the Times New Roman font in size 12 to keep your press release clean and simple. Flashy fonts and layouts aren't going to win you any points - they just mean more work for editors.
Keep it to one page. Once you're more comfortable with writing press releases your goal should be to have all of your releases "distribution-ready". Papers today have shrinking page counts and are often short-staffed; if you can provide copy that is formatting correctly, properly edited, and basically press ready you will have greater success of it being printed.
While creating a press release worthy of media attention may need some practice, remember that you are not alone. Consider having another pair of eyes review your document. A professional editor will review your press release for editing and formatting to ensure your press release is perfected and ready for media submission.
Tune in again when we explain: How to Send Your Press Release.