The News Release Revisited
by Dan Marengo, Editorial Director, The Fontayne Group
There are a number of ways to present your story to the media. The most direct and prevalent is the press release. Also called the news release, the media release, the release, etc., press releases are effective because they can be crafted to say precisely what you want, no more and no less. The information it contains is positioned and prepared expressly for the media. It is like a 2-2 slider on the outside corner. It is perfect and enduring.
Well, ok, it ain’t poetry, but there is an art and method to writing a good news release. The fundamental who, what, where, when, why and how of news writing apply to the development of the news release. Think inverted pyramid, most important facts at the top, less vital facts at the bottom.
Here are ten time-tested tips on crafting news releases. Some of them are obvious, but then, so is most of "The Elements of Style." It doesn’t mean you should ignore them.
1. Write the release in the style of the media you’re targeting. This is called tailoring. This requires fluency with the writing style of your targeted media. Don’t ape it, but do follow its broad stylistic brush strokes.
2. The headline and the first sentence are crucial. They either break through the editorial clutter or relegate your story to the circular file. Most leads are three lines, about 30 words. How important is the lead? Think of it as your business card, and you are one of many unwelcome drop-by visitors to a newsroom. You get one look, if you’re lucky, by the editor. Make a good impression with a solidly written lead. Editors LOVE to wad up bad press releases and go to the hole.
3. Don’t overstate. Don’t exaggerate. Don’t use puffery. And if you must, do it in an executive quote, where you need not adhere to the journalistic tenets that you should otherwise follow. Spokesperson quotes in a news release provide the opportunity to interpret and spin, but do refrain from blatantly self-serving quotes – they will never get past a good editor, and even if they did, they probably won’t persuade the public.
4. Follow AP style. The Associated Press Stylebook is published by the AP and available at most good book stores, or write The Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020.
5. Before you write the story, ask yourself: why should the media care? Probably 8 of 10 press releases are written because a company wants to pound its chest about something no one else gives a hoot about. Find the news hook in the story, put it up front, and if there isn’t a news hook, go back to square one.
6. Err on the side of brevity. Paragraphs are best kept short. Most important messages at the top, so if paragraphs from the bottom of the release are cut it won’t make any difference. A good press release is one to two pages long, rarely more.
7. Format perfectly. Use letterhead with the word "NEWS" displayed prominently, somewhere near the top. Double space to give room for newsroom editing and leave room on both margins. Use only one side of the paper. Include contact information and make sure that person is going to be generally available after you issue the release. Signal additional pages by typing a – more – at the bottom of each page. Use the pound sign, # # #, at the end of the press release to indicate its conclusion. Spell check. Proofread. Spell check. Proofread again.
8. Keep your distribution list current. Work your mailing/distribution list like it was a work of art, because it is truly the lifeblood of effective media relations.
9. Don’t send the release to everyone – just to whom you honestly think will use it. Protect your firm’s reputation with the media by carefully selecting who receives your missives. Don’t think that CNN or Tom Brokaw might need the release just as an "FYI" – you’ll just be wasting paper, postage and respect.
10. Consider using a private wire service like BusinessWire or PR Newswire. Because you are paying for this, you can send news just about any way you want – as long as the material is in good taste and does not break any laws. Especially effective when you are dealing with tech news and tech reporters and tech media, who receive the news online and often look upon "snail mail" with viscous disdain.
©1997-2006 The Fontayne Group, Inc. All rights reserved.