Writing a News Release
This is the most important way of trying to get coverage in the press. They will either be ‘proactive' eg giving advance notice of a new campaign, report or event, or ‘reactive', responding to something which has already happened, eg to cuts to funding or a new government initiative.
About a quarter of media stories come from press releases. But... about 80% of press releases sent end up in the bin! If your press release is ignored, it's either considered to be a non-story or you are not sending it to the right people. But keep in mind that there will always be times when there are too many stories for yours to be printed, or when a major story breaks which takes up lots of news space. If your story wasn't used and you aren't sure why, it's always worth trying to find out why.
Get it right!
Writing a press release requires work and care to make sure your message is clear, concise and easy to read. If possible, it should cover no more than one side of A4 paper. The most important news should be in the first paragraph with further information laid out in decreasing order of importance. And editor will always cut a news release from the bottom up.
The Five Ws
All press releases must contact the five Ws - this is the most important piece of information I can share with you!
WHO:
The Community and Voluntary Sector Forum
WHEN:
today (today's date)
WHAT:
updates the exciting, new, Support for Groups website
WHERE:
at The Forum Office, Community Base, Brighton
WHY:
to provide up to date information and support for voluntary groups and charities in the city.
If you can, include a quote from someone which brings your press release to life.
Katy McGrory of the Forum said: "This website is a fantastic leap forward for all the voluntary and community groups in Brighton and Hove. It's incredibly easy to use, full of lots of useful information and all in the same place. It really is a refreshing development and guaranteed to brighten up the day".
These are the essences of all press releases; master them and the rest should follow!
Some useful 'Don'ts'!
- Never use jargon
- Never use flowery, descriptive language
- Never make ten points when you could make one
- Never assume that the journalist will know what you are talking about
- Never generalise
When to send it
There are definitely days and times when news is spread more thinly when your press release might get more attention. Non-parliamentary days and days after public holidays are often quieter. Decide on a day and then check the deadlines of the media outlets that you are sending your release to.
As a general rule, many magazines and community newsletters have long lead times where as news papers and radio or tv stations can be contacted at short notice.
Who to send it to
Wherever possible, your news release should be sent to a named individual. The key person in a newsroom is the News Editor who is mainly concerned with what is happening that day. The Features Editor will be able to take a more in-depth look at the news and can be contacted further in advance. If you want to target a specialist journalist, such as the social affairs correspondent, always make sure that you duplicate the press release to the news desk and the Diary Editor if there is one.
