Writing a press release: READ ALL ABOUT IT!!

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1 Writing a press release: READ ALL ABOUT IT!! Whether you re organising a local health event or campaign, promoting new research findings or launching a new service, the right publicity can be the key to success. A good press release is one of the most effective ways of getting your issue covered in the media and getting your message heard. This factsheet gives you top tips on how to write the perfect release What is a press release? A press release is a brief written summary or update, alerting the media about news and activities. Press releases are similar to news articles in that they inform the public,. If written well a press release will tell journalists what the story is at a glance making their job easier and making it more likely they will cover your issue. To appeal to the fact-oriented mind of a journalist you need to give them the facts about your product or service, hard data that shows why your product or service is good or news-worthy. Journalists get hundreds of press releases every day so you need to make sure yours stands out from the crowd. A reporter reading your release should be able to make a decision about your story in the first screen of the message. Like a news story, press releases are: created either to preview an upcoming event or to inform the public about something that has already occurred written in a clear, concise manner that easily and quickly conveys its message to the reader written with the most current and pertinent information in the first two paragraphs subject to editing for content and space or time requirements, depending on the media Unlike a news story, press releases are not: always a high priority for media producers to cover What should your press release be about? The most important thing about a press release is its content. What you are writing about has to be of interest to the journalist or they won t cover it. First and foremost it has to be newsworthy. News has to be : New There is no point publicising an event or activity that happened a few weeks ago This might be the launch of a new service, new research information, an event or activity. 1

2 Human interest stories are very popular, especially in the local media. People are more interested in reading about how the Smith family around the corner has been affected by their child s diagnosis of coeliac disease than they are about statistics on the sales of gluten-free bread. Controversy or scandal is always of interest. If you are highlighting new research that takes current opinion in a new direction, this can create a debate and media interest. Quirky, unusual or unexpected events and activities are also newsworthy. This could be a humorous photo opportunity for a healthy eating week. A local celebrity, used wisely, could also add interest. Finally, your story has to have some relevance for the people who are going to be reading or hearing about it. For the local media this means finding a local angle. Why do you need a press release? By itself, a press release isn t going to get a lot of media attention. The average reporter or editor gets more press releases than he or she could possibly use. A press release should be just one part of the media campaign. Consider press releases only when you have news that you want the public to share, for example: News of an event, study, campaign Reports of awards, prizes, grants or publications connected with your work Local reaction to national announcements or publications Announcement of the start-up of your next season of training sessions, services, etc. Press releases are an opportunity to tell people why you think this development is news, to highlight a report from your perspective, to increase the visibility of yourself, your service or findings, and to remind people of what you or your organisation do. Preparing a press release Emphasize what makes your release important What in your release is going to grab people s attention? Why is it important? Be as provocative as you can Most media get press releases every day, so you want to make yours stand out. Find an eye-opening hook to your release.. Make it read like news article : News articles will have the five Ws and the H in their beginning paragraph. This is the lead. The basic elements are: What happened Who did it Why it happened Where it happened When it happened How it happened Headlines 2

3 Headlines should be as short, clear and interesting as possible; short enough for a Twitter update including a link. If you're ing the press release, you've only got a handful of words in the subject line to grab journalists' attention so that it isn t just deleted; the headline should hook the reader quickly or the release will be skimmed over and forgotten. Subject matter, language and length Reporters get told to constantly ask the question when thinking of stories, 'why would people care about this?'. So press release writers should make it clear why my readers need to know about their product. That is, provide a news angle to their releases The press release should also have short, easily readable sentences and paragraphs, as news articles do. Summarise what you are selling early on in the release, remembering to use the standard journalism 25 words of 'who, what, where, when, why, how'. Two-hundred-and-fifty words is enough to say everything. Add a link to a longer article if there are specific details that need to be added. Aim to write just one page but never more than two pages. Once you've written your press release, go away and take a break. If you come back and notice that the whole point of the release is in the last paragraph, make the last paragraph your introduction. Unlike science writing where the conclusion is the important bit at the end, a press release has the important bit at the beginning! Quotes Only include a quote that someone might actually have said. Try to make the quotes sound like they were spoken, not written. Don't quote people who aren't available for interview - there's nothing more annoying than getting a release and then finding the subject isn't available to talk. When you quote someone you interviewed for your release, put the attribution the name of the person you re quoting at the end of the quote. For example: We've been especially pleased with the help and involvement of local GPs in raising awareness of malnutrition in the community, Joyce Jones, director of Dietitians Against Malnutrition, said today. Double-check your sources the people who gave you information you used in the release -- for accurate quotes, correct professional titles, and correctly spelled names. Timing As with many things in life, timing is crucial when sending your press release. Three to five days in advance is usually the right amount of time to ensure the editors can put someone on your story. 3

4 Mailing a release too early is just as bad as mailing it too late it will be put aside and forgotten. And don't send out a release and then go on holiday for two weeks the next day! Technical guidelines for writing a press release A few useful pointers: Don't send the release as attachment only. A release under the phrase 'Press release, see attached' and no other details is likely to be deleted and the company added to a spam list Make your release look professional Credibility is very important in an editor s decision as to read or pass over your release and so it should look professional, with no typos! Send copy to journalists as plain text. Logos and photos can be made available on request. Use title case in press release headlines i.e capitalize the first letter of all words in the headline (with the exception of: "a", "an", "the", or prepositions such as: "of", "to", or "from"). The combination of upper and lower case makes it easier to read e.g. 'Links between Malnutrition and Gardening Exposed ' Avoid using jargon or acronyms, instead, spell out the names of any organizations that normally go by acronyms, for example, BDA is the British Dietetic Association See Appendix 1 for a suggested format template How do you get your press release out to the media? Targeted mailing lists are the key to good media coverage. Media guides are available on the web or in printed editions, try. It may be worth trawling for the most suitable contacts and creating a personal mailing list. Be aware that contact details change all of the time keep your lists up to date. Never send a release to more than one person at the same newspaper. Organisations you work with may also be able to provide you with contacts. If there is a specific target media research who the most logical contacts would be for your release. Also, call the media and explain who you are, to find out who should get your releases this may work best for local media and niche areas Follow-up If you have time, telephone key people to whom you sent releases to increase your chances of getting covered. Call personal contacts and reporters you have worked with in the past in advance so they have more time to be free to cover you. Key points to remember Decide on the audience and desired reaction Think about your message Grab attention!! news, controversy, quote 4

5 Don t overdo the headline it s not your job Explain the who, what, where, when, why and how Fill in the detail (250 words) - If in doubt leave it out Chop from the bottom to distil the key message Fact Sheets are a valuable resource for members of the Freelance Dietitians Group and are available on request from the Group administrator: admin@freelancedietitians.org The Freelance Dietitians Group is a Specialist Group of the British Dietetic Association, 5 th Floor Charles House, 148/9 Great Charles Street Queensway, Birmingham B3 3HT. Tel: Fax: info@bda.uk.com Website: 5

6 APPENDIX 1 How should your press release look? You can see examples of past press releases on the BDA website, and use these as a guide. Here s a useful template for writing a press release Press Release For immediate release: [date] (If you want the media to use the story as soon as they receive it) or Embargoed for: [time/date] (This is a good way of giving journalists time to prepare and to ensure they don t use it until a specified time) Headline (Start with a snappy headline, a hook ) Photo opportunity: What it is, where it is, when it is and contact details) Paragraph 1 Summarise the story - who, what, where, when and why. All key information needs to be in this paragraph this may be the only part used if space is limited Paragraph 2 Put in more details to flesh out the story you have outlined in the first paragraph Paragraph 3 Quotes from you or someone relevant to the story. Don t try to cram too many points into one quote each quote should make one point Paragraph 4 Extra relevant information Ends Notes for Editors Provide background information in case they run a longer story - Outline what you have to offer: pictures, interviewees Outline any additional relevant information or facts and figures briefly!. Contact Make sure you supply numbers (two numbers / names if possible) where you can be reached day or night. This can make the difference between your story being covered or not Add in the organisation s contact details, website and if relevant 6