Writing Effective News Releases
By Wayne D. King
"Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." - Chinese Proverb
Whether you are the person writing a news release, or the CEO reviewing that release before it goes out, its important to understand the form and elements of an effective news release.
You'll notice that I use the term New Release - not Press Release. Media in the digital age does not generally consider itself "press". When you measure your output in bits and bytes without any ink, you don't generally see yourself as press, so show some love and respect to the folks that you want to pass along your news.
One notable exception to this is the more hip reference to "Pressers" that you will hear in reference to News Conferences. What can I say? See Ben Franklin about a foolish consistency . . . "Presser" just sounds more sexy than "newser"
Keep in mind that a news release is most effective as a part of a media plan within your business plan.
If you need a News Release in a hurry, or help with development of a Media Plan or Campaign, we can help. Feel free to contact us, but take a look at this brief overview of an effective news release whether you do your releases in-house or you outsource them.
I. Elements of a News Release:
A. A news release contains five major elements
Advisory & Contact Information
Whether you are the person writing a news release, or the CEO reviewing that release before it goes out, its important to understand the form and elements of an effective news release.
You'll notice that I use the term New Release - not Press Release. Media in the digital age does not generally consider itself "press". When you measure your output in bits and bytes without any ink, you don't generally see yourself as press, so show some love and respect to the folks that you want to pass along your news.
One notable exception to this is the more hip reference to "Pressers" that you will hear in reference to News Conferences. What can I say? See Ben Franklin about a foolish consistency . . . "Presser" just sounds more sexy than "newser"
Keep in mind that a news release is most effective as a part of a media plan within your business plan.
If you need a News Release in a hurry, or help with development of a Media Plan or Campaign, we can help. Feel free to contact us, but take a look at this brief overview of an effective news release whether you do your releases in-house or you outsource them.
I. Elements of a News Release:
A. A news release contains five major elements
Advisory & Contact Information
A Headline
A Dateline
The Story/News
End Delineation
A Dateline
The Story/News
End Delineation
II. Types of News Releases:
A. News releases can generally be separated into two categories
Releases that are news-makers.
A. News releases can generally be separated into two categories
Releases that are news-makers.
Releases that are news-responses. These releases respond to other news.
III. Purposes of News Releases:
A. These two releases serve two distinctly different purpose.
- Making News: If your release seeks to make news, you will have to tell the story succinctly but give them a reason to consider it as news. The challenge here is to be succinct and at the same time give them enough information to see the importance of your release to a broader community. Be sure to include in the release information the vital information: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How.
- Responding to News: If you are responding to news, remember that your comments will most likely be used in the context of a larger story on an issue. In order to have your message somehow make its way through the din of competing messages you must say something compelling and keep it interesting – perhaps even controversial, since the media loves a controversy. Don't say something controversial that will damage the reputation of your organization but do look for ways to stimulate dialogue in an interesting fashion.
- The Header: This section of your news release serves to identify who the contact person is for the story and what are the best ways to contact them. It also includes the date and information concerning whether the content is for immediate distribution or is to be held until a specific date - known as EMBARGOED.
News Release
For Immediate Release
October 10, 2017
For More Information Contact: John Smith - 635-786-9944 The National Coalition for Peace, Love and Waterbeds
If the information is embargoed the form would look like this: News Release
Embargoed Until: October 21, 1999
For More Information Contact: John Smith - 635-786-9944 The National Coalition for Peace, Love and Waterbeds
You will notice that this is called a NEWS RELEASE not a press release. there is a very specific reason for this. Electronic news media are sensitive to being termed "press", it is an outmoded expression. In order to start off on the right foot with your release, make this concession to be as inclusive as possible. - The Headline: Your headline is the most important sentence of your news release. Try to keep it short and interesting. Make it timely and newsworthy. Consider whether you are trying to create news or respond to news and generate your headline based on this. See the sample news releases at the end of this primer.
- The Dateline
Despite its name the dateline is actually the location from which the release is written. Generally, that is also the location of the story behind the news release as well. - Telling The Story
Organize your story before you actually sit down to write it. Whether you are making news or responding to news be sure to include the following elements:
Who is the release about - if you are responding to news that has been made by someone else you will be discussing two different entities. Make sure as you write that it is always clear which you are referring to at any point in the release.
What is the principle issue or problem that this release addresses When did these events take place or when will they take place? Where did these events take place or where will they take place?
Why did they happen. What was the mission behind the event or, in the event you are responding to news, why did they make the mistake they made? How can a reader or listener act if they wish to so do. Give your reader the opportunity to take an action. engage them in your mission.
Summarize your story in the first paragraph.Your headline and first paragraph should provide a summary of the story that any reader can understand, from an anchor person at a news desk to the reader of a newspaper that prints your release verbatim. Think about how people read letters and newspapers and webpages etc. as you write. Provide a reason to read on quickly.
Use real people to tell your story. Stories that have a personal angle are very appealing to the news media. Try to make your release real by involving real people in the story. Quote respected individuals and members of your staff. A great morale booster for staff members is to include some of them in the story as well. Try to give everyone the opportunity to be quoted in the media if this is feasible.
Write in the Third Person Voice. Unlike an email or a letter that is written in a personal voice, a press release should be presented objectively from a third person point of view. The reason is obvious. Every journalist has a duty to provide his/her/their readers with impartial facts and figures. They must not be seen as endorsing a company's products or services.
For example: Remove "you", "I", "we" and "us" and replace them with "he/she" and "they". Provide references to any statistics, facts and figures raised in the news release. Personal opinions should be expressed in the form of quotes from individuals.
Draw conclusions from facts and statistics - not from opinion. - Provide additional background information.
Here is an ideal opportunity to provide a way for people to take action, provide your Website address and telephone number and encourage people to find out more. End your news release with an appendix that provides brief background information on your organization, newsmakers, as well as who to contact for further information. - The End
It seems like a small point but be sure to let the media know where your news release ends. This allows them to be sure that they have the full story and nothing is missing. There are several accepted ways of doing this, all of them perfectly acceptable.
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## END ## END
IV. What is the Difference Between a Media/News Advisory and a Media Release?
An advisory informs the media of an upcoming event. Often inviting them to participate in some capacity. It is written in much the same manner as a release but is usually very short and succinct and often followed up with a personal contact.
V. News Makers - News Releases Intended to Create News
News Release
For Immediate Release
October 10, 2005
For More Information Contact: John Smith - 635-786-9944
The National Coalition for Peace, Love and Waterbeds
The Coalition for Peace, Love and Waterbeds Formed
Group Intends to Foster Quality Sleep (sub headers are also effective)
Ojai, California . . . As a result of the cry from both public and private sources for greater peace and harmony among all earthlings, a new coalition, The Coalition for Peace, Love and Waterbeds today announced its formation.
Commenting on the need for this new organization, coalition President John Smith said, "We believe that by focusing the efforts of our organization on the core principles of peace, justice and a sound night's sleep that we can begin to achieve a level of harmony previously unknown to humans."
Smith continued, "For too long the leaders in this country have neglected the serious effects of sleep deprivation on the national psyche, we intend to do something about this problem."
Smith, who previously served as the Director of the United Nations steering committee on Affordable Housing, said that the new coalition's mission would be to bring about universal harmony through the promotion of a sound night's rest.
The new coalition will be located in the residence of Swami Sanchedenadna, on Harmony Lane in Ojai, until it has established its permanent headquarters. Smith invited interested individuals to call their sleep hotline at 1-800-GET-REST to make a donation or volunteer time.
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VI. News Response Release - News Releases that Respond to News
A News release that responds to news is the second general category of news release. A sample is shown below.
News Release
For Immediate Release
October 11, 2005
For More Information, Contact: Ace Hardguy
The Coalition to Eliminate Nonsense: 1-800-465-NO-BS
No Nonsense Says "Give Me A Break" to New Waterbed Coalition
Mill Valley, California . . .
Commenting on the formation of the new Coalition for Peace, Love and Waterbeds in Ojai, Ace Hardguy, President of the Coalition to Eliminate Nonsense said: "Give Me a Break . . . Give Me a Big Break".
"This is nothing more than an attempt to raise money in the name of universal harmony. The notion that helping people to have a good night's sleep is going to bring about a change in our society is nothing more than what the cow left in the field."
Hardguy, a former veteran of the special forces, Green Berets, said that these kinds of efforts were poorly disguised efforts and that people should protest by sending envelopes with nothing but a blank piece of paper inside. "That will keep them out of mischief," he said. "They will spend their days opening envelopes as empty as their mission."
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© 2018 Wayne D. King,
Originally released as part of “Creating Electronic Communities, a Primer for Accessing and Using to the Internet” 1997 by Wayne D. King, Dr. Chidi Nwachukwu and Philip K. Bates III
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