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Mastering Professional Media Releases: Tips from Heather Danenhower

Learn key writing principles, avoid common errors, and understand media markets and mechanics. Discover the basics of good writing, including active voice, avoiding passive voice, and engaging your audience effectively.

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Mastering Professional Media Releases: Tips from Heather Danenhower

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  1. Media Release ToolboxWhat you need to know Heather Danenhower, Communications Specialist March 15, 2012

  2. Tonight’s agenda • Professional writing • Media markets/audiences and perceptions • Media release mechanics

  3. Professional Writing Heather Danenhower, Communications Specialist March 15, 2012

  4. What is good writing? • Well thought out, organized • Direct, active and purposeful • Reader-directed • Accurate, concise and transparent • Consistent, credible and reliable • Comprehensive

  5. Write concisely • With regard to • In the event that • In order to • Until such time as • In the amount of • About • If • To • Until • For

  6. Do you know the difference? • Principal vs. principle • Compliment vs. complement • Affect vs. effect • Accept vs. except • Public vs. pubic • All right vs. alright • To influence (v) vs. result (n) or to bring about (v), e.g., effect change • To receive (v) vs. excluding (preposition) or to exclude (v)

  7. Avoid passive voice • Passive voice: The subject is acted upon by the object. • Example: The plan was approved by the president. (7 words) • Active voice: The subject acts upon the object. • Example: The president approved the plan. (5 words)

  8. Avoid empty subjects • There are three reasons why I didn’t do Mr. Marino’s assignment. (11 words) • I didn’t do Mr. Marino’s assignment for three reasons. (9 words) • It is important to consider all of Heather’s writing advice. (10 words) • Considering all of Heather’s writing advice is important. (8 words)

  9. Pay attention to detail • Count the number of basketball passes the team with the white shirts makes

  10. Proof that release! • I cluod not blveieetaht I cluodaulacltyuesdnatnrdwaht I was rdanieg. The phaonmnealpweor of the hmuanmnid. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearchsudty at CmabrigdeUinervtisy, it deosn'tmttaer in wahtoredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olnyiprmoatnttihng is taht the frist and lsatltteer be in the rghitpclae. The rset can be a taotlmses and you can sitllraed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamnmniddeos not raederveylteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? Yaeh and I awlyasthgouhtslpeling was ipmorantt.

  11. Consequences of bad writing • Lost time: 30 percent of business letters/memos are sent back for clarification • Money: To produce a written page in business costs $15 - $45 • Credibility: Ineffective or unprofessional messages don’t drive results

  12. Media markets/audiences and perceptions Heather Danenhower, Communications Specialist March 15, 2012

  13. Media markets • Top media markets in U.S. • New York • Los Angeles • Chicago • San Francisco • Dallas – Ft. Worth • Fringe media market • Non-traditional media

  14. Your perceptions of the media • Sensationalizes • Focuses on bad news • Reports events differently than eye witnesses • Comes across as • Ignorant • Intimidating • Arrogant

  15. Why is the media aggressive? • News is a business • Competition • Limited resources • Extreme deadlines

  16. Ethical PR decision-making • Tell it first • Tell it all • Tell it yourself

  17. Tiger Woods

  18. Vice President Dick Cheney • 20 hours: ranch owner informs a small Corpus Christi newspaper • 43 hours: White House offers first interviews • 95 hours: Cheney gives his first interview

  19. Media Release Mechanics Heather Danenhower, Communications Specialist March 15, 2012

  20. Who is your audience • What do they need to know? • How will they feel about you and your message? • How can you demonstrate the benefits to them?

  21. What are you trying to accomplish? • Inform • Build awareness • Persuade • Instruct • Change behaviors

  22. What is newsworthy? • TIP CUP • Timely • Interesting • Proximity • Causes conflict/consequences • Unusual • Prominence

  23. What information is needed? • Who • What • When • Where • Why • How and who cares

  24. What else? • Remember editors are busy • Consider the Agenda-setting theory and use AP style • Put the most important information first (inverted pyramid) • Engage the reader and tell a story • Incorporate quotes (when possible) • Use ### to signal the end

  25. Questions Heather Danenhower, Communications Specialist March 15, 2012

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