Press Release

1. Press Release • Press Release / News Release – simply a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media. They can announce a range of news items or generate a feature story. • Press Releases / News Release – are distributed by e-mail, fax, to newspapers, magazines, television or radio stations or through distribution news wire distribution services, where your news gets syndicated to thousands of news sites worldwide. New to the mix are bloggers and the internet . • Important to remember that the reporter is not interested in helping you achieve your company goals, they are for an interesting story to pass along to their audience. • Keep it short. • Don’t use hype, exclamation mark (!) short forms or promotional language. • Don’t quote html or email in your release • Do not use upper case lettering – especially in the headline

2. Headline / Subhead • The headline should be brief, clear & to the point. An ultra-compact version of the press release’s key point. • Headlines should have a “grabber” to attract readers • Should be written in bold & larger in type than the release text. • Do not capitalize every word. • Headline should extract the most important keywords from the press release. Using keywords will give you better visibility in search engines, & it will be simpler for journalists & readers to get the idea of the press release content. • Subheads can be remarkably useful tools, yet usually overlooked by press release writers. The subhead gives you the opportunity to flesh out your angle and further hook the reporter, without stepping on the drama of the press release headline.

3. Body Copy • First paragraph should highlight the importance of the news. Usually contains 3-4 lines and answers the questions who, what, where, when or how. • Second & possibly third paragraph should offer further explaination, statistics, background, or other details revelant to the news. Use some quotes from the spokesperson.

4. Boiler Plate • Boilerplate – an old newspaper term meaning a block of standard text that’s used over & over again. It’s text you might use at the bottom of all your press releases. • Generally, it’s a short “about” section, providing independent background on the issuing company, organization or individual. • At the end of this section, direct reader to your website. The link should be the exact and complete URL without any embedding so that, even if this page is printed, the link will be printed as it is. Companies which manitain a separate media page on their website must point to that URL here. A media page typically has contact information & press kits. • End the release with -- ###, not The End. This indicates the end of the press release. XXX or 30 used to denote end in telegraphic codes used in early years.