Writing for Professional Communicators: Writing News Releases Tips and Techniques

Emily Gundersen

Writing News Releases

Tips/Techniques

Have you ever heard the phrase “timing is everything?” Writing a news release would be one of those times. If it is not timely, relevant and news worthy, forget it. Do not waste your time writing a news release, if it is not new. WSU alumni journalist, Angie Welling writes, “Timeliness is key -- Reporters want to witness events firsthand and report on their observances, not rely on others interpretation of events. Do not tell them what happened at an event that has already taken place; invite them to attend the event ahead of time.”

I recently organized a charity event for the Deaf and Blind Children’s Fund of Utah Inc. I wanted media coverage for the event, so I composed and sent out my first news release. Needless to say, the event did not get any attention. What I discovered is the way a news release format style is vital in getting media coverage.

For this writing effort, I wanted to prepare for next years event and learn how to write a successful news release. There are many books, websites and blogs pertaining to writing a news release. There are also many websites that will assist in the preparation and distribution.

There are many opinions on how to write the best news release. I will share what I have learned about writing an impressive news release. I will also let you in on a few not so impressive tips from the experts too. I will also include how to get the news release distributed to numerous news sources.

To be clear about the terminology of news release; it is a general term for press releases and media releases. All three are interchangeable terms. Essentially it is a statement written to the media. Submitting a news release can provide an opportunity to make a community announcement, personal accomplishment, introduce a new company, highlight a new product or service, or promote a fundraising event, etc. If you are able to impact the editor of a news organization and generate media coverage it can create new business, volunteer awareness, and a wide variety of publicity. It can be a free marketing or advertising tool. In order to get coverage or publicity, you must be willing to write a news release in the proper format.

Before beginning to write, ask yourself a few questions about the topic of the news release. Is your topic newsworthy? Is the news release going to create interest in the community? How is this news story going to affect people? Why would I want to read about it? What is the outcome or call to action? Will this topic have a lasting impression on the community? These are the stories that get attention. An editor will only give attention to something that is news. To get ideas on what is news worthy, consider reviewing newspapers, magazines and trade publications.

New releases have been around since the ages. Most of the traditional formatting for news releases dates back to when they distributed via teletype machines. There are four general guidelines for news releases; headline, dateline, body copy, company information and contact information.

Every expert had the same opinion; the headline is the most important. It is imperative that the headline will “hook” the editor, as it may be the only part read. Write the headline once the body of the news release is complete. It might be a waste of time if you write the headline first. The focus may change after writing the body. Your headline must create the greatest impact on first glance, or it may end up in the trash. Editors can tell when someone has spent time on the headline. Do some research and find out what gets published. Check out the front page of The New York Times or other nationally published newspapers or magazines.

Editors want a headline that captures attention and will entice them to read further. Skip the buzz words and jargon. If the headline reads, “Parker’s RunWise® HHT Placed on EPA’s Emerging Tech List,” and it is over their head, it will not see the light of day. If your headline reads, “Parker Refinances $1.5 Billion Credit Facility Over Five Years,” then it might get to print. Include words like “new”, “announces”, “better” or “more” to create interest. Editors are in tune with their readers and what captures their attention. Think like an editor and deliver the most accurate, concise sentence that will make an impact. Find more tips on writing killer headlines at www.creative public.com.

Headlines are bold text with a larger font than the rest of the copy. Write the headline in a different style font but only capitalize the first word. Do not capitalize the entire headline.

Essentially the headline is undoubtedly the key element. A subheading is to keep the reader’s interest and is an extension of the headline. Subheadings can use a different font to offset it from the headline.

Next is the body of the news release which is the second most important piece. To begin writing the body of the news release, start with the dateline; which includes the date and city of the press release origination. The dateline should appear below the headline at the beginning of the first sentence.

Most editors will not read beyond the first paragraph. Capture the audience in the first sentence. The next two sentences should elaborate on the news story. Think in terms of writing “collapsible copy.” This means any sentence can be used as a quote or stand alone information. Sentences should be composed in the third person, active and concise sentences. If news releases are to be noticed, then use the most widely used style of news writing is Associated Press style. Books to learn about AP style can be purchased on line or find them at the local library.

Editors prefer news releases that use the format of the “5 W’s and H” approach (what, when, where, why, who and how.) Using this approach will ensure the content will be everything needed in a news release. This will help stick to the facts. If there is more information to share, use the concept of “inverted pyramid.” This technique is to stack the information with the most important in the beginning to the least important. This communicates the most critical information to the editor at the forefront. The editor will most likely only read the first paragraph anyway. Stay away from using marketing hype and unsubstantiated claims. This does not create credibility for your news release.

The recommendation for a news release is at least 200-300 words in length. This word guideline is to discourage PR people from submitting numerous news releases with no worthy content. Be careful though editors do not want to read a bunch of fancy words. Get to the point. Angie Welling states, “It should only be one page double-spaced and two pages only if absolutely necessary.”

Use quotes to validate and substantiate your copy. Using customer validations like, “I would like to send a big thumbs up to Tier 2 Technician Tony.” Also, include expert quotes to offer credibility to your story or organization like, "Expert panels have long been used to pursue research across a broad area of policy," said Siddhartha Dalal, the study's lead author and chief technology officer at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "This new system allows expert panels to be done online in a robust way that resembles fact-to-face meetings, but with lower costs and easier analysis of the information gathered."” (Srinivasan, Straus, Adams, 2011) Unbiased opinions are always the best way to go. Other supporting evidence can also be used; research reports, surveys or a good statistic. Canned quotes are usually not impressive, stay away from those.

If there is a photo opportunity that will tell the news story, then use it. A photo will increase the opportunity of print by 80%. (www.telaflora.com) Photos make the story interesting and will likely entice attention from the editor. Make sure to include a caption and identify the individuals in the picture. Attach a link to the photos with the description of the pictures if the news release is submitted via email.

Finally, do not forget to include the contact information. Include name, number and Web page if one is designed. It is a good idea to use a boilerplate from your company brochure. Include a call to action from the community if necessary. If it is a fundraising project, include where donations can be made or a link for more information. Include a link to the Web page if they should purchase something. If communication is necessary leave a phone number, fax and email address of the individual to contact.

Your logo should be part of your release. This provides a professional feel for the news release and a good way to stand out.

To finalize the press release place “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” at the top of the page, it should be centered with capital letters and bold. To request a later release date place “HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL JULY 10, 2011” at the top of the page. At the end of the copy, center these three symbols “###.” This tells the editor there is no further information.

The writing style should be positive. Do not begin a news release with negative news like “following the resignation of…” as this can always be validated by an editor. Stay upbeat and begin describing the positive changes and benefits of the new changes at your company. It becomes a better story and people look for the positive aspects of news. Humor can be used if it is super funny and not too cheesy.

Another unanimous opinion among the experts, before sending the email is always, always proofread your work. Rather, have someone else proofread your copy before emailing. Possibly an editor or a professional writer would be encouraged to review the copy. The news release should be a professional document that reflects you or your company. Do not risk sending something with typos and grammatical errors. Nothing can be stressed more than to proofread. Sure way to get rejected.

Now the copy is finished, ready to be emailed to an editor. It is a great idea to submit news releases to a specific media outlet or an editor that knows this line of business. Do some researches about who works at the local paper that would be interested in this story. Begin networking and finding out who to talk with at the paper. Editors love when people promote their paper. Start by using social networking and post their stories on Facebook or Web page links. Networking prior to the news release is a positive. Research the local editors and create a list that can be used again for future news release submittals.

Blogger response)

“If someone addresses me by name, has read what I write, and has an interesting subject-headline, they stand out and I will read their release and usually do an interview. It is not rocket science.” (http://blog.journalistics.com/2011/press-release-press-delete/

There are several Web pages that have distribution lists if needed. These Web pages can also help write a news release for a price. The local source www.utahnewssource.com is a great resource for Utah distribution. It has a list of these media distributors that will receive you news release; Utah TV News, Utah News Radio, Utah Magazine, Utah Newspapers, Utah Online News, Utah Bloggers, Utah Podcast Directory and staff. National media distribution resources can be found at the following links below.

Press Release Distribution Web page:

http://www.utahnewssource.com/

http://www.pressdr.com/

http://www.i-newswire.com/

http://www.businesswire.com/

http://www.smallbusinesspr.com/

http://www.pr.com/press-releases

http://www.press-release-writing.com/press-release-distribution/

http://www.pressrelease365.com/submit.htm

Consider deadlines when submitting a news release. Most editors would like an ample amount of time from submittal. The standard time is three weeks in advance. Again, “timing is everything.”

Below is a great example of the format used for a news release submittal.

News Release Format

(website: http://www.mediacollege.com/journalism/press-release/format.html)

This is a fairly standard format for creating press releases. It will help your credibility and chances of being published if the material is presented this way. Each press release should include the following:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:	These words should appear at the top left of the page, in upper case. If the release should be made public yet, write "HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL ...." instead.
Headline	Just like a headline in a newspaper. Make sure this describes the content of the story.
City, State/Country - Month Day, Year	These details precede the story and orient the reader.
Body	This is where the actual story goes. There should be more than one paragraph, each paragraph no more than a few sentences. If there is more than one page, write "-more-" at the bottom of the page.
Company/Organization info	Include any background information about the company or organization featuring in this press release.
Contact Information	Include a contact person, company name, phone/fax, email, physical/postal address.
ENDS or ###	This indicates the end of the press release.

So now what? The news release submitted is a killer news release that is sure to get a response but no return calls. Well, timing is everything. To follow-up, send a polite email to the editor or the original email address. Try not to be a pest as most editors are flooded with calls from companies trying to get published. Just be polite. Be prepared if a call from the editor does ring. Do not put them off or it may affect future new releases. Second chances do not come often so be ready to tell them the details.

Chances are an editor will not call the first time submitting a news release. Start working on the next release, practice writing and continue submitting them. Continue to review the local and national news papers and become more familiar with what is getting publicity. A good news release can be created by following these tips and techniques, but it will take practice to get it right. Keep on submitting news releases to as many media resources as possible and if timing is on your side…you will get a call.

Use the following tips below for a reference when writing your news release:

Expert Tips on News Releases

Remember to …

1. Be timely, news worthy and relevant.

2. Create a captivating headline in seven words or less.

3. One page double spaced.

4. Write in the third person.

5. Facts only.

6. Be positive.

7. Research other news releases to get the feel of writing.

8. Target each release to specific media outlet or editor.

9. Proofread, proofread, and proofread!