Notes+on+Press+Releases

Writing Press Releases

1. The Headline (do this AFTER you write the press release!)

• It should be brief, clear and to the point: an ultra-compact version of the press release’s key point. • The headline should have a "grabber" to attract readers. It may describe the latest achievement of an organization, a recent newsworthy event, a new product or service. • Headlines are written in bold and are typically larger than press release text. Conventional press release headlines are present-tense and exclude "a" and "the" as well as forms of the verb "to be" in certain contexts. • The first word in the press release headline should be capitalized, as should all proper nouns. Most headline words appear in lower-case letters. • The simplest method to arrive at the press release headline is to extract the most important keywords from your press release.

2. Write the press release body copy. The press release should be written as you want it to appear in a news story.

• Start with the date and city in which the press release is originated. The city may be omitted if it will be confusing, for example if the release is written in New York about events in the company's Chicago division. • The lead, or first sentence, should grab the reader and say concisely what is happening. The next 1-2 sentences then expand upon the lead. • The press release body copy should be compact. Avoid using very long sentences and paragraphs. Avoid repetition and over use of fancy language and jargon. • A first paragraph (two to three sentences) must actually sum up the press release and the further content must elaborate it. In a fast-paced world, neither journalists nor other readers would read the entire press release if the start of the article didn't generate interest. • Deal with actual facts - events, people, targets, goals, plans, projects. Try to provide maximum use of concrete facts. • 3. Communicate the 5 Ws and the H. Who, what, when, where, why, and how. Then consider the points below if pertinent. • What is the actual news? • Why this is news? • The people, items, dates and other things related to the news. • The purpose behind the news. • Your district - the source of this news. • From the points gathered, try to construct paragraphs and assemble them sequentially: The headline > the summary or introduction of the news > event or achievements >people > concluding summary > the district.
 * The length of a press release should be no more than three pages. If you are sending a hard copy, text should be double-spaced.
 * The more newsworthy the press release, the better the chances of it being selected by a journalist or reporting. Find out what "newsworthy" means to a given market and use it to hook the editor or reporter.

4. Include information about your district. When a journalist picks up your press release for a story, he/she would logically have to mention your district in the news article. Journalists can then get district information from this section. • The title for this section should be - About XYZ District • After the title, use a paragraph or two to describe your district in 4 to 5 lines. The text should describe your district, and perhaps its mission statement. You might be able to get this information from your district’s brochures, presentations, newsletters. • At the end of this section, point 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. For example: http://www.yourdistrictwebsite.com.

5. Add contact information. If your press release is newsworthy, journalists will want more information or would like to interview key people associated with it. • If you are comfortable with the idea of letting your key people being directly contacted by media, you can provide their contact details on the press release page itself. • Otherwise, provide the details of your media/PR department in the "Contact" section. If you do not have dedicated team for this function, you must appoint somebody who will act as a link between the media and your people. • The contact details must be limited and specific only to the current press release. The contact details must include:

The District's Official Name Media Department's official Name and Contact Person Office Address Telephone and fax numbers with proper country/city codes and extension numbers E-mail Addresses Web site Address

6. Signal the end of the press release with three # symbols, centered directly underneath the last line of the release. This is a journalistic standard.

TIPS:

• Include the District name in the headline, any subhead, and in the body of the first paragraph for better visibility via search engines and for news professionals and other readers. If you're mailing a hard copy, you may put it on District letterhead. • If the press release is for immediate release, you may write "IMMEDIATE RELEASE" in all caps on the left margin, directly above the headline. If the release is embargoed, put "EMBARGOED UNTIL..." with the date you want the story released. A release with no release date is presumed to be for immediate release. • The timing of the press release is very important. It must be relevant and recent news, not too old and not too distant. • A follow-up call can help develop a press release into a full story. • Do not waste time writing the headline until the release is done. Copy editors write the real headlines in newspapers and magazines, but it is good to come up with a catchy title or "headline" for the release. This headline may be your only chance. Keep it concise and factual. But if you try to write it before you write the release, you waste time. • Send your release by e-mail, and use formatting sparingly. Giant type and multiple colors don't enhance your news, they distract from it. Put the release in the body of the e-mail, not as an attachment. Use PDF files only if you are sending a full media kit with lots of graphics. Don't type a release on letterhead, scan it, and e-mail a jpeg of the scan. That's a waste of your time and the editor's. Just type the release into the e-mail message. • Use your headline as the subject line of the e-mail. If you've written a good "grabber" headline, this will help your message stand out in the editor's e-mail inbox. • Tailor each release to target a specific media outlet and send it to the reporter who covers that beat. This information can usually be found on the outlet's Web site. Blasting the identical press release to multiple outlets and multiple reporters at the same outlet is a sign that you are taking shortcuts rather than targeting a specific market. • Avoid jargon or specialized technical terms. If accuracy requires the use of a specific term, define it.

Samples:

[|Boston Public Schools]

[|John Lyon School]

[|Danville Public Schools]

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