T.O.W #8 July 5, 2010

I began to look around for my top ten list of tips for writing a news release and I found so many it was hard to choose, yet a lot overlapped though. I broke it down to choosing some from my PR book Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics and 10 Essential Tips for Writing Press Releases from press-release-writing.com

1. Provide as much Contact information as possible: Individual to Contact, address, phone, fax, email, Web site address.

• This is the most IMPORTANT tip of them all. This is because you want them to have your information if they have questions.

2. Make sure the information is newsworthy.

• You want the news release to contain information that people want to know about.

3. Critique your writing by asking yourself, “Who cares?” Why should readers be interested in this information?

• This is also a very important one because if no one is going to care about this story then there is no reason to write a news release about it or try to get it published.

4. Make sure the first 10 words of your release are effective, as they are the most important.

• If the first 10 words of a story do not stand out the editor will throw away the release because there would be no point in reading it.

5. Avoid excessive use of adjectives and fancy language.

• There is no need to add fluff to your story if it is a newsworthy story.

6. Don’t use generic words such as “the leading provider” or “world-class” to position your company.

• Be specific, such as “with annual revenues of.”

7. Make sure you wait until you have something with enough substance to issue a release.

• You never want to submit something that is not done.

8. Don’t use lame quotes.

• Write like someone is actually talking- eliminate the corporatese that editors love to ignore. Speak with pizzazz to increase your chances of being published.

9. Deal with the facts.

10. Don’t throw everything into a release. Better to break your news into several releases if material is lengthy.

I hope these 10 tips help you if you ever write a news release. If you do decide to write one I would definitely check out the links I posted on here and check out the full detail list of the tips from each source.

Chapter 15

My notes from chapter 15 are from the book, Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics. This chapter was all about media related sources like radio, television, and the web in how to get  news releases and other material out for the public to learn.

Helpful tips on getting an audio news release out to the public are:

1. Topicality
2. Timelines
3. Localization
4. Humanization
5. Visual appeal

Different ways to get your news on the television are:

1. Send the same news release that the local print media receive
2. Media alert or advisory informing the assignment editor about a particular event or occasion that would lend itself to video coverage
3. Phone or email the assignment editor and make a pitch to have the station do a particular story
4. Produce a video news release package that is formatted for immediate use with a minimum of effort by station personnel.

I still feel as though the internet is the best way to get your information out there.