1. News Releases a. What is a news release?
According to our textbook, “a news release is information that you wish released to the press, usually the print media. Although all news releases have format in common, there are different emphases” (85). i.
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Why are news releases important? Although most news releases are ignored or heavily modified by journalists, public relations professionals continue to use them because they are effective at communicating information about organizational events that otherwise might not reach the media. 3 Vital Elements All news releases should include three essential elements: publicity, angle, and the story itself. •
Publicity Publicity is the often-implicit public value of the news release, specifically the “free” advertising the organization receives with publication.
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Angle The angle is generally “the hook that attracts media attention” (86), or the unique aspects of your story that will draw public attention for the media vehicle. (Esp. localization)
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Story The story is just that, the reason for even writing the release and the information that the public audience wants to know.
b. Writing a News Release i.
Format • Plain, white paper • 1-1.5” margins • Contact info of sender • Release date • Double-spaced with paragraph indentations, or double-spaced between paragraphs • -More- & -30-/#####
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Lead The lead, or opening sentence of the news release, is extremely important. It must hook the journalist and convince him or her to run the story, and a summary lead, which is the most common, should answer the key questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how.
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Style The inverted pyramid style of the typical hard news story is also used for news releases. Following the lead, the release should present information in order of decreasing importance.
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Quotations & Attributions Quotations add interest to news releases, but avoid using “fluff” quotes that do not provide vital information to the story. When attributing quotations, don’t be afraid to mix up the forms of attribution you use (e.g. paraphrasing points of quotes, combining quotes, or using one attribution between two quotes). This variety improves the flow of the story.
c. Types of News Releases i.
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Exclusives & Specials Exclusive releases are intended only for one paper, while special releases are written in a style intended for a specific publication but are released to other media vehicles also. Product Releases NOT a sales pitch or advertising, product releases should be informative.
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Financial Releases
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Event Announcements
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Personnel Releases
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Tips/Hints Releases
2. Storify* a. News... i. ii.
“False Reports of Joe Paterno’s Death...”* “The New Hampshire Primary on Social Media”*
b. Opinion... i.
“Don’t Mess with Dublin Dr. Pepper”*
c. ...and Public Relations i.
“White House Office Hours”*
* Link included in Keynote presentation.