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.