Press Release Writing

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Press Release Writing

• Best Practice
• General principles

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Press release writing exercise

• Lets start by looking at a hypothetical
  announcement that we want to make through the
  news media. The facts
• 1. There has been a huge increase in the numbers
  of people visiting Spains state forests for
  walking and picnicking - up from 450 million
  visits a year in 1990 to 625 million visits in
  2007.
• 2. There have been increasing complaints from
  the public that the forests are getting too
  crowded.

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Press release writing exercise

• The facts 2
• 3. The Government has agreed to provide the
  money for the Spanish Forest Service to build
  2000 kilometres of new public footpaths and 100
  new picnic areas in key state forests across
  Spain.
• 4. The announcement was made in Bilbao today by
  the Minister of Forests, Juan Lopez Garcia, in a
  speech to the Spanish Forest Users Association.
• 5. The project will take three years to complete.

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Press release writing - exercise

• The facts 3
• 6. It will cost 15 million Euros.
• 7. The work will be done by local companies.
• 8. The Forest Service will first consult local
  communities about the best routes for the new
  footpaths and the best sites for the picnic
  areas.

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Press release writing - exercise

• The facts 4
• 9. The budget provides money for new car parking
  areas to be built in association with the new
  footpaths.
• 10. The announcement is an example of the
  Governments honouring its election promise to
  increase recreation facilities in state forests.
• Lets keep this scenario in mind

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Press release writing - introduction

• What are we trying to achieve when we send out a
  press release?
• We want to provide some information to some
  people.

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Press release writing - introduction

• How are we hoping to achieve that?
• By getting a story or article about it published
  in the news media.
• (And hold on to that word story
• its critical!)

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Press release writing - introduction

• But how are we going to persuade the news media
  to publish our information?
• By writing such a good press release that they
  say Wow, this is good! We must use this story!

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Press release writing - introduction

• And how do we do that?
• By thinking and writing like a journalist
• In fact, by becoming an extra writer for the
  newspaper, radio station, magazine etc...

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Press release writing - introduction

• And how does a journalist think and write?
• English-language journalists do not tell you that
  they write articles or publish information
  they talk about writing stories.
• This means they write for their newspapers,
  magazines etc. in exactly the same way that we
  tell stories to our friends in the bar about
  events in our lives!

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Press release writing - - introduction

• We start with the fact that makes our listener go
  Wow! Really? Thats fantastic / amazing /
  terrible / incredible!
• We then give the rest of the information in a
  lively, interesting manner.

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Press release writing - introduction

• For example you are going to meet a friend for
  a drink after work when you see a bad car
  accident
• Do you start telling the story to your friend
  with the background information - there was a
  lot of rain, the visibility was poor, the traffic
  lights had failed, the traffic was very heavy?

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Press release writing - introduction

• No! You start by saying something like
• Crikey, mate, you shouldve seen the big crash I
  just saw up the road! Two people killed, by the
  look of it! Wreckage everywhere! Hell of a
  mess...!

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Press release writing - introduction

• Why do you start the story like that?
• Without even thinking about it, you have gone
  first to the most exciting part of the event,
  because you know thats what will get your
  friends attention and interest.
• Journalists use this same technique to get their
  readers (and their editors!) attention to
  sell the story to the editor and to the readers.

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Press release writing - introduction

• We, also, must gain editors attention if we are
  to have any chance of getting our story published
  and presented to our audience through the news
  media.
• Lets look at the key elements
• of an effective press release.

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Press release writing - Key elements

• Key elements 1
• 1. Message - what do we want to say?
• 2. Audience - who do we want to say it to?
• 3. Content - what information needs to go into
  our press release?

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Press release writing - Key elements

• Key elements 2
• 4. Structure - what order should we put the
  information in?
• 5. Language - what sort of words and sentences
  should we use? Simple, everyday words and
  phrases? or technical forestry language? or
  government-speak? etc..

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Press release writing - Key elements

• Key elements 3
• 6. Tone - positive, negative, neutral, etc?
• 7. Good writing following the rules of good
  writing practice.

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Press release writing - key elements

• Key elements 4
• 8. House style - what is this? How does it
  apply to our press releases? What function does
  it perform?
• Lets look at each of these
• key elements in more depth...

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Press release writing - key elements

• But where do we start?
• The key starting points are
• Our message and
• Our audience.

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Press release writing - Key elements

• Starting points 1
• Your message
• What do you want to tell your readers? Whats the
  key issue? Whats happened? Whats been said?
  Most importantly
• Whats new? What part of this story will affect
  my readers?

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Press release writing - Key elements

• Starting points 2
• Your audience
• Who needs to hear our message? Know who you want
  to speak to.
• Is it the public? Or hunters? Or foresters? Or
  walkers? Or mountain bikers? Scientists? etc etc

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Press release writing - key elements

• Once we know what we want to say (our
  message),...
• ...and who we want to say it to (our audience),
• ...we can start putting together our press
  release...

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Press release writing - key elements

• 3. Content
• In addition to the key message, what other
  information should go into our press release?
• background information how did we get to this
  point?
• what this news means for the future
• other useful and relevant facts how big are
  these forests? How many footpaths are there
  already?
• quotes from key people.

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Press release writing - key elements

• Content 2
• Answer the Five Ws
• Who?
• What?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?

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Press release writing key elements

• Content 3 the 5 Ws
• Who said it or did it, or will do it or say it?
• What happened, or will happen?
• When did it happen when will it happen?
• Where did it happen where will it happen?
• Why did it happen, or why will it happen?

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Press release writing - key elements

• Content 4
• Most times, we also need to answer the H
  question
• How - how did it happen, or how will it happen?

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Press release writing - key elements

• 4. Structure
• We need to build or construct our press
  release in a logical order
• It must start in an effective manner (the
  intro), and
• it must flow clearly and logically from one idea
  to the next.

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Press release writing key elements

• Structure 2 - the inverted pyramid
• The most important information at the top
• The key supporting information
• in the middle
• The least important
• information at the
• bottom

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Press release writing - key elements

• Structure 3 - the inverted pyramid
• The inverted pyramid is user friendly to the
  editor - it makes it easy for her to cut the
  story if she does not have enough space or time
  to use all of it
• Thats because she can quickly see that the least
  important information is at the bottom of the
  press release, so she can safely cut it from the
  bottom.

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Press release writing key elements

• Structure 4 the intro
• The crucial, all-important first sentence. It
  must
• Grab the editors interest if it doesnt, your
  press release might go into the rubbish
• Contain your key message
• Make it clear why it is relevant to the editors
  readers / listeners / viewers.

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Press release writing - key elements

• 5. Language
• Use language that your audience can understand.
• Use simple, everyday words if your audience is
  ordinary people who do not understand technical
  forestry words.

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Press release writing - key elements

• Language 2
• Its okay to use technical language for a
  technical audience, if you are absolutely sure
  that only technical people, such as foresters,
  will be interested.
• For example, a press release about timber
  marketing.

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Press release writing - key elements

• Language 3
• but as a general rule, remember that the
  average reading age (in the English-speaking
  world) is only 12 or 13 years old!
• so write in language that a well educated
  13-year-old child can understand.

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Press release writing key elements

• Language 5
• Try not to use
• government-speak
• academic-speak or university-speak
• science-speak
• business-speak
• meeting-speak

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Press release writing key elements

• Language 6
• These are the pompous, grand-sounding words and
  phrases loved by people who work in government
  organisations, universities, research
  institutions, big business etc.
• They were invented to make these people look and
  sound elite to themselves.

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Press release writing key elements

• Language 6
• Instead, try to use plain, ordinary, everyday
  language that everyone can understand.

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Press release writing - key elements

• 6. Tone
• Think about the tone you want to strike. Is it
  appropriate for your press release to sound
• positive and cheerful? For example, when you are
  announcing good news.
• In this case, you can probably safely use some
  humour and a play on words to help to keep your
  readers attention.

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Press release writing key elements

• Tone 2
• Or is it more appropriate that your press
  release adopts a more serious and cautious tone,
  such as when you are issuing a safety warning
  after a serious accident?
• In this case, trying to be funny in your press
  release might not be a good idea!

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Press release writing - key elements

• 7. Good Writing
• 1. Avoid very long sentences
• In English, more than 30 words is too long. If
  your first draft is more than 30 words long,
  either cut some words out, or break it down into
  two or three shorter sentences.

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Press release writing - key elements

• Good writing 2
• For example
• Since learning that Hylobius's departure from a
  restocking site can be predicted, and that they
  tend to stay away once they have left, the
  Forestry Commission has saved more than 100,000
  in pesticide use over three years in lowland pine
  forests in southern England, and 45,000 in
  top-up spraying costs over three years in upland
  forests in its Dornoch Forest District in the Far
  North of Scotland.
• 67 words puff, puff, puff!!! When we reach the
  end, weve forgotten what it said at the
  beginning!

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Press release writing - key elements

• Good Writing 3
• So lets break it down into three sentences
  instead...
• The Forestry Commission has made significant
  savings since learning that Hylobius's departure
  from a restocking site can be predicted, and that
  they tend to stay away once they have left. It
  has saved more than 100,000 in pesticide use
  over three years in lowland pine forests in
  southern England. It has also saved 45,000 in
  top-up spraying costs over three years in upland
  forests in the Far North of Scotland.
• One sentence of 30 words, one of 19 words, one
  of 22 - much better!!

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Press release writing - key elements

• Good Writing 4
• 2. Prefer the Active voice
• The active voice is
• Juan planted the tree.
• The passive voice is
• The tree was planted by Juan.

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Press release writing - key elements

• Good writing 5
• 3. Aim for a pleasant reading rhythm
• Mix shorter sentences with longer sentences
• Too many short sentences one after the other make
  for jerky, irritating reading
• Too many long sentences in succession make boring
  reading thats hard to understand.

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Press release writing - key elements

• Good writing 6
• 4. Use good grammar, spelling and punctuation
• These are important, because
• they help to make the meaning clear.
• If you dont agree, consider these examples

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Press release writing key elements

• Good writing 7
• I could not find my supper, so I ate the dogs.
• I could not find my supper, so I ate the dogs.
• Heres another

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Press release writing key elements

• Good writing 7
• A woman without her man is nothing.
• A woman without her, man is nothing.

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Press release writing - key elements

• Good writing 8
• Editors judge the quality of your organisation
  by the quality of YOUR work, so impress them!
• If we want to present our organisation as
  professional and worth doing business with, we
  must reflect this by using good grammar, correct
  spelling and correct punctuation in our press
  releases - and all other written material.

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Press release writing key elements

• 8. House style
• House style is your organisations internal
  rules for written material, in this case, press
  releases. It governs such topics as
• the fonts or typefaces that your organisation
  permits
• the sizes of font or typeface that it approves
• the colours it permits, such as the top strip of
  the page
• where it permits its logo to be placed
• whether you write Senora Maria Lopez or just
  Maria Lopez
• where you put the Notes to Editors
• where you put your contact telephone number etc
  etc etc.

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Press release writing key elements

• House style 2
• Why is this important in press releases?
• It can create an association in editors and
  journalists minds between your organisation and
  the quality of your press releases.
• If you consistently write good-quality, relevant
  press releases, and your consistent use of house
  style makes them instantly recognisable as yours,
  you increase your chances of getting your press
  release published.

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Press release writing key elements

• House style 3
• Your house style should be logical and
  user-friendly
• It should be consistent with your organisations
  wider corporate identity
• You should be absolutely consistent in using it,
  press release after press release after press
  release. Do not confuse editors by doing things
  differently every time.

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Press release writing Notes to Editors

• Use of Notes to Editors
• We should include some explanatory Notes to
  Editors after the end of our story.
• At the very least, we should always say in the
  Notes to Editors who our organisation is and what
  it does, for example

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Press release writing Notes to Editors

• Use of Notes to Editors 2
• The Spanish Forest Service is the government
  department that manages state forests in Spain.
  It manages XXX million hectares of public forest
  land to provide public benefits, including
  sustainable timber production, nature
  conservation, public recreation and rural and
  community development. For further information,
  visit www.forestry.gov.es.

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Press release writing Notes to Editors

• Use of Notes to Editors 3
• The Notes to Editor can also give further
  background information on the details of the
  story, for example
• How much forest there is in Spain
• How much is owned by the Government and
• How much is owned by private people or
  organisations, etc etc

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Press rlease writing Contact details

• Contact Details
• Dont forget to let the news media know how they
  can contact you! Provide an office telephone
  number and a mobile telephone number so that
  they can call you to
• ask you for more information and
• ask for an interview.

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Press release details and finally

• and finally
• Make it relevant!
• Do not send the press release to news media to
  whom it is not relevant, for example, do not send
  a press release about hunting to magazines about
  mountain biking.

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Press release writing and finally

• and finally 2
• And let the editor know right at the very
  beginning, in the intro and/or the headline,
  what makes it relevant to her readers or
  listeners. For example,
• if the story is about forests in Andalucia, be
  sure to mention forests in Andalucia in the
  first paragraph. That way, editors in Andalucia
  will see immediately that this story is relevant
  to my readers.

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Press release writing and finally

• A suggested user-friendly structure (handout)
• 1. Date and press release number
• 2. Headline brief, snappy, and summarising
  the most exciting part
• 3. The story, comprising
• The Intro
• The remainder of the story, following the
  inverted pyramid structure
• A bullet point paragraph to direct reade.rs to
  sources of more information a website, and/or a
  person, with telephone number and email address
• 4. Picture captions if you are supplying
  pictures with the release.
• 5. Notes to Editors - The first one can tell
  editors how to obtain photographs, if relevant.)
• 6. News media contact your name and phone
  number.

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Press release writing lines to take

• Lines to Take
• Sometimes, we dont want to put every relevant
  fact in a press release, because we dont really
  want them publicised!
• However, journalists might call us and ask these
  difficult questions anyway.
• We need to have answers prepared these are our
  lines to take in case of questions.

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Press release writing lines to take

• Lines to Take 2
• Before you issue your press release, try to think
  of every possible question a journalist might ask
  about this subject.
• Consult your officials and prepare answers to
  these questions. These are your lines to take in
  case of questioning.
• Make sure that every relevant person in your
  organisation has these lines the journalist
  might go call them directly rather than you!

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Press release writing handling bad news

• Handling bad news (handout)
• Sometimes, we must issue a press release about
  bad news, but we dont really want too many
  people to hear about it!
• Tactics for dealing with this are

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Pres release writing handling bad news

• Handling bad news 2
• Issuing the press release to only a small number
  of news media
• Starting the press release with something boring
  and routine sounding and
• Burying the bad news well down in the press
  release.

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Press releases working from speeches

• Working from speeches
• Speech and press release must synchronise with
  each other.
• Liaise with speechwriter to ensure there is a
  sound-bite in the speech that you can use for a
  quote in the press release.
• Tricky when you are writing the press release
  before the speech is written!
• ENDS