Press Release Writing

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Press Release Writing
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Types of Press Releases

• Publicity Press Release
• Information in or about an organization that
  might have news value to local, regional, or
  national media.
• http//www.csub.edu/

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• Product Press Release
• Specific products or product lines often sent to
  trade publications. Describe product and consumer
  use of product.
• Ford Escape
• Financial Press Release
• Shareholder information generally sent to
  financial media or financial sections of local,
  regional, or national media
• Wendy's Investor Relations Page

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• Prnewswire
• PRnewswire
• Businesswire
• Businesswire.com

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Elements of Press Release Writing

• Newsworthy
• Knowledge of media contacts and their
  schedules/guidelines
• Use of journalistic style of writing and proper
  press release format
• Meet the organizations objectives and the
  medias needs/expectations.

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Editors Criteria

• Who you are
• Headline on press release
• Lead
• Timeliness of information

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Rules for Press Release Writing

• Follow the format for a press release
• Write them in journalistic style
• Meet the needs of the media outlet, not just your
  organizations objectives
• Localize your press release

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Rules for Contentof Press Release

• Always have a lead as in news story
• Be concise
• Avoid cliches
• Dont use technical terms
• Be accurate
• Use quotations in 2nd or 3rd paragraph, NOT lead
• Include local angle

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Content

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why
• How

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Leads

• Key to writing a good press release.

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Lead from a press release distributed by the
Electronic Products Producers Association
The present condition of the software market is
such that companies involved in software
development should be able to capitalize on
current economic trends. This means that new
product development should allow the earliest
investors a significant niche in the market.
This statement was made by Mr. James L. Sutton,
President of Associated Products Corporation,
during a speech at the Fall convention of the
Electronic Products Producers Association held in
Syracuse, New York.
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Revised (much better) Version of Lead A leading
electronic industry executive declared today
(October 21) that the computer software market is
wide open to new investors.
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The other information from the first lead can be
used in following paragraphs The present
condition of the software market is such that
companies involved in software development should
be able to capitalize on current economic
trends, said James L. Sutton, president of
Associated Products Corporation. This means that
new product development should allow the earliest
investors a significant niche in the
market. Suttons prediction of a dynamic market
was made in a speech at the Fall convention of
the Electronics Products Producers Association in
Syracuse, New York.
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One Web sites with information on writing press
releases.

• http//www.press-release-writing.com/