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A press release should be timely, informative,
and well written. A press release should
generate media attention for your story,
not tell the whole story, so it's
important to keep it brief.
The format of a press release is similar
to an inverted pyramid. The first paragraph
should contain the main ideas of the story,
and subsequent paragraphs should elaborate
further with additional information. Think
of the first paragraph as a brief summary
of the news you wish to present in the
release.
A press release should provide a reporter
with the facts; describe who, what, when,
where, and how. Here are some additional
ideas to keep in mind when writing a press
release:
| Don't advertise
– If your release has a promotional
rather than factual angle, it will most
likely be turned down by your media
contact. |
| Create an "attention-getting"
headline – You should convey immediately
why your news is important. |
| Write for your audience
– Clearly indicate to the editor
why your news is important to his/her
readers. You should include noteworthy
quotes, background information, and
illustrate the value of this information. |
| The release should
have your city (in capital letters)
and date starting the first sentence. |
| Your release should
follow Associated Press writing style.
Most libraries or bookstores offer an
AP writing guide. |
| Include quotes in
your release. Be sure to get permission
from the individuals quoted prior to
putting them in your release. |
| Include a boilerplate
– Write a brief summary about
your section's services, membership,
and goals to emphasize your credibility
– mention your years in business,
contact information, etc. |
Formatting suggestions:
| 8 1/2- by 11-inch
paper. |
| Use at least one-inch
margins. |
| Use "###"
or "-30-" to indicate the
end of the release. |
| Use bold typeface
for headlines. |
| Capitalize the first
letter of every word in the headline
with the exception of articles (i.e.,
"a", "an," "and,"
or "the") or prepositions
(i.e., "of," "to,"
or "from"). Note that this
combination of upper and lower case
words makes the headline easier to read. |
| Always include contact
information, including the phone number
for the person who should be contacted
for additional information. |
| Get to the point
with as few words as possible. Experts
recommend 300 words or a maximum of
500 words. |
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