| 1. |
Send
your releases on letterhead or stationery with your organization’s
name and logo that has been printed specifically for the release
of press materials. |
| 2. |
Indicate
the date the release is being sent. |
| 3. |
Specify
the date and time the release should be printed. |
| 4. |
List a
contact person who can answer questions about the release.
(Include his/her name, telephone number, E-mail address, and
the best time to connect). |
| 5. |
Write in an inverted pyramid with the most important information
in the first paragraph. |
| 6. |
In your
release be sure to answer “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,”
and “how.” |
| 7. |
Show how
the information relates to the reader. (Why should he or she
be interested?) |
| 8. |
Support
your story with statistics, quotes, examples and so on. |
| 9. |
Keep your
sentences and paragraphs short. Newspapers are written at the
eighth-grade level. |
| 10. |
Double-check
your spelling and grammar. |
| 11. |
Avoid jargon.
|
| 12. |
End each
release with a stock paragraph that gives details about your
organization such as its mission, key programs, and the numbers
it serves. |
| 13. |
Keep the release to one page if possible. Show you have reached
the end by using either “– 30 –“ or “#####.” |
| 14. |
If your
release goes onto a second page indicate that there is additional
information by writing “more” at the bottom of the first page. |
| 15. |
Double-space
your release and leave large margins. |
| 16. |
When selecting
pictures to accompany a press release, go for action shots wherever
possible. Traditional “grip and grins” (people shaking hands
while holding a plaque or check) are over-used and therefore
will rarely capture an editor’s interest. |
| 17. |
Compose
photos vertically. Editors with limited space will be more
likely to use your picture over another that is composed horizontally. |
| 18 |
When sending
pictures, spell out everyone’s name. Work left to right. |
| 19. |
Send short factoids that the newspaper can use anytime if
it has some space. |
| 20. |
Familiarize
yourself with the publications to which you are submitting releases.
|
| 21. |
Write
with each publication’s unique audience in mind. This often
means writing more than one release. |
| 22. |
Research
to whom the release should be sent. |
| 23. |
Confirm
that your contact list is current. |
| 24. |
Ask each
of your contacts how he or she prefers to receive your release
(e.g., mail, fax, E-mail). |
| 25. |
Do not attach your release as an E-mail file. Most media
people will not open attachments for fear of viruses. |
| 26. |
When calling a reporter or editor, always ask if the individual
is on deadline. |
| 27. |
Don’t call just to see if your release was received. |
| 28. |
When a
release is published, call or write to thank your contact. |
| 29. |
Be understanding
if your release is not published as you wrote it. Space is
always a premium. |
