How to Write and Format a Press Release for E-mail Distribution Newspaper editors and the media want to know what’s going on in their communities. An engaging press release with an interesting ‘hook’ or angle is an excellent way to gain exposure for your ADA Anniversary Celebration or event. The objective of a news release is to capture the attention of your audience and educate them about the event, your organization and the DBTACs. What are you doing in your region to deserve attention now? It’s not enough to say “Hi! We’re here!” at regular intervals throughout the year. Do not send a release out for the sake of just sending one. Make sure your press releases contain valuable information. Make every word count! What’s significant about your work and the partnerships you have formed to date? Briefly tie in related community issues as appropriate. Develop local angles for stories. Don’t just compile a list of newspaper names and addresses or local television stations — study them to understand local concerns.
Editors are inundated daily with press releases. Catch the editor’s attention right away. They almost always edit news releases or use them as springboards for stories. Editors cut material from the bottom up, so make your copy stand out. Your goal is to communicate your event using every day language, so avoid overusing technical jargon and acronyms. Leave the technical details for a phone call or a follow-up email. Once an editor contacts you, you will be allowed to give an interview and go into more depth on your event.
Once you have decided on the message, you will get an editor’s attention quickly if you include the following information in the first paragraph. Answer these questions:
Pick the one most important issue to talk about in each release. For example, ADA training courses in your area would cover one release. The ADA Anniversary is a separate activity, and requires another release. If you are sponsoring or participating in a county-wide job fair, write another release to announce that activity.
The point of a release is to entice the reader or journalist to contact you for additional information. A well written press release does not need to be a novel. In fact, shorter press releases (usually between 175 – 300 words) tend to receive more exposure. Why? Because many journalists may be looking for a short informative piece of information to fill a spot within a magazine, newspaper or web site. Have you ever seen short snip-its on one side of a magazine, or down the side of a web page? Guess where the information comes from?
To make the best impression, the release should be typed double-spaced on letterhead, giving the editor space to make comments. Indent paragraphs. Have one-inch margins all around, and make sure it is free of errors, smudges, or smears.
Write in the active voice, using vivid verbs. Spell out the name of an organization the first time you use it, and enclose its acronym in parentheses. Use the acronym on second reference. Don’t overuse descriptive phrases, such as “wonderful,” “fabulous,” “greatest,” and so on.
Make sure everything is true and factual. Include meaningful quotes from your staff, representatives, business leaders, local politicians, and other individuals as necessary, and include the DBTAC toll-free number—1-800-949-4232 (V/TTY).
NOTE: Having permission to use a quote is extremely important. If you want to quote copyrighted information within your press release, obtain written permission to use this information. If you personally know the individual, verbal permission may be all that is required. If you are unsure, it is best to receive permission in writing.
If you are using facts and statistics to enhance your story, make sure that you provide source attributions to add credibility.
Many people, when they see or hear the word “disability,” automatically think of charity or health concerns. Make sure you are sending the desired message—that the ADA is a business, economic, and civil rights issue, and that your organization and the DBTACs are a resource for everyone.
Here are some basic guidelines:
(This material was summarized from Kay Borden’s Bulletproof News Releases: Practical, No-holds-barred Advice for Small Business from 135 American Newspaper Editors published in 1994 by Franklin-Sarrett Publishers.)
How to Write and Format a Press Release for E-mail Distribution E-mail press releases are usually shorter in length than their print counterparts. The majority of electronic press releases sent are 400 words of text organized into five, short two to three sentence paragraphs.
E-mail software allows the user to set limits on the size of messages it will download. Since many individuals do not change the default limit on their e-mail software, long messages can be truncated. For this reason it is discouraged from sending extremely lengthy electronic news releases.
Information such as photographs and other supporting documents usually included in a printed media kit may be published online where reporters may access them easily at their convenience and the URLs for screen shots of your Web site may also be included in the news release.
Some reporters have limited online access. As a courtesy, always include a contact method for reporters who prefer to have materials mailed to them by conventional means.
Source: Xpress Press News Service (www.xpresspress.com/PRnotes.html)