Press Releases

Dr. Rozina Shahadat Khan

M.B.B.S(FJMU) M.Phil Community Medicine(FPGMI) MPH( Trainee)
Sarhad Institute of Health Sciences, Peshawar
 Objectives
• History and Evaluation of Press Release
• Why we need Press Release and importance
• When should you prepare a press release?

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 What’s a press release?
A written summary or update to make the media
aware of your activities.

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 History and Evaluation of Press Release

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 Think like a reporter!
• What makes you read a newspaper story or
online article?

• When does a TV story catch your attention

and draw you into watching and listening?

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 Read all about it –
putting together a press release
• Before you write your press release you need
to ask four questions…

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 Read all about it –
putting together a press release
• Who are you writing for? You have to think
about the audience you’re trying to reach and
choose the right sort of language.
• What have you got to say?

• How are you going to say it?

• Where are you going to send it?

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 Why do you need a press release?
• Announce your event.
• Tell why your event is news.
• Show your perspective.
• Increase visibility.
• Remind people of what your group does.
• Highlight a report.

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 When should you prepare a press
release?
• News of upcoming events
• Report of recent events
• Reports of changes
• Reports of awards
• General announcements

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 Press Releases

Mr.Arshad MPH( Trainee)

Sarhad Institute of Health Sciences, Peshawar
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 Rules for writing a press release

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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 organization’s objectives

• Localize your press release

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 Rules for Content
of Press Release

• Always have a lead – as in news story

• Be concise
• Avoid cliches
• Don’t use technical terms
• Be accurate
• Use quotations in 2nd or 3rd paragraph, NOT
lead
• Include local angle
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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 organization’s objectives and the
media’s needs/expectations.

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 Editor’s Criteria
• Who you are
• Headline on press release
• Lead
• Timeliness of information
• Who
• Content • What
• When
• Where
• Why
• How

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 Press Releases

Mr.Rustam Khan
MPH( Trainee)
Sarhad Institute of Health Sciences, Peshawar
 Characteristics of News Releases
• Convey newsworthy information about your
organization to the news media
• Written as ready-to-publish article
• Provide ideas, facts for journalists’ stories

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 Characteristics of News Releases
• News release or “press” release?
• Print media
• Broadcast media
• Online, Web sites

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 What makes a story newsworthy
• Timeliness Contains fresh, new information
that’s relevant today, tomorrow
• Impact Affects journalists’ readers, viewers,
listeners
• Uniqueness Intrigues because surprising,
novel, unexpected

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 What makes a story newsworthy
• Change Involves major change, competition,
conflict
• Proximity Describe geographically close,
audience-relevant information
• Prominence Involves famous people, places
and institutions

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 Types of News Releases
• Announcement (straight news story)
• Feature story (combination of information
and entertainment)
• Hybrid story (combination of feature and
news announcement)

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 Press Releases

Mr. Abdual Aziz MPH( Trainee)

Sarhad Institute of Health Sciences, Peshawar
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 Release Format and Design
• Follow AP Stylebook – correct grammar,
punctuation, spelling essential!
• Use your organization’s stationery with
letterhead, logo for first page
• Text double-spaced for releases on paper;
single-spaced for e-mail, CD, Web sites

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 Press Releases

Mr.Fazal Hussain MPH( Trainee)

Sarhad Institute of Health Sciences, Peshawar
 So what needs to go in a press
release?
There are five main elements you need to include:

• Headline – should be informative, can be quirky!

• Opening sentence – make them want to read
more!
• Opening paragraph – sum up the story
• Middle bit – quotes, background information,
interesting details
• Concluding bit – call to action and notes to
editors (eg. who to contact for more information)

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 11 key components of an effective Press Release

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 Release Format and Design
• News Release under letterhead
• For Immediate Release and the date of
release
• Contact: followed by name, department
name or title, phone number and email
address

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 Headlines
A good headline:
• Follows newspaper style – shortened
sentences
• Summarizes the “news”
• Smoothly incorporates organization, product
name
• Includes local connection

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 Headlines
• Usually use present tense, which means recent past
in headline language
• Some headlines require future tense to
announce upcoming events, actions
Examples:

Red Cross Launches New Blood Drive

Red Cross to Launch New Blood Drive

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 Headlines
Additional tips
• Use headline to capture attention
• Use action verbs
• Don’t end a line with a preposition
• Add detail through subheads
• Follow consistent style (capitalization, bold,
etc.)

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 Writing Headlines
Turn this information into a strong headline

Schools in Fulton County introduced a wide

variety of health and fitness initiatives to
encourage healthy, active lifestyles among
students of all ages.

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 Dateline
• Begin release with dateline
Examples:

ATLANTA, Apr. 9, 2008 – An inspection by

auditors …
ATHENS, Ga., Feb. 16, 2008 – City officials
announced …
DUBLIN, Ohio, Aug. 20, 2007 – Real estate values
…

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 Release Copy
Open with a strong lead
– Concisely covers the most important elements of
who, what, when, where, why, how of the story.
May need second sentence to cover main points.
– Includes most important information
– Independent of headline
– Keep it short (about 25 words)

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 Release Copy
• Organize release as inverted pyramid
– Most important information first
– Less critical information later in release
• Write in short paragraphs
– Often one or two sentences, max

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 Release Copy
• Use meaningful quotation/s
– Add perspective, opinion
– Sound natural, conversational in tone
– Attribute to appropriate person
– Use past tense for attribution (i.e., she
said)

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 Quotations
• Example (weak)

“The players played a really good game. I was

very, very happy with the way they
performed,” Mark Richt, head coach of the
Georgia Bulldogs said.

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 Quotations
• Example (better)

“Our football team showed the kind of

determination that will help make us a winner
in the SEC this season,” said Mark Richt, head
coach of the Georgia Bulldogs.

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 Release Copy
• End page with complete sentence or
paragraph
• Indicate release carries over to next page
using -- more -- at bottom of page
• Enter slug at top of new pages
Page 2/Red Cross Launches New Blood Drive

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 Release Copy
• Close with standard or “boiler” paragraph
– Brief description of organization/s and/or product
mentioned in news release
– Include Web site address for more information
– Indicate end of release with centered #

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 Press Releases

Dr. Rozina Shahadat Khan

M.B.B.S(FJMU) M.Phil Community Medicine(FPGMI) MPH( Trainee)
Sarhad Institute of Health Sciences, Peshawar
 Leads: Key to writing a good Press Release

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 Evaluate News Releases
• Is lead direct, to the point? Does it contain
most important, interesting aspects of story?
• Are sentences concise? Paragraphs short?
Words common, concrete?
• Quotes natural sounding? Attributed to
appropriate person?
• Grammar, punctuation, spelling correct?

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 2 Additional Tools
• Media Advisory
• Fact Sheet

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 What now?
And Finally…..

• Who do I want to tell about this?

• Where are the best places to send the press

release for them to find about it?

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 Get your press release out to the
media.

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 Consider the timing and don't
forget a follow-up.

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 Distribution
• Snail mail?
• E-mail?
• Fax?

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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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 Successful News Releases
• Audience for news release is a journalist
• Good releases written as reporters would
write their stories
– Concise
– Specific
– Reputable sources
– Objective facts
– Honest and direct

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 Ineffective News Releases
• Bury the news inside the release
• Contain hyperbole, excessive adjectives
• Come across as promotional ad
• Written using wordy language, too long
• Include unattributed opinions
• Offer stiff-sounding, empty quotes

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 • References
• Prnewswire
PRnewswire

• Businesswire
Businesswire.com

• One Web sites with information on writing press releases

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

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 THANK YOU

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