[stylist] One more piece of info on releases

[Brad Dunse']

I think these are going to be awesome. Thanks Bridgit.

Brad



On 9/26/2011  05:53 PM Bridgit Pollpeter said...
>CHAPTER 10
>News Releases
>WHAT ARE THEY?
>With the notable exception of brochures, news releases are probably the
>most highly recognized of all public communication products.
>Unfortunately, they are also the most misused. Daily, hundreds of news
>releases with no news are distributed to the news media. As a public
>communication practitioner and writer, you will write, edit, and/or
>approve news releases throughout most of your career. You should know
>when one is needed and how to write one well.
>A news release is a communication tool used by public communication
>practitioners to convey a particular message to specific news media
>outlets. When news releases are properly planned, formatted, and
>executed and contain genuinely newsworthy information, the media will
>incorporate the information into the framework of an original news story
>and disseminate it to audiences. News releases often represent the
>perspective of the organization that is sending them but should present
>a full and complete picture of the news they are reporting.
>There are many different types of news releases. They cover information
>relevant to the sponsoring organization and may relate internal or
>external changes or events. It is customary for the public communication
>practitioner to distribute a news release in advance of the "news." The
>idea, of course, is to alert the media to a story so that they can
>report on it in a timely manner. Releases are also sent to follow up on
>a news item or event, offering additional information that may be
>related to the organization that is disseminating it.
>An announcement release highlights changes that have occurred within the
>organization that may be of interest to a targeted audience.
>124
>News such as internal promotions, upcoming or past events, fundraising
>information, introduction of new products and services, new hires and
>appointments, honors and awards, mergers and acquisitions, earnings, and
>the like are often the primary focus of an announcement release.
>Spot announcements are written when an external influence or action has
>an effect on an organization. Again, it is critical that the information
>in a spot announcement is related to the organization and is relevant
>and newsworthy to the target audience.
>A reaction release is often used to counter or respond to something that
>was said or done within the public domain that has an effect on the
>organization and should be answered or redirected so that the
>organization can be on record regarding the issue. This type of release
>is most effective for an organization when the reaction is incorporated
>into a related news release that highlights additional information about
>the organization. The reaction release is a primary tool of political
>candidates and elected officials.
>The "bad news" release provides the truth about a bad situation. The
>organization should release the bad news, including all information and
>facts, quickly and honestly. A major element of a successful image
>campaign is maintaining honest relations with the media at all times,
>even if the news is not good. The thought behind this philosophy is if
>an organization is always honest and straightforward with information,
>it will be considered a reliable source by the media.
>A hometown release focuses on a local angle to a bigger news story. It
>often highlights individuals or organizations that are located in the
>same area and/or community as the media outlets covering the story. As
>an example, if the president of the United States appoints a new
>commission, the White House press office will disseminate announcement
>news releases to the national media explaining the purpose of the
>commission and providing the names of the members of the commission. If
>a woman from Hometown, USA, is a member of this newly appointed
>commission, the press office will send a release with a local angle to
>the news media in Hometown.
>Finally, the feature release offers an alternative news perspective to a
>larger news story. Considered "soft news," these releases are not
>necessarily time-sensitive and usually focus on the human-interest side
>of the larger news story. To expand our previous example, the woman from
>Hometown, USA, may have made an impression on the U.S. president because
>of a question she asked about the issue the commission
>125
>will explore during a town meeting in Hometown last year. This fact may
>result in a feature release about the commission and the woman's role.
>WHO GETS THEM?
>At the risk of being redundant: As writers, we must not begin the
>writing process without first identifying and understanding our target
>audience, and then we write about what interests that audience. We use
>print news releases for the same reasons we use audio and video news
>releases: We are trying to get a message disseminated to the audiences
>that some of the news media reach through their articles and programs.
>In order to accomplish this, we have to direct our release to the news
>media so that they will write stories that reach audiences we have
>already targeted. We have to know where that target audience is and what
>print media they read. Again, the target audience can be as narrow as
>boaters in Annapolis, Maryland, or as broad as people who suffer from
>type 2 diabetes.
>WHAT DO THEY DO?
>News releases are an organization's most often used tool for gaining
>news coverage and exposure. The information presented in a news release
>is designed to arouse the curiosity of the reporters-who may choose to
>further investigate the story. The successful news release includes
>important and newsworthy information written in clear, concise language,
>and it provides contact information for reporters who want to know more.
>The goal of a news release is not necessarily to have the news media run
>the release verbatim (though some newspapers do); instead, it is to draw
>attention to the message so that a reporter will be interested in
>writing a story and an editor will be inclined to let the story run.
>A news release also establishes the framework for discussion on issues
>concerning an organization and its related issues, activities, and
>philosophies. Because news media outlets spend a great deal of time
>processing information for stories, it has become common practice for
>them to use information from public communication sources to help create
>story ideas, supplement existing stories, and access information that
>may be difficult to otherwise obtain. When prepared correctly, news
>releases can save the media time, money, and effort.
>126
>As an integral part of a strategic public communication campaign, news
>releases help explain our organization's important objectives and
>messages to the public. Providing timely, accurate, and newsworthy
>information about current topics can also help to position an
>organization as a trustworthy authority on a set of issues.
>The ultimate purpose of a news release is to inform the public. It is
>not the function of a news release to stroke the egos of senior
>management. Instead, senior management should work to ensure the
>development of an effective news release campaign. They must be included
>and consulted regarding the intended messages and goals.
>News releases should never he the sole component of a public
>communication campaign. They are effective only when used in conjunction
>with other public communication tools. News releases should always be
>the result of an overall communication strategy. They should accompany
>media kits and annual reports and complement other message vehicles.
>The primary element of an effective news release is newsworthiness. If
>the information is not newsworthy, it should not be released. If the
>release does not contain news, placement by the media is unlikely. News
>is not always what the public communication practitioner or the
>organization's management thinks it is. It is critical to examine all
>elements of newsworthiness and weigh them against the proposed message.
>As you become more experienced in working with the news media and
>learning to think like a news director, you will learn to judge
>newsworthiness and know when you see it. Meanwhile, there are specific
>elements to help public communication professionals gauge the
>newsworthiness of a message or story:
> Timeliness: relevance to current events or issues or relatedness to an
>important event that has just taken place
> Magnitude: the degree to which the story or issue has an effect on a
>great many people
> Impact: the effect the story could have on the public
> Human interest: an appeal to readers' emotions
> Celebrity: the involvement of a well-known person, or of someone in
>the public eye, in the story
> Proximity: when a story hits close to the local coverage area and has
>relevance for people in a specific community or industry
> Novelty: an interesting angle that makes a story significant or unique
>127
>There are many news hooks that engage news media outlets and, in turn,
>targeted audiences. They include
> tie-ins with daily news events
> cooperating with another organization on a joint project
> tie-ins with a media outlet on a mutual project
> conducting a poll or survey
> issuance of a report
> an interview with a celebrity
> significant speeches
> making an analysis or a prediction
> formation and announcement of names for committees
> holding an election
> announcing an appointment
> celebration of an anniversary
> issuance of a summary of facts
> tie-ins with a holiday
> development of an award
> releasing a testimonial
> taking part in a controversy
> staging a special event
> writing a letter of significance
> releasing a received letter of significance (with permission)
> adaptation of national reports and surveys for local use
> tie-ins to a well-known week or day
> organizing a tour
> inspecting a project
> issuance of a commendation
> holding a protest
>128
> conducting a contest
> passing a resolution
> appearing before public bodies
> honoring an institution
> staging a debate
>HOW DO THEY HELP?
>When news releases generate news coverage by the media, an
>organization's credibility is increased and the public becomes more
>aware of the organization and its message. The news media provide
>third-party credibility.
>Public communication professionals often underestimate another benefit
>of news releases: creation of a platform to introduce and discuss issues
>relevant to an organization. Also, releases provide context for an
>organization to convey key messages to its target audience. Using
>credible, timely, accurate news releases over time as part of a public
>communication program will help to position an organization as a
>credible authority on issues pertaining to the business or interests of
>the organization. Often, the organization's spokesperson on these issues
>becomes a source for the news media to consult and quote as an expert on
>the topics.
>WHAT ARE THE PITFALLS?
>Using news releases certainly can have drawbacks. In fact, releases are
>often misused by public communication professionals and thus are not
>used effectively by the news media. Failing to target appropriate news
>media outlets, providing information that is not newsworthy, and
>distributing information simply to please upper management will position
>the organization as an unreliable source to the media.
>Even when a release is newsworthy and properly targeted, timeliness
>remains a cause for concern. Releases that highlight past events are
>taboo. Providing out-of-date information can lead not only to the
>immediate demise of an intended story but also to the certain demise of
>the organization's future news releases.
>129
>The language in a news release should be directed toward news directors,
>editors, and journalists, not toward the general public. It is a mistake
>to write a news release as though you are writing a finished news story.
>Also, it is important never to raise questions within the body of the
>release; instead, news releases should anticipate the audience's
>questions and supply the answers.
>When writing a news release, you will need to be familiar with the
>style, format, and audience of the targeted news media outlets. A news
>peg that interests one audience may not interest another, so it is
>important to tailor all messages appropriately.
>While news releases should be tailored to the news media outlet's
>individual style, there are still some general rules of style to
>remember. First, it is not necessary to get the name of the organization
>into the first sentence. It produces a boring lead and leaves little
>room to tell the actual news. Second, it is also not necessary to use
>the name of the company president or other company figurehead in the
>lead. Leads tend to get cluttered when they try to include the date,
>time, place, and name of an event all in the same sentence.
>The issue of libel is a major concern to news release writers. It is
>very tempting for a company to trumpet the good news and try to ignore
>or whisper the bad. However, doing so has serious legal consequences.
>All information released by a publicly traded company may be examined by
>the parties who claim to have been misled to determine if the materials
>combined to create a misleading representation of the company. Such a
>finding means that a corporation may be held liable even if each
>individual release or statement is completely truthful when examined
>separately. The courts have found that a corporation, a corporation's
>officers, and the PR firm that handles its news releases may all be held
>accountable when the releases are found to contain misleading and/or
>false information. All organizations-not just corporations-must also
>take responsibility for the content of any news release or public
>statement.
>Public communication professionals, including PR practitioners, should
>take careful measures to be truthful, accurate, and complete in their
>releases. If the situation does not warrant a rosy picture, then one
>should not be created. Withholding certain information, misleading the
>public, using extravagant claims, and making unfair comparisons can get
>the public communication professional, the organization, and the
>organization's officials into a losing legal battle. However, this does
>not mean that every news release that announces something positive must
>contain bad news as well.
>130
>HOW SHOULD THEY LOOK? Style Notes
>A news release should be written in the traditional inverted pyramid
>style, with the most important or interesting information conveyed
>first, followed by information that is increasingly less important.
>Sentences and paragraphs should be kept short. The first part of a news
>release includes the most important information. The following section
>contains secondary information like attribution or background material.
>The third part elaborates or amplifies hems mentioned in the first part.
>And the fourth and final part is supplemental information that may be
>related to, but not necessarily critical to, the intended message.
>The headline of a news release should be concise, informative, yet
>eyecatching and intriguing. The subhead should incorporate supplemental
>information not highlighted in the headline. An effective news release
>lead should contain who, what, where, why, when, and how of the story in
>one or two sentences. Most news release leads are found in the first
>paragraph; however, many feature releases incorporate a delayed lead to
>entice the reader.
>The body of the release should contain facts that are clearly and
>concisely stated. A good release avoids the use of overly descriptive
>language, superlatives, jargon, and inappropriate quotes. The release
>reflects the practitioner and the sponsoring organization. Misspellings
>and grammatical errors can lead to credibility problems, so the release
>should be carefully proofread. This guide and a recognized news
>stylebook should always be consulted.
>A news release should always try to explain the organization's
>viewpoint. A story is more likely to get picked up by the media when
>reporters have access to the newsmakers themselves. Additionally, when
>reporters request elaboration, information should be provided willingly
>and quickly.
>Quotes are another very important aspect of any news release. They
>provide a personal perspective to the story and amplify certain elements
>of the lead. Quotes can be from experts, firsthand accounts, and
>reviews. Try to incorporate a minimum of two different quotes from two
>different individuals; when appropriate, the quotes should be from
>people whose perspectives are not identical. This gives the media the
>opportunity to "pick and choose." Just as all the sentences written
>within the news release should be succinct, so should the quotes. Write
>quotes that sound conversational and contain information that is
>relevant to the story.
>131
>Finally, many organizations rely on a well-written boilerplate to
>provide the necessary background about who they are, their mission, and
>other relevant information that they may want to convey. Usually found
>at the very end of a news release, the boilerplate is still considered
>to be one of the more important and indispensable elements.
>Format
>There are elements all news releases should contain in order to make
>them successful. First, news releases should be printed on the
>organization's standard letterhead including the organization's name and
>logo, address, telephone, and fax number, and email address.
>Writing "NEWS RELEASE" in the top left corner of the page will make it
>obvious to even the most novice journalists what they are about to read.
>Immediately following the date that the release is being distributed on
>can appear an embargo date if one is necessary. An embargo is a future
>date and time the media can release the information. If the embargo
>differs from the date of distribution, the news media understand that
>the information should not be released to the public until the date and
>time specified. Caution: all journalists do not honor embargo dates, and
>only unusual circumstances call for embargoed releases. If a release is
>intended for dissemination on receipt, then the phrase "For Immediate
>Release" must follow.
>Another very important part of the release is current and accurate
>contact information, found at the top right corner of page one. This
>element includes the name and title, address, telephone number, fax
>number, and email address of the individual who should be contacted by
>the media with any questions or concerns related to the release. Of
>course, this information is very important to the news release's
>success.
>We should strive to make the headline of a news release effectively
>summarize the news written in the body of the release in an intriguing
>way. The headline should be centered in the middle of the page and
>formatted in all uppercase letters, boldfaced, and underlined. Directly
>under the headline, the subhead incorporates supplemental news
>information and should be written in uppercase and lowercase and
>italicized.
>Following the subhead is a dateline, or the city and state where the
>news originated. The lead directly follows the dateline and, as
>mentioned earlier, contains who, what, where, why, when, and how.
>The body of the news release includes lead amplifiers, which are quotes
>and supporting information that expand on the lead information.
>132
>A boilerplate paragraph at the very end of the release summarizes the
>philosophies, goals, and purposes of the organization sponsoring the
>release.
>If a news release runs over a single page, a page slug should appear at
>the top, flush left (e.g., page 2 of 2). The word "more" should appear
>at the bottom of each page when another page is to follow. At the end of
>the news release, there should be some indication that no more pages
>will follow. Symbols such as -30-, end, or ### are commonplace.
>News releases are usually written in a twelve-point Times Roman font.
>Double-spaced, they rarely exceed three pages in length; however, there
>are always exceptions. Once all the news is conveyed within the
>headline, lead, and body, you don't need to include more information.
>WHERE SHOULD THEY GO?
>The success of the distribution of the news release depends
>significantly on the thoroughness of the media list (see Chapter 7).
>News releases can be disseminated to the media through fax blasts (a
>mass faxing to a large number of media outlets at one single time),
>mail, email, and individual media calls.
>To obtain maximum placement, many public communication practitioners
>include pitch letters, captioned photographs, and other materials with
>news releases. News editors value images they cannot readily obtain, and
>pitch letters help to clarify^ story ideas while explaining why readers
>will be interested in the story.
>Embargoes are typically used to give reporters a chance to digest
>complex issues or lengthy pieces of information or to provide fair
>access by multiple news outlets. News organizations tend to dislike-and
>sometimes break-embargoes, so it is advisable to use them with caution.
>DID THEY WORK?
>The best way to evaluate the effectiveness of a news release is to
>measure the number of hits or story placements that the news release
>created. Many clipping services can obtain news stories from various
>forms of media including print, television, and radio. Many smaller or
>nonprofit organizations rely on their own staff to research media
>placements resulting from news releases.
>133
>Once placements are established, news releases can be measured against
>the desired criteria. Such criteria include
> circulation numbers
> target audience reached
> value compared to the advertising dollar (often done by converting
>print inches and air time into dollars)
> audience response (often measured by quantitative and qualitative data
>research)
>An Example Gallery for News Releases begins on the following page.
>134
>Example Gallery News Releases
>NEWS RELEASE
> March 15, 2004 Contact Information:
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sarah Woods, Communications Director
>Office: (202) 555-3377
>Fax:(202)555-3780
>Email: swoods at eachoneteachone.org
>--EACH ONE TEACH ONE STUDENTS RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS
>___. Participants Win College Funds for Aid in Curbing Youth Violence
>WASHINGTON, DC - Five students participating in Each One Teach One
>activities were presented with $1,000 scholarships at an awards ceremony
>yesterday at the organization's headquarters in Washington, DC.
>High school seniors who have participated in Each One Teach One events
>competed for five scholarships for assistance at the college of their
>choice. The criteria for this award include demonstrated leadership
>skills, impact of the program on everyday life, and the desire to
>continue the mission of the program.
>Announcement news release.
>O LETTERHEAD: The logo and title of the organization on the first page
>only.
>@ DATE OF DISTRIBUTION; The date the release is sent to the media.
>R "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" or "EMBARGOED UNTIL [DATE, TIME]"
>O CONTACT INFORMATION: Name, office telephone number (home number is
>optional), fax number, and email address.
>@ HEADLINE: Uppercase letters, bold and underlined; states summary of
>the news.
>¿ SUBHEAD: Upper- and lowercase letters, bold and italicized supplements
>news headline and
>does not paraphrase. O DATELINE: Location of event or story in capital
>letters.
>R LEAD: One- or two-sentence statement of the 5 "W's" of news-who, what,
>where, when, and why.
>@ PAGE SLUGS
>135
>page 2 of 2
>"These students exemplify the progress and development that Each One
>Teach One strives to accomplish in all children," said Executive
>Director Willis Bennett.
>Each One Teach One receives funding for the scholarship, activities and
>events through the Presidential Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative
>and donations by individuals and corporations. The organization's plans
>include expansion of the scholarship fund to provide more college aid.
>The honorees include Amanda Sheffield of Atlanta, Georgia; Bradley
>Lawrence and Paul Stevenson of Washington, DC; Terrell Jones of Chicago,
>Illinois; and Tanya Spelder of Miami, Florida.
>Attorney General Janine Redding, a member of the board of directors,
>recommended the creation of a scholarship to motivate the children
>involved in the program. According to Redding, "Each One Teach One wants
>to recognize students for their hard work and desire to reach their
>goals. This, 1 believe, is the perfect way."
>For more information, please contact Sarah Woods at (202) 555-3377 or by
>email at _
>swoods at eachoneteachone.org.
>Each One Teach One is a nonprofit organization created in 1999 in
>response to the growing number of tragedies from youth violence. The
>anti-violence campaign includes seminars, workshops and retreats as well
>as counseling services and fundraisers. Volunteers have also created a
>monthly newsletter and a Web site for the organization. The mission of
>Each One Teach One is to encourage youth to help each other find
>alternatives to violence.
>R LEAD AMPLIFIERS: Two or more quotations from relevant sources,
>statistics, or other pertinent story information.
>R CONTACT INFORMATION: Contact name, telephone numbers, fax number, and
>email address.
>R BOILERPLATE: Summarizes the philosophy, goals, and purpose of the
>organization. Appears just before the end of the news release.
>136
>
>
>_______________________________________________
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Brad Dunse

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