Press Releases

 What do you understand by the term Press

Release?

 What is the process of communication in

press releases?
The Press Release
 Advertising keeps your company ________ the public mind,
but publicity that appears ________ news is more trusted
________ the public. But most of that news doesn't originate
________ the media outlets themselves. An estimated 70
percent of news comes ________ outside sources in the form
________ press releases.
 The press release is fundamental to the news business, and
its importance is often underestimated. Some of its value can't
be measured, such as top-of-mind recognition for your
company. The press release is a major form of
communication in business, government and both private and
public institutions.
 So why do so many press releases end ________ in media
waste baskets? The major reason is that they just aren't
newsworthy. Any media outlet exists ________ serve its
audience. So, it must emphasise local and regional news.
Your press release must be important ________ a medium's
particular audience. Think of what media your prospects read
and watch, and send your press releases to those media.
Press releases must be news, not
self-serving advertising
Press releases need to give information that's important to the readers.
Events that might warrant a press release include:
 Openings
 Expansions
 New services or products
 A new catalogue, brochure or newsletter
 New staff and promotions
 Community activities
 Timely tie-ins with national holidays
 Awards
 Company milestones
 Open houses
 Financial news (e.g., your company has just been awarded a big
contract)
 Someone in the company has an article or a book published
Four Common Reasons Why Press Releases are Rejected
Because they need outside news sources, the media are already
inclined to be interested in your press release. But you can
kill that enthusiasm with these common mistakes:

1. Received too late ________ deadline. Before you submit

your press release, check ________ the editor ________
deadlines. Remember that the release must go ________
several steps before it appears ________ print. Make sure
your release arrives ________ plenty of time to meet the
deadline.

2. No news value to the readers. A news outlet's obligation is

________ its audience. If your release isn't ________ interest
to that audience, if it's hype and advertising thinly disguised
as news, the editor will trash it.
Four Common Reasons Why Press Releases are Rejected

3. Too long and rambling. Newspaper space is

expensive. Just ask an advertiser how much it costs.
Don't waste everyone's time - get right ________ the
point. Limit your release ________ two pages or less,
double-spaced. The less a person knows ________ a
subject, the more words he or she tends to write about it.
4. Requires too much rewriting. Editors are busy people.
If your release is poorly written or doesn't conform
________ the newspaper's style, it's often not practical
to contact the author and then rewrite the release.
PRESS RELEASES – Content

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - These words

should appear in the upper left-hand margin, just
under your letterhead. You should capitalise
every letter.
 Contact Information - Skip a line, add ‘Contact
information’ in bold and give the name and title
of the contact, address, telephone numbers and
email of your company spokesperson. It is
important to give your private number since
reporters often work on deadlines and may not
be available until after hours.
PRESS RELEASES – Content

 Headline - Skip a line after your contact

information and use a boldface type.
 Dateline - This should be the city your press
release is issued from and the date you are
mailing your release and should be in bold.
 Lead Paragraph - The first paragraph needs to
grab the readers’ attention and should contain
the relevant information to your message such
as the five W's (who, what, when, where, why).
PRESS RELEASES – Content

 Text - The main body of your press

release should contain about two to three
paragraphs to fully develop your message.
 Recap – The last paragraph should restate
your news, refer to a website and contact
information.
PRESS RELEASES - PHYSICAL LAYOUT

 Paper - Use A4 paper. Use a minimum of

two-centimetre margins on each side of the
page. Complete the paragraph on one page
instead of carrying it over onto the next page.
Use only one side of each sheet of paper.
 Type - Use a Bold typeface for the headlines
to draw attention.
PRESS RELEASES - PHYSICAL LAYOUT
 Punctuation - Capitalise the first letter of all
words in the headline (with the exception of: "a",
"an", "the", or prepositions such as: "of", "to", or
"from"). The combination of upper and lower
case makes it easier to read.
 Special Formats – Use the word "more" between
two dashes and centre it at the bottom of the
page to let reporters know that another page
follows: – more –
 Use three hash symbols immediately following
the last paragraph to indicate the end of the
press release: # # #
PRESS RELEASES - OTHER POINTS
 Tell the audience that the information is intended for them and
why they should continue to read it.
 Start with a brief description of the news – the lead.
 Ask yourself, "How are people going to relate to this and will they
be able to connect?"
 Make sure the first 10 words of your release are effective, as
they are the most important.
 Deal with the facts, with the exception of the quote.
 Provide as much contact information as possible: Individual to
contact, address, phone, email, web site address.
 Make sure you wait until you have something with enough
substance to issue a release.
 Make it as easy as possible for media representatives to do their
jobs.
Press Release Basics

 The building blocks of the press release are always

the 5 Ws - Who, What, Why, When, and Where. "H"
for how can be included, if it's newsworthy. These
building blocks help ensure that no essential facts
are omitted. They also help organise the story.
There's little room for creativity in news writing, so
find the most important element of the story and use
it as your lead. The most important element varies
from story to story, so any of the 5 Ws can be a
strong lead element.
Anatomy of a Press Release
Here is a sample release.
It’s been dissected it to highlight the important parts.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jane Pritchard
Customer Relations Manager
Made in New York Store
373 Enfield Falls Road, Ithaca, NY 14850-8758
++345 348 3459 / ++793 489 6876
j.pritchard@miny.com
www.madeinnewyork.com

Made in New York Store Announced as Ultra-Cool Shopping Site

Anatomy of a Press Release
Ithaca, NY, November 5, 2018 — The Made in New York Store, an
on-line department store based in Ithaca, New York, has been
selected by coolshopping.com as an Ultra-Cool Shopping Site, and
one of the first 400 sites on the net to receive the coveted
designation. Made in New York is the only store whose every item is
produced or manufactured exclusively in New York.

The announcement was made last night at the Tech & Commerce
Awards, which took place at the Hilton Harvest Hotel in New York
and took the other competitors by surprise. Not Michael Turback
however, who stated that “In the restaurant business it would be the
equivalent of a 4-star Award by The New York Times.” Turback,
Made in New York Store President was himself a former
restauranteur.
Anatomy of a Press Release

The Made in New York Store is in good company. The

elite group of sites includes Bloomingdales, Fortunoff
and Martha By Mail, the shopping site of Martha Stewart
Living.

For more information about the Made in New York Store

visit the web site at www.newyorkfirst.com or contact
Jane Pritchard: ++345 348 3459 / ++793 489 6876,
j.pritchard@miny.com, www.madeinnewyork.com

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