News Release

Review the section entitled “The Format of a News Release” in the beginning of Chapter 6. Choose an existing product or a made up product and write a one to two page news release (not including title and reference pages) announcing the introduction of the new product using the provided format. 

The paper:

• Must be one to two double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.).


• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  
  
  
  • Title of paper
  
  
  • Student’s name
  
  
  • Course name and number
  
  
  • Instructor’s name
  
  
  • Date submitted
  
  
  
  


• Must use at leaste one scholarly source in addition to the course text.


• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.


• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

News Release Format

Unlike a novel, where the plot thickens and the climax comes at the end, the essential points of a news release appear right up front—in the first sentence or paragraph(s), commonly referred to as the lead. The news release lead—like the lead in a newspaper news story—answers all the pertinent questions that a reader might have, specifically:

• Who?


• What?


• Where?


• When?


• Why?


• How?

In other words, once you’ve read the first paragraph or so in a news release, you know all you need to know about the subject at hand.Everything else is interesting but less pertinent detail. For example, the following is a solid news release lead:

Brooklyn, NY, April 28, 2014—Jay Z and Beyonce announced today that in response to overwhelming demand from their fans, they would depart on a joint “On the Run” tour, covering 16 cities in the U.S. and Canada, between June and August.

Inverted pyramid. News release format is that of an upside-down pyramid, where the most important facts come first and less important facts appear in descending order.

In about three dozen words, this one sentence answers just about all the primary questions anyone might have about this news event. As the release proceeds, other details—the specific cities, format of the concerts, and so on—might be discussed. The public relations writer attacks the release by answering the relevant questions in descending order of importance—the most relevant first, the less relevant next. In this way, news release writing is less writing than it is selecting which facts are more important than others. It is the writer’s job to arrange these facts so that the reader understands immediately the significance of the announcement and then learns about the less essential information in the body of the release. This format is known as the upside-down or inverted pyramid, where the most important items are displayed immediately and the facts dwindle in terms of importance as the release approaches its tip.

This writing format—with facts first, so that no reader will be confused as to what you wish to tell them—works not only in news releases but also in letters, emails, memos, blogs, and virtually any type of writing where clarity and understanding are most important (in other words, most types of writing!). In this way, rather than being a “deadletter,” as some might suggest, the news release is the most critical and valuable format a public relations writer can learn.

News Release Style

As public relations writers are professional writers, the news release copy they produce should follow professional style guidelines. The most common style that news releases follow is Associated Press (AP) wire service style, referenced in Chapter 4.

Following accepted AP style is important for a public relations writer. Content, of course, is king, but how a release looks also plays a role in determining how a public relations person is assessed. Journalists judge all aspects of what you hand them. Proper release style, therefore, will help bolster the credibility of you, your release, and your organization. Using AP style helps ensure that rewriting is reduced and improves the chances of the release being used. Releases also must appear attractive in inviting reporters to peruse them. That means following certain rules of thumb—among them, identification, release date, length, headlines, punctuation and spelling, email protocol, and multimedia releases.

Identification

The name and telephone number(s) of the release writer should appear prominently in the release, in case an editor wants further information. The purpose is to facilitate reporter contact, so all pertinent phone numbers—work, home, cell, vacation place—should be listed.For online releases, including contact information at both the top and bottom of the release reduces the need for scrolling.

In terms of the addressee, no reporter likes to get lumped in with others, so you should list only one reporter in the “To” line of the email.

Release Date

A news release is not a book. Since most news releases are distributed via email, they should be kept short. A release should be edited tightly, using concise sentences. Paragraphs should also be short, no more than six lines at most. A single sentence can suffice as a paragraph.According to paid wire service PR Newswire, the average print release is 500 words. Email releases should be shorter than that. Email software such as Microsoft Outlook includes fixed set limits on the size of messages received. Long messages will be truncated.ed.

Length

A news release is not a book. Since most news releases are distributed via email, they should be kept short. A release should be edited tightly,using concise sentences. Paragraphs should also be short, no more than six lines at most. A single sentence can suffice as a paragraph.According to paid wire service PR Newswire, the average print release is 500 words. Email releases should be shorter than that. Emailsoftware such as Microsoft Outlook includes fixed set limits on the size of messages received. Long messages will be truncated.

Headlines

Headlines should always be included to entice editors into reading on into the body of the news release that follows. The headline should be informative enough so that editors can see quickly what the release is about. Email headlines should be written in boldface upper- and lowercase and limited to 10 words or less. In addition to headlines, slug lines—established “signposts” such as “more” for copy that continues and “30” or “####” to indicate the end—are imperative on print releases. Online releases benefit from subheads or boldface to make copy more graphically arresting.

Punctuation and Spelling

Watch your language. Every day, public relations writers distribute thousands of news releases hoping for media pickup; a single misspelling can sink the most worthwhile release.

The primary purpose of punctuation is to clarify the writer’s thoughts, ensure exact interpretation, and make reading and understanding quicker and easier. Less punctuation should be one goal. Be consistent in your use of punctuation such as commas, colons, and hyphens. And try to limit the use of exclamation points! Spelling, too, is critical. Many words (from adviser to zucchini) are commonly misspelled. Even spell-check isn’t foolproof, so always recheck. One misspelling could doom the use of your release.

Email Protocol

While you should link releases to the organization’s URL, attachments are strictly taboo.Reporters will be reluctant to download any file and face the risk of a virus. Email releases must balance information with readability. That means that public relations writers should pay attention to making copy attractive, using bullets, lists, numbers, and other devices that make a release more eye-friendly and scannable. The same is true with respect to materials that lend themselves to tabular form, such as lists and timetables—make them pleasing to the eye.

Multimedia Releases

Finally, today’s news release writers must be cognizant of the power that the computer gives to reach a broader audience and drive views, principally through the incorporation of multimedia embeds in releases. Such multimedia releases—also known as digital releases or smart releases—may include embedded images or short video or audio files to provide an added spark to complement the text. Here again, it depends who composes your primary audience. If your target publics areYouTube users, than it might make good sense to include video in your release. If your targets spend more time on Pinterest, than creating“pinnable” images might make sense. In most cases, the text content of the release is most crucial (content is king), but multimedia has an increasing place in the creation of news releases.

The bottom line on format and style: As a professional communicator, the public relations writer must ensure that every release he or she produces is not only newsworthy and informative, but also properly presented and interesting to read.