Press Here To Make The News
21 Apr 2008 | Category: uncategorized | Author: admin
Freelance writers are often asked to write press releases. Press release writing is a key skill which allows writers to publicize their own services or promote someone else's. Here's what writers need to know.
What are press releases?
A press release is essentially a news story written to interest a specific publication or audience. It consists of three main parts: the headline, the introduction and the body. There may also be a note to editors at the end of the story which contains extra information for those not familiar with your organisation or product.
As with a news story, the lead is crucial. It should answer the who, what, where, when and why questions, right from the start. The press release should sound like a news story, with short sentences and paragraphs. Your story needs a clear angle, and no loose ends.
How do I decide what to put in?
News is essentially about people, so writers should stress the people aspect of the story.
Four other techniques writers can use are:
-
controversy - examples could include attacking a government decision, making a prediction about the future or suggesting a new policy
-
conflict - examples include price cuts, fighting for an elected office or a battle for market share
-
novelty value - describe a coincidence, a chance event or a surprising statistic.
-
empathy - show how your product can help the reader, a survey on issues that concern people, provide tips to handling a common problem.
A successful release should be:
-
relevant to the people it is sent to
-
focused: that is, correctly targeted
-
timely: fitting in with the publication deadlines of the organization you're sending it to
-
readable: if it bores the person who does the initial read, the chances of getting it published are slim
-
presented in the right format.
Most of all a press release should be news.
Comments
This article hasn't been commented yet.
Write a comment
* = required field