Guidelines and checklist for creating a news release
News releases remain the most common tool for organizations to make a public statement through the media.
Newsrooms receive hundreds of story ideas each week. Here’s a simple checklist to make sure your news release will stand out in the crowd.
Find a news hook. Ask yourself, “Is this news?” Your news release will attract more attention if you develop a strong news hook, create a human interest element, or relate the news release to a current trend or national or international event.
Create a great headline, one that hits the heart of the story. If the headline doesn’t grab the news editor or reporter it is less likely that he or she will go on to read the rest of the news release. Remember that in a busy newsroom you are competing for the editor’s or reporter’s attention. An effective headline always includes the organization’s name, gives a sense of immediacy by using the present tense, uses active verbs and plain conversational words to clearly communicate the nature of the story.
Answer the eight W’s. The initial five (who, what, why, when, where) should be captured in an interesting opening statement of 25 words or less. The remaining three W’s should be answered in the second paragraph. They are: Who wins, Who loses and Who cares. A good reporter will be asking themselves these questions so it’s in your best interest to answer these questions for them.
Don’t spin a bad news story. Always tell the real story, even if it’s bad news. The media will be less likely to trust your organization in the future if a news release tries to hide the bad news at the end of the news release. Be proactive and explain why the bad news is happening and what the organization is doing about it.
Contact information. You must provide sound contact information if you want the media to react to your news release. That includes: contact name(s) – meaning someone who can respond directly and immediately to the media or who can immediately arrange a media interview; daytime and after-hours telephone number; e-mail address; and the organization’s website. Make sure the contact person is available and ready to respond.
Since our papers are local and community-based, we also want to know where in the city the person or organization is located. Press releases must include the person’s or organization’s complete address, including postal code.
Once you’ve sent the news release, follow up with a call. Call the assignment desk, business editor or beat reporter. A thorough followup will let the media know the story is important and will help you build stronger relationships with key writers and producers.
