Before you begin writing, there are a few things you should know about the media. First, they don’t care about your announcement. It sounds harsh, but it’s true. The media only cares about the people who read their newspapers, watch their news programs, listen to their radio stations, and so on. And they only care about those people because the more they satisfy them, the more successful they will be. So, if you want to appeal to the media, appeal to their audience. This means if you’re writing a press release announcing a company’s new product, don’t talk about the product. Talk about the ways it will benefit people. If you’re announcing an event, write about the significance of the event. A good press release tells the media why their audience will care about your announcement.

The Headline

The headline is the most important part of the press release. Editors’ inboxes are filled with e-releases, and they have neither the time nor the desire to read each one. Instead, they scan the headline and decide in a split second whether they want to read the next line. So, if you want the media to read your first sentence, entice them with your headline.

Writing headlines is a craft in itself, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t hit a homerun the first time. Keep practicing. And remember: all you have to do is get the media to read the next sentence. That’s it. It can be tempting to want to show how clever a writer you can be by crafting a cute headline, but this will actually backfire on you. The media gets turned off when you’re being cute or clever because it’s a sign that your announcement isn’t newsworthy on its own. So don’t be clever; just be interesting. And be patient—you’ll get the hang of it.

The Beginning

The first sentence is the second most important part of the press release. Editors have short attention spans, and even if you’ve written a spectacular headline, you have to write a spectacular first sentence to hold their interest. Sometimes you can do this by writing a statement about the announcement that makes them ask a question to which they want to know the answer. For example, the following sentences begin a press release sent out in April 2009:

Orange stripes, pink plaid and red polka-dots will be in style for one day in St. Joseph County. They will even earn some local people an award.

How can orange stripes, pink plaid and red polka-dots earn people awards? You have to keep reading to find out!

If you can get the media to ask themselves a question like this, don’t keep them hanging too long. They’ll get annoyed. For this reason, always get to the point of your release quickly. State the announcement. The next few sentences of the press release mentioned above read:

 For the fourth year in a row, golfers of all skill levels are invited to kick off the golf  season wearing their ugliest, silliest and “baddest” pants. The 2009 Bad Pants Open will  take place Monday, May 4th at South Bend Country Club, and will benefit the Diabetes Association of St. Joseph County.

The Middle

Once you’ve piqued the media’s interest and clearly stated the announcement, it’s time to provide answers to all the logistical questions that they’ll need to know should they choose to cover it. If you were writing the 2009 Bad Pants Open press release, you’d want to describe in greater detail what the event entails, including who is invited, how they register, and any other details that will help provide a better understanding of what it is and why their audience will want to know about it.

It’s also helpful to include a quote from someone who has some kind of authority regarding your announcement. A quote gives the release personality. Sometimes the media uses it; sometimes they don’t. By the way, here’s a little secret about press release quotes: we make them up. Seriously. You wrote the release, you know what you’ve already stated, so you know what kind of quote will best fit into the release without sounding dull or repetitive. As long as it’s “well-spoken” and tasteful, the client will approve it.  

The End

The end of the press release is the easiest part to write. Always close with a short paragraph about the organization, program or company that is making the announcement, and list the contact information for the person whom the media should call if they want more information. Usually you can simply copy the closing paragraph and contact info from the last press release that was submitted for that client, and paste it into the end of your new press release.

Now you’re done… unless you’re providing supplemental information (such as links to photos) that will make your press release even more desirable. If so, the links will be the end.

The following is the end of the 2009 Bad Pants Open press release: 

The Diabetes Association of St. Joseph County serves individuals with diabetes and their  families. The Association takes a leadership role in providing screening, education and  diabetes awareness activities in the community. They also provide individual support in self-management and financial assistance for those in need.

Press Contact
Mary X
574-247-XXXX
mheck@XXXXXX

Final Thoughts

• Writing press releases is a game. Your objective is to get your client’s event in the news, and, by extension, to get them in the news. Put yourself in the shoes of an editor or a reporter. Why would you want to cover this announcement? What makes it newsworthy? Then, answer these questions in an interesting, compelling way. 
• Put the most important information at the top of the release. It’s hard enough to get editors to read the first paragraph, let alone the entire press release. So get to the point quickly. 
• Save the headline for last. This will let you focus all of your energy on writing a great headline. Sometimes having the entire “story” gives you a better perspective as to what kind of headline will entice the media to read it. 
• And finally… relax. Don’t over-think it. After all, it’s just a press release.

Contact Ryan Michael Faist at ryanfaist@msn.com

Author:  Ryan Michael Faist
Download:  Word Document