1. News Releases The good, bad and ugly

2. What is a news release?  A company uses new releases or press releases to alert the media of an announcement.  News releases are written for members of the media in hopes that they will be turned  They must be written clearly, concisely and accurately.

3. Format  Visual Basics Standard, letter-size 8.5X11” paper One-sided on company’s letterhead Double-spaced Wide margins 12-point font Contact information on top Uncluttered and professional looking Format must be easily emailable

4. Press Release Examples

6. Writing a press release  Write in inverted pyramid format  Don’t “bury” the news  Save quotes for separate paragraphs  Use facts to harden your news (e.g. statistics)  Use AP style  Keep writing organized and free of errors

7. Pieces of a press release

8. What makes a good release  Theoretical perspectives Sender-receiver theory Message salience Mass media/PR practitioner

9. Questions to ask before you hit send  Newsworthiness Is the story clearly presented? Is the release tied into anything? Why should I believe this story matters enough to merit coverage? What makes your story rise above mere advertising for my company? Why should readers/editors care about my company/story?

10. Now, think like a reporter  Do I understand the role of the reporter you are sending the release to?  Does the body of the release provide statistics?  Will the reporter call?  Will I call the reporter to follow up?  What is my role as the PR person?  What am I going to say if a reporter does call?

11. Good Press Release= Good media coverage= raise for you!