Getting Publicity
HOW TO WRITE A PRESS RELEASE AND GET IT PUBLISHED OR GET YOURSELF ON RADIO OR TV
Most newsrooms these days have so few staff they love a well-crafted press release and if it is really well written you may find your words printed exactly as you wrote them or find yourself being asked to the studio for an interview - and you haven't even paid for an advert!
But there are a few basic rules to follow:
1) Keep it short. Preferably no more than one side of A4 and certainly no more than two. You may be able to wax lyrical about your campaign or product launch, but the newsdesk at the Dearne Valley Bugle really doesn't want a 10,000 word essay.
2) The beginning MUST be catchy. If you can't catch the attention of the news editor immediately then your press release is in danger of ending up in the bin.
3) The first couple of paragraphs must contain the main bones of the story. You can flesh it out later.
4) Make sure your press release is self-contained and has ALL the relevant information. Reporters are busy (and lazy) and really don't want to have to chase you to find out when the event is happening or what the first name of the president of the organisation is.... Think: who, what, when, where, why and how....
5) A good test: get someone who knows nothing about your campaign/ launch/ event to read it and see if there are any questions that they would ask. If so, make sure you put the answers in the press release before you send it.
6) Put a few nice quotes in and attribute them to someone. You don't need loads. A couple of sentences will do. Make the quotes emotional rather than factual.
7) Put some interesting facts and figures in, but don't go over the top.
8) Avoid using jargon or initials.
9) Send a decent photo if you have one or attach as a jpeg (only for newspapers of course!)
10) Put contact details at the bottom and MAKE SURE SOMEONE IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER CALLS AT ALL REASONABLE TIMES.
11) Headline and date the press release. Not a bad idea to put "press release" at the top, above your (catchy) title and carefully crafted first couple of paragraphs! As daft as it sounds, writing "press release" means it goes to the right people and not to Accounts because they thought it was an invoice......
12) Email your press release if possible. But ALSO post or fax it. Newsrooms get millions of emails, which are easy to delete (especially if the first paragraph is boring), but they get very few faxes and little post these days...
13) If the radio station/ newspaper has a "district office" in your area (for example the Doncaster office of the Star or Barnsley office of BBC Radio Sheffield) send it to them as well as the HQ. It is much easier to deal with a small office.
14) Don't be worried if no-one contacts you. Remember if it is well-written it may get used just as it is!
15) If you really do feel the need to contact the newsroom to check they got your press release - be careful. You may make a useful contact - or you may just annoy a busy news editor..... But as number 13: a small office (or a small paper or radio station. eg Barnsley Chronicle or Trax FM or the new Rother FM) may be easier to approach and make contact with than say the main Sheffield Star office in Sheffield.
16) Be prepared to do radio or TV interviews. Remember radio CAN'T use your amazing quotes - they need someone to SAY them! It could just be a quick telephone interview. Similarly TV will need someone to stand in front of a camera and tell the world how important/ marvellous your event/ product/ campaign is. SO HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS PREPARED TO DO RADIO OR TV - or you could miss an opportunity to speak to hundreds of thousands of people.
17) Remember the press has deadlines. They will always want you to do an interview at a moment's notice - so be prepared!
18) GOOD LUCK!!
Compiled by Kate Betts, who has 20 years' experience in newspapers, radio, TV and PR; most recently as news editor at BBC Radio Sheffield. She now runs a media consultancy, freelances for BBC Radio 4's "Woman's Hour" and teaches journalism at Sheffield University.
For more information see www.katebettsmedia.co.uk
