Here you go...

Letterhead – Part 1

First, you need to label this as a media release, so the reader does not mistake it for some other sort of letter or even junk mail. Some options are: Media Release; News Release; News from ...; Media Information. Don’t try to be clever, just clear – which is a good thing to remember for every part of your media release.

Letterhead – Part 2

Always use your organisation’s logo – if you are already known to the media, this makes for easy recognition, and if you are not already known, this is your first step towards becoming known. If you don’t already have a letterhead or a logo, create one, even if it’s just simple type. You can dress it up by using a distinctive typeface or putting it in a box, but you need not be too fancy to achieve the right effect.

Date

Always include the date of your release. The date shows how current the release is, and it helps with filing for future reference. It also helps to clarify the meaning of terms such as “tomorrow” or “last week” (but these terms are best avoided – better to use actual dates).

Embargo (if any)

If you don’t want to see (or hear) your release published before a certain time or date, include an embargo. If you want it to be published without delay, mark it FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Do NOT impose an embargo unless you have a good reason – news is not news unless it is fresh, so don’t risk making it stale! Remember if you have an embargo, ALWAYS state both time and date.

It should look something like this: EMBARGO: NOT FOR PUBLICATION BEFORE 10.00 AM, THURSDAY 23 AUGUST 2008

Heading

This is where you get your journalist’s attention, so state your business clearly and briefly. Don’t try to be “clever.” Think in terms of “Man bites dog” rather than “Canine role reversal has real bite”. Limit your heading to one line, preferably no more than five or six words. Write it in lower case with capital letters only for the first letter and any proper nouns or acronyms. Your heading should be at least 16 – 18 point bold type.

Intro (first paragraph)

Tell the essentials of your story in one short sentence. Try to tell the “five Ws and the H” – Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. If you can’t manage them all, then at least include the Who, What, Where and When, then put the Why and How in the next par.

Remember: in newspaper journalism, and therefore your media release too, one sentence equals one paragraph.

Be very clear about what you want to say. Give serious thought to the one key message you want to deliver – you must stick to just one message to avoid confusing the issue – and make sure you deliver that message in your intro. Do not leave any doubt about what your key message is. As with the heading, be clear rather than clever. Journalists will soon lose interest if the intro is not clear or the subject matter is not of interest to the journalist and to their audience.

Second par (usually)

This is your chance to give a little more detail about your key point – but don’t try to introduce another, point. If you have not included the Why and How in your intro, include them here. It may be where you name your organisation if you have referred to it generically in the intro (“A national welfare organisation has announced …” or “A new drug promises relief for arthritis sufferers …”) or it may be where you give more detail about Who, What, Where or When (sometimes one or two of these may be more important than the others). (On rare occasions, you might skip this par and move straight to the next one, where you introduce a spokesperson.)

Introducing the spokesperson – indirect quote

Almost every news story quotes a source (because journalists cannot report what you tell them as though it fact – they can only report the fact that you said it). This is where you introduce the spokesperson for your release (this person should be available to the media for further comment if required). The best way to do it is with an indirect quote, which allows you to give the person’s title and name (and some titles can be terribly long!) before going on to paraphrase or summarise the key point of what you want them to say in the release.

First direct quote - attributed

Now it’s time for the direct quotes, and the first one must be attributed – that is, you must indicate who said it. Even though some people may argue about where the punctuation belongs, the correct style is: “Blah, blah, blah,” so-and-so (or he/she) said. What your spokesperson says will expand on the one central theme of your release. It will not go off at a tangent or try to “sneak in” an extra point.

Unattributed, direct quotes – up to three pars

Now you can follow with up to three pars of direct, unattributed quotes by the same person. This is the correct punctuation for these three pars, combined with the previous par:

“Blah, blah, blah,” so-and-so (or he/she) said.

“Blah, blah, blah.

“Blah, blah, blah.

“Blah, blah, blah.”

Don’t close the quotes before the person stops speaking.

Again, don’t try to “sneak in” an extra point.

Repeating the quote cycle (if necessary)

Sometimes a release will require more than the six or seven pars we have included so far. If so, you can repeat the cycle of quotes, but just using the person’s name this time not the full title. The correct form is:

So-and-so said blah blah blah. “Blah, blah, blah,” he/she said.

“Blah, blah, blah.

“Blah, blah, blah.

“Blah, blah, blah.”

Closing point (only sometimes)

Media releases, like news stories, usually get by without a neat closing point to “sum up” the story. A closing point can be helpful where it delivers a final key piece of practical information such as “The book will be released nationally next Tuesday.” BUT remember that stories are generally cut from the bottom.

Contact details

You must include details of someone who can be contacted for further information. The contact person must be either someone who can be quoted directly, or someone who can organise a spokesperson or additional supporting information quickly and efficiently. Give the person’s name, title (or some indication of their role) and phone number or numbers, plus an email address.

… and that’s it (well, almost)

Now that you have written your release, there are some simple but very important steps to complete the process:

1. 1.Obtain approvals from every person mentioned or quoted in the release.
   

2. 2.Obtain legal checks if required – in many organisations there will be an established protocol to follow.
   

3. 3.Check that you have a suitable media list – if need be, phone the media to confirm that you have the right details.
   

4. 4.Send out your release by an appropriate means. Fax, email, even by mail or by hand if that suits your circumstances
   

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR MEDIA RELEASE!