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Hot off the press! How to Write and Distribute an Effective News Release
1. Hot Off the Press!
How to Write and Distribute an Effective
News Release
KRISTEN GERLACH
PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALIST | MARKETING EXECUTIVE | WRITER | EDITOR
2. Why Do News Releases Matter?
• News Releases help promote a brand
• Additional goal: to gain a journalist’s interest
• You want to be the expert they interview for a story
• News Releases should be “newsworthy” and engaging
• Announces:
• New service or product
• Addition of new team members
• Upcoming events
3. Components of an Effective Release
• A strong and engaging headline
• Pique your reader’s interest
• Accuracy is necessary – don’t create a headline that doesn’t relate to your story
• Opening paragraph
• Get to the main points quickly
• Answers:
Who? What? When?
Where? Why?
Any following paragraphs should support your
opening paragraph
4. Components of an Effective Release (Cont.)
• Make your release intriguing
• Include statistics and numbers
• Provide testimonials, quotes and statements
• Be cautious that your statements don’t sound canned
• Ex: “Our company is excited to offer another unparalleled service” – BORING!
• Keep interviewing until you find something with some “oomph”
• Ending Paragraph
• Should offer a brief description about your company and who to contact for more
information on the topic
• The contact can either be yourself or someone else in the company
5. Components of an Effective Release (Cont.)
• Housekeeping Facts
• Be sure to include your contact information at the top of the release
• It is standard to end all releases with “###” at the bottom
• Keep releases short
• 1 page is ideal; 2 at most
• PROOFREAD your material
6. How to Distribute a News Release
• Key word: NEWS
• Don’t stick to just the newspaper/press
• Submit your release to a variety of media sources – radio, television stations
• Learn who your contact should be and how to submit
• Call and learn the best person to submit releases to
• Should it go to a department editor?
• If you already have a relationship with someone at the media company, use this to
your advantage
• Work with your newspaper or radio station rep to see if they can help you reach
the correct individual
7. How to Distribute a News Release (Cont.)
• Submit releases in the contact’s preferred manner
• Most people prefer email submissions in today’s society, but not all
• Other methods include mailing a hard copy or faxing
• Keep a list of notes on preferred submission methods
• Include a visual element whenever possible – this makes your release more
engaging
8. In Summary…
• Promote “newsworthy” material
• Provide engaging content including a strong header, statistics, quotes and visual
elements
• Understand the main components of an effective news release
• Submit your news releases to multiple media platforms
• Know who your main media contact should be
