1. News Releases

2. Clutter
• Reporters and editors are inundated with
press releases
• Most are never used

3. Standing Out
• Keep it clean
• Keep it relevant
• Keep it timely

4. Planning the Release
• What is the “news” value?
• Who is it designed to reach?
• What is the “messaging/talking point” that
your client wants to get across?
• What is the objective of the release?

5. AP Style
• Press releases should follow the AP style
standard
– This is the same standard used by journalists

6. Format
• Traditional news releases have:
– Letterhead
– Contacts
– Headline
– Dateline
– Lead Paragraph
– Body of text
– (optional) Boilerplate info

7. Letterhead
• The first page is usually on company
letterhead
• Includes logo
• If you don’t have letterhead, use a larger font
to visually communicate the source behind
the release

8. Letterhead
• Put the words “News Release” or something
similar near the top
• Optional: “For Immediate Release”

9. Contacts
• The contact info for the company and PR
person should be after the letterhead
• Contact: Jane Smith
Global PR
(425) 405-1771
jsmith@globalpr.edu

10. Headline
• Usually brief and in bold
• Larger font than text of release
– Usually 14- or 16-point type
• Optional: Subhead with more details
– Subhead is not bolded

11. Dateline
• Appears at the start of the lead paragraph
• Includes place and date
• There are some variations to the dateline, but
here are some common examples:
– CITY, State (Sept. 7, 2006) – The text of the story
begins here. Etc. Etc. Etc.
– CITY, State – This product is the best thing ever! Etc.
Etc. Etc.
– CITY, State, Jan. 11, 2011 – Joe Smith was named the
new CEO of…

12. Types of News Releases
• Hard News Release
– No-nonsense summary lead
– Summarizes the “news” value
• Feature News Release
– Less time-sensitive
– Might have a more creative lead

13. Example: Hard News Lead
• SANTA CLARA, Calif. — March 22, 2000 — As
part of their continuing efforts to develop
innovative and integrated marketing
solutions, Pepsi-Cola Company (NYSE: PEP)
and Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO), today
announced a joint online and offline
promotional program, Pepsi Stuff.com.

14. Example: Feature Lead
• Berlin, April 10, 2003 — Sony’s AIBO, the
world’s favorite four-legged entertainment
robot, is about to become a wow! on the
dance floor thanks to “AIBO Dancer,” an
exciting new software application. Based on
Sony’s Memory Stick technology, it enables
AIBO to dance in time to pop music.

15. Body of Text
• Most important info is high in the release
• Quote from a credible executive in second or
third paragraph
• Background material is usually in the second
or third paragraph

16. Tips for Success
• Keep the headline under 70 characters (8-10
words)
• Keep the opening paragraph short (25 words
or less)
• Overall length is usually no more than 400
words
• Get a high-level, credible exec for your quote
(if appropriate)

17. Case Study
• A social gaming company
announces plans to develop
“next-generation virtual
world”
– Media coverage follows
– Some articles follow the
narrative/messaging of the
press release
– Some articles about the
larger phenomena of virtual
reality started to include this
news as part of (but not the
main focus of) the narrative

18. Social Media Press Releases
• Many press releases are now
hosted/distributed online
• Optimize your release for social media sharing
and keyword indexing
– SEO = Search Engine Optimization
– SMO = Social Media Optimization

19. Crowdcircles.com
Want to learn more?
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