The text for this section has been adapted from resource materials from ‘Ban the Landmine Campaign’ and UNDP Blue Book.

When to use a press release

A press statement is used to give information or comment to the media on an important issue or event. Remember that news goes stale very quickly, so get your statement out as fast as you can.

Important things to know about press releases

New and interesting

The first question editors and journalists ask when they pick up your release is “Is this important?” And the conclusion they reach will determine whether or not they keep reading and use the release. To be important, the release must announce something new and interesting.

The writer has one paragraph – maybe 20 seconds – to seize the reader’s attention. Headlines help to sell the story at a quick glance. Aim for a complete but short sentence as a headline. Use verbs and active words.

Active voice

Always write a press release in the active voice, as this makes it more direct and punchy.

Quotes

Include direct quotes from a campaign spokesperson to bring the story to life. Make sure the quote says something concise and relevant. Give the first and family name of the person quoted and their title or position in the organisation.

Facts and background

Make sure that you include enough background information on the MDG campaign and your local issues. Support statements with facts such as details on poverty. Avoid jargon.

Length

Keep the press release short – preferably only one page. If you must spread to a second page, type “more follows” or the first three words of the next page in the lower right hand corner.

Press contact lists

Many press releases never get opened or read because they are sent to the wrong person or have been sent to the wrong postal address, fax number or email address. Build a list of media contacts and always send all statements to everyone on the list. Make the list as broad as possible. Make sure your media list is kept up-to-date. Try to get the name of the contact person if at all possible. If your contact has moved, then send it to the chief of staff or news editor.

Contact numbers

Always include a contact number for members of the press who want more information. Remember that the press hours are not normal office hours, so the number given must be available after hours.

Follow up

Follow up journalists you know to check that they have received the release and have all the information they need. This both alerts them to the release and also helps to prioritise your story in their mind.

Luck

As usual in life, luck plays a role. You may have the greatest story, have done the best press release and made all the phone calls to follow up the release, but there is another big story, for example, a terrorist attack or an earthquake, that overshadows your issue. On the other hand, if you provide your release on a day with little news, day you may get a lot of coverage.

How to structure a press release

A typical news release looks at the ‘five W’s’, namely, What, Who, When, Where and Why. It is also useful to include a ‘How’.

Generally a press release is written in the form of an inverted pyramid, with the main points at the top and the less important information further down.

Checklist for your press release:

• Is it new?
• Are the main points at the top?
• Is it short, sharp and simple?
• Does it include direct quotes?
• Does it provide a contact name and number for more information?
• Have you avoided jargon, flowery language and generalisations which cannot be supported?
• Have you circulated a copy to everyone from the campaign whom the media might contact?
• Have you made follow-up calls to journalists you know?

Press conferences

Press conferences should only be called when you have a big story for the media that the public will be very interested in, for example, the launch of a project or comment on an important issue from leaders. You should have some speakers at a press conference who will attract the media, copies of press statements or briefing documents and people who can explain the issue clearly. A press conference should be about 30 minutes long.

You call a press conference by sending an invitation stating the topic, speakers, time and venue to all the media on your contact list. Fax it through and follow it up with phone calls to confirm attendance. Try to invite specific journalists rather than just sending an open invitation to the editor.

You should never have more than three speakers at a press conference. If there are many people who have to be accommodated, let them sit at the main table but only respond to questions. Make sure that there is a strong chairperson, who can stick to the time, keep the conference orderly and direct the questions to the most appropriate person to respond.

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