HOW TO WRITE A PRESS RELEASE
What is news?
News is:-
1 what is new, different, unusual, strange, funny, touching, beautiful, unexpected, tragic, sad, joyful
2 local boy or girl makes good, however old or young the one concerned
3 the first time, the last time, the greatest, the smallest
4 to do with well-known people
5 of interest at the present moment - topical
6 accompanying a really good photo
7 the working out of a good, original idea
Meetings are almost never news in themselves. What comes out of them may be.
With practice, anyone can develop a nose for news
Forget everything you learned at school about writing essays.
News writing is very different. News writing is very easy.
How to write - some guidelines
·
Write in
varied, but simple, sentences. Never use a long word when a short one will do.
·
Use
newspaper language (simple words, shortish sentences)
e.g. Parish plans are not being considered - they are
IN THE PIPELINE
A parish does not only do well - it FLIES HIGH
When a parish programme begins it GETS OFF THE GROUND
A jubilee is a MILESTONE etc, etc
But do not try to be too clever - keep it simple
· Numbers should be rounded up to the nearest figure
eg 49 people becomes “nearly 50 people attended …”
or “over 45 people came to …”
· Never show your personal feelings
eg Never say, “Mrs Jones, that gracious lady with the
beautiful singing voice.” If your story needs that sort of
personal comment, then use a direct quotation from an
appropriate source.
Getting started
Before you start to write you will need to be clear about what you want to say.
You need:-
a) A list of priorities
What do you want to say?
Use the “who, what, where, when and why” questions to make your list of basic information
eg who - the fund raising committee
what - the parish jumble sale which raised £500 for the new roof
where - the parish at St Saviour’s, Sheffield
when - last Saturday
why - it was the biggest jumble sale we have ever had
b) A headline - that is simple and catchy and to the point
eg Church roof gets off the ground
(but note this may well be changed by the sub-editors)
c) A first paragraph - that must summarise the whole story
You should be able to read the first paragraph and not have to read any further to know what it is all about.
eg A Sheffield parish has raised nearly £500 towards its new roof in one go with a massive jumble sale.
You could expand this to:
The first £500 needed for the new roof of St Saviour’s church in Sheffield was raised in one go at the biggest jumble sale the church has ever seen.
or
The
dream of a new roof at St Saviour’s church in Sheffield came a step closer to
reality last Saturday thanks to the massive jumble sale which raised nearly £500
in just two hours
Remember: keep
the first paragraph to one sentence
It’s a bit like trying to
pass on to a friend a really good piece of gossip in a single sentence. In your
opening sentence you need a “news angle” which catches the attention of your
reader. The sentence should be no longer than 35 words. Keep the reader
guessing and looking for more.
Expands on the information given in the first paragraph as well as providing names, quotes, opinions and further details.
a) Make your story as long as you feel it needs to be to cover all the facts and background detail, but don’t make it too long. Normally, half a page of A4, single spaced is about the maximum. The material has to fit into the limited space available, and the longer the story, the less likely the reader is to persevere to the end. Be prepared for the Editor to edit what you write.
b) If possible, type your story. If your story is handwritten, please make sure that it is legible. Illegible writing leads to inaccurate stories and irate readers!
c) Do not presume knowledge on the part of your reader. Be clear and specific.
eg “The new church at Edlington, near Doncaster.”
d) Try not to use technical or theological language. If you have to use it, explain it.
eg “The Apostolic Pro-Nuncio, Pope John Paul’s personal representative in Great Britain.”
e) Be aware that a phrase may have more than one meaning.
A ‘mixed marriage’ for most people means a marriage between partners of different races. Phrases such as ‘living together’ can also lead to misunderstanding!
f) Be aware too that what is acceptable to you may be offensive to others. If in doubt, leave it out.
Names - are very important. It gives human interest to the report. To make your report interesting you should have people telling their story even if the main thrust is about an event rather than a person.
e.g. The parish, which is 100 years old this month, is used to jumble sales. George Robinson, who is on the fund raising committee and one of the oldest members of the congregation, told the Hallam News that he had never seen anything like it before. “People just flocked in,” he said.
When using names give the title or the reason why we should listen to this person. (“On the fund-raising committee, one of the oldest members,” etc). Anyone can say that the jumble sale was impressive but it is more significant coming from someone who has seen 50 years of jumble sales!
Quotes - use first hand quotes if you can
e.g. “This was a superb effort,” said parish priest, Fr Jim Jones, “We will be hard put to do anything on this scale again.”
Opinion - find out what people think
e.g. Mrs Smith, whose
idea it was to have a jumble sale on
this scale, said that the
reason for the success was the house to house collection which the parish
organised and the way the sale had been advertised. She paid tribute to the new
fund raising committee which had been responsible for getting things off the
ground
Dates and
further information
- should be included if necessary
e.g. Although they will find it tough to match such an achievement, the parish is already planning its next fund raising event. They will be holding a bring and buy sale in their church hall next month (May 11th, 2.30 pm).
Do not be tempted to include too much
Finishing the Release
Finish the piece with
- ends -
Unless you tell us otherwise, you may be named as the author of the article.
Put it all together and you get:-
PRESS RELEASE
From: St Saviour’s Catholic Church, St Saviour’s Road, Sheffield, S00 000
Church Roof Gets Off the Ground
The dream of a new roof at St Saviour’s Church in Sheffield came a step closer to reality last Saturday thanks to the massive jumble sale which raised nearly £500 in just two hours.
The parish, which is 100 years old this month, is used to jumble sales. George Robinson, who is on the fund raising committee and one of the oldest members of the congregation, told the Hallam News that he had never seen anything like it before. “People just flocked in,” he said.
Mrs Smith, whose idea it was to have a jumble sale on this scale, said that the reason for the success was the house to house collection which the parish organised and the way the sale has been advertised. She paid tribute to the new fund raising committee which had been responsible for getting things off the ground. “This was a superb effort,” said parish priest, Fr Jim Jones, “We will be hard put to do anything on this scale again.”
Although they will find it tough to match such an achievement, the parish is already planning its next fund raising event. They will be holding a bring and buy sale in their church hall next month (May 11th, 2.30 pm).