Guidelines And Checklist For Creating A News Release

July 26, 2008

News releases remain a common tool for organizations to make a public statement through the media and business community.

Newsrooms receive hundreds of story ideas each week. Here’s a simple check list to make sure your news release will stand out in the crowd…

Find a "newshook". Ask yourself "Is this news?" Your news release will get better pick up if you develop a strong newshook, create a human interest element, or relate the news release to an industry trend or national or international event.
Create a great headline, one that hits the heart of the story. If the headline doesn’t grab the news editor or reporter it is less likely that he or she will go on to read the body of the news release. Remember that in a busy newsroom you are competing for the editor’s or reporter’s attention. And, in the financial community, traders and analysts are often trading on headlines as they appear on the screen. An effective headline always includes the organization’s name, gives a sense of immediacy by using the present tense, uses active verbs and plain conversational words to clearly communicate the nature of the story.
Answer the eight W’s. The initial five (who, what, why, when, where) should be captured in an interesting opening statement of 25 words or less. The remaining three W’s should be answered in the second paragraph. They are: Who wins, Who loses and Who cares. A good reporter will be asking themselves these questions so it’s in your best interest to answer these questions for them.
Don’t spin a bad news story. Always tell the real story, even if it’s bad news. The media will be less likely to trust your organization in the future if a news release tries to hide the bad news at the end of the news release. Be proactive and explain why the bad news is happening and what the organization is doing about it.
Contact information. You must provide sound contact information if you want the media to react to your news release. That includes: contact name(s) - meaning someone who can respond directly and immediately to the media or who can immediately arrange a media interview; daytime and after hours telephone number; e-mail address; and, the organization’s web site. Make sure the contact person is available and ready to respond.
Once you’ve sent the news release, follow up with a call. Call the assignment desk, business editor or beat reporter. A thorough follow up will let the media know the story is important and will help you build stronger relationships with key writers and producers.