Components
of a News Release
In Part 1, I talked about the importance of the contact person listed on a release. Also, although this sample doesn't feature a logo, I talked about taking advantage of branding your business or organization by sending out News Releases on your letterhead or a template that features your logo. Today, I'll cover the Date, Headline, and Lead Paragraph.
Date: It's
important to let the media know the release date. Most of the time, I will use
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Keep in mind that just because it says for immediate
release doesn't mean that it will appear the next day and sometimes not even
the next week. The use of "For Immediate Release" just lets the media
know that the information is not embargoed and can be used immediately.
Make sure to allow as much lead time as possible. Send
releases out at least two weeks before you'd like to see it appear. Send it out
even earlier for events you want listed on calendars.
About embargoes: A news embargo is a request by a source
that the information or news provided not be published until a certain date.
Embargoed releases are often used by businesses making a product announcement,
by medical journals, and by government officials announcing policy initiatives;
the media is given advance knowledge of details being held secret so that news
reports can be prepared to coincide with the announcement date and yet still
meet press time. In theory, news embargoes reduce inaccuracy in the reporting
of breaking stories by allowing reporters time to research and write, often
complicated pieces.
The Headline:
Make it bold. Make it catchy. And just like the rest of your news release, make
sure it's newsworthy and relevant. It will be centered (left to right, not top
to bottom). You can use all caps and/or make it 1-2 font sizes larger than the
body to help it stand out.
Sub-Headline:
You don't always need a sub-headline for your news release. The sample above,
for example, doesn't have a sub-headline, but I want to mention it because you
may need to use one at some point. A sub-headline provides additional
information to the headline. I used these a lot at the University of Texas-Pan
American because some of the releases we sent out were complicated. The format
I recommend when using the two-line headline is to use ALL CAPS on the main
headline and upper and lowercase for the
sub-headline.
Dateline: The
dateline is used to set the geographic location of the article or event. When using a dateline, it is placed on the first
line of your text. I prefer to us AP style.
Next comes your
Introduction or Lead paragraph: Outside of your headline, most of your
focus should be on crafting a strong lead —that's where your news release lives
or dies. After reading the lead of your news release, the person reading it
should have answers to the 5 W's and H.
Your goal with the lead is to hook the reader while
providing a clear, concise overview of your story. Please don't start with
"So and So from Such and Such company is pleased to announce a first of
its kind widget...." Instead, "A first of its kind widget that
promises to ....," announced So and So from Such and Such. The second paragraph is a great place to
include a quote from the So and So that expands on the lead.
The rest of the news release reinforces the lead
paragraph and provides more details.
I'll go into more detail on the 5 W's and H in the final installment in
this series, as well as discuss the rest of the building blocks. One of my handouts at workshops includes tips for writing a strong lead and for composing a boilerplate. Contact me and I'll email it to you.
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