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As I sit down to write this article, I cannot but analyze the changed perception of the media towards press releases. It has moved from being viewed contemptuously as an advertorial from the company to a valuable source of news and information about the organization. There are still many instances of press releases from leading and respected companies not being read beyond the first paragraph and landing into the trash cans of media houses. However, increasingly press releases are now being looked upon as authentic and credible sources of information from companies, to be quoted by journalists in their stories. Even electronic media like CNN and BBC quote press releases from companies in their news.
The reason behind this evolution is the maturity and development of the public relations industry and some really smart and intelligent people joining it. This has started getting reflected in the way press releases are being drafted and issued to the media. They have now changed, from being literally “free ad copy” to a document which clearly articulates the business development, whether positive or negative of the company.
While drafting a press release, a PR professional has to mentally transform herself/himself into the reporter filing the story. Not only that, he or she also has to think like the copy desk of the publication. So apart from getting the story out, strong editorial presentation of the release is also a key criterion. The first critical step in drafting the press release is to enlist the key messages of the announcement. Whether it is a product launch, an announcement of a new CEO or change in the business strategy, the key messages have to be clearly articulated. This means first thinking of the headline that you would like to read and hear in the news the next day. The headline is a key element of the announcement. Though many times, overzealous marketing managers make it like an ad copy, it is the work of the PR professional to make it more informative.
Once the headline is in place, the first paragraph can be easily worked out. With journalists especially in the metros, receiving an average of 40 to 50 if not more press releases in a day, they usually don’t have the time to read through the entire information. This means that the first paragraph should encapsulate the key points of the news. For example, if it is a product launch for a car then the first paragraph should have the name of the new car, the key features, the price, the cities of launch and other critical information.
With the headline and first paragraph in place, the press release is almost half-way through. The main body of the release should have the details of the announcement. Most critically it should have a quote by the senior management of the organization. If it is an announcement of a partnership then the quotes from both the partners should be incorporated. The quote should be succinct and reiterate the key messages as well as the vision of the company behind the announcement.
An additional paragraph can be devoted to further details which might be considered an important part of the announcement.
Once the entire information has been incorporated, the last part of the release has to include the Boiler Plate of the company. Again if there is more than one organization involved, the boiler plates of both the companies should be included in the release. The Boiler Plate of a press release is like a template of the company. It includes key points of the organization like the date of its incorporation, the name on the stock exchange, the products manufactured to name a few. The Boiler Plate is not more than one paragraph and should be pithy but encapsulate the key points of the company.
The press release should definitely include the name, email address and phone numbers of the PR/marketing contacts of the company making the announcement. This enables the journalist who wants to publish the story easily contact the company for additional details or clarifications. Including the website address of the company website is a critical tool towards building traffic to the site and creating an additional point of easier access to company information.
When the release is finally sent to the media after the necessary company approvals you can be rest assured—if your release has been written keeping in mind the newsworthiness of the announcement—of reading your press release as a part of the next day’s morning news.
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.
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—About our writer:
Preeti is an independent public relations professional and politico-social writer, currently located in Paris. Books and learning French are her current interests.
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