How to write a Press Release

Several years ago I wrote this:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4 November 2004

HOW TO WRITE A PRESS RELEASE USING PROPER FORM

HONG KONG – Apparently there is much confusion on how to write a Press Release – what is the proper form and style that one should use to communicate information to News Editors from various mediums? This release will develop the correct form to be used, and the style of communicating ideas and facts on a most important to least important ranking of sentences. For form, a Press Release begins with “PRESS RELEASE” or with FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (to announce that this is news), the day’s date, and then the Press Release Headline, in capital letters and emboldened. The headline immediately tells everyone what is the news that is being released, a summary statement in one line. A Press Release can be printed on letterhead paper, or not. From a newspaper perspective, the headline is most important as it communicates the story-line in words. Letterhead may bias the reader, as it may appear that the letterhead either qualifies the headline, or classifies it – making the headline less important. For that reason, I always use plain white paper. In the spirit of less is more, I try to write only the facts without clutter. News Editors have only so much time. If the release is well written, they’ll read it in its entirety. Poorly written and it will be quickly dismissed. Therefore, the Headline and opening sentence (the lead-in) is the most important. It should summarize the entire release, less is more.

A paragraph break signifies that the main idea has been presented. A Press Release communicates messages from organizations and is structured around the communication objective: What is it that you are trying to communicate, and to whom – what is your communication objective(s) clearly stated. Then, what are the key points – from most important to least important. On a separate sheet of paper list your communication objective(s). This is the reason that you are writing a Press Release. Then write out the key points of that communication objective(s) – from most important to least important. Write them all out first. If you are writing about an event for example: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Then at the end of the Press Release, sign-off by giving a contact(s) for more information. I have always ended my press releases with a centered –30— as the way to end. Apparently –30— was the way newspaper Teletype machines and telegraph operators ended a communiqué. It signifies that this concludes this release. Or you can use ###, centered at the bottom, also signifying the end of the communiqué. The latter is more contemporary. The best release is always one single page. The idea being editors have only so much time.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Professor Dr. Daryl J. Orris
Hong Kong Baptist University
Department of Communication Studies
224 Waterloo Road
Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, CHINA
(852) 3411-7876
djorris@hkbu.edu.hk

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