Press release format

A press release is used by news media members to report on an event, product, circumstance, or other promotion. Businesses, services, individuals, and several others provide press releases to members of the media with the hope that they will find something in their press release newsworthy and run an article about their story and gain exposure for their company, product, or service.

Press releases are sent to journalists and media outlets in order to encourage them to run a story. Since journalists are busy individuals, the press releases must come in a standard format if they are even going to be considered by a journalist. Since a press release is trying to get a journalist to write a story on it, it usually is biased toward the objectives of the author. Rarely a press release will be published `as is'. Most press releases are viewed as raw material by the media and it is their job to transform it into a story. There is a standard format for everyone that composes a press release. The press release format is as follows:

A press release must be written in the "third person." A press release follows the same format as a reporter writing on a news story. A press release must report on an event, circumstance, person, product, or occurrence by a third party. When writing a press release, try to keep it under 500 words or under 3 pages. Generally the rule of thumb with a press release is to keep it to 2 to 3 paragraphs. The information in the press release needs to be accurate and detailed without being too wordy.

The initial opening of a press release will say "PRESS RELEASE" in caps and in bold lettering in the center of the page. For a press release that is intended for immediate release, it should state; "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" in caps and in bold lettering. The headline will follow the initial statement and it needs to summarize the entire press release. The headline needs to grab the attention of the reader and must be creative and be less than one sentence long. Never use exclamation points in the headline as it implies that you are advertising. The best way to write a headline is after you have written the content of the press release. A headline will come from keywords in the content and then it will only need some creativity on your part.

After the headline, the first paragraph will follow. The first paragraph needs to begin with the location and date of the origin of the press release. The first paragraph generally is 2 to 3 sentences long and it includes interesting information about the overall theme of the press release. The first paragraph must answer the following: who, what, when, why, where, and how. The opening paragraph is so important because it may be the only part of the press release the journalist actually reads. The opening paragraph needs to hook the reader into the press release and leave them wanting more.

After the opening paragraph, you will write additional paragraphs that include more detail about the information. To start the second paragraph, you will include quotes from experts on your staff about subject matters and pick up with the information from the first paragraph. It is essential to use proper grammar with a press release because it will impact the credibility of a company. Use content that keeps the attention of the journalists. The press release is written to grab the attention of a journalist and persuade them to write a story about whatever it is you are promoting. Never fabricate any part of the press release and do not make it seem to good to be true. Journalists are natural skeptics and if a press release seems to good to be true, they wont even consider writing about it. Always have factual evidence to back up your press release claims and be ready to answer any type of question that may come your way from members of the media.

One of the best ways to write a press release is to connect it to current events or issues. For example, if there is a tornado and hundreds of people are affected by it, you could advertise your storm cellar business to people protect their loved ones. Usually a press release follows an inverted pyramid format. An inverted pyramid format is when the most important information is written at the begging of the press release and the rest of the information follows. Avoid using jargon in a press release as this only deters journalists from reading more.

The final paragraph of a press release is the summarization paragraph. This paragraph will include information about the key points of the press release and provide avenues for the reader to obtain more information. The final paragraph is where the writer will provide their contact information including the company name, contact person, phone number, email address, web site, and other important information. A press release will always close with three # symbols centered directly below the last sentence.

Most press releases are sent by fax but sometimes they are mailed or emailed. A mailed press release needs to be printed on company letterhead. If you do not have letterhead, you need to include the logo of the company. An email press release is generally smaller than a standard press release. Most email press releases are 400 words in length and they are organized into five, short 2 to 3 sentence paragraphs. An email press release is written similar to a standard press release, but it can include direct links that the reader can actually click on to find out more information. If you are writing an email press release, you will need to follow this format:

First, the subject line must include the headline of the press release. The headline is very important and will go a long way for a journalist that is determining if the press release is worth reading. Similar to the standard press release, the fist paragraph will include information about the following: who, what, why, where, when, and how.

Contact information needs to be clearly laid out in an email press release like it is in a normal press release. Reporters don't always want to wait for an email reply so it is easier for them to contact you directly via the telephone if they have questions. Several email press releases also include a closing paragraph that provides information about the company. Usually this is background information about the company, explaining how it came to be, how long they have been around, and the area of expertise they have. Some press releases will include high points in the career of an individual if the press release is about a speaking engagement or book release.

Timing is everything with a press release. Journalists are very busy individuals and Monday and Tuesday are extremely busy news days. If you have a newsworthy press release, consider sending it out on Wednesday or later on during the week. Avoid sending a press release on a busy news day such as those following a natural disaster. A press release that is written like an advertisement will not be read. Write a press release with an emotional touch. Since journalists like to find stories that have human interest at heart, it is important to find ways to exploit this. A press release that only focuses on the business will not be considered newsworthy and probably wont make it off the fax machine.

Once you have completed a press release, you need to read it over multiple times. You should never trust your software program to correct all the grammatical mistakes. A business will lose credibility if they send out a press release that has numerous grammatical mistakes. It is also important to test the fax before you send it out to all your media contacts. Some press releases can look just fine but once they go through the fax machine, the wording ends up becoming smudged and the media contacts cannot decipher it. Do test runs to make sure the fax comes through the transmission ok.

When you send an email press release, you should avoid attaching anything to the message. If you must attach the press release, do not save it as a .PDF document because this requires a download of a software program just to read it. You should also avoid using Microsoft Word or WordPerfect because the press release can be altered from its original format.

Since the press release format is extremely important to your topic getting covered, it is best to stick with the basics and do not deviate from the standard format. When businesses and individuals send in press releases written after their own format, journalists may toss it aside thinking it is just a SPAM fax or email. Once you master the press release format, it will be easy to learn what writing style journalists and editors prefer and you will write excellent press releases that are sure to be picked up.