Get the media to tell your story

Written by Shirley Lichti, for The Record, December 16, 1998

Publicity can be one of the most effective tools in a company's promotional toolkit. It can have a strong impact on public awareness at a fraction of the cost of advertising. Yet publicity is often underused simply because companies do not understand it.

One way of generating publicity is through the use of news releases. Editors and journalists have the challenge of coming up with stories to fill their pages and air slots day after day, week after week. It isn't always easy to fill that space. If you can come up with topical news for them to report, they will welcome it with open arms.

The key is that your news release must be of interest to the readers, listeners or viewers. If not, it will be quickly rejected. The number one pet peeve of many journalists is receiving news releases that don't feature any real news.

So the question is "What is news?" Start by thinking about things that other people are interested in. It might be the introduction of a new product, an award your company has recently won, a public event your organization is sponsoring, a business expansion which will add jobs to the local economy, or simply a novel service that your firm provides.

If you are in doubt as to what would be considered newsworthy, read the publication, listen to the radio station, or follow television newscasts to get an idea of what sorts of stories are being highlighted. Or spend a few minutes talking to news editors regarding the sorts of stories they are looking for.

When you read a newspaper, the headline of a story is usually what attracts you to an article. So when you write a news release, give it a clear, relevant headline that will hook journalists into reading it. When you consider that media outlets receive anywhere from dozens to hundreds of news releases a day, you need to get attention quickly. A good headline works regardless of whether you are directing your release to print, radio or television outlets.

Start the body of your news release with the city and province it is being issued from as well as the date. Then answer the 5W's about your topic: who, what, when, where, and why. Write in a simple, straightforward fashion. Be factual and to the point. Remember, this is a news release, not a piece of creative writing.

By the way, don't use the term "press release" when dealing with radio and television stations. They deal in electronic media, not the printed form. Instead, use "news release" or "media release." This might seem like a nit, but based on my own conversations with radio and television journalists, it is a real irritant.

Don't try to include every single point you think the media might be interested in. It is highly unlikely that your news release would ever be run just as you wrote it. The goal of a news release should be to pique a journalist's interest enough to call you. Additional information will then be collected for a story. News releases that are too long, too difficult to understand or which contain too many messages are less likely to be read.

Make sure that the pertinent information is contained in your first paragraph. If journalists are interested, they will read on. Feel free to add more details or background information later but don't be offended if it is not used. Remember, it is the job of journalists to get the story. Your job is to convince them you have a story.

If your news release is primarily of interest to the local media, you can use fax or email to distribute it. For national exposure, you can quickly and cost effectively reach the newsroom of every print, radio, and television outlet in Canada through newswire services such as Canada NewsWire, Canadian Corporate News, or ISDN. For example, a one page news release will cost about $500 to distribute on Canada NewsWire.

Below are the top ten do's and don'ts for media releases based on the many interviews conducted for this article. Many thanks to all who took time out of their busy schedules to talk with me and share their thoughts.

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Tips for Writing a News Release

Do's

1. Use news releases when you have newsworthy stories to report.
2. Type your release. Then check your spelling and ensure all information is correct. A news release is as much a reflection of your business as your business card or any other promotional material.
3. Be brief. One page, double spaced releases are best.
4. Include a contact name and phone number. The contact is a person who can be called for more information. Make sure the contact person will be available to take calls. Failure to do this was the second most mentioned pet peeve I heard from editors and journalists.
5. If you are running an event, be sure to include the date. You may want to let reporters in for fee if your goal is to obtain coverage of the event.
6. If you will be sending news releases on a regular basis, learn as much as you can about how individual journalists prefer to receive them. Most prefer faxes, but more and more are switching to email.
7. Note that deadlines and "busy" times vary dramatically. For example, a weekly newspaper that prints on Wednesday will be very busy on Monday and Tuesday. A television station preparing for a 6 p.m. newscast won't have time to talk to you at 4:45 p.m. unless you have earth-shattering news.
8. If you call to follow-up, keep it brief. Some journalists don't mind getting follow-up calls, but others can't be bothered with them. Most told me that a memory jogging call could be quite helpful.
9. If you send your release to more than one person at the same media outlet, include a list of names it's going to so that two people don't end up duplicating efforts. Double coverage may be nice from your point of view, but it may hurt your subsequent efforts to get attention.
10. A cover page suggesting what you would like media personnel to do is sometimes helpful. While they know you want publicity, they may not be sure if you're seeking a short promotional plug to boost ticket sales, coverage of an event, or if you think it would make a good feature story.

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Don'ts

1. Don't address your releases to the "newsroom" or "business department." Direct them to the appropriate individuals. News releases will not automatically get forwarded to the right person. More often than not they will simply be discarded. (Your local public library should have a copy of Gale's Directory of Publications & Broadcast Media that will help you get Canadian news media contact names and numbers. But double check with a phone call to ensure the information is still current.)
2. Don't use technical jargon or assume journalists will be familiar with your industry or your company and its products and services.
3. Don't write an ad. Journalists shy away from blatantly promotional pieces, especially from companies in the private sector.
4. Don't send a media release without first becoming familiar with the kind of stories the media outlet covers.
5. Don't just show up at a media outlet and expect a journalist to drop everything to talk to you unless it's a very urgent matter.
6. Don't email an attachment file without first finding out if the journalist has the software to open and read it.
7. Don't use the mail to deliver time sensitive information. Especially when announcing events, make sure enough advance notice is given. Telling a news editor on Monday afternoon about an event running the following morning is not adequate. Two weeks notice is ideal.
8. Don't sponsor a charitable event just because you believe you will get publicity. Get involved with something you genuinely support. If you are insincere in your efforts, the media will see through it in a flash.
9. Don't expect to get great publicity if a competitive media outlet is the exclusive sponsor of your event.
10. Don't send photos. As a general rule, larger print publications will want to take their own photographs, but head and shoulder photos of a visiting speaker or new company executive will be welcomed. Radio is hardly the place for a photo opportunity. A VHS tape with good clips might be used in a television story.