How to write PRESS RELEASE Press release a

How to write PRESS RELEASE

Press release • a written statement or announcement to the media • or your „TICKET TO PUBLICITY“ • is not written by professioanl journalists • the ideal length of a press release is about 300 to 400 words

Parts of a press release • CONTACT INFORMATION • HEADLINE • SUBHEAD • DATELINE • BODY COPY • BOILERPLATE • END OR CLOSE

!!! Before you include all the previously mentioned parts, don´t forget to write on the top of your press release: „FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE“ or „HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL: [date, time]“

CONTACT INFORMATION: • Company name: • Contact person: • Telephone: • Email:

HEADLINE • tells readers what the announcement is about • 100 -150 characters long, no more than one sentence • It is also called “grabber” because it should grab a reader´s attention • It should follow the „Someone Does Something“ format • Capitalize the first letter of all nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs and any prepositions that are four letters or longer • do not use closing punctuation

SUBHEAD • explains the headline or provides additional relevant details • it is optional, it does not have to be included.

DATELINE • informs of the press release´s origin • consists of the city, state and date of issue • ex. : SVIDNIK, SK. , September 23 rd, 2015 – [First sentence of body copy].

BODY COPY • should begin with a strong introductory paragraph with the information most relevant to your message • write it from the third-person point of view • include the “Five Ws” which should summarize the key points of your news release • the rest of it can provide more details • add a quote from a properly attributed source. For quoting use: „said“.

Five journalistic „Ws“ • WHO did that? • WHAT happened? • WHERE did it take place? • WHEN did it take place? • WHY did it happen? • Great explanation can be found here

BOILERPLATE • the last paragraph of a press release • briefly describes the company featured within the announcement • includes a summary of the company´s history, industry, practices, and unique value propositions. • Ex. : “About (Company Name)”

END or CLOSE • The final quote in your press release should make an impact. Make it something positive and memorable. • A press release should always end with the traditional close symbol: “###”- centered at the bottom of the page.

Just as the five W’s play a very important role in journalism, there’s also five W’s that can help guide you throughout life.

References: • http: //www. prsyndication. com/press-releaseformat • http: //www. wikihow. com/Use-Quotes-in-a. Press-Release • http: //www. hypergridbusiness. com/2012/06/ 10 -steps-to-a-good-press-release-plus-onebonus-step-for-a-great-one/ • https: //ambitiousamateur 15. wordpress. com/ 2013/11/01/the-five-ws-of-life/