News ReleasesPR 305: Dr. Kelly Winfrey

Who Gets Releases?

• Before you start writing, identify and understand your target audience. Write about what interests that audience

• News releases are targeted at the news media, so understand them and their readers

• Audiences can be narrow or broad• Cyclists in Ames• Americans that own iPhones

What do They Do?

• Arouse curiosity of reporters

• Draw attention to your client’s message so reporters will write a story, or editors will let the release run

• Used by reporters to supplement existing stories and save the media time, money and effort

What do They Do?

• Part of a client’s strategic public communication campaign

• Help explain an organization’s objectives in a timely, accurate and newsworthy manner

• Ultimate purpose is to inform the public

• Provide public with newsworthy information about your client

How Do the Help?

• Increase credibility of an organization

• Introduce a platform to discuss issues relevant to your client

• Can position client as a credible authority on issues of interest to your client and/or organization

• Spokesperson of an organization becomes a source for news media

Planning the Release

• What is the key message? • Express it in one sentence

• Who is the audience(s) of the release?• Journalists in traditional media, bloggers,

consumers, etc.• Media is usually the gatekeeper for what

information researches the public

• What does the target audience gain?

• What objective is served?

Pitfalls

• Can position client as an unreliable source

• Timeliness is important- past events are taboo

• Language should be directed toward journalists and news directors

• Media style and format

• All information released to the public can be used by parties who claim they have been mislead by an organization’s information

• Hiding the “bad” shows intent to mislead

Libel

• Libel • Legal claims for false statements about a person

group or entity that are printed, broadcast, spoken or otherwise communicated to others

• Don’t send out news releases that make false statements or injure someone's reputation

• Accurate information and delicate choice of words are required• Unflattering comments about competition• Overstep between puffery and factual

representation

Libel

• Clarify facts and clearly indicate opinion

• Opinion statements should be accompanied by the facts that support them

• Statements of opinion should be clearly labeled as such

• Context of language surrounding the expression of opinion should be reviewed for possible legal implications

Style and Form

• Find out how target media deals with releases• Email• Format (software) requirements• Print copy• Publishing work schedule (daily, weekly, bi-

weekly)• Magazines’ schedules do not mirror newspapers

Style

• Consult The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook and Libel Manual

• It will help you deal with names, titles, addresses, stock prices, percentages, meteorological data, years, highway numbers, etc., each with its own style

• Refer to people- AP uses first and last name for first mention then only last name

Style

• Titles- • Can use common abbreviations, “Gen.” or “Sgt” • Spell out long or unfamiliar titles• Short titles go before the name, long titles after

• Sgt. Tyler Smith• John Kerry, Secretary of State

Style

• Numbers• Numbers one through ten are spelled out• 11 or greater are written as numerals• Complex numbers require writer to restructure

sentence.• $12,445,687.90 would become an approximation

such as “over 12 million dollars.”

• Check the stylebook: http://www.apstylebook.com/

• Buy a used copy for cheap

Format

• Above the Headline• Media alert• Editor’s Note

• Not required, but can be useful.• Example: “Jeffery Baker will be available for

interviews at 3:40 p.m. at the Telecommunication Center’s fifth floor studio or after his 8 p.m. lecture in The Great Hall.”

• Insert FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Date• Or Embargoed

• Contact Information- include name, title, phone, fax, email

Headlines

• Need to attract editors’ attention

• Good headlines key into news values

• Usually rewritten

• Contain as many of the 5Ws as possible

• HEADLINE IN ALL CAPS AND/OR BOLD• Subhead includes important supplemental

information not in the headline. (optional)• Headline and subhead font should be larger

than text

Format

• Length is 1 -1 ½ page

• Double spaced

• Type page number and headline on second page in header

• Insert ### at the end

Newsworthiness

• Timeliness- relevance to current events or issues or relatedness to an important event that has just happened

• Magnitude- the degree to which the story or issue has an effect on people (numbers)

• Impact- the effect of the story on public

• Human interest- appeal to readers’ emotions

• Celebrity- involvement of well-known person

• Proximity- has local relevance

• Novelty- angle that makes story unique

Newsworthiness

• Hooks (see p. 140 of PRSG)• Tie-ins with daily news events• Cooperation between organizations• Poll/survey• Speeches• Taking part in a controversy• Special event• Analysis or prediction• Etc…

Announcement Release

• Highlights changes that occur within an organization

• Changes must interest readers

• Internal promotions, new products, upcoming events, new hires and appointments honors, awards, etc.

• Examples:• Greenlee School Hires Two New Professors• Leadership Studies Program to Offer New

Minor

Reaction Release

• Used to counter or respond to something that was said or done within the public domain that has an effect on the organization

• Reactions are incorporated into a related release

• Primary tool for political candidates

• Examples:• Trump Did Not Donate to Planned

Parenthood• Taco Bell’s Meat is USDA Grade A

Spot Announcements

• Written when an external influence or action has an effect on an organization

• The information in the release is related to the organization and is relevant and newsworthy

• Examples:• Volvo Cars Cleanest Sold in U.S.• Clinton Unveils Gun Control Policy

Hometown Release

• Focus on local angle to a bigger news story

• Examples:• Iowa State Grad Appointed Secretary of

Education• Webster City Native Leads Cyclones to

NCAA Basketball Victory

Feature Release

• Offers an alternative news perspective to a larger news story

• Often called “soft news” and are not time sensitive; they usually focus on the human interest side of a larger news story

• Example:• Ames Woman Protests Closing of Mental

Health Facilities

Format

• Includes boilerplate• a paragraph about what your group/org does,

usually about 100 words• Provides snapshot of the group/org• Often inserted at the end of news release and

brochures

Fact Sheets

• Similar to a news release, but in outline form

• To be used as a quick reference tool

• Often more than one sheet (depending on the purpose)

• Each fact sheet has a different purpose and is designed to aid journalists

Fact Sheets

• Types• Summary sheet- about the new characteristics

of a new product or service• Profile sheet- provides one page summary in

bulleted list form that provides facts about an organization, company, or event

News Release Activity

• Each group will be given a news release

• Identify they type of release

• Announcement, spot, reaction, hometown, feature

• What makes it newsworthy?

• What would you include in a corresponding fact sheet?

Assignment 3

• 1 page strategy memo (double spaced)• How do these materials fit with your strategy?

What is their purpose?• Newsworthiness- what is the newsworthy angle• Content- Explain and justify the content of your

news release/fact sheet. What information would you include/exclude? Why?

• News release (1-1 ½ pages double spaced)

• Fact sheet (1 page double spaced)