What does a

journalist really look journalist really look

for in a press release?

Ian Kirby, Director, MHP Communications

The Press Release is dead

“The press release is dead. We will

have to dip into the tool box and

broadcast now and again, but it is

no longer ‘SOS’ (Send Out Stuff).”

09/10/2013 2

Alex Aiken, executive director, government comms

Long live the press release

09/10/2013 3

These newslines won’t sell

• Slight relaunches

• Stories in a vacuum – why is this relevant?

• Low prices, great service, wide selection

09/10/2013 4

• Stories in a vacuum – why is this relevant?

• Obvious product placement

• Bad jokes and poor hooks

What will turn OFF a reporter?

Cheesy jokes

/ technical

language

Obvious

corporate

messaging

“A spokes-

person said”

09/10/2013 5

MISTAKES

One fact

stories

Gaps – why

should I do

the work for

you?

Rejection is hard to get over

09/10/2013 6

But it doesn’t need to happen!

Before you write

What does the journalist want?

Which language do they speak?

Get your facts straight

09/10/2013 7

Get your facts straight

What’s your top line?

Is this new?

What will turn ON a reporter?

Direct quotes

Punchy

headlines

A clear and

significant

story

09/10/2013 8

Direct quotes

from the

boss

Context and

comparisons

Digital links,

images and

video

The headline is the hook

• Sum up the story in eight words

• Most memorable headlines are never “Trains run on

time and are clean” or “No staff losses this year”

09/10/2013 9

• Don’t get technical

• Put the big numbers in the sub-deck

• Super Cally Go Ballistic, Celtic are Atrocious

Content checklist

• Who?

• What?

• So what?

17/07/2012 10

• Why?

• How?

• When?

Flog your story

• This is a world first!

• Put the big numbers at the top

• Get a quote high up in the story

• Put the client at the bottom,

but make them essential to the

09/10/2013 11

but make them essential to the

story

• Write like you speak

• Seventeen words in a sentence

• One piece of punctuation

• Avoid caveats

• Short is sweet

Get your boilerplate right

• Check your numbers add up

• Avoid caveats – they look like you’re lying

• Hand over the data

• Check web links are live

• Photos, graphics, shiny stuff

09/10/2013 12

• Photos, graphics, shiny stuff

• Let the hack speak to a human being

• Give them your numbers and your e mail

Selling it in

• Identify your targets

• Check again

09/10/2013 13

• Call them first

• Be adaptable

• DON’T BE A STALKER

www.mhpc.com

Ian Kirby

Director

60, Great Portland Street

London

W1W 7RT

+44 (0) 20 3128 8547

+44 (0) 7710 760724

ian.kirby@mhpc.com