Writing an Effective Media Release

As a Public Information Officer putting out a media releases is a good portion of their job description. The challenge is getting the media release the proper attention. Social media has certainly helped government organizations get the message out. But if you are trying to promote an event, act of heroism, or good deed, then capturing the attention of the news producer or editor is extremely important. Detailed below are some good tips to writing a highly effective media release.  

Writing a good headline

New organizations receive hundreds of new releases daily.  To be a standout in the crowd, you need an appealing but informative headline. Headlines should be to less than six words—you can always add a subhead—and make sure it contains the most important piece of information. Don’t be boring and say, “Police respond to help call.” Instead say, “Police locate missing child.” The headline should be bold the headline. Make it about 20 points. If adding a subhead, put it in italics (and not bold) and make it about 16 or 17 points.

Start off right

Begin the media release with the city and state where your organization is located. Start off with that information and then add a dash—from there you can go right into the release.

The lead is always first

For a journalists, the lead is the main point of the story. In a media release, make sure the main point and all the key information are included in that first paragraph. You can’t guarantee that that reader will go further than that, so make sure it includes the need-to-know information. The second and third paragraphs should contain secondary and supporting information.

Remember the Five W’s

An effective media release needs to answer the what, when, who, where and why. What is happening? Where and when? Why is it happening? Who’s involved? A good media release must include this information. Without it, the reader will hit delete. Also, if it works, include the “H”—how is something happening? These are all essential good writing tips.

Use the right style

Write a media release as a news story. Keep sentences short and simple. Don’t use jargon or terms that the average person wouldn’t understand. Focus on facts and information—remember you want the reporter receiving your media release to understand it’s news.

Always run a spell check and read it thoroughly before. Try reading it out loud to hear the context of the media release before sending.

Always include a quote

Reporters like quotes, so seriously consider including one in your media release. Whether it’s from your Chief or from you as the Public Information Officer, (if the release is about an upcoming event), make sure the quote sounds real and not canned. Read it aloud and make sure it sounds like it’s something a real person would actually say. Quick tip on quotes. Keep them short. It needs to sound like someone actually said it.

Include contact information

You need to make it easy for the reporter to contact you for more information or if he or she has additional questions. If you are including media such as photo or mugshot, consider offering a direct link to that is downloadable. Be sure your website and other social media account information is properly listed.

End on the right note

Media releases traditionally end with three ###s. It signifies to the reporter that the release has come to an end. The reporter knows that that you understand how a media release works and they are more likely to take you more seriously. .