Problem #1. The news release doesn’t answer the 5 W’s and how questions.
Solution: Make sure your news release answers Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.
For example, if your news release is about a noteworthy speaker at your upcoming horticulture club meeting, you could structure your news release introduction in this way:
Gerald Greenthumb, famous gardener and author of the bestselling book, “How to Pull Weeds Without Breaking a Sweat,” will speak to the Houston Horticulture Club at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 26, at the at the Horticulture Club Building, 123 Sycamore Blvd.
In this paragraph, you’ve answered the who (Gerald Greenthumb), what (will be speaking), how (speaking to the horticulture club), when (11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 26), and where (Horticulture Club Building).
What about the why, or stated another way, so what? This leads to our next problem.
Problem #2: The news release doesn’t answer the “so what” question.
Solution: Make sure your news release answers why something is important—the so what question.
In the horticulture club example, Gerald Greenthumb is going to speak. So what?
Perhaps he’s going to share some tips from his book about how to pull weeds without breaking a sweat.
Often, to add credibility or color to a given news story, you might get someone—say, an executive or expert—to explain why the issue is important. This leads to our next problem.
Problem #3: The news release has inappropriate quotes (if any).
Solution: When using quotes, make sure they are accurate and not overblown.
The quote must be accurate (that is, the executive or expert actually said it or approved the ghostwritten quote). The quote must also be written simply and not go overboard.
In the horticulture club example, something like:
“Gerald Greenthumb’s tips will help everyone pull weeds without breaking a sweat,” said Paulina Petunia, club president.
is better than
“Gerald Greenthumb’s thoughtfully considered guidance will be of assistance to all of us wishing to remove valueless plant growth without releasing perspiration,” said Paulina Petunia, club president.
When using quotations, use the person’s full name and title on first reference. Use the person’s surname on subsequent references.
Also, when using quotations, use “said,” and not other words such as allowed, confessions, cried, exclaimed, revealed, shouted.
After preparing and editing the news release, it’s time to send it out, which leads to our next problem.
Problem #4: The news release goes to the wrong people/places.
Solution: Check and confirm the names, publications, stations, and web sites to which you will send your news release.
In the horticulture club example, Gerald Greenthumb will be speaking to the Houston Horticulture Club. This event will be of interest to garden enthusiasts in the Houston area, and possibly the general public. Garden enthusiasts living elsewhere might not be so interested because it will be more a challenge for them to attend the event.
Our next problem deals with the timing of a news release.
Problem #5: The news release is sent with little (if any) time to be included in the publication.
Solution: Check and confirm the deadlines for those publications, stations, and web sites to which you will send your news release.
A misperception exists with turnaround time, particularly for broadcast and web site content. It is true that content can be quickly placed, changed, or removed from a particular web site. However, if the content involves an event in which the readers are invited to attend, lead time becomes crucial.
With the horticulture club example, make sure the announcement appears several days before the event itself takes place. In this way, people who want to attend the event can make plans to do so. Also, because the news has been released early, a station can repeat the notice so people are more likely to hear it.
Following these tips will help you prepare better news releases, and get them to the right people in a timely fashion.
