The Press Release: Yes Again
I know that we did a story on press releases a few weeks ago; however I needed to show you some of the results that can occur when you do a proper press release. The links below will take you to various doctors that have had their releases published in local newspapers; this publicity is worth $1-$3 thousand dollars in advertising if these docs had to pay for it. THEY GOT IT FOR FREE! So can you. I do consulting with a limited number of docs, about 10 right now, and I take on no more then that at one time (Not 500 like some guys) of these 10, 8 have had a major story appear in their local newspaper and/or have had a press release published. Again, this is free advertising and because it appears as a news story its credibility and thus your credibility is greatly enhanced.*
A good news release consists of a short introduction. Journalists call this an ‘intro’. This should total perhaps no more than 25 words. Bear in mind that your text needs to answer the ’six salient questions’: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How? Your intro will cover most but not necessarily all of them. Keep your article short and simple (Kiss). Remember, news is something new and unusual it has to have news value, a criteria that unfortunately is somewhat arbitrary. The News value of a story determines how much prominence a news story is given by a media outlet. In Western practice such decisions are made informally by editors on the basis of their experience and intuition, and analysis shows that several factors are consistently applied across a range of news organizations. In 1965, Galtung and Ruge enumerated these factors; if you click here you can read about it.
The second sentence or ‘lock-in’ builds on the news in the intro. By paragraph three you will probably use the best or ‘killer’ quote from the main source for your story. Always attribute a quote to somebody.1. A news item should be in a readable font size, usually 12 point Arial or Times Roman and double-spaced.
2. The article should be given a unique keyword to identify it. This is called a ‘catchline’. For example, an article about a poisonous snake sent, undetected in the post, might be catchlined “snake” and each page of the news release then numbered Snake…1, Snake…2 etc. This information is placed in the top right-hand corner of every page.
Do not use: 1. A subject’s name, i.e. George Bush (Using Palmer would be okay), because, if they are famous, there could be lots of stories about them in one day. Or, a word so general, like health, that there might be many stories on the subject similarly catchlined. A good catchline will ensure that every page of your news release can be easily identified in a busy media office.
3. The by-line, the journalist’s first name and surname, should appear at the top left of the page.
4. Between the byline and catchline should be placed the date on which the article was written. This information helps the editor to judge whether an update will be necessary, especially if the article is a time-sensitive news story.
5. Your text should have a simple headline of perhaps no more than three words above the intro, telling the reader what the article is about. Unlike your other marketing material in the case of the press release try not to attempt a catchy tabloid-style headline. Editors jealously guard their job as the headline writer.
6. At the bottom of each page, to tell the reader that there is more copy to come, put MORE FOLLOWS, More or just MF (centered).
7. To tell the editor that the article is complete put the word End or ENDS on the last page.
8. Don’t forget to include your full contact details on the first page.
Importance of Presentation
Proofread proofread and proofread. Check the spelling; don’t rely solely on spell check. There are some words that are spelled correctly that are not the word you meant to put in the sentence.
Check the grammar. Again, the word processor’s grammar checker is good to a point, Use the word processing software as your helper but remember that you are the final judge of accuracy. For each news release draft, no matter how small, create a word processing document, name and save it on a disk, memory stick or on the hard drive so you can easily get back to it later. Keep a printed ‘hard copy’ in a safe place.
Writing style and completeness.
You are expected to write clearly and concisely - using complete sentences that flow logically from thought to thought.
Remember always assume that your reader has not read the materials on which you are reporting. Explain the issue to your reader as if she or he knows absolutely nothing about the subject. Don’t assume that your reader has an understanding of chiropractic jargon or terminology.
Be objective.
Try not to use “the first person” (I or we). Carefully put together an outline before you begin writing.
Bullets and short paragraphs
Break the material into short paragraphs; using bullet points if necessary. Even with bullet points, use complete sentences and be meticulous with grammar and punctuation. Don’t rely on the computer to correct all your errors. If you use bullet statements, be consistent.
In many cases, the best use of bullet points is to make each statement a complete sentence with a capital letter at the beginning and a full stop at the end.
In some cases, however, you may want to use a “lead-in” sentence opener. Make each bullet statement complete the sentence from the lead-in opener. And be consistent.
When using bullet statements, it is usually best to single space within the bulleted statements and double space before and after the statements begins.
Use Positive Tone
Write in a positive and lay-person’s style. Your objective should be not to unnecessarily offend anyone who might potentially read what you have written on behalf of your organization. While every issue you write about won’t necessarily be completely upbeat and enthusiastic, each can achieve a proactive note.
Be conversational
Make your writing sound conversational. Take care to avoid sounding stuffy, stiff, or uncomfortable. Don’t use slang or inappropriate language. Connect with the reader in the same conversational style that you would if you were in the same room with him or her having a conversation. So, don’t use jargon.
Take time
To achieve the best, most positive tone for your news release; you must take your time when writing. You can’t be in a big hurry. This is particularly important as you develop your writing skills early on.
Proofread again to spot typographical and formatting errors. Read the text out loud to make sure it sounds right.
Use your own words
Please do not get in the habit of reading printed text and online information and just doing a “copy and paste” into your news release.
The highest form of successful writing is learning from what you’ve read, summarizing it in your own words and reporting what you’ve learned. Practice, it is very important that you develop your own style of writing. When you use someone else’s words, it sounds like someone else wrote it. By now you should all be able to recognize my writing style (or lack of it)
Put the full name and phone number (including after hours mobile) in the contact details at the end of the news release. Additional factual information can be provided in a Note to Editors after the contact details.
This might include biographical facts and a short chronology of relevant events.
Chiropractic Press Releases that have recently appeared in local newspapers:
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200771001046
http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071001/LIFESTYLE/710010319/1024
http://www.county29.net/cms2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6647&Itemid=237
http://www.romeoobserver.com/Story.asp?page=what&storyid=10490
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070926/Lives/709260455/1050/Lives
