6.3 Writing the News Release
Traditionally, news releases use the inverted pyramid style, which makes it easy for journalists and editors to receive the most essential information first. This means the news hook should be revealed in the headline, subhead and lead of the release. Journalists will not take your news release seriously if the content is not newsworthy and it is not written in an accepted style, such as CP style. Make sure that the news release contains attributed information with proper sources and is error free.
Before writing the release, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the announcement or event newsworthy? Does it appeal to the media outlet’s audience? Some announcements do not warrant a release and can simply be posted on the company website.
- What is the key message? What should the reader take away?
- Who is the target audience for the release? Although you’re writing the release for the media, you need to keep in mind the kind of readers or listeners you hope to attract.
In this video, Gina Bericchia, senior media strategist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, discusses proper news release writing.
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