Become an Expert on Press Release
Link for Video Lecture: Press Release
What is a Press Release?
A press release is an official statement issued to newspapers giving information on a precise matter. The press release is a good choice for a writer who wants to write for media. In addition, it can be a good source of income for a journalist. It is important for any company or department because it provides an official statement from the company to the media for news. You can learn press release writing to earn from freelancing.
Media waits for your press release to create news. When a media gets a press release from a company then it decides whether it is news or not. Finally, the media will publish the news on the base of your provided press release.
Sections of a Press Release
There are three sections of a press release;
- Headline
- Body Text
- Contact Information
Headline
A headline is very important for any news so it is good to add it to your press release. If you don’t put a headline then the TV or the Newspaper will add a headline by itself. Moreover, the headline of a press release should be attractive and catchy. It should be short, easier to read, appealing, newsworthy, interesting, and fresh.
The headline should have the location, city, and date where this event happened. If the press release is being provided from a foreign country then you should add the name of that country in the headline. The heading should be catchy and be able to grab the attention of the reader.
Body Text
The body text of a press release contains complete details of the event. The first sentence should be catchy and contain maximum information. The first paragraph of the press release should be short and succinct. The news agencies or media don’t have time to read long stories so your press release should be concise and to the point. It should also be mentioned who says or directs the event. It can be at the start, middle, or at end of the press release. The second paragraph should have all the necessary details.
Contact Information
At the end of the press release, the contact number of the concerned person should be given. It is possible that the media or newspaper wants to ask something more so they should be able to contact the concerned person or the representative of the company.
It’s time to review
- Above all, a press release should have all the above elements.
- It should be newsworthy.
- Its length should be 200 to 400 words.
- Moreover, the heading of the press release should be catchy and interesting.
- It should not be promotional and objective.
Press release format
The press release should be in a proper format. It is important to pay attention to it.
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PDF format
Advantage: PDF is compatible with nearly all devices.
Disadvantages:
- The size of the PDF file is heavy so it can block the mailbox of a journalist.
- This type of file is not easy to edit or copy.
- Similarly, it is difficult to know how many people have read it.
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Plain text
It is a safe and good choice to have a plain text format. A good press release is innovative, interesting, and worth reading.
Advantages:
- It is easy to edit and copy.
- It is light in size so it does not block the mailbox of the journalist.
Disadvantages
- Its’ boring and does not look attractive so it does not encourage reading.
- This type of text is looked at badly on some devices.
- In case of PDF files, it is not easy to say who saw them.