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The art of the press release

Last week, Minot Daily News briefly hosted a group from the chamber of commerce’s leadership academy to discuss the newspaper and its role and potential for up-and-coming business operators and executives. It was actually a nice break from the usual chaos of the week, as the group was a really good one and anytime we get asked questions, it prompts us to pause and consider some things we otherwise might not. Thanks to the chamber and the couple of dozen participants who showed up for being so engaged and interesting.

One thing I was asked to address was fostering a relationship with the newspaper and in particular how to get press releases (and thus story ideas) the best possible reception in the newsroom. Now, I have written before about the need to study the newspaper, learn the types of material we gravitate toward, build personal relationships and to understand the perspective of the newspaper and that submitted material must work within the parameters of the paper’s needs.

Today, I thought I would briefly review the art of the press release – how to write one to maximize the chance that the release might run in its original form, might be translated into a brief or might be the impetus for us to write a story on the subject. It doesn’t matter much what the topic is – a properly presented press release is going to get more attention than a poorly prepared one.

Aside from the general tips above on developing a relationship with the paper and its staff, here are some specifics on submitting press releases.

– Know who to submit a release to. If you are pitching a business story to the reporter who handles arts and entertainment, you’ll at least slow down the process of review.

-E-mail is far superior to hard copy, and releases should be in a format that can be manipulated on our end. For many, the best possible outcome is for us to use a well-composed release as-is to fill a news hole. Being able to cut and paste and edit as needed speeds up the process. Having to re-type a release because it arrives as hard copy or is in a format we can’t easily utilize often lands it on the bottom of the pile.

– Keep press releases short, to one page if possible. If you don’t capture our interest in the first few lines, the chances are small we will ever get to page two. On an average day, I alone must receive and read 100 press releases. That’s in addition to others my staff receive, but which I don’t. Every press release is like an elevator pitch. 90 seconds… go!

– Make sure the pertinent information and the most colorful, distinct or relevant information is in the beginning of the release. Very much like authors have to capture your attention from the beginning, so do writers of press releases. Tell us quickly why the information enclosed is so important to our readers and what makes it most interesting. Then, following the inverted pyramid style, fill in the background, etc.

– When possible, include a person representative of or involved with the “story” you are pitching. Too often, press release writers forget the human element and that human interest is key to generating interest in the public.

– Photographs greatly enhance the value of a press release to the newspaper. High-res digital images of people in action are gold in a press release. Less exciting: check presentations, groundbreaking, ribbon cuttings, poorly shot profile photos.

– If possible, tailor a press release to a specific department or section within the paper, and explain why you think it would work for us in particular. Perhaps cite a similar type story we ran in the past. Be a little cautious here, though. If we ran a story on “x” last week, there is less a chance we are going to want to run a story also on “x” this week.

– Make sure any press release has at least one contact listed, should we need followup information. If one is pitching a story, providing multiple contacts enhances the chance for coverage.

– A follow-up email or phone call is fine. Continual phone calls afterward is a nuisance. If we can use something, you won’t have to chase us. We’re always actively seeking news and story leads.

– Remember that there are a hundred factors that determine what appears in the newspaper and if you aren’t initially successful, don’t give up. It will probably be for one of those hundred reasons that would probably never occur to you.

– Be nice! It never ceases to amaze me how frequently people will have a release upon which they want us to take action, so the approach is to be demanding or discourteous. Let’s just say that a hostile attitude will get you exactly nothing.

Building relationships, learning staff roles, being courteous and presenting us with information are the keys to success when working with the newspaper to get your news or story out. We actively seek to support the businesses and institutions, so it should be a symbiotic relationship – within the confines of our responsibility to report the news, good and bad. There are public relations professionals who so frequently bring us good material, in the right format, with context, that their visits are like seeing old friends.

It all starts with the right way of communicating with Minot Daily News. Keeping these few guidelines in mind is a great way to get started.

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